Blog

Join us in conversation on the topics we believe matter...to our industry, our city and our society.

Selfie is Officially “Liked” by the OE

By Ann Smith | Aug 29, 2013

It’s come to this. “Selfie”, the term for mobile phone self-portraits generally aligned with vain teenage girls, has now entered the lexicon and joins proper words like “forsooth”, “serendipity” and “horse” in the Oxford English Dictionary, otherwise known as the OED and grandfather master of all dictionaries. The inclusion reflects an acceptance of other tech-related […]

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Once The Dust Settles, Will The Moda Center Be Worth It?

By Ann Smith | Aug 20, 2013

It’s a dark day in the Rose City. As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, the home of the Portland Trail Blazers will no longer be called the Rose Garden. In an attempt to bring in more funding, the president of the Blazers announced last week that their home, deemed the Rose Garden in […]

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AT&T and Herzog Join Forces on PSA

By Ann Smith | Aug 12, 2013

It seems an unlikely match. Werner Herzog, director of bizarre but awesome films and documentaries such as “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” and “Grizzly Man”, has joined forces with AT&T to create a documentary on the devastating consequences of texting while driving. Sharing the stories of both victims and perpetrators of texting and driving, the […]

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How to Get Away with Cheating: Does The Right PR Save Our Country’s Elite from Their Lying, Cheating Ways?

By Ann Smith | Aug 7, 2013

From politicians, to athletes, to celebrities, our country is fascinated by the downside of being in the public eye – the skeletons in their closet. I will admit that I, too, am drawn in to breaking news about celebrity affairs! One of the most infamous cheating scandals of our generation is none other than Tiger […]

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Marketing on Pinterest

By Kelda Rericha | Aug 6, 2013

Hello, my name is Kelda, and I am addicted to Pinterest. It is not a healthy addition. I am guilty of hoarding recipes for sinful desserts and images of $10,000 handbags. It is not a victimless addiction.  My family regularly falls prey to my cooking experiments and crafting disasters, all of which were inspired by […]

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When It's Not All About Me Anymore

By Ann Smith | Aug 6, 2013

A new logo for A.wordsmith When I first started A.wordsmith in early 2009, it was more of an experiment than anything else. I had just fallen victim to the economy and was part of a large round of layoffs. I was also very pregnant and not very marketable when it came to a new job. […]

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Party on the River

By Ann Smith | Jul 25, 2013

The Human Access Project wants to change the way Portland thinks about the Willamette. Ah, the mighty Willamette. It’s a beautiful river that serves as a landmark, an industrial thoroughfare and an integral part of Portland life. And, if you’re like most people who’ve spent some time in the Portland area, you’re as likely to […]

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The True Cost of Unpaid Interns

By Kelda Rericha | Jul 18, 2013

Unpaid interns are disrupting the media – and not in a good way. Summer interns everywhere should be watching their backs after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) blamed an unpaid intern for the inaccurate and unauthorized confirmation to media of the names of the crew members of an Asiana Airlines jet that crashed in […]

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Unleashing My Inner Talent Scout

By Ann Smith | Jul 15, 2013

Those who know me well have likely heard about my pipedream to live in Nashville and work in the country music business. This stems from my deep love of music that took old when my mom brought home a Reba McEntire greatest hits album when I was 8 years old. Since that day I have […]

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Gregory Crewdson's Surreal Photography

By Ann Smith | Jul 8, 2013

Brief Encounters tells the story of  this “theatrical” photography. Working as a designer involves a constant search for new inspiration and unique examples of self-expression. A few evenings ago, amid an underwhelming selection of questionable films on Netflix streaming, I came across a truly inspiring documentary. Brief Encounters follows Gregory Crewdson‘s 10-year odyssey creating a series of surreal, […]

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