tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157139342024-03-13T15:41:38.411-05:00A View of the WorldInsights from Randy Lawrence, aka randelawRandy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-68832434768153484462012-02-06T08:57:00.004-06:002012-02-06T09:16:24.473-06:00Super Bowl 46 Ad Review<!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 0 1 448 2560 Technotribe 21 6 3002 14.0 <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-51683906850067831042011-02-07T08:38:00.003-06:002011-02-07T11:36:13.211-06:00Super Bowl 45 Ad ReviewHere are my reviews of the ads shown on Super Bowl 45. This is a 5-star rating system that I use on my Twitter feed to quickly review the ads after I have viewed them in real time. The '5' stars category is ranked, while the remaining categories are listed in reverse-viewing order (1Q ads are at the bottom.)5 Stars: Unforgettable/Distinguishes BrandCareerBuilder "Caught Between"Chrysler "MadeRandy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-82948935134993217542010-10-25T09:00:00.001-05:002010-10-25T09:26:36.449-05:00#140Conf Panel DiscussionI led a panel discussion at the 2010 Detroit 140 Conference (#140Conf) last week. The panel was on the book FEED, by M.T. Anderson. This book is this year's Community Read at Cranbrook-Kingswood Upper School. The panelists are students from Cranbrook, who volunteered to part of the panel; they will also help lead a similar discussion next March at school.Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-59665697957305035232010-08-10T10:45:00.000-05:002010-08-10T10:56:46.554-05:00Sermon: Three Heavenly HabitsThe sermon I preached at Barrington United Methodist Church on Sunday, August 8, 2010.The scripture passage is Matthew 6:25-34. The total length is 22:30.Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-1593504450892148552010-08-04T07:00:00.004-05:002010-08-04T18:06:41.751-05:00College Road Trip Day 12: VanderbiltVisit: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (photos here)Formal presentation by Admissions CounselorInfo Session6800 undergraduate studentsTN most represent state, mostly SE US, 4% intl studentsNashville - Music City USA. All music represented on campus. Rites of Spring 2 day event before finals week1-1/2 mi from downtownMidtown is local neighborhood Commons is first yr housing area (10 dorms &Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-72042104449595298822010-08-02T21:22:00.007-05:002010-08-04T09:04:04.724-05:00College Road Trip Day 11: DavidsonVisit: Davidson College, Davidson, NC (Photos here)This visit began with a Tour, and then the Info Session followed. (This was pretty weird after having every other college visit work in the opposite manner.)TourDeclare your major start of Jr yr. Interdisciplinary degree requires proposal and advisors from multiple depts - should be declared sooner.Students go to Charlotte - cars all 4 yrs. Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-86633007217016740092010-08-01T20:30:00.002-05:002010-08-01T20:55:30.868-05:00College Road Trip Day 10: CharlotteIt's a Sunday - another no-school-tour day. Ten days on the road, and hotels and restaurant food are catching up with us. We opted for a movie to pass the time. Anna had not seen Inception, so we found an AMC theatre on the way to our next college (Davidson). We both enjoyed the movie (my second viewing), and analyzed it over lunch at Panera. This is a the great thing about watching your child Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-2847091571041295492010-08-01T08:15:00.001-05:002010-08-01T09:05:57.924-05:00College Road Trip Day 9: CharlotteIt's a Saturday - no school tours available. Anna slept in today, and I had a work conference call. The weather called for rain in the afternoon, we we headed out to CaroWinds, an amusement and water park. We were primarily interested in the water park, with two wave pools, five water slides, one tube river ride, and three kiddie areas. My favorite was the tube river ride - which I could have Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-12464916908744353472010-07-31T21:45:00.002-05:002010-08-04T09:03:26.390-05:00College Road Trip Day 8: RichmondVisit: University of Richmond, Richmond, VAFormal presentation by a rising Senior (very polished) - Photos hereFounded as Baptist seminary in 1830, became Richmond College in 1840. In 1970s merged with girls college (Westhampton college)3,000 undergrad23% of colorAvg class size 168:1 student to teacher ratioAll profs teach, 98% have terminal degree5 colleges (Undergrads can take classes at Law Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-75649516760077797442010-07-29T20:00:00.001-05:002010-08-04T09:02:55.298-05:00College Road Trip Day 7: George WashingtonVisit: George Washington University, Washington D.C. (Photos Here)Informal presentation by: Admissions Advisor and a rising sophomore9500 undergrad students6 colleges/90 majors All classes taught by professorsProfessors: mix of FT teachers & working professionals in DC areaFocus on "why and how it's applied"Avg class size of 28, 25% under 20Best of small and large schools33% self-identified "Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-55946150366511038382010-07-29T17:00:00.000-05:002010-07-29T17:53:06.813-05:00College Road Trip Day 6: Washington D.C.A day to see the our national government buildings and memorials! Our hotel was right by a Metro subway stop, so it was our primary means of transportation. Clean and convenient (most of the time), we learned to ride the subway like regulars after a couple of trips. First stop: Capitol South, dropping us off 2 blocks from the US Capitol. We had not reserved tickets for a tour of the building, so Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-50494267574210543412010-07-28T21:30:00.003-05:002010-08-04T09:01:51.975-05:00College Road Trip Day 5: Vassar & PrincetonVisit: Vassar College, (Poughkeepsie, NY)Presentation by Director of Admissions (Photos here)2,500 undergrads Faculty advisor until you declare a major34 units to grad11 units needed for a major (declare in soph yr)1000 classes to choose from Psych, English, PolSci, Bio, Econ top majorsDbl major or maj/min52 majors - many are multidisciplinary Small classes avg is 17. Major undergrad courses avg Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-25140993955389152552010-07-27T06:18:00.007-05:002010-08-04T09:01:28.382-05:00College Road Trip Day 4: Brandeis & BrownMy new definition of "overwhelming": Two college tours and one college visit in one day...Visit: Brandeis University, Waltham, MAPresentation by Admissions Advisor and a rising senior, followed by a tour by a rising sophomore. (Photos here)Brandeis was founded in 1948 by a group including Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Maslov and Leonard Bernstein.Named after Supreme Court Justice Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-56031870075479033842010-07-26T07:27:00.002-05:002010-07-26T07:51:21.764-05:00College Road Trip Day 3: BostonBoston, MA! Birthplace of independence, and home to some of the worse drivers in the USA. (I lived here for 1-1/2 years, I have lots of experience with them...)We were tourists today. We drove in from Springfield and landed in downtown Boston at 10AM. We headed for the Commons and parked the car and started to walk - the Freedom Trail. This pedestrian "red line" weaves throughout Boston Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-52813569653481147362010-07-25T06:00:00.000-05:002010-07-25T06:30:15.226-05:00College Road Trip Day 2: AmherstThis was a dedicated travel day. We took the southern New York route along I86/NY17. This is a very rural part of NY, very reminiscent of Tennessee or Kentucky. Along the way we passed the following:Zippo Lighter/Case Knife MuseumSoaring MuseumCorning Glass MuseumSoccer Hall of FameBaseball Hall of FameIroquois MuseumWe didn't stop at any of these, but I was simply amazed at the rather Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-32962693095721512922010-07-24T07:08:00.006-05:002010-08-04T09:00:20.168-05:00College Road Trip Day 1: OberlinVisit: Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (photos here)No formal presentation: Q&A with Admissions Advisor, a Conserv student, a transfer student, a Chemistry professor and Financial Aid Advisor9:9:9 credit hours in three different areas (math/science, social sciences, humanities) and 2 diff depts within each area. AP courses with a 5 on the test will apply to these requirements.Academic advisor. Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-82660868721328742912010-02-08T09:00:00.000-06:002010-02-08T09:20:24.169-06:00Super Bowl 44 Ad ReviewHere are my reviews of the ads shown on Super Bowl 44. This is a 5-star rating system that I use on my Twitter feed to quickly review the ads after I have viewed them in real time. The '5' stars category is ranked, while the remaining categories are listed in reverse-viewing order (1Q ads are at the bottom.)5 Stars: Unforgettable/Distinguishes BrandGoogle "Paris" VW "Color Game" Denny's "Scream" Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-7104345224659054232009-05-21T14:17:00.002-05:002009-05-21T14:33:45.179-05:00Faith-based ...Charity depends on the vicissitudes of whim and personal wealth; justice depends on commitment instead of circumstance. Faith-based charity provides crumbs from the table; faith-based justice offers a place at the table. - Bill Moyers This quote by Bill Moyers challenges the White House idea (still in place in the Obama Administration) that having a "faith-based" initiative will somehow improve Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-11665562888089423222009-03-22T00:00:00.002-05:002010-08-27T16:57:33.573-05:00Saying good-bye to Public ServiceI recently completed my four-year term as an elected school board member in Cary, IL. I was elected in 2005, and decided not to run for re-election. At the last full board meeting I attended, I gave the following "farewell" comments.First, and foremost, thanks and appreciation to my wife, Dolores for her support and understanding for the past 4 years of least 166 evenings and 3 weekends away fromRandy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-45048177903788962522009-02-02T13:55:00.000-06:002009-02-02T15:03:23.059-06:00Instant Rating of Super Bowl 43 AdsWhile watching Super Bowl 43, I rated the ads I saw on a quick 5 star rating system using my Twitter account. Here is the basis for my ratings:0 stars – No clear message or embarrassing to the brand1 stars – Retread of brand/message2 stars – Consistent with brand, but nothing special3 stars – Solid ad performance or brand expansion4 stars – Great implementation, but not breakthrough5 stars – Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-50633448400861858082009-01-15T11:13:00.003-06:002009-01-15T11:26:16.786-06:00A New Bruce Cockburn AlbumI just visited the True North web site and saw this on the rotating 'new releases' section. Unfortunately there is no additional album information at this time. The brucecockburn.com web site is "Under Construction" (do people still say that?) Looks like Bruce hits the tour road in conjunction with the album release.Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-21713666574323323852009-01-05T09:00:00.003-06:002009-01-05T09:58:58.484-06:00Best Birthday CardAs a parent, you hope you're doing your best when raising your child. As a father, you want to prepare them for the world - and sometimes you think it might be too much. Well, my HS daughter let me know how I was doing in the birthday card she gave me this year:Yes, it brought tears to my eyes.I love you too.Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-59374905143750658442009-01-03T15:00:00.001-06:002009-01-05T17:14:56.126-06:00Branding - It's in the DetailsThere are a lot of people writing about what a 'brand' is, and how branding is critical to the success of any business. This post is about my personal relationship with a brand, and how simple, little things like details go a long way in impacting that relationship.Macy's is a retail icon - or so it is proclaimed. Macy's has been one of the survivors of the retail industry, buying and rebranding Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-87485048209159657372008-12-10T09:51:00.001-06:002008-12-10T09:54:25.810-06:00Governing “For The People”I have served as an elected official for our local school board for the last three and a half years. During this time the public has mostly ignored me, doing my job month after month to govern our district to (hopefully) improve student achievement. I am occasionally hated and praised in just about equal measure – depending upon what the board did or didn’t do at its last meeting.Anyone goes intoRandy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15713934.post-36958788936932822442008-12-03T10:45:00.001-06:002008-12-03T11:56:49.225-06:00Learning from a MasterThe 18th century composer Antonio Salieri was made infamous in the 20th century movie “Amadeus.” In the movie Salieri is ridiculed as a second rate musical act compared to Mozart’s musical genius and puerile pranks. While history has proven Mozart’s place in the pantheon of classical music, Salieri should not be overlooked for his mastery of music.During the mid 18th century, Salieri was a Randy Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12499136215206027758noreply@blogger.com0