RSS Feed

February, 2010

  1. Google for Life: Search On

    February 8, 2010 by Michelle O'Hagan

    Wow. I missed this spot during the Super Bowl last night, but it’s definitely a favorite. Simple, understated, with no voiceover; this ad for search engine Google manages to evoke the most important, happiest, and possibly scariest events in a person’s life. Watch it more than once and the story comes to life. <sniff>

    Category Media, Super Cool | Tags: , | No Comments

  2. FLO TV, Not Sure About This

    February 7, 2010 by Michelle O'Hagan

    FLO TV

    I’ve already seen two FLO TV ads during the Super Bowl, and I loved them both. The one with Jim Nantz is a hoot.

    But I’m puzzled … is this an idea whose time came about 20 years ago? I can remember thinking, literally, dozens of times growing up: “If they can make a transistor radio that I can take poolside, why can’t they make a tiny little T.V. that I can carry around with me?” Really, what took so long?

    And now that the technology has arrived, who’s going to carry around a tiny T.V. when you can just record whatever you want and watch it anytime you want on your giant flatscreen with surround sound at home? I guess the “spineless” boyfriend in the Jim Nantz spot, but who else? It’s cool that you can subscribe to the service so the television programs play on your phone or in your car, though coverage seems to be limited to larger cities (i.e. the entire state of West Virginia appears to be FLO TV-free at this point).

    I’m sure I’ll be surprised, because people will buy anything. But I could have used this little gem when I was 15, on a week-long babysitting gig for a family who didn’t own a television.

    Category Media, Super Cool | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  3. We’re Not A Norman Rockwell Painting, But We’re O.K.

    February 3, 2010 by Michelle O'Hagan

    Norman Rockwell on Google Doodle.
    The O’Hagans aren’t Norman Rockwell, but we’re O.K.

    There are a lot of reasons to love Google (oh, I am a Google fan-girl), but one of my favorite things about the company is the fact that it incorporates a certain whimsy into many of its applications. Today, the classic Google home page includes an iconic Saturday Evening Post cover composed by artist Norman Rockwell.

    I was always intrigued by Norman Rockwell paintings for Saturday Evening Post covers; most of the time, they portray idealized family life, a life I was pretty sure “other” people must have had. Now that I have my own family, those idealized images are something to aspire to, even as the reality of my life lets me know it ain’t gonna happen on most days.

    But I am so grateful for every member of my immediate and extended family. Especially my husband, who does more for humanity in a day than I do in a year. Yesterday, in addition to helping me get the kids into the car by 7 a.m. (and scraping the snow off of my car), he also brushed the snow off of one of our neighbor’s cars, helped a neighbor change a flat tire (in the snow), distributed about 75 new keys to the rest of our neighbors, voted in a primary election, went to the grocery store, picked up the kids from school and prepared their dinner. Oh, and he also worked all day at his real job at the Chicago Police Department.

    Patrick O'Hagan

    In the midst of all of that activity, Patrick nearly came unglued when Liam’s teacher remarked that he (Liam) sure does drink a lot of toilet water. Yes, apparently my soon-to-be-three-year-old freaks out his teachers by putting his hand in the bowl after he flushes, and then licking his hand.

    Disgusting? Yes. But, I was able to put this into perspective because I knew all of the things that Patrick had accomplished yesterday, and (in my mind) Liam licking toilet water off his hand was just a blip on the radar. For Patrick, who never has a chance to sit back and dwell on everything he accomplishes every day, the toilet was the last straw, so to speak.

    So, my family isn’t a typical representation of Norman Rockwell family life, but we’re pretty good, we love each other, and I choose to appreciate the whimsy, not focus on the toilet bowl.

    Category Family and Friends | Tags: ,,, | No Comments