The Digital Drifter

Does Boise State Still Have a Chance at the BCS?

2011-11-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

While I was not able to keep up with writing as much as I would have liked to over the past few months, I can say that it has been an exciting time, full of interesting projects, some crazy college football, and good times mostly all around. While my Boise State Broncos suffered a heartbreaking defeat at home against the TCU Horned Frog just a few short weeks ago, the season is not lost as some may believe. In fact, I think that Boise State losing on the Blue has summed up this college season farily appropriately. LSU is now the sole standout, the team to beat. With teams like Boise State, Oklahoma and Oregon losing at home in recent weeks, the BCS is falling into utter anarchy. A few more upsets and we may have the season that pushes the BCS into implementing a playoff of some sort.

There is still a ton of football to be played in the next week, and a lot could happen. An at-large bid for the Bronocos isn't even totally out of the question. Here are a few of the things that need to happen for Boise State to claim one of the few coveted at-large bids.

- Notre Dame needs to upset Stanford
- Virginia needs to upset Virginia Tech
- Oklahoma needs to beat Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Game
- Georgia needs to Upset LSU in the SEC Championship Game
- Auburn needs to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl

While not all of these are likely, and in fact, most of them probably won't happen, it would absolutely help the Broncos' chances of making it to the BCS. Most likely of these to happen is Virginia beating Virginia Tech and going to the ACC Championship game to face the Clemson Tigers. Least likely is Auburn upsetting Alabama in the Iron Bowl. But like always, anything can happen in a rivalry game.

If we do make the BCS, expect to see us once again in Glendale, taking on the winner of the Bedlam Game, either the Oklahoma Sooners or the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Here's to a few more weeks of college football, and to one of the craziest seasons I've been lucky enough to watch. As always, Go Broncos!

Boise State 2011 Schedule Breakdown Part 2

2011-06-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, at this point the Broncos are sitting at a likely 6-0. This is not without some very hard fought battles, and potentially some very close games. With the most difficult game of the season ahead, Boise State still has a long road to travel.

Here is my breakdown for the second half of the Broncos 2011 season -

• Air Force at Boise State - Saturday October 22nd, 2011 – 1:30 PM

Boise State continues Mountain West play against the Air Force Falcons. Air Force looks very stacked going into this season, and I project they will finish 3rd in the conference, behind Boise State and TCU. The Boise State defense should be strong enough to hold the Air Force’s Triple Option at bay.

My Prediction – Boise State 35 – Air Force 14

• Boise State at UNLV - Saturday November 5th, 2011 – 7:30 PM

UNLV is a team that hasn’t faired well in Mountain West play over the past few years. Boise State should be familiar with the territory playing in the Las Vegas Bowl last year. The fact this is an away game shouldn’t prevent Boise State from winning big.

My Prediction – Boise State 42 – UNLV 7

• Texas Christian University at Boise State - Saturday November 12th, 2011 – 1:30 PM

This is the one that all of Bronco Nation is waiting for. In what is the biggest game to happen on the blue in recent memory, Boise State and TCU will go at it more time. This will be the only meeting Boise State and TCU will have as members of the Mountain West, as TCU will depart for the 2012 season to the Big East. Boise State and TCU are 1-1 in their last two meetings, both of which were defensively charged battles at were decided by one score. Don’t expect anything different this time around. Even though both teams have lost some strong players, expect new talent to prove themselves on both sides of the ball for both teams. This will be the Bronco’s biggest test in the 2011 season. However, without Andy Dalton at the helm, I expect TCU to fall a bit short in this trip to Boise.

My Prediction – Boise State 21 – TCU 17

• Boise State at San Diego State University - Saturday November 19th, 2011 – 4:00 PM

After a close win against TCU, Boise State has another challenge. This time it is a trip to San Diego to play the Aztecs of San Diego State. Expect a good matchup, as SDSU will put up a fight. However, with the loss of a few key players and their coach from last season, Brady Hoke, San Diego State won’t quite be able to contain the Broncos.

My Prediction – Boise State 38 – San Diego State 17
• Wyoming at Boise State - Saturday November 25th, 2011 – 12:00 PM

Sitting at 10-0 by this point, Boise State has but two games standing between them and a likely bid to a BCS game. If the cards were to play out like last season and Boise State can win out, there is a good shot at the big game. This has been the storyline going into the season for the past few years, and it has not come to pass. Wyoming will not pose a threat against Boise State, and the Broncos will roll onto 11-0.

My Prediction – Boise State 42 – Wyoming 3

• New Mexico at Boise State - Saturday December 3rd, 2011 – 4:00 PM

At the end of the season, Boise State could not have a better way to finish out Mountain West play. The New Mexico Lobos will fall as the Broncos continue on towards the BCS.

My Prediction – Boise State 35 – New Mexico 10

There you have it! 12-0 would be a great way to finish out the season, with a more than likely BCS bowl bid. This season is going to be our toughest in years, and we have some very solid opponents throughout. The toughest games this season being against Georgia, TCU, Tulsa, and Air Force.

There are many things that can change as the season goes on, and in College Football, anything can happen. But with a lot to prove going into the Mountain West and a very strong team, Boise State should finish strong.

Stay tuned for more once the season begins!

And now for something completely different. Boise State 2011 Schedule Breakdown Part 1

2011-06-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

It’s never too early to start getting excited for college football. With the state of the NFL questionable at best right now, college football may be our only outlet for football this year; and I’m as excited as could be. The Boise State Broncos face a number of difficult opponents this year, and if they can win out, have a better chance of playing in the big game than ever. The Broncos are shaping up to start the polls in the top 15, though I predict we break the top 10 by the time the initial polls come out. I will be breaking down each game, as well as giving my early predictions.

So lets get started!

• Boise State at Georgia (Neutral site) – Saturday September 3rd – 6PM

The opening game of the season is in the Georgia Dome against the Bulldogs from Georgia. Don’t let their somewhat lackluster season last year fool you, this is shaping up to be a great game. Similar to the Broncos, the Bulldogs are led by a strong quarterback in Aaron Murray. They start without their star Wide Receiver from last year, AJ Green, who went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. This will be a battle, and I feel that it is on par with last years opener against Virginia Tech. Should be a shootout, but never bet against the Broncos when they have months to prepare.

My Prediction – Boise State 34 – Georgia 24

• Boise State at Toledo – Saturday September 17th – 6PM

The Toledo Rockets are an opponent we have faced a few times in the past, with the Broncos dominating last year in Boise. I had the pleasure of attending that game as a student last fall. Toledo faired decently in the MAC conference last year, but still was left out of the MAC championship thanks to the dominant Northern Illinois.

My Prediction – Boise State 45 – Toledo 17

• Boise State vs. Tulsa – Saturday September 24th – 6PM

The Tulsa Golden Hurricanes absolutely dominated the Hawaii Warriors in last year’s Hawaii Bowl. This is the game that I really got to see what Tulsa was all about. They possess a very potent offense, with a somewhat middle of the road defense, especially for competition is Conference USA. Tulsa is currently my way too early pick to take the Conference USA championship this year. Look out, this one might be a whole lot closer than everyone expects. Look for Boise to take it in a close one.

My Prediction – Boise State 42 – Tulsa 35

• Boise State vs. Nevada – Saturday October 1st – 6PM

This is the rematch that every Bronco is waiting for. However, this is not the Nevada team that finally took down the Broncos last year and ended their hopes of making it to another BCS Bowl game. Without Colin Kaepernick at the wheel, I don’t see the Wolfpack even putting up a fight this year. Look for a blowout in Boise.

My Prediction – Boise State 48 – Nevada 13

• Boise State at Fresno State – Friday October 7th – 7PM

Last year the Broncos shut out the Bulldogs in Boise. I don’t expect that to happen again this year, as Pat Hill and his Fresno State Bulldogs play a whole lot different when playing in Bulldog Stadium. The Broncos should win comfortably, but look for Fresno to put up a fight early.

My Prediction – Boise State 35 – Fresno State 17

• Boise State at Colorado State – Saturday October 15th – 4PM

Boise State opens up Mountain West play at Colorado State. For our first official Mountain West game we play against a perennial MWC bottom dweller. Look for this one to be over quick.

My Prediction – Boise State 49 – Colorado State 14

This concludes the first half of my predictions for Boise State in the 2011 season. At this point the Broncos should be sitting at 6-0, with three tough games sitting in front of them. Look for the second half of my predictions coming soon.

"All Night: The Movie"

2011-02-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the privilege of attending the premiere of "All Night: The Movie" at the Egyptian Theater in downtown Boise. The film was created by Jacob Lyman and Kyle Sutton, and was filmed in Boise, Idaho with a budget of around $8000. I have known Kyle for some time now, and have seen this project grow. Congrats to both Kyle and Jake on a job very well done.

"All Night" follows a group of party minded youths on an adventure that takes them down many crazy paths. What surprised me most about this film was how well it captured the essence of Boise. It may just be because I knew a random handful of individuals involved (many that I knew from outside the movie, and was surprised to see included). If you have not lived in Boise, you cannot truly appreciate the "big small town" feel that it has. It seems impossible to go out and not bump into people that you know, and this film seemed to really represent that well.

I have not had many experiences within the "no budget" (films under $25,000) community, however I feel that this is a great outlet for aspiring film artists. Much work was put into this project, and it was shot over the coarse of two summers. All of those involved did it for the good of the project, and it is very apparent that all those involved cared about creating something special.

I look forward to seeing more projects from these two, and hope that "All Night" sees more showings and hopefully a spot in a film festival or two.

"Kyle Sutton (Writer, Producer) and Jake Lyman (Writer, Director)

Check "All Night: The Movie" out on Facebook here.

Post Grad

2011-02-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

Well, Graduation from Boise State has come and gone. As most of those in my situation, the number one priority is now on the job hunt. I have focused my job hunt on Advertising, Public Relations, Marketing, and Web based firms here in Boise. It feels like such a big step going from student to a career, but it is one that I am very ready for. Freelance work was fun for awhile, and I will continue to do a bit more work if the right projects present themselves.

One thing that I have always wanted to focus more on is the Digital Drifter. Trying to find the time and the correct focus for this blog has been something that was far more difficult than I ever expected.

The New Face of the Digital Drifter

2010-08-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

So much has changed since our last meeting! I am now a member of the freelance community! That means that I got laid off and am exploring my many options of what I can do with my life for the last semester that I am considered an Undergrad. I love it! I get to work from home, usually my couch, which has been a dream of mine since I was but a youth. But seriously, I am actually enjoying it and it is panning out which is always a plus. I have two steady clients in my first month and a half of doing this gig and I have two more on the horizon.

Now you may be asking, what exactly do you do? I am a freelance social media and public relations consultant; though I have primarily been working in the social media realm. I create and manage social media accounts for businesses. This means that I am the one putting together Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as blogs for a company. I actually think I found the job that I was born to do. It gives me plenty of time to manage my life around my work; I get plenty of time for the gym and for my friends and I get to work at my convenience. I love it. Seriously though, have I said it enough yet?

As always, much to come. I have many new ideas that I can actually work on now that I am not taking 19 credits and working in an office. So, let's see if I can make some use of this newly found free time. Thanks for tuning in - I hope you will check back.

Eternally yours Internet,

The Digital Drifter

Musings of a PR student

2010-05-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Summer Vacation - something that I have not truly gotten to enjoy in years. I start summer school in a month, but until then I have absolutely nothing scheduled. I am a recently laid off PR student who graduates in December - and I have no idea what to do with my time. I am starting to look into freelance work and maybe an agency or two that I could apply at, but until then, for the first time in awhile, I am just a normal twenty-something.

The reason that this is such a big deal, as most would not consider it to be so, is that I was really "comfortable" in my lifestyle. I love school (shocking, I know), I loved my job, and I loved where I was heading. I guess it was a necessary reality check going into my final semester at school that you never really have everything figured out. Though I am sad to leave agency life behind me for at least the time being, I realize that it happened and I must move on. Everything happens for a reason, even though it may not always be the reason we want it to be. I recently was given a bit of advice that really struck something in me, and that is that there is only one thing you can be sure about life, and that is that it goes on.

And that is what I am doing at this juncture, I am going on with life in the best way that I know how. So, while I am left at a crossroads, I know only that I will move forward, never back. I have come a long way in my time at Boise State University; I found passion, hope, and a lust for life. I will not lose these things, I will embrace them. Here is once again, to the next step - wherever it may take me.

Another excuse as to why I am a horrible blogger

2010-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Once again I find myself trying to explain why it has been so long since I have updated. I keep asking myself why I do not just make the time to update, as I have so many ideas for posts that I would like to share with you.

For the first time in my life, I can legitimately say that I have not a minute of free time, and when I do, I feel like doing nothing except kicking back on the couch and playing some Call of Duty. As the semester draws closer to a close, I can feel myself preparing for a greater change than I am ready for. My long semesters of 19 credits and working are about over. I am 14 credits away from a degree, and the key to move past this time and into the next phase of my life.

Who knows what lies upon the horizon? So many decisions to be made over the next 8 months, and all will be monumental. The only comparison I have was the last semester of High School. Things seemed like they would change so much, and they did, but in the most amazing ways that I could never have imagined. Here is to the next step -- may it bring as much amazing change and positive influence on my life as the previous steps have.

Legitimate updates to follow - until then... enjoy the ride my friends ;)

Sean

Saints, Snowboarding, and a few minor house cleaning issues.

2010-02-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Once again it has been too long my friends. Hello again and welcome to my little corner of the internet. How have you been? We've missed you!

First things first - I would like to say congratulations to the New Orleans Saints! Superbowl 44 Champions! The Saints had me a bit scared going into the second quarter, but by the start of the second half (well after that amazingly executed onside kick), I was content that Brees and the rest of the Saints could put this one away. Anyone else glad to see pro teams take chances like the Saints did last night? Made me think of something Boise State might attempt. Fun fact though, last nights onside kick to start the second half was the first onside kick attempted before the 4th quarter ever in Superbowl history. Big call, big payoff. That is what the game of football is all about!

In an attempt to start doing more during the winter, I went (read: attempted) snowboarding up at Bogus Basin for the first time in years yesterday prior to the Superbowl. For never really knowing how to snowboard (I think I am truly a skier at heart) I think I did OK by the end of the day. I am feeling it today, but there were a few times yesterday that I really started to have fun. This was, of course, in between some of the hardest crashes I have had doing anything in awhile. It was totally worth it though, and I may even attempt to go up again next weekend. A few pictures from snowboarding yesterday are posted in my Flickr feed - check them out!

In the craziness that is 19 credits at Boise State and work three days a week at Drake Cooper, I really haven't been able to blog much lately. I have been learning so much that I want to share with you all, and I feel that I am finally moving towards a point where valuable content will be available readily through this blog. It's coming soon - I promise! I really do enjoy posts like this though, as it gives me a chance to share a bit of Boise life with the rest of the world.

In my last note of the day, I would like to acknowledge some major changes that are coming. My group: the people I live with, I party with, and do pretty much everything else with is coming into a great deal of change. Josh is deploying to Afghanistan, Anthony is moving home, and Mat is in a similar place I am. I have been living with my best friends for the past 4 years now (has it really been that long???). I just want to say thank you to everyone - It's not goodbye by any means. Josh will be back in a year, and I will still see Anthony and Mat. It is just an odd change to note, as this may be one of the most significant events in my life since I moved in with Josh and Mat almost half a decade ago.

I look forward to the turns that life will take, and I hope that the next 5 years will be as absolutely amazing and influential as the past 5 have been.

Cheers! And I will see you all soon.

Sean

Justarant (yes, a rant)

2009-12-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

As this blog slowly drifts to a place that actually has meaning and is not just the rants and raves of a student in Boise, I find that the real world seems to change with it. As I find purpose in this grand theater that we call life, so much changes. In the next few months, my whole life is going to be flipped upside down. Currently, I am living with three of my best friends, and have been for years now. As circumstances would have it, this is all coming to a crashing halt in the months to come.

Not only am I completely occupied with school and work, (as I should be, I am getting close to graduation; it's crunch time!) but I am losing one of my best friends for a year as he is deploying to Afghanistan. This is not the entire reason for everything breaking apart either. One of my other roommates is moving in with family, and the other is yet undecided. This leaves me in a peculiar situation, where for the first time in years I am looking for a roommate who is not someone in my very close group of friends.

In any case, this is a time that really snuck up on me. It seems that for so long it has been me and this very tight knit group, and now for some reason everything feels as if it will never be the same again. It is a scary, yet very liberating feeling. This will give me the opportunity to really focus on school and my career, as I need to at this very important section of my life. I expect the next year to be a great one, even though some of the people who I have shared every experience with in the past years will not be present. I look forward to next semester, and I look forward to furthering myself as a student and a professional.

Have a safe and happy holiday season everyone, I'll be back soon - I promise :)

Tumbling back to Tumblr

2009-12-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

I discovered Tumblr quite some time ago when it was brand new. It was a site that I created an account for, and set up direct updating from Twitter, FaceBook, and my Blog. I then completely forgot about it! It just didn't offer what I was looking for at the time. This was about the point in my life where I was engulfed with Twitter and this blog didn't exist yet. If my memory serves me correctly, this was also the time I was discovering public relations - but that story is to be saved for another day.

I recently have rediscovered Tumblr and I am very impressed. I had almost completely forgotten about it, but I was linked to a friends Tumblr account through their Twitter. When I when to their Tumblr profile I was in shock at how different it was than I remembered. It has evolved into a very functional, user friendly social media platform. I will be playing around over the next few days, trying to discover what else Tumblr has to offer - If you are on Tumblr, you should add me! My Tumblr URL is - http://seanwinnett.tumblr.com/.

Also, if you have any fun thoughts or cool applications for Tumblr, let me know! I want to hear all your cool uses for this very cool site!

Sean
PS - I LOVE the way that Tags are done for this site :) - Very impressive guys.

Looking Forward

2009-12-13T20:34:00.000-08:00

With yet another semester coming to a close, I am extremely looking forward to the one month break that is only days away. I have actually managed to finish up all my projects and papers, and only have one final left, which is not until Thursday. Next semester is looking to be just as busy as this semester was, if not even more. I am set to take 19 credits next semester, including classes such as PR Writing, Reporting and News Writing, Advanced Studies in Media, Mass Communications and Democracy and a few other upper division Comm classes that I have left to take before I graduate.

Another change for next semester is that I am now the Project Manager for the Boise State chapter of PRSSA. I think this will be one of the more fun aspects of next semester, and I am really looking forward to another great semester in PRSSA. We have a really great group of members, and I believe that we will have a lot of fun next semester.

Looking forward to it!

Sean

Promotional Public Relations

2009-12-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

Once again the semester is winding to a close. WIth finals quickly approaching, my free time is dwindling away. Haven't had a bunch of time to post lately, but trust me when I say more is to come. Christmas break will be a great time for me to do a bit of catching up with the thingsin my life that I have fallen a bit behind with. In the meantime, please watch this awesome video we made in my promotional public relationsclass last week. We had 25 minutes to concept a video for YouTube and then shoot it, and I think it turned out pretty good. It's about going green and encourages college students to recycle.

More to come in the upcoming weeks, I promise :) Good luck with finals everyone!

Sean Winnett

Leadership in Public Relations - PRSSA National Conference 2009

2009-11-18T13:36:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

I recently had the amazing opportunity of attending the PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) National Conference in San Diego, CA. The conference was a great place for students to connect with other students and professionals in the industry, as well as to get a better feel for where PR is at and where it is going. There were many workshops that I attended, but I am going to focus on two of my personal favorites from the event.

The first workshop I attended was "A View From the Top: How to stand out as a young professional". This workshop was lead by Ron Culp and Kevin Saghy from Ketchum PR. This was a great presentation in my opinion because it gave both an upper and lower management view of young professionals coming into the field of PR. They posed four questions, and then gave the responses that they received from both upper and lower management across many different agencies and corporations.

The four questions they asked were:
1. How can young talent stand out in your organization?
2. What example comes to mind of a young professional who advanced quickly in your organization, and why have they done so well?
3. How can/have employees hurt themselves by trying to raise their profile?
4. If you could anonymously say one sentence to your junior staff, what would it be?

There were many responses and quotes given for each question, so I will briefly go over the most common and relevant responses.

1. How can young talent stand out in your organization?

Senior Management - They show initiative, and they are a team player.

Junior Staff - They go the extra mile, and they show a positive attitude.

2. What example comes to mind of a young professional who advanced quickly in your organization, and why have they done so well?

Senior Management - They know the business, they show quality work, engage us with intelligent ideas, and they go the extra mile.

Junior Staff - Quality work, they present smart ideas, they work hard and they are willing to explore new learning opportunities.

3. How can/have employees hurt themselves by trying to raise their profile?

Senior Management - They should not seek credit all of the time, or follow own agenda instead of the agenda of the team.

Junior Staff - Don't throw co-workers under the bus, and don't skip the tactical work. The ones who succeed are the ones who do not have a sense of entitlement.

4. If you could anonymously say one sentence to your junior staff, what would it be?

Senior Management - What are you doing to prepare yourself for the next level? There is not a bad idea in a brainstorming session.

Junior Staff - Become known for your willingness to take on the most challenging, difficult assignments no matter how big or boring. Be the 3 C's: current, curious, and creative!

I have about 10 pages or so worth of notes from this seminar, as I felt they addressed a lot of the prominent questions a young professional has when going from college into the "real world". I also had the opportunity to stay after the seminar with about five other students to hang out and talk with Kevin and Ron for about 40 minutes. This was where the real insights came out, and allowed for some great one on one discussion about how the industry is evolving and where they feel it is going from here.

The other event I am going to talk about was the speech given at the PRSA National Conference by Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/)Arianna was a great speaker, and had some great insights on the industry. The most important piece of information she shared I felt was how drama is a necessary component in the news and in public relations. This is the driving force behind passion, and getting people to care about what you have to say.

Arianna Huffington speaking at the PRSA National Conference in San Diego, CA

Overall, I would say this was an amazing conference where I had the opportunity to meet a bunch of students and professionals in the field and get some great insight on how Public Relations is changing. Since the day I started at Drake Cooper, I have witnessed a passion and desire to always be ahead of the game by everyone here in the shop. This conference strengthened my view on how important this fact is not only for young professionals going into the field, but for professionals already in the public relations field, and any field for that matter. This drive to always improve ourselves, our work, and Drake Cooper in general is what will keep us ahead of the game in years to come! Thanks guys :)

Sean Winnett

The new ROI (Return on Influence)

2009-10-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled across this video on YouTube from Digital Royalty (Their channel can be found here, and their homepage here) showing their method of social media measurement.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) :
Digital Royalty recommends picking at least two KPI's from each of the following categories for social media measurement.

Volume - This includes number of fans or followers, tweets per minute (TPM), trending topics, etc. Anything that represents reach and frequency.
Engagement - ReTweets, subscribers, sentiment, comments, "likes" on FaceBook, etc. Things that people are using to "spend time" with your brand.
Conversion - Click through, leads generated, sales. Anything showing activity and action.

Return on Influence (New ROI) Formula:

Cold (engagement metric)- (Reach x Frequency) / Time Spent

Hot- Sentiment and Ecosystem size

I thought that this was a very interesting video that does a great job of showing how one can measure social media with both traditional and non-traditional methods.

Digital Royalty's ROI (measuring social media) -

Once again, please send anything that you guys run across related to social media that you find interesting my way. Thanks!

Sean Winnett

How Public Relations Has Taken Over My Life

2009-10-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I have tried many very random ideas with this blog, and rest assured more randomness will follow. Lately however, I have been overwhelming busy with school and work. I am taking primarily PR related classes this semester, I'm doing work with PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) which I am a member of, and work is 100% PR all the time. I don't think I have ever been happier, and I honestly mean that. The title of this post may seem negative towards PR, but I can honestly say that I have never been this driven towards one topic. I wouldn't be doing it this much if I didn't love it. Public relations has truly taken over my life, and I don't think I would have it any other way.

I am getting extremely excited for the PRSSA National Conference that is coming up on November 6 - 10 in San Diego, California. This is the first PRSSA conference I will have attended, and it looks like there is going to be a ton of great industry related workshops. Be looking for some updates while I'm down there. I'm sure there will be a bunch of new photos on Flickr and maybe even a blog post or two. Have a good one guys!

Sean

Artist Watch: LIGHTS

2009-10-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all once again,

As this blog seems to be heading in a different direction every week, I figured it was time for a music related post.

Today, I am going to talk about an artist I discovered just over a year ago. LIGHTS is a young 22 year old up-and-coming artist from Canada. What sets LIGHTS apart in my eyes from the slew of other pop artists out there is her extremely unique personality, and her keen use of platforms such as MySpace, Twitter and YouTube to really establish a connection and start conversations with her fan base. LIGHTS does weekly videos during her tours to talk to her fans, which does an amazing job of bringing her fans into her world. It makes fans truly feel as though the artist cares about them, and honestly you don't see too much of that these days. She talks about how the tour is going, does special acoustic versions of her songs, and creates a place for her fans to truly get to know LIGHTS. This is a very intuitive PR tactic, even if it isn't meant to be.

LIGHTS truly seems to be ahead of the curve with her use of social media to reach out to her fans, and really gives them something back. Keep your eye out for this one, she appears to be coming up very fast. Her first full album "The Listening" was recently released and can be purchased through her site, and is available on iTunes.

To visit her very cool interactive site, click here.

Here is her latest video, "Savior":

Changing times

2009-10-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late. School and work has totally taken over my life. 19 credits is more than I have taken on before, and working three days a week at Drake Cooper has filled what is left of my free time. It will all be worth it in the end, especially if I am able to graduate in May like I am planning. Then I will be fully immersed in what I call the real world. Though, I am curious as to how much more real things can get.

Anyway, I thought a quick update was in order. I will hopefully be back soon with something important to say. Until then, back to reading "Putting the Public Back in Public Relations" by Brian Solis. -- Amazing book! I recommend it to everyone in the PR profession. If you have read it, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I'm always in the mood for a riveting conversation about the public relations profession. Thanks guys, and have a good one ;)

Sean

The Boise River

2009-09-08T18:58:00.001-07:00

The Boise river
Originally uploaded by Swinnett

I took this picture while walking home from school today. This spot on the Boise River is one of my favorite places to stop and relax -- even though I really don't get to do much of that lately. It's a nice little reprieve from the normal daily grind while walking to and from school. Just thought I'd share a nice part of my day with you guys. Have a good one :)

Public Relations Vs. Marketing

2009-08-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I attended a speech on Public Relations vs. Marketing. The speech didn't end up being what I had originally thought, and delved deeply into the fact that these two are not competitors, and how they must work hand in hand with each other to hold a successful Marketing or Public Relations Campaign. At times, the presentation seemed to dive from PR and Marketing into the Advertising world as well. As a student of Journalism and Public Relations, it was a great way to see how every aspect of the industry works together, as opposed to working independently from one another. Some of the key points that were touched on included-

Campaign Components
Key Audiences
Crisis Communication
Communications with Journalists
Various Public Relations Resources (HARO, PRWeek, PRSA, Bulldog Reporter, etc.)

Each subject could have been discussed for hours upon hours, and unfortunately we had just under an hour and a half to cover all the material. It was a very good intro to the many ways that PR, Marketing, and Advertising work together to increase the effectiveness of a campaign, and how when one component is missing you may miss out on completing a successful campaign.

I hope to attend more of these presentations in the future to find out more ways to contribute to the success of campaigns that I am working on.

The Guild Music Video

2009-08-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

Recently stumbled upon this and I love it! (well the Guild, and maybe Felicia Day lol).

No I don't play any sort of MMO, but I have dabbled in a few in previously.

Let's just say I am not much for WoW or anything else out on the market currently.

With that being said, let me show you an MMO I am truly excited for, and will end up paying

the monthly fee to play. Here it is:

Now that looks like a game I am going to invest some hours in. Hopefully it is better than Star Wars: Galaxies. It's made by Bioware

though, and I just don't see them messing things up. I have faith in you Bioware, don't let me down :)

So I have some free time over the next day or so as I wait for school to start.

Expect a few mini posts like this, I have found a bunch of new video

content I feel like sharing. Have a good one guys

Sean

End of month wrap-up: Revenge of the Fallen review

2009-06-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

Welcome back -- I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I have been extremely busy doing the whole real world work thing. It's good though, but I promise I have much more in store for this blog that what currently is happening. I really would like to do the whole movie review angle, but I don't want to classify it to just that. Think of "The Digital Drifter" blog as an all purpose home for all those Gen-Y kids such as myself. With that said, here are my thoughts on "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen" :

For those of us who grew up with "Transformers", the thought of a live action movie a few years back made us weak in the knees. I did enjoy both movies for what they were, and that is a reason to Oggle Megan Fox for two hours. Who really cares about the action scenes? (Oh that's right... everyone) The problem with these movies is that they are trying to appeal to multiple markets, and really satisfying no one. What we grew up with is not going to appeal to the kids of this generation, and vice versa.

On the plus side, there were a few very cool new Transformers in the film, both Autobot and Deceptacon. Then we get to the "Jar Jar Binks" of "Transformers": the twins. I will not spoil anything for those of you who haven't seen it, but you will know exactly what I am talking about, probably ten minutes in to the film, if that. I understand why they did it, but it took a bit a way from the movie for me. Overall, keeping this review spoiler free, I would have to say it gets a mildly disappointing 2.5 out of 5. Granted I gave the first one about a 2.8 or so (C+ equivalent), so just slightly under the par set by the first film. Let's just hope Megan Fox reprises her role in the next film and isn't too busy stealing Angelia Jolie's roles; otherwise we might see the franchise drop into the 1's.

For those of you who haven't heard, there are rumors running rampant that Megan Fox has been asked to star in the upcoming prequel to the "Tomb Raider" franchise as Lara Croft. Apparently Jolie is furious that she was not asked to reprise her role as she is one who helped "build the franchise." What I find most entertaining about this is that it is a Prequel. I will admit Angelina is a very attractive woman, but she is not twenty years old anymore. If it was a sequel to the last films I would say go for it, but there is no way Angelina is passing for any role under 30. Jolie was cited criticizing Fox's acting ability, and saying she didn't deserve the role. Oh well, if nothing else, the new "Tomb Raider" will do really well at the box office due to the fact that every nerd will make an appearance just to see Megan Fox donning Lara Croft attire for a few hours. Sorry Angelina, if this does well you can say bye-bye to any future roles as the Tomb Raiding heroine.

Thanks for joining me in my little corner of the Internet -- Stay tuned

--The Digital Drifter

E3 - What I'm Most Excited For

2009-06-03T00:09:00.001-07:00

Borderlands Preview - http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38774/Borderlands-Preview/

I've been excited about this game for awhile now. Looks like it is coming along nicely, now if it can live up to the hype.

Heavy Rain Preview - http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38779/Heavy_Rain_E3_2009_Trailer

Don't have a PS3, but I might just have to borrow one to play this. Looks beautiful, and has a very unique feel to it. Could be great.

WET Preview - http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38724/WET-E3-2009-Trailer

Is it just me, or is the narrator of this preview the same guy who does the trailer for Grindhouse? This game also has some potential. I have come to expect nothing but the best from Bethesda, I really hope it isn't a letdown.

Fallout 3: Point Lookout DLC Preview - http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38723/Fallout-3-Point-Lookout-DLC-E3-Trailer/

More DLC for Fallout 3! This is awesome, I never expected to get this much gameplay out of Fallout when I bought it. This was also my first Fallout game, and Bethesda really has come through with making the game ludicrously large. I doubt I will ever be able to do everything in this game. Hell, I'm still trying to do everything in Oblivion.

Halo 3: ODST Preview - http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38753/Halo-3-ODST-Preview-Hands-On/?exclude=38723

Oh Halo... I have put so many hours into Halo 3, and was so utterly disappointed by Halo Wars. This one could go either way, it's a bit of a "tactical" Halo. It is also an open environment, which I will admit, doesn't seem the smartest way to go with the Halo franchise. Why fix something that isn't broken? I'm not saying don't innovate, but I hate to see a great game change how it fundamentally runs only to turn into a very bad game. (ahem, Halo Wars). I will hope for the best, and I hope to be proven wrong. Until then I will be playing Team SWAT.

Honorable Mention:

Left 4 Dead 2 Preview -http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38780/Left-4-Dead-2-Game-Preview-Interview/

I put Left 4 Dead 2 in here as an honorable mention because I doubt I will be buying it. I bought the first one and played it quite a bit the first week or so and then never touched it again. If the game had a bit more variety of weapons and environments, and maybe some DLC to liven the gameplay up a bit I would invest in it. This looks like it may just have some changes in the right direction. We will see once it is launched later this year!

Well guys, this is what I am most excited from E3 this year thus far. I am sure much more is to come in the next day or so, and I will post another update if anything jumps out at me. Until then, leave me some comments with your favorite stuff from E3. Thanks!

Moving on ...

2009-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Once again, welcome to my little corner of the internet. Glad you could join me :) --

So quite a bit has happened since my last posting. I have been so busy with school and my NEW job! Well, internship... but that point is moot. I quit my job at the mall working in an unnamed Shoe Store. I am currently working for Drake Cooper -- an all purpose Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations Agency here in Boise, ID. I LOVE it! This is quite possibly the best job I have ever had. No more retail for Sean!

In other news, I have about 3 weeks or so left of school, including Finals. This has been tough semester, but I think it might just be my best one as well. I have put a lot of work into school this semester and it is paying off. I finally have a bit of direction in my life, which is something I never though I would say.

I am really thinking of taking this blogging thing more seriously. I really would like to do it more often and actually write about something other than my life or Heroes and LOST. I am not sure where I want to go with this though. I have heard of people becoming "Professional Bloggers", where companies pay them to write posts and review products and whatnot. If anyone has any info on this please shoot me an e-mail at SeanWinnett@u.boisestate.edu -- much appreciated!

Anyway, I have a bit of Political Science homework to do before class starts --

Have a good one

Sean

Oh and if you aren't already--follow me on Twitter -- @Sean_Winnett

Finally! A New update that isn't related to LOST or to Heroes

2009-03-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

First off w00t for spring break!

How are you on this amazing day.... well not so amazing, but it could be worse... right? I had a fun filled day of work related let downs and financial woes, but in this economy, that's everyday isn't it? But this is not a downer post, so don't get discouraged.

Last Friday I had the opportunity and pleasure to interview for an internship at Drake Cooper, which is a local (Boise) Advertising and Public Relations firm. Keep your fingers crossed for me ;). I really need an internship and this seems like my dream job if you will. I have looked at other options for internships here in Boise, and this seems to be the most promising. I am a Journalism major with an emphasis in Public Relations, but what I am most excited about is getting to see how the advertising and marketing sides work. I have always been fascinated by advertising, and hope that I get the opportunity to learn all that I can from the amazing team at Drake Cooper. Who knows, stay tuned to see if I get the job. I am hoping to find out before I leave for San Diego on Thursday (w00t warm weather! and In-N-Out Burger, which I haven't had in years!)

Until Next time folks, thanks for listening

Sean/Locke

No I'm not dead

2009-03-10T08:53:00.001-07:00

I just have been extremely busy with school and work as of late. Updates soon, I promise ;)

Remember to leave me some <3

Comment please

Sean

"Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li"

2009-03-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

I went into the theater with the absolute lowest expectations for this film. And after the 1990's version featuring Jean Claude Van Dam as Guile, who wouldn't? With that all being said, I walked out of the theater somehow somewhat pleasantly surprised. I am not saying this is a great film, or even really very good for that matter, but it does have a sort of charm to it if you are a fan of the Street Fighter games. It doesn't make the same mistakes it's predecessor did by trying to jam every character ever into the game, as a matter of fact, it does a great job of keeping the number of characters fairly low for how many there are.

Kristen Kruek takes on the role of Chun-Li, one I really never saw her fit for. Lana Lang, yes... But never our beloved Chun-Li. Robin Shou who played Lui Kang in the Mortal Kombat movies plays Gen, one of the trainers of Chun-Li. Michael Clark Duncan plays Balrog, and actually is probably my favorite character in this film. Chris Klein plays the role of Charlie Nash, who in reality sounds like a cheap Duke Nukem rip off the whole film. I really am not a fan of Chris Klein, but if they ever make a Duke Nukem movie... he'd probably mess that one up somehow too. Bison, the main villain, is played by Neil McDonough. He does a good job portraying Bison in an odd way. He didn't feel like Bison, but then again, Kruek at times didn't feel like Chun-Li. He still does a great job acting, however cheesy it comes across at times(but again, this movie is supposed to feel this way).

The story follows Chun-Li on an attempt to rescue her father from Bison. There are a lot of random action sequences, some of which I felt should have been longer. I would have liked to have seen more of Vega, who does maybe a whopping total of 3 minutes of actual on camera fighting in the whole film. This is a fun film if you like the video games, however if you are not a fan I would make it a point to avoid. If you still feel you must see it, wait for it to hit Netflix. I'm sure it won't be too long before this hits the shelves in stores.

LOST Season 5, "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" : A look at John Locke Spoilers

2009-02-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

"The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" is in my opinion, one of the most important episodes in LOST to date. This episode is all that I had hoped it to be, full of action and answered questions. We get the whole story from when John turned the wheel to his returning to the Island.

We get a great opening showing the new "Losties" going through the Hydra Station, when news comes they have found a man standing in some water, dressed in a suit. Come to find out this is none other than John Locke. When asked out about why no one saw him on the plane, he is very open with the fact that he remembers dying. He is not the scared John Locke from season 1.

Speaking of Season 1, has anyone noticed the extreme parallels that the last few episodes have had with it? Last episode when the Oceanic 6 returned to the Island, it was eerily similar, and now with the Ajira 316 crash. The main question I have now, is why did the Oceanic 6 return to the past, and the Ajira "Losties" and Locke and Lapidus land in "Normal Time". I have faith that all will be explained. I will say that the moment I look forward to most is the reuniting of Jack and John. I expect this scene to be nothing less than spectacular.

One of the most important parts in this episode and one of my favorites is when John went and visited Walt. Walt mentions dreaming of Locke on the island wearing a suit, very similar to how this episode began. We all know Walt is special, but does he have a greater role to play than he is currently. Will we see a return of Walt to the island?

We got more mind games on the Linus vs. Widmore front. I doubt we will find out the truth about who is right in this matter for a very long time. Let me just say that the point at the end of the show after Ben talks Locke out of killing himself gave me a small hope that Ben is finally becoming the character I have hoped he is all along. And then he kills Locke. I still hope that it is for the greater good, and Ben looked legitimately upset after doing it. I doubt he had any knowledge that John would return to life.

And on that note, why did John come back to life? Apparently he is special after all. I have been under the impression most of the show that Locke was just a small fish in a big pond, a pawn in a greater game between Widmore and Ben; But now I see that Locke is not a pawn, and the game is not just between Widmore and Ben. Locke is a third player in the game of power, the alternative to both the evils that Widmore and Ben are.

There is still much to happen in the last season and a half or so of LOST, and if it keeps at this pace the end will not disappoint. LOST is only getting better. I'd love to talk LOST with any of you so please comment, or get ahold of me on Twitter (@Sean_Winnett). Thanks for reading! Until next week.

Sean

Heroes Season 4- Episode 4 "Cold Wars" Spoilers

2009-02-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

First off, I want to say how excited I was for last night's episode of Heroes. It promised to answer the question of where Noah's loyalty stands. This is a question we have pondered on different levels since season one. Noah has been the villain at points, and the hero at others. I was excited to finally have the opportunity for Parkman to search around in his head and finally get the truth.

That said, I really enjoyed the episode. Even though it was mainly comprised of flashbacks with little real action, it was a very interesting look into not only the mind of Noah, but the state of the fugitives psyche. Parkman is losing it, which may change now that they know Daphne is alive. Peter is the only one who has his head on straight.

I was glad to find out Noah at least seems to have his loyalties in the right corner. I have always liked Noah, even when I hated him ;) . Even though Noah has no powers, he is one of the most influential people in the entirety of the show. He has been around since day one, and I doubt we will see him go any time soon. I would say aside from Mohinder, he has been the most influential "normal" person on the show, and even Mohinder has powers by this point.

Next's weeks episode should be a good one as well. Hopes include finding out more about why Peter can only hold onto one power at a time now, who the mystery character "Rebel" is, and what will become of our beloved Fugitives. Well everyone, until Thursday when I write about this weeks "LOST", have a good one!

LOST: Season 5, My thoughts Spoilers

2009-02-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

This season of LOST has been an amazing turn for the show. Don't get me wrong, the entire series is amazing; however, this season has been filled with non stop action and major developments every episode. This is where things get interesting folks! With what appears to be the return of the Oceanic 6, another plane crash (more on that in a minute), Jin wearing Dharma apparel, and what appears to be inevitable : The resurrection of John Locke.

First things first, the return of the 06 to the island. This is huge, mainly because I thought it would take them more than five episodes! Now the real question is, who got sent back to Dharma time, and who didn't. I'm willing to bet all of the 06, Ben, and possibly Frank got sent back, and the rest of the plane crashed on the island in what I will call "Normal Time". "Normal Time" is the present, completely free of any time travel. So that would mean they crashed on the Island roughly three years after the original plane crash in Season 1. Remember that "Ajira Air" stuff we saw a few episodes back when Faraday and everyone else stole the rafts they found. I think that was the future, and was all the people who crashed on the flight that brought the 06 back.

Now for the important part : John Locke. Why is Locke so special? I still am not sure if Locke is the key to the mystery of the Island, or just another bystander being used as a pawn in the grander scheme of things. If John truly does come back to life, what is in store for him? That truly sets John up as the Christ like character of this story. I loved the reference Ben gave in the last episode about St. thomas (i believe), being remembered for speaking against the resurrection of Christ because he did not believe. That is until he saw Christ and could touch his wounds, and then he believed. I believe that once Jack see's Locke alive, he too will become a believer, transforming from a man of science to a man of Faith.

Well before I get too wordy, I think this should be enough food for thought until next time. Ponder on these questions, but remember that for every one question they answer on LOST, three more arise. Thanks for reading

Sean

This whole blogging thing

2009-02-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

So I have contemplated much on the subject of what direction I would like to take this blog. I really don't feel that anyone is interested in hearing about the mundane details of my life, so I will not subject you to them. I have tried this whole Blog thing before and didn't really know what I was doing. Anyway, whichever direction this ends up going, I hope you enjoy. Any sort of direction you would like to give me as well is much appreciated. Thanks for tuning in!

Sean

Just the beginning

2009-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. My name is Sean, as you probably already figured out. I am just a normal 20 something college student studying Journalism and Public Relations at Boise State University. I play guitar, well, I'm learning to play guitar. I'm not half bad, but that doesn't mean I'm good just because I can play some Oasis and some Beatles. Someday I hope to be what I consider truly good. I love music, film, and everything online. I am an avid "Twitterer" and I've been using MySpace since High School. Oh, and I am an avid Mac user. I made the conversion just about a year and a half ago and I will never look back!

A bit of background on myself. I was born in Boise, ID in April of 1987, and have lived here ever since. That is except for a short stint I had at the University of Idaho. I attended Bishop Kelly High School and graduated in 2005. I have an amazing group of friends, however crazy things get (almost constantly, but I wouldn't have it any other way!).

You know, I'm not very good at this whole blogging thing, but its something I want to work at. If any of you have ideas for what you want to see in my blog, get ahold of me on Twitter, MySpace or e-mail me at SeanWinnett@u.Boisestate.edu.

Thanks a lot guys, I'll update you soon.

Sean

The Digital Drifter

Does Boise State Still Have a Chance at the BCS?

Boise State 2011 Schedule Breakdown Part 2

And now for something completely different. Boise State 2011 Schedule Breakdown Part 1

"All Night: The Movie"

Post Grad

The New Face of the Digital Drifter

Musings of a PR student

Another excuse as to why I am a horrible blogger

Saints, Snowboarding, and a few minor house cleaning issues.

Justarant (yes, a rant)

Tumbling back to Tumblr

Looking Forward

Promotional Public Relations

Leadership in Public Relations - PRSSA National Conference 2009

The new ROI (Return on Influence)

How Public Relations Has Taken Over My Life

Artist Watch: LIGHTS

Changing times

The Boise River

Public Relations Vs. Marketing

The Guild Music Video

End of month wrap-up: Revenge of the Fallen review

E3 - What I'm Most Excited For

Moving on ...

Finally! A New update that isn't related to LOST or to Heroes

No I'm not dead

"Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li"

LOST Season 5, "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" : A look at John Locke *Spoilers*

Heroes Season 4- Episode 4 "Cold Wars" *Spoilers*

LOST: Season 5, My thoughts *Spoilers*

This whole blogging thing

Just the beginning

LOST Season 5, "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" : A look at John Locke Spoilers

Heroes Season 4- Episode 4 "Cold Wars" Spoilers

LOST: Season 5, My thoughts Spoilers