<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278</id><updated>2010-03-06T15:38:40.794-06:00</updated><title type='text'>David M. Zapata @ Zapwater Communications</title><subtitle type='html'>David M. Zapata is an award-winning public affairs and public relations specialist. He has diverse government, political and agency experience. With a special expertise in both business-to-government and government-to-business communications, he has advised such high profile clients as BankOne, the Department of Defense, the United States Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service.</subtitle><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/index.htm'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.zapwater.com'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>286</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-4460124246149155235</id><published>2010-03-06T15:28:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-03-06T15:38:40.983-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Park Grill'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Kassy'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ra sushi'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='RA'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Working at Zapwater'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Maternity'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Jenn'/><title type='text'>I'M BACK</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/baby_stork_boy_lg-720612.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/baby_stork_boy_lg-720610.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After three truly wonderful months of maternity leave, I’m back in the &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; office again. While the people around are not nearly as cute as I’ve become accustomed to, I have to say I’ve missed this place! The &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; team welcomed me back with open arms, and 2,500 emails. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I can’t help but catch the buzz of excitement about new clients such as &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/rohan"&gt;House of Marley&lt;/a&gt;, and new team members like &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/jenniferlake"&gt;Jenn Lake&lt;/a&gt;. It’s also great to be working on some of my old favorite clients like &lt;a href="http://www.rasushi.com"&gt;RA Sushi &lt;/a&gt;and &lt;a href="http://parkgrillchicago.com/"&gt;Park Grill&lt;/a&gt;. So, while my days are once again filled with pitches and press releases instead of drooling and diapers, it’s great to be back! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/kassy.reiff?ref=ts"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kassy Reiff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Senior Publicist&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-4460124246149155235?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/4460124246149155235/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=4460124246149155235&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4460124246149155235'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4460124246149155235'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/03/im-back.htm' title='I&apos;M BACK'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-2711184173202756456</id><published>2010-03-06T12:45:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-03-06T13:08:27.000-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Kell on Earth'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Bravo'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Reality TV'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='MTV'/><title type='text'>ZAPWATER REALITY</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/51338876-769132.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/51338876-769129.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In recent months, television has become a crowded place for communications professionals.  Public relations-based shows have popped up everywhere from &lt;a href="http://www.bravotv.com"&gt;BRAVO’s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.bravotv.com/kell-on-earth"&gt;“Kell in Earth”&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a href="http://www.eonline.com"&gt;E!’s “SPINdustry.”&lt;/a&gt;  Every publicist seems to be touting their tales of turbulent times in the industry, while every other publicist in the country clutches to their couch, praying that this won’t be another train wreck like MTV’s “PowerGirls.”&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;For those of you who didn’t watch, &lt;a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/power_girls/series.jhtml"&gt;MTV’s “PowerGirls”&lt;/a&gt; followed New York publicist, Lizzie Grubman and team. The show positioned the lives of PR people as extravagant, from trips to the Hamptons to organizing P.Diddy’s White Party.  Shopping break in the afternoon anyone? Surprisingly enough, Kelly Cutrone and her team at &lt;a href="http://www.peoplesrevolution.com/"&gt;People’s Revolution&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href="http://www.bravotv.com/kell-on-earth"&gt;stars of “Kell on Earth”&lt;/a&gt;), have done a great job of showing what PR is really like. Tough work, long hours, and a “get it done” attitude but “do it right the first time.” &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I recently picked up Kelly Cutrone’s book, &lt;a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/01/kelly_cutrones_self-help_book.html"&gt;If You Have to Cry, Go Outside&lt;/a&gt;.  Inside it, you’ll find a random mix of things from her personal story (including stints with drugs and homelessness) to how to create your own religion.  Some pages leave you wondering why you spent $22.99 to buy the book, but there are some key takeaways:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. Build A Tribe:  Seek out mentors and influencers that will help you along the way.  Tap into these mentors for ideas, inspiration, and guidance – you never know when you’ll need it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. Clothes Don’t Make the Man or Woman, but They Help:   Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. That doesn’t mean investing in designer clothes or spending a fortune on apparel, but it means being put together and being prepared for the unexpected.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside:  This is a great lesson for professionals.  When you make a mistake, don’t cry about it or complain, fix the problem and find a solution. The time you spend crying could have spent mending the situation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater Communications &lt;/a&gt;tagline is “We Don’t Make the Headlines, Our Clients Do” – a tagline that we are all proud to be behind.  The best publicists are ghosts, behind-the-scenes and always putting client’s interests and press before their own.  With that said, expect to see incredible things from our team ahead.  But don’t expect to see us on &lt;a href="http://www.bravotv.com"&gt;BRAVO&lt;/a&gt; anytime soon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/jenniferlake"&gt;Jenn Lake&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Creative Director&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-2711184173202756456?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/2711184173202756456/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=2711184173202756456&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/2711184173202756456'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/2711184173202756456'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/03/zapwater-reality.htm' title='ZAPWATER REALITY'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-3834411629419792964</id><published>2010-02-21T13:20:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-21T13:38:49.374-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='interns'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Resumes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='David'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Jobs'/><title type='text'>CHALLENGE TO JOB SEEKERS</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/sec_photo_jobseekers-732630.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 358px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/sec_photo_jobseekers-732628.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is an open letter to all job seekers.  Make your cover letter stand out.  I get hundreds of resumes every month and very few jump out at me. When they do, it is usually because of an exceptional cover letter.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I’d like to make a suggestion. Most cover letters are pretty boring/standard. If you want to catch my eye, find a way to make your application stand out and cut through the clutter.  This is especially true when applying for a creative agency like Zapwater. The more over the top, the more likely I’ll want to meet with you. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ten years ago, when I was moving to Chicago and looking for a job, I sent a pretty brazen cover letter to a few agencies in the Windy City.  It read, Screw (insert big agency #1 here), (insert big agency #2 here) can kiss my butt, I want to work for you.  I actually did name the agencies in the letter. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I sent out ten letters and had seven interviews. That's a pretty high batting average.  Admittedly, some of the call backs were because they wanted to meet the guy who sent the crazy letter.   But the point is that I got the interviews.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What am I trying to say?  If you want to get this New Yorker's attention, give me a little WOW. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidmzapata"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;David Zapata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-3834411629419792964?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/3834411629419792964/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=3834411629419792964&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3834411629419792964'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3834411629419792964'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/challenge-to-job-seekers.htm' title='CHALLENGE TO JOB SEEKERS'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-395875876619689904</id><published>2010-02-21T11:13:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-21T11:24:03.126-06:00</updated><title type='text'>NO SURPRISES</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/W020090831412545103044-704870.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/W020090831412545103044-704868.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So this year’s &lt;a href="http://oscar.go.com/"&gt;Oscar&lt;/a&gt; race, I feel for this first time, in a long time is pretty predictable. Every year, I feel like there is a category that seems to slip by both the academy and all of us movie fans sitting on our couches at home, saying…. “Wow that was a surprise” Some examples if you will, &lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004851/"&gt;Penelope Cruz&lt;/a&gt; Best Supporting Actress last year for Vicky, Christina Barcelona and a couple of years ago when &lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000273/"&gt;Alan Arkin&lt;/a&gt; won for Little Miss Sunshine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As an avid award season watcher, I have been tracking the winners this season and it seems like the notion of a wild card winner this year is becoming more and more obsolete. For example, &lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594898/"&gt;Mo’Nique&lt;/a&gt;, as much as we couldn’t see that coming a year ago, is probably going to be up there as is &lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000313/"&gt;Jeff Bridges&lt;/a&gt;. Another shoe in, it seems is yesteryear’s America’s sweetheart and a personal favorite,&lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000113/"&gt; Sandra Bullock&lt;/a&gt;. And last but not least there’s &lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910607/"&gt;Christoph Waltz&lt;/a&gt; from Inglorious Bustards.  All four nominees have actually won a &lt;a href="http://www.goldenglobes.org/"&gt;Golden Globe&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.sag.org/"&gt;Screen Actor’s&lt;/a&gt; Guild Award along with a few that have won &lt;a href="http://www.bfca.org/ccawards.php"&gt;Critic’s Choice&lt;/a&gt; awards.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are a few exceptions, of course, the one and only, Mrs. Streep. Although she won the &lt;a href="http://www.goldenglobes.org/"&gt;Globe&lt;/a&gt;, it was for the less serious category, literally, best actress in a motion picture comedy, and tied &lt;a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000113/"&gt;Sandra Bullock&lt;/a&gt; for the &lt;a href="http://www.bfca.org/ccawards.php"&gt;Critic’s Choice &lt;/a&gt;award Best Actress. She still might be up there going against those who are rooting for Sandra. But according to Sandra herself, “I’m not winning an &lt;a href="http://oscar.go.com/"&gt;oscar&lt;/a&gt;,” wow…way to play with the campaigners.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now as I go through the rundown of all these winners, I honestly can’t picture a surprise from any of them. Let’s just hope a movie with actual actors and not blue people wins best picture…. Yes, I’m talking about you &lt;a href="http://www.avatarmovie.com/"&gt;James Cameron.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh, wait there is one surprise about the ceremony this year…two hosts! &lt;a href="http://tv.rightcelebrity.com/?p=3307"&gt;Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin&lt;/a&gt;…no surprise…Hilarious!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Diana Romeo&lt;br /&gt;Intern&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-395875876619689904?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/395875876619689904/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=395875876619689904&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/395875876619689904'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/395875876619689904'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/no-surprises.htm' title='NO SURPRISES'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-4166683124161875585</id><published>2010-02-21T10:22:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-21T10:31:17.755-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Charity'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='cooking segment'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Bittersweet Memories'/><title type='text'>A BLENDING OF BITTERSWEET MEMORIES</title><content type='html'>&lt;object id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&amp;station=wls&amp;section=&amp;mediaId=7289415&amp;cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&amp;webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&amp;site=" &gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="allowNetworking" value="all"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;embed id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" &lt;br /&gt; allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" allowfullscreen="true" &lt;br /&gt; src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&amp;station=wls&amp;section=&amp;mediaId=7289415&amp;cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&amp;webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&amp;site="&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While I love all of our clients, some clients/projects you just can't help but get extra excited about.  One of our newest clients falls into that category.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Emily Hoffman is working on the &lt;a href="http://www.bittersweet-memories.com"&gt;"A Blending of Bittersweet Memories"&lt;/a&gt; project, a cookbook in the works dedicated to those that have lost a loved one.  The compilation of endearing stories and family recipes will allow their legacy and bittersweet memories to live on forever.  The project began after Emily Hoffman lost her mother, &lt;a href="http://www.cancer.northwestern.edu/help/renee.cfm"&gt;Renée Israel&lt;/a&gt;, to Breast Cancer in 2006.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Emily is giving new meaning to 'Comfort Food' by compiling a cookbook celebrating the life and recipes of lost loved ones.  Watch the &lt;a href="http://tinyurl.com/y9s6fh9"&gt;ABC segment&lt;/a&gt; to see how you can submit your recipe and memory.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidmzapata"&gt;David M. Zapata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-4166683124161875585?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/4166683124161875585/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=4166683124161875585&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4166683124161875585'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4166683124161875585'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/blending-of-bittersweet-memories.htm' title='A BLENDING OF BITTERSWEET MEMORIES'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-8614791631092370248</id><published>2010-02-16T09:07:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-16T09:14:31.824-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='New York Times'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='susie'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Annie'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='David'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Adrian Awards'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='HSMAI'/><title type='text'>ADRIAN AWARDS PHOTOS</title><content type='html'>We've been meaning to post some photos from this month's &lt;a href="http://www.adrianawards.com"&gt;Adrian Awards.&lt;/a&gt; Enjoy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025904000_1916634_54975448_7916094_n-769554.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025904000_1916634_54975448_7916094_n-769551.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025879050_1916634_54975444_2317521_n-748647.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025879050_1916634_54975444_2317521_n-748643.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025874060_1916634_54975443_6823465_n-730048.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025874060_1916634_54975443_6823465_n-730045.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025859090_1916634_54975440_2293210_n-776768.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025859090_1916634_54975440_2293210_n-776765.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025619570_1916634_54975408_982841_n-761874.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/18565_991025619570_1916634_54975408_982841_n-761872.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-8614791631092370248?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/8614791631092370248/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=8614791631092370248&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/8614791631092370248'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/8614791631092370248'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/adrian-awards-photos.htm' title='ADRIAN AWARDS PHOTOS'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-33968583796931382</id><published>2010-02-15T21:53:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-15T22:06:54.217-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='photography'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Andy Biggs'/><title type='text'>POINT AND SHOOT</title><content type='html'>&lt;object id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&amp;station=kgo&amp;section=view_from_the_bay&amp;mediaId=7278801&amp;cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&amp;webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&amp;site=" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;embed id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" &lt;br /&gt; allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" &lt;br /&gt; src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&amp;station=kgo&amp;section=view_from_the_bay&amp;mediaId=7278801&amp;cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&amp;webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&amp;site="&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Award-winning photographer &lt;a href="http://www.andybiggs.com"&gt;Andy Biggs&lt;/a&gt; was on The View from the Bay (ABC7) today talking about his African safari expeditions and giving tips about photography. Who wants to go shooting with Andy?&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-33968583796931382?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/33968583796931382/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=33968583796931382&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/33968583796931382'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/33968583796931382'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/point-and-shoot.htm' title='POINT AND SHOOT'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-1329963509732474463</id><published>2010-02-15T18:08:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-15T18:18:05.027-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='New York Times'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='holly'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='le Dress'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='foryourparty'/><title type='text'>EMPIRE STATE OF MIND</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/new-york-city-755801.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/new-york-city-755799.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It has been a crazy few weeks at &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;, but in the midst of working the media, I have been secretly planning a foodie’s dream getaway in NYC for my main man who turns 30 on Thursday! With so many options, it has been near impossible to make decisions, but can’t wait to take the dining scene by storm and see some past Zappers (shout out to Rebecca and Emma!) in the process.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;While I can’t tell you exactly where we are going, as I know my husband vigilantly reads my blog postings, I can tell you that we are super excited to possibly meet up with new &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; client Sari Mintz of &lt;a href="http://www.foryourparty.com"&gt;Foryourparty.com&lt;/a&gt; who will be in the Big Apple for a special exhibit! Who says you can’t mix business with pleasure! And, I can’t wait to rock out my special b-day dinner frock from &lt;a href="http://www.ledresschicago.com/"&gt;le Dress&lt;/a&gt; (recently seen in &lt;a href="http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/style/"&gt;Life &amp; Style&lt;/a&gt;)!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/hkwinter"&gt;Holly Winter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Group Director&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-1329963509732474463?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/1329963509732474463/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=1329963509732474463&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/1329963509732474463'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/1329963509732474463'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/empire-state-of-mind.htm' title='EMPIRE STATE OF MIND'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-9057968504662793746</id><published>2010-02-12T18:55:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-12T18:59:20.233-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Babies'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='my'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Mayra'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='economy'/><title type='text'>I'M A BELIEVER</title><content type='html'>&lt;object width="425" height="344"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k-Exm4K1ObQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k-Exm4K1ObQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have worked for both large and small companies, but all mostly with structured corporate cultures.  At my first job (the company name shall not be revealed nor the year I worked there) I was only allowed to wear black and navy blue suits and skirts were preferred over slacks.  I was once reprimanded for wearing a leopard blouse under my black suit.  It was more important to be sitting at my computer acting busy than it was to be efficient and productive.  Needless to say, it has taken me some time to adjust at &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, I had to let go of the notion that I had to physically ‘be seen’ at my desk in order to prove I was accomplishing my job and adding value.  Second, I had to make the leap into the 21st century and realize that I can wear whatever I am comfortable in and it is not a reflection of my work product or intelligence.  Casual dress does not equal casual work ethic. I'm a believer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While I still prefer to get dressed up and put make-up on before I go to the office and be in my seat by 8:30am, it took me having a baby to learn it wasn’t necessary.  I wanted and needed to continue working, but it wasn’t feasible for me to come into the office every day.  For the past 10 weeks, I have been able to login in at 7am or 7pm and get my job done.  I get constant reassurance, appreciation and support.  I am grateful every day that I work at &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; and am looking forward to an outstanding 2010. Thanks Team &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mayra Bacik&lt;br /&gt;CFO&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-9057968504662793746?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/9057968504662793746/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=9057968504662793746&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/9057968504662793746'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/9057968504662793746'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/im-believer.htm' title='I&apos;M A BELIEVER'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-3173630476547062119</id><published>2010-02-11T08:37:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-11T08:44:41.639-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='susie'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Kevin'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='depaul'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='interns'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Social Media'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='susie technology'/><title type='text'>DEPAUL STUDENTS</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/Picture-1-764445.png"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/Picture-1-764439.png" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like most things in Chicago, snow neither shut down &lt;a href="http://www.depaul.edu"&gt;Depaul University&lt;/a&gt; nor kept students from getting to class on Tuesday. The public relations students lucked out! Two members of the &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; team – myself and &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/susiepr"&gt;Susie Schreiber&lt;/a&gt; - were invited to present an overview of public relations, the transition of the trade, and integration of new social media strategies for clients to the class. Despite the snow, probably lack of sleep and likely a significant level of anger that classes had not been canceled, the students were very engaged (I don’t think more than two people fell asleep) and had some great questions for the &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; team.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many of the students wondered how PR professionals handle tough social media issues (i.e. Negative comments about a client on a blog.) Others eagerly awaited the “Question and Answer” portion of the presentation, where we discussed the &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater &lt;/a&gt;internship program and how to acquire the elusive public relations internship – which is required for full-time experience but often requires a significant amount of experience itself.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At the end of class, and to the students’ disappointment, we presented an assignment. Luckily, it was a fun spring break-themed option for their team PR projects. &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/susiepr"&gt;Susie&lt;/a&gt; and I had a wonderful experience with the &lt;a href="http://www.depaul.edu"&gt;Depaul&lt;/a&gt; public relations students. Speaking to non professionals often sparks creativity or serves as a refresher on the basics that even we PR pros need from time to time!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To our delight, we were invited back to hear each team’s presentation. So we will return in a month and see if our PR lecture helped the students put a modern, social-media spin on their projects.  &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater &lt;/a&gt;values these types of speaking opportunities around Chicago. They allow us to stay connected with new talent and provide students with a glimpse of real-world experiences within their classroom settings.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kevin Metz&lt;br /&gt;Vice President&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-3173630476547062119?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/3173630476547062119/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=3173630476547062119&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3173630476547062119'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3173630476547062119'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/depaul-students.htm' title='DEPAUL STUDENTS'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-6992273649400388197</id><published>2010-02-01T07:05:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-01T07:15:29.115-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Halo'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='deanne'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='le Dress'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Duchamp'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Snow'/><title type='text'>SAYONARA JANUARY</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/snow-796654.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/snow-796415.gif" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The good news is that January has come to an end.  The bad news is that we live in Chicago so we have to endure at least 2 more months of severe winter weather.  When the temperature drops people have a tendency to hibernate and while I admit I too fall into this category, I have been trying to brainstorm things to do that will motivate me to get me out of my apartment.  So far I think I have a few good ideas…&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;·        Eat up!  Winter is the perfect time of year to eat hearty meals so I think I am going to check out &lt;a href="http://www.duchampchicago.com"&gt;Duchamp’s&lt;/a&gt; famous havarti cheeseburger with tomato remoulade – a burger that has been talked about for some time both in and outside of the culinary world.  This burger creation by chef &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Taus"&gt;Michael Taus&lt;/a&gt; has received rave reviews so I will be sure to check it out!&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;·        Indulge in some spa treatments.  Sure it may not be pedicure season but get one anyways because you and your feet deserve it!  Men can partake in the spa treatments too.  From February 9th – 13th men can receive a massage or facial for $39 at &lt;a href="http://halochicago.com/"&gt;HALO Salon and Spas for Men&lt;/a&gt; (Gold Coast location only).&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;·        And the one remedy for winter blues that works time and time again – shopping!  Look forward to spring by splurging on a new frock.  Sometimes all a girl needs is a hot dress to pick up her spirits, so when winter has you down visit &lt;a href="http://www.ledresschicago.com"&gt;Le Dress boutique&lt;/a&gt; in Wicker Park to pick out a dress for a special occasion or just a great weekend out!&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Deanne Daneck&lt;br /&gt;Senior Publicist&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-6992273649400388197?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/6992273649400388197/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=6992273649400388197&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/6992273649400388197'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/6992273649400388197'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/02/sayonara-january.htm' title='SAYONARA JANUARY'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-6554746626840385716</id><published>2010-01-31T10:04:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-31T10:11:08.314-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='commercials'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='super bowl'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='politics'/><title type='text'>POLITICAL ADS 2010</title><content type='html'>I worked on my first political campaign when I was 16.  Twenty-plus years later, I’ve worked on more campaigns than I wish to name.  Currently, I am consulting on a gubernatorial campaign in Illinois. With that said, I usually keep my personal politics away from &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;.  I understand that our clients and staff have political beliefs as diverse as our client list itself.  But no matter who you support, do your civic duty and get out and vote on Feb 2!  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;During most of my campaign career, I’ve served in a variety of media-related rolls. My list of job titles has included Press Secretary, Communications Director and Media Consultant.  As you can imagine, this time of year is like the Super Bowl to me.  I’ll take a political commercial over a talking baby any day. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Later this week, I’ll list Illinois’ five best political commercials this primary cycle.  But for now, I had to post what I believe is the most bizarre political commercial of the year. This one comes from Louisiana. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;object width="425" height="344"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oRgCOXaiDjQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oRgCOXaiDjQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidmzapata"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;David M. Zapata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-6554746626840385716?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/6554746626840385716/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=6554746626840385716&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/6554746626840385716'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/6554746626840385716'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/political-ads-2010.htm' title='POLITICAL ADS 2010'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-4614558018847690455</id><published>2010-01-30T17:01:00.004-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-30T17:06:42.019-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='brixton'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Charity'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='fashion'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='CA23'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Sarah'/><title type='text'>CA23 GETS ICED</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/IMG_7723-758992.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/IMG_7723-758428.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;, we get the opportunity to partner with many unique businesses, whether through client events, fundraising opportunities or pro-bono work.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last night, my officemate &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/hkwinter"&gt;Holly&lt;/a&gt; and I attended an event by &lt;a href="http://meredithmarks.com/aboutus.sc"&gt;Meredith Marks&lt;/a&gt;, a local jewelry designer and recent partner of our client, &lt;a href="http://www.thebrixtongroup.com/"&gt;The Brixton Group&lt;/a&gt;.  Hosted in the fully furnished model unit at &lt;a href="http://www.thebrixtongroup.com/"&gt;The Brixton Group’s&lt;/a&gt; luxury West Loop development, &lt;a href="http://www.ca23chicago.com/"&gt;CA23,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://meredithmarks.com/aboutus.sc"&gt;Meredith Marks’ &lt;/a&gt;jewelry trunk show brought out some of Chicago’s shopping elite to brave the snow and cold for this truly dazzling event.   &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bangles encrusted with diamonds, sparkling necklaces and vintage cocktail rings were a few of the most popular pieces at the show.  Check out &lt;a href="http://meredithmarks.com/aboutus.sc"&gt;Meredith’s&lt;/a&gt; website for more and keep and eye out for this Chicago designer!  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/spin_city"&gt;Sarah Marseille&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Senior Publicist&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-4614558018847690455?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/4614558018847690455/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=4614558018847690455&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4614558018847690455'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4614558018847690455'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/ca23-gets-iced.htm' title='CA23 GETS ICED'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-5166452388118797911</id><published>2010-01-27T16:27:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-27T16:42:45.887-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='susie'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Social Media'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='twitter'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ipad'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='susie technology'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='apple'/><title type='text'>INTRODUCING…. THE iPAD!  …… *ROARING LAUGHTER*</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/apple-itablet-757067.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 368px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/apple-itablet-757065.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, CEO of &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/"&gt;Apple&lt;/a&gt; Steve Jobs introduced the iPad *ahem* …&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt;; a one-piece tablet computer with a large touch screen *giggles* …&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I’m sorry, but it’s hard to take this announcement seriously amid the raging Twitter conversation that has created a story within a story; is Apple really going to call its new device an “&lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt;”? &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first sarcastic remark I saw on &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/zapwater"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt; was from a lifestyle freelance writer:&lt;br /&gt;I’m sorry, but as much as I love #&lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/"&gt;Apple&lt;/a&gt;, the name &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt; blows. Sounds like a feminine hygiene product.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And then it happened: “iTampon” became a Trending Topic. Suddenly a war was waged between the jesters and the Jobs fans. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Leave &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt; alone! It’s going to totally revive the economy!” a senior &lt;a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov"&gt;White House&lt;/a&gt; reporter exclaimed just as another person joked, “The iTampon: now with 60% more absorbency for heavy data flow!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Picking up on the irony of such a carefully massaged marketing message going awry, many people began to discuss how this epic oversight could have possibly happened. Was there a woman on the marketing team? They wondered. “I bet Steve Jobs has his head in his hands about the iTampon. I think one marketing guy is currently packing his cardboard box,” another &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/zapwater"&gt;Tweeter&lt;/a&gt; remarked.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Within minutes of the announcement, iTampon had become the #2 Trending Topic on Twitter, while &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt; was still in line waiting to join the list. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Couldn’t &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/"&gt;Apple&lt;/a&gt; have just gone with the name iSlate?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Don’t get me wrong; &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/"&gt;Apple&lt;/a&gt; will undoubtedly experience significant growth in the weeks and months to come. And I’m sure from a technical standpoint the &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt; will be a great success.  But one can’t help but laugh at the irony of one of the most carefully crafted PR machines being splashed across Twitter news feeds in reference to a variety of unmentionable feminine products. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One person asked, “The &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/"&gt;iPad&lt;/a&gt;…&lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/"&gt; Apple’s&lt;/a&gt; fatal mistake?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I doubt it. But it will certainly keep us atwitter for a few days. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/susiepr"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Susan Schreiber&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Account Supervisor&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-5166452388118797911?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/5166452388118797911/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=5166452388118797911&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/5166452388118797911'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/5166452388118797911'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/introucing-ipad-roaring-laughter.htm' title='INTRODUCING…. THE iPAD!  …… *ROARING LAUGHTER*'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-9009721871630437920</id><published>2010-01-26T16:25:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-26T16:30:37.008-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Twin Cities'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='mustard girl'/><title type='text'>FAITH IN THE MUSTARD SEED</title><content type='html'>Have you heard of the parable of "&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Mustard_Seed"&gt;The Mustard Seed?&lt;/a&gt;"  Jennifer Connor, aka &lt;a href="http://mustardgirl.com/"&gt;"Mustard Girl"&lt;/a&gt; discusses why she has faith in the mustard seed on &lt;a href="http://twincitieslive.com/article/day/S20100125.shtml?cat=10699"&gt;Twin Cities Live.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://kstp.img.entriq.net/dayportcore/dpm/DayPortPlayers.js"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"&gt;DayPortPlayer.newPlayer({articleID:"192828",playerInstanceID:"618F3AC3-3795-5F0E-4DA0-B924FA43BC7C",domain:"kstp.dayport.com",catetoryID:"0",autoPlay:"false",slideShow:"true"});&lt;/script&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-9009721871630437920?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/9009721871630437920/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=9009721871630437920&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/9009721871630437920'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/9009721871630437920'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/faith-in-mustard-seed.htm' title='FAITH IN THE MUSTARD SEED'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-4259288738340070808</id><published>2010-01-25T10:53:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-25T11:08:32.695-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Michael'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Reality TV'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Jersey Shore'/><title type='text'>REALITY TV: HOW LOW CAN WE GO?</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/300-jersey-shore-guys-721140.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/300-jersey-shore-guys-721138.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Reality Television is truly a force to be reckoned with!  Whether you can’t stand it or can’t get enough it has carved its way into our society and shows no signs of stopping.  &lt;a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor"&gt;The Bachelor&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.americanidol.com/"&gt;American Idol&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/"&gt;Survivor&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/real_world/Washingtondc/series.jhtml"&gt;the Real World&lt;/a&gt; are just several examples of multiple season shows that America has never tired of.  The most important question to ask is: what does the future hold for reality TV?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The emergence of &lt;a href="http://www.mtv.com"&gt;MTV’s&lt;/a&gt; new reality hit &lt;a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/jersey_shore/series.jhtml"&gt;The Jersey Shore&lt;/a&gt; is the best example of what reality television has in store.  Like it or not the “cast” of the &lt;a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/jersey_shore/series.jhtml"&gt;Jersey Shore&lt;/a&gt; is everywhere these days.  From tabloids, to personal appearances (or cancellations) to every day water cooler fodder the oversexed, party crazed Jersey Shore kids are riding their 15 minutes of fame all the way to the bank.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How does this showcase a new trend you ask? Simple, a few years ago you were seeing the glamorous lives of the Hills, the City, and Real Housewives being what America watched. Almost as if a window into these people’s lives was the next best thing.  American seemed obsessed with the overindulged posh lives of people who didn’t deserve any of their fame or money.  Now it appears people are clamoring for the exact opposite.  As if to say “I’d rather watch people who are so trashy, so classless, and ridicules that at the end of the day it makes me feel better about myself”.  People may love the &lt;a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/jersey_shore/series.jhtml"&gt;Jersey Shore&lt;/a&gt;, but I doubt any self-respected business professional would ever want to be associated with it.  If the Shore is the next wave of TV, I only shudder to think where reality TV is headed…Trailer Park Housewives perhaps??&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Michael Corrigan&lt;br /&gt;Asst. Publicist&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-4259288738340070808?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/4259288738340070808/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=4259288738340070808&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4259288738340070808'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4259288738340070808'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/reality-tv-how-low-can-we-go.htm' title='REALITY TV: HOW LOW CAN WE GO?'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-1569768581183058454</id><published>2010-01-18T11:40:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-18T11:47:24.995-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Kevin'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='npr'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='mustard girl'/><title type='text'>RESOLUTIONS</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/mustardgirl-713455.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 337px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/mustardgirl-713443.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Happy New Year from &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;!  As 2010 gets underway, we’ve all probably made resolutions we’d like to try and keep.  Whether it be staying away from the junk food and eating healthy, heading to the gym one more time a week, be more organized, land a new job, whatever it may be…we are challenged at every turn to stick to our paths by daily life happenings.  It’s always great to hear stories of young entrepreneurs who started out with an idea, dedicated themselves to its success and are still working hard and watching it grow.  Most recently, &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; client Jennifer Connor, known throughout the Midwest as the &lt;a href="http://www.mustardgirl.com"&gt;Mustard Girl&lt;/a&gt;, was on &lt;a href="http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_946_Jennifer_Connor.mp3/mediafile_view"&gt;NPR&lt;/a&gt; telling the story of her entrepreneurial roots and how she got started in business right out of college.  Be sure to check it out, because it’s stories like these that keep us plugging along the path of success.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can listen to the story &lt;a href="http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_946_Jennifer_Connor.mp3/mediafile_view"&gt;here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kevin Metz&lt;br /&gt;Vice President&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-1569768581183058454?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/1569768581183058454/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=1569768581183058454&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/1569768581183058454'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/1569768581183058454'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/resolutions.htm' title='RESOLUTIONS'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-2279762860057799181</id><published>2010-01-10T19:23:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-10T19:44:04.894-06:00</updated><title type='text'>FIVE YEARS</title><content type='html'>It’s hard to believe that &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; just turned five years old!  What is even more amazing is how much the world of media has changed in a half decade. Working from my apartment five years ago, I wasn’t including &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/zapwater.com"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt; and/or Blogger outreach in any of my proposals.  As we start year six with new clients like&lt;a href="http://www.fvinstitute.com/"&gt; Fox Valley Institute&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.ankinlaw.com/"&gt;Ankin Law&lt;/a&gt;, there are so many more media channels we engage than we did in year one.  Which begs the question, what will future years be like? This video will offer some hints.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Happy Birthday &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidmzapata"&gt;David Zapata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;President&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;object width="560" height="340"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ILQrUrEWe8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ILQrUrEWe8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-2279762860057799181?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/2279762860057799181/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=2279762860057799181&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/2279762860057799181'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/2279762860057799181'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2010/01/five-years.htm' title='FIVE YEARS'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-4104481745108174723</id><published>2009-12-19T16:18:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-19T16:23:16.897-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Blogs'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2009'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='best of'/><title type='text'>BEST OF 09</title><content type='html'>Every year, I go back and read &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog"&gt;Zapwater Blog&lt;/a&gt; entries from the past 12 months.  Without further adieu, here are my five favorite entries of 2009.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=" http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/09/whitneylauren-v-dianamichael.htm"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interns Michael and Diana have their very own The Hills moment.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/07/mexican-inspiration-board.htm"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The now Mrs. Block searches for inspirations for her Mexican wedding.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/07/dancing-fools-and-social-media_06.htm"&gt;Emma makes comparisons between dancing fools and social media.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/07/dogs-for-sale.htm"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mayra takes bids on her dogs&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/06/summer-style-at-zapwater.htm"&gt;Holly discusses the Summer fashion of a certain staff member.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;David Zapata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-4104481745108174723?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/4104481745108174723/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=4104481745108174723&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4104481745108174723'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4104481745108174723'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/best-of-09.htm' title='BEST OF 09'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-3630683714295272510</id><published>2009-12-15T17:34:00.005-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-15T17:48:08.059-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Trends'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='wedding'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Annie'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2010'/><title type='text'>Trend #8: I Do's</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/Wedding-Pic11-768935.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/Wedding-Pic11-768288.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In lieu of me recently becoming the new Mrs. Block and spending the last&lt;br /&gt;year planning the wedding of my dreams, I've thought a lot about weddings&lt;br /&gt;and marriage in general. With a new year on the horizon and the world in a&lt;br /&gt;place where basic values are on people's minds again, I think marriage is on&lt;br /&gt;the rise. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Family values and core ideals have taken center stage as the days of&lt;br /&gt;materialism and designer labels have gone out the window with the economy.&lt;br /&gt;With that, younger generations are wanting to get married again and putting&lt;br /&gt;the days of the single life behind them. This trend will continue through&lt;br /&gt;2010 with the wedding industry on the rise. Just look at the amount of&lt;br /&gt;wedding shows on TV these days - even Hollywood has jumped on this&lt;br /&gt;bandwagon. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From Ivanka Trump to Gisele and Tom Brady celebs are saying "I Do" to the&lt;br /&gt;marriage trend. I'm even predicting another &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; proposal in 2010. Stay&lt;br /&gt;tuned to see who it is.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://twitter.com/aneymanpr"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Annie Block&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Group Director&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-3630683714295272510?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/3630683714295272510/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=3630683714295272510&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3630683714295272510'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3630683714295272510'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/trend-8-i-dos.htm' title='Trend #8: I Do&apos;s'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-3390953489117054128</id><published>2009-12-15T15:39:00.004-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-15T15:56:48.601-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Trends'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Kevin'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ra sushi'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2010'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Social Media'/><title type='text'>Trend #7: Social Media’s Impact Continues</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/Picture-2-785202.png"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 157px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/Picture-2-784939.png" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whether you’re connecting with old high school students, sharing pictures of what happened last weekend with friends or are one of these crazy people who are addicted to something called &lt;a href="http://www.farmville.com"&gt;Farmville&lt;/a&gt;, everyone in the world has encountered social media in 2009.  The popularity and addiction will continue, but we should all expect new developments in the world of social media. &lt;br /&gt;       &lt;br /&gt;Companies will leverage social media to new levels: Here at &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt;, we’ve always been ahead of the curve with social media.  We’ve managed our clients’ involvement and help them monitor and leverage social media to their advantage.  Whether it’s a &lt;a href="http://www.bartonhealthcare.org/"&gt;Barton Healthcare&lt;/a&gt; electronic newsletter, &lt;a href="http://www.rasushi.com"&gt;RA Sushi&lt;/a&gt; successfully promoting new menu items/ specials /events (&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/rasushi"&gt;TWITTER&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com"&gt;FB page&lt;/a&gt;) or our client who’s filming the upcoming &lt;a href="http://www.dearmrgacy.com"&gt;Dear Mr. Gacy&lt;/a&gt; movie here in Chicago (&lt;a href="http://www.dearmrgacy.com"&gt;www.dearmrgacy.com&lt;/a&gt;), more and more companies and institutions are realizing the value and reach of social media.  It totally levels the playing field and allows small to mid-size companies to compete with the big boys in their space.  As users, we should anticipate receiving more specials offers and virtual coupons from vendors and retailers.  If you’re looking for a job, you better also update your &lt;a href="http://www.linkedin.com"&gt;Linkedin&lt;/a&gt; account because it holds more ground than a resume with recruiters and hiring managers these days, at any level.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;object width="560" height="340"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m2Tjl2n57Ks&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m2Tjl2n57Ks&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Social Media policies implemented: If they haven’t already, companies will also develop social media policies for their employees, governing or even blocking when they can access their social media fixes, just like how instant messengers and YouTube were blocked years ago.  Employers may also start to restrict and enforce what content can be shared, as to not disclose sensitive information or leaks to company performance or happenings.  &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/zapwater"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; has helped some companies develop their own customized policies, but you can Google Sun Microsystems’ and &lt;a href="http://www.ibm.com"&gt;IBM’s&lt;/a&gt; for some good examples. &lt;br /&gt;  &lt;br /&gt;Social media becomes even more mobile:  Since companies are banning more social media tools at work, employee smoke-breaks and lunchbreaks may now turn to social media breaks.  Smartphone companies are loving this, as bandwidth on iphones skyrocket and droidphones start jumping off shelves this holiday season, to handle all the video sharing that’s going to increase in 2010.  We’ve said bye to the bag phone, the Zack Morris brickphone, the flip, the Razr and does anyone remember the Chocolate?  &lt;a href="http://www.blackberry.com"&gt;BlackBerry&lt;/a&gt; seems to be hanging on, keeping up with new products every year (droid and Storm).  Heck, when I represented RIM it had an orange screen.  Maybe if they listen to our intern Michael, they should bring it back.        &lt;br /&gt;Social Media will become global:  Studies are showing &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/zapwater"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/davidmzapata"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.linkedin.com"&gt;Linkedin&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.myspace.com"&gt;MySpace&lt;/a&gt; (is anyone even on that anymore?) are working on breaking down the language barriers with translation capabilities.  This will open up the sea of leveraging social media to market global brands to overseas consumers, so looking forward to how that plays out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Less email, more personal?:  Phone calls turned to faxes.  Faxes turned to emails, and emails turned to texts.  Well, texts are still around, but ‘Tweeting’ and ‘Facebooking’ seem to be becoming the communication choice of many.  I’d like to leave you with one thought though….people complain that conversations and interactions, whether personal or business, over time have become less personal (phone call to a email, now “I’ll send you a text”)  With social media, somehow people feel the technology brings some personalization back?  What do you think?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kevin Metz&lt;br /&gt;Vice President&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-3390953489117054128?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/3390953489117054128/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=3390953489117054128&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3390953489117054128'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/3390953489117054128'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/trend-7-social-medias-impact-continues.htm' title='Trend #7: Social Media’s Impact Continues'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-402573270131601009</id><published>2009-12-10T12:12:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-10T12:20:50.013-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Trends'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='sports'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2010'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Celebrity'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Sarah'/><title type='text'>Trend #6: 2010 is the Year of the Tiger</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/TigerWoods-744204.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/TigerWoods-744202.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Get Ready for More Attention &lt;a href="http://web.tigerwoods.com/index"&gt;Mr. Woods&lt;/a&gt;…2010 is the Year of the Tiger&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the wake of all the attention a certain celebrity golfer has been receiving lately, perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising that 2010 marks the &lt;a href="http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/tiger.htm"&gt;“Year of the Tiger”&lt;/a&gt; on the Chinese Zodiac calendar.  According to Chinese &lt;a href="http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/tiger.htm"&gt;tradition&lt;/a&gt;, the tiger symbolizes a number of admirable qualities, including bravery, stubbornness - and interestingly enough - loyalty.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Instead of saying “I’m sorry” with the purchase of the&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant"&gt; Kobe &lt;/a&gt;special – a ridiculously expensive combination of platinum and diamonds - perhaps &lt;a href="http://web.tigerwoods.com/index"&gt;Tiger&lt;/a&gt; should invest in something wife Elin could really benefit from: a luxurious second home at &lt;a href="http://ca23chicago.com/"&gt;CA23&lt;/a&gt;, an exclusive, new development located in Chicago’s booming West Loop neighborhood.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Featuring more than 4,000 square feet of single floor living space, the &lt;a href="http://ca23chicago.com/"&gt;CA23 &lt;/a&gt;penthouse unit takes up its own floor, so all noise, including music, laughter and even fighting remains private from the ears of nosey neighbors.  In addition, the home’s private elevator entrance will help guarantee security from paparazzi, ex-mistresses and all others Elin may want to avoid.   Best of all, &lt;a href="http://ca23chicago.com/"&gt;CA23&lt;/a&gt; is perfectly situated merely blocks from &lt;a href="http://www.oprah.com"&gt;Oprah’s&lt;/a&gt; studios, making Dr. Phil therapy sessions more convenient than ever.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In deed, what better place to let all the controversy blow over than in the heart of Windy City?  Coming from the Eye of the &lt;a href="http://web.tigerwoods.com/index"&gt; Tiger&lt;/a&gt;, a new home may not be a bad deal, after all. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://twitter.com/spin_city"&gt;Sarah Marseille&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Senior Publicist&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-402573270131601009?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/402573270131601009/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=402573270131601009&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/402573270131601009'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/402573270131601009'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/trend-6-2010-is-year-of-tiger.htm' title='Trend #6: 2010 is the Year of the Tiger'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-1021428999215505613</id><published>2009-12-10T11:57:00.005-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-10T12:06:22.635-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Trends'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='interns'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2010'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='fashion'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Michael'/><title type='text'>Trend #5: Orange You Glad You Wear Orange</title><content type='html'>Men of Chicago brace yourself, orange will be the hot color for us once spring comes around.  Often seen as unpopular or a taboo color, orange will finally get the payoff its deserves once the temperature starts to climb. Featured in many notable collections for Spring 2010 the color added a dash of zest and excitement, whether added to a sophisticated suit or making an already fun jacket a statement piece.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/orange-2-788325.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.zapwater.com/blog/uploaded_images/orange-2-788321.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Critics will be silenced when they realize that the color is much more versatile than it appears.  While donning an all-orange look would be a little much for the average Divo, adding an orange tie to a suit or pairing your favorite jeans with an orange sweater will be a great way to add this trend to your daily wardrobe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*note. If you have been by &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater's&lt;/a&gt; offices, you'll know why an "In" Orange is a big deal. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Michael Corrigan&lt;br /&gt;Intern&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-1021428999215505613?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/1021428999215505613/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=1021428999215505613&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/1021428999215505613'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/1021428999215505613'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/trend-5-orange-you-glad-you-wear-orange.htm' title='Trend #5: Orange You Glad You Wear Orange'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-4754060462820982448</id><published>2009-12-07T18:06:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-07T18:21:15.496-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Trends'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='susie'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='online education'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2010'/><title type='text'>Trend #4: Ensuring Job Security Through Education</title><content type='html'>&lt;object width="425" height="344"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/REbd1pkvnck&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/REbd1pkvnck&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Most of us in the business community have at least a handful of friends who are currently enrolled in graduate school seeking traditional master’s degrees to increase their professional value in common fields such as communications or business administration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is interesting to note, though, that as many industries have evolved to adapt to the changing business climate due to the seemingly never-ending recession, so have students in their pursuit of post-college education. Zapwater client &lt;a href="http://www.rasmussen.edu/"&gt;Rasmussen College &lt;/a&gt;offers opportunities to students beyond the Bachelor’s level through its partnerships with leading universities. Through the &lt;a href="http://www.rasmussen.edu/online-masters-degrees/"&gt;Rasmussen Partner Network&lt;/a&gt;, students can earn Master’s and Doctoral degrees completely online, at their own convenience, from leading universities around the country. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Michelle Keyser, Marketing Manager for &lt;a href="http://www.rasmussen.edu"&gt;Rasmussen College&lt;/a&gt;, says she is seeing students choosing degree tracks in more resilient employment areas, such as ISM, Digital Design, and Criminal Justice. In the same vein, online degrees and classes are becoming attractive options for students who are trying to balance work, family and community responsibilities in an increasingly demanding economy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Concurrently, many laid-off workers are returning to school to earn additional degrees in hopes of increasing their marketability in time for an eventual upturn. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The following are unique programs offered through &lt;a href="http://www.rasmussen.edu/online/"&gt;Rasmussen College Online.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.rasmussen.edu/online/online-bachelors-criminal-justice.asp"&gt;Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security Specialization&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.rasmussen.edu/online/game-design-bachelors.asp"&gt;Online Bachelor’s in Game &amp; Simulation Production&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.onlinedegrees-benedictine.com/public-health/master-of-public-health.asp"&gt;Online Master of Public Health (MPH) - Disaster Management Degree&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.onlinedegrees-benedictine.com/mba/mba-in-entrepreneurship.asp"&gt;Online MBA in Entrepreneurship and Managing Innovation&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What does your future hold? Earning an online degree may make the next season brighter for you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/susiepr"&gt;Susie Schreiber&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Account Supervisor&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-4754060462820982448?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/4754060462820982448/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=4754060462820982448&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4754060462820982448'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/4754060462820982448'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/trend-4-ensuring-job-security-through.htm' title='Trend #4: Ensuring Job Security Through Education'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828289328400614278.post-7855475022220774343</id><published>2009-12-04T17:08:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-04T17:16:59.998-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Zapwater Client'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='World Cup'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Soccer'/><title type='text'>ZAPWATER OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED JUNE 18</title><content type='html'>&lt;object width="384" height="216" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" id="ESPN_VIDEO" data="http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf" allowScriptAccess="always" allowNetworking="all"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf" /&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/&gt;&lt;param name="wmode" value="opaque"/&gt;&lt;param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/&gt;&lt;param name="allowNetworking" value="all"/&gt;&lt;param name="flashVars" value="id=4713824"/&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The &lt;a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/?cc=5901&amp;ver=us"&gt;World Cup&lt;/a&gt; draw was announced today and the USA ended up with an amazing draw. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story?id=708347&amp;cc=5901&amp;ver=us"&gt;USA Opens Group C Against England, Algeria and Slovenia.&lt;/a&gt; After we beat the Brits in game one, it should be smooth sailing into the second round. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In celebration of &lt;a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/?cc=5901&amp;ver=us"&gt;World Cup 2010&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.zapwater.com"&gt;Zapwater&lt;/a&gt; will close the office June 18 for the USA v. Slovenia game.  Come join us at &lt;a href="http://www.fadoirishpub.com/chicago/"&gt;Fado's Irish Pub&lt;/a&gt; as the entire Zapwater team roots for &lt;a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/"&gt;Team USA&lt;/a&gt; over &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangers_and_mash"&gt;Bangers and Mash.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4828289328400614278-7855475022220774343?l=www.zapwater.com%2Fblog%2Findex.htm' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/7855475022220774343/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828289328400614278&amp;postID=7855475022220774343&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/7855475022220774343'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4828289328400614278/posts/default/7855475022220774343'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.zapwater.com/blog/2009/12/zapwater-offices-will-be-closed-june-18.htm' title='ZAPWATER OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED JUNE 18'/><author><name>Zapwater Communications</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/15103029882516799594</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='09462880304154336407'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry></feed>