Final Portfolio

My Portfolio can be found at the following web address:

http://usumatty.wordpress.com/

Assignment 7- Photoshop

First, I cropped the picture.
Second, I blended out the background and touched up the background.
Third, I removed some not needed dots and blemishes on the mans robe.
Lastly, I adjusted the hue/saturation

Assignment 7- Photoshop

First, I cropped the photo.
Second, I adjusted the levels of the photo.
Third, I turned the photo into black and white.
And Lastly, I sharpened the photo.

Reading #4- Virtual World

SecondLife and things of that nature absolutely boggle my mind. In a previous class of mine, I was introduced to Secondlife for the first time. My professor told me that Secondlife was starting to create some real life problems. Things like, affairs on second life. Is that really an affair? If you are married in real life, and you are married on second life, and having sex on second life, is that cheating on your wife? These are some of the problems that lawyers are having to deal with right now, and they are lost, they do not know how to handle it. Another example is a lady, and I forget her name, that was making hundreds or thousands of real dollars on second life with advertising. She then put on a seminar (on secondlife) to explain how she has done it. During this seminar somebody molested her avatar person and everybody left and it was a big debacle. Little did she know, she was going to lose lots and lots of real dollars because of this disaster. So she took it to court, and thje courts do not know how to deal with something like this. The courts said, this is a game, there is no room for it here in the real courts. But wait, if she is losing real american dollars then it should be a big deal right? I have never personally tried secondlife, but I do hear that it is fun. But these problems are problems that courts and marriages and such never ever expected to have to deal with, and there is certainly an adjustment period. Whats next? Thirdlife? Where you are animals or something, I dont know. I know that it is amazing what technology can do nowadays, its amazing that somebody can create these things such as Secondlife.

Assignment 6- Ghost Pumpkin

Assignment 6- Colored Can

Reading #3-On the internet, nobody knows youre a dog

When I look at this cartoon, I think to myself that I am missing something. Is it as simple as it sounds, or is there something underneath the surface that I am missing? As far as what the cartoon is actually saying it is kind of funny, because I always think about that when I am playing poker online, nobody knows anything about me except that my screen name is mattymatt151. No idea where I am from, no idea what I'm doing, no idea what I look like, and no idea how old I am. You never know who you are talking to unless you are talking face to face. Even over the phone it could be somebody you're not expecting. I guess it makes you think about things and think about who you are talking to, that is of course if I am interpreting this comic the way I am supposed to.

Reading #2-Google, not your friend?

I dont know, maybe its me, but I dont really see this as a big problem. Maybe its that I'm a trusting guy that I dont care if Google knows what I'm searching, and have that all saved somewhere, but mostly its this; Even if Google does know what I search and have that saved, what are they gonna do? Do you think the president of Google is sitting around in his multi-million dollar house, drinking a martini and thinking to himself, "What can I do today to screw Matt Ferris?" I doubt it, I just dont see that as a real problem. Why are people so worried about this? Who cares? What are you doing wrong that you cant have Google look at? The way I see it, I think that Google is very much my friend because it is one of the quickest search engines there is, and if Goolge cares that I just searched for some new hockey gear using their search engine, then so be it I guess.

Reading #1-Email Etiquette

This is a great reading, and it is very relevant to the way the world of business is run today. With big companies that everybody has heard of, this kind of thing is typically not too big of a problem, as they understand the importance of the problem. For other companies, it is a huge problem. Just last semester I wrote an email and a letter to one of my favorite sports teams growing up, the Seattle Thunderbirds, a local junior hockey team that I grew up watching. I wrote them an email complimenting them on being a good organization to go watch and follow, and then also complimenting them on the grand opening of their new arena, which opened January 3rd, 2009. I'm positive that I sent my email to the write email address, and after a day, a week, a month, and even until now, I have not received an email back, or a letter in the mail. Not a huge deal I guess, but not something I would be proud of if I were them either. I would assume that it is not that important to them as now they have a brand new arena and are financially thriving, but I thought it was interesting and went along with this reading well.

Camping

My First Real Camping Experience


I will be the first to admit that I am not a camper. My idea of camping is two queen sized beds, four fluffy pillows on each bed and the sweet sounds of Sportscenter anchors such as Stewart Scott and Dan Patrick serenading me to sleep. So as you can probably imagine when my new girlfriend of a month and a half asked me to go camping for the weekend, I thought to myself, “ohh boy.” But as any guy can attest too, when your girlfriend wants something, you most of the time make that happen for her. It’s never been because I don’t like camping, or that I think that people that do camp are stupid or dumb, it’s just that I don’t enjoy laying on the ground outside in the cold for the whole weekend. I would rather just stay home and relax and watch the occasional Seattle Mariners game. But it wasn’t it up to me this time, so on Friday night after my girl got off work, we headed out to Dash Point State Park for a two night stay before heading back on Sunday morning.
So we get there at about 10:30 on Friday night and we unpack all of our food and supplies for the week and then set up the tent. Tara, my girlfriend, works at REI so not only is she a guru when it comes the outdoor camping stuff but she was able to borrow a tent from REI for the weekend so that she can see the features and when it comes up tell her customers about the pros and cons on the tent. So we set up this huge 4-person tent in the dark with these little head lamps on our head to provide our only light. Tara, unlike me, knew what she was doing when it came to setting up a tent so it was no problem at all once we found where we wanted to put it and what direction we wanted it to face. So the tent is set up, and we decide that were going to cook some hotdogs over the fire before we head to bed. So Tara has purchased some little metal sticks that you put a hotdog on the end of it (I don’t know the correct terminology) and we cooked some fantastic hotdogs over the fire. I don’t know if they were actually that great or if I was just really hungry from not eating most of the day, but they were spectacular hot dogs. About the time that we were done eating and just getting ready to wrap it up for the night we hear, “Uhh, Ohh baby…Ohh baby, keep going, keep going.” At first I thought it was a joke that some kids were playing around, but under further interpretation, that was not it. Apparently there was a couple there that didn’t have enough sex at home, so they found it necessary to get rowdy at the campground. These people must have been four or five campsites down from us, but you could hear them, well actually just her, loud and clear. We never saw these people because we didn’t know who they were or how far away they exactly were but I can imagine for the people camping right next to or across from the baby making tent it would’ve certainly been awkward the next morning. After the fun and excitement was over for that couple, we finally managed to fall asleep in our high-tech sleeping bags and nice air inflated cushioned mattresses, courtesy of my lovely girlfriend.
Ahh, the sounds of birds chirping to wake you up is something that cannot be duplicated in the hotel room, it was very nice. It certainly beats waking up to the sound of a rumbling ice machine down the hall or the sound of a 12-year old baseball team making noise in the room directly above you in which the front desk so conveniently gave them. So camping definitely has that over the hotel room. So after some nice Honey Nut Cheerios me and Tara decided to break out our camera’s and head down to the Sound to walk along the beach and see what the ocean blue has to offer. Little did we know that there was the annual DB Skimboards (dbskimboards.com) competition down on the Dash Point Beach. I have heard of the term skimboarding but I didn’t really know anything about it, let alone have ever seen it in person. Tara and I were both pleasantly surprised when we saw the skimboarders for the first time. We got down there a little before the competition so we wandered down the beach to take some pictures. I was desperately trying to get a picture of a seagull standing on the shore of the water and finally got one that I wanted after a good half hour of tip-toeing up to these birds in attempt to not let them fly away. After drawing in the sand, letting the waves get our feet wet, and taking pictures of different kinds of shells we finally made it down to a dock that was crowded with people fishing and crabbing. As you know by now, I’m not exactly an outdoor kind of guy so I have only been fishing once in my life so it was very interesting to watch these fishermen pull up fish on their poles, and pull up crabs in the crab nets. It was kind of yucky to see the fish get gutted but I guess that is part of the fishing experience. Shortly after that Tara and I continued to walk farther away from the competition, and we didn’t realize that we were on a private beach until somebody came out on their front porch and not so politely asked us to leave. Oh well, he got over it, unfortunately. By this time we started to hear an announcer and some music off in the distance so we started to head back towards the skimboarding competition. I have never seen any competition like this before, it was very new to me and also very impressive with the things that these guys can do with a skimboard. Basically the way it works is all of the people competing in any one division line up at one end of the stream and they go back and forth for about eight minutes with some nice old school R&B going the whole time. The most interesting part of the competition for me was the styles of each of the riders. They all had their own style and own nicknames. There was Luda, Jesus, and Skin Louie just to name a few. After this new and different experience for me, we went back to camp and participated in two things that were not new and different at all, we ate lunch and we took a nice one hour power nap.
What has everybody done at least once every single time they go camping? I have been camping one time now, and every single time that I have been camping we have eaten some S’mores. Tara had some friends that wanted to come camping but something came up, but at least they were able to meet us for a few hours around the campfire to eat some S’mores. This surprisingly was my very first time, that I can remember, that I have ever eaten S’mores, and I must say, what’s with all of the hype? They are ok, and I guess it is the whole idea of just being a camping tradition, but I was not all that impressed. After a four hours around the fire that absolutely flew by (I wish the hours while I’m at my work would fly by that fast), it was time to hit the hay and go to sleep in our 19-person tent. This time there was no yelling woman down the street so it was a little easier to get to sleep, and before I knew it the morning was upon us. We packed up all of our stuff, had a little cereal and we were off. Leaving the campground I realized that while I still wouldn’t consider myself a camper, it was still a very fun weekend where I got to experience some things that I would not have gotten to experience anywhere else that weekend. Through the girl yelling at the top of her lungs, competitors like Skin Louie, and sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows, I would say that I would be interested in going camping again sometime, any takers??

Final Press Release 4: Aggie Hockey

February 25th, 2009
For Immediate Release
Utah State Hockey Team
2825 N 200 E
North Logan, Ut 84341


Last Chance for Nationals
Aggies Aim for Grand Rapids

LOGAN, Utah--The Utah State Aggies hockey team aims for a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan this weekend when the host the Western Regional Tournament here in Logan at the Eccles Ice Center. The tournament consists of 8 teams seeded 3-10 in the Western Division. The tournament will be held this Friday and Saturday the 27th-28th of February. The two teams that survive and win two games in two days will be the final two teams that will get the opportunity to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan to compete with 15 other teams in the National Tournament.

The tournament will consist of four games on Friday and another two on Saturday. On Friday February 27th, the #5 seeded Northern Colorado plays against the #8 seeded San Jose State University at 11 a.m. The next game is at 2 p.m. and the game it features the #4 seeded Eastern Washington University against the #9 seeded University of Nevada Las Vegas. The third game is at 5 p.m. and it is between the #3 Colorado University versus the #10 seeded San Diego State University. The last game is between the #6 seeded Utah State Aggies and the #7 seeded Denver University.

For Fridays game the Aggies would like to promote a “white out,” which is wear everybody is the stands come to the game in white shirts. This happens in the National Hockey League (NHL) for some teams when they get into the playoffs. It is an amazing site, which the Aggies would love to have replicated for their playoff run starting on Friday.

This is the last chance for Aggies Defenseman Jordan Francom, as his hockey eligibility runs out after this year. Francom is the captain of the team and the only player on the team that has experience at the national tournament. Francom went to nationals in March of 2004 in Laurel, Maryland, and again the next year in Oakland, Michigan. Francom had this to say about the possibility of the Aggies making it to nationals this year, “As far as talent goes there is no team in the league better than us, if we play as a team and work hard this weekend, we should be punching our ticket to Grand Rapids…the problem with our team this year has been individualism, if we get past that, we should have no problems.”

The Aggies would love the community to come out and support them in this tournament. Head Coach Jon Eccles had this to say about the home crowds at Eccles Ice Center, “It is a blast to come out and play in front of our fans, we certainly have the best fans in the league…hopefully our great fans can pack the house in white this weekend for the big weekend.”

For more information, contact:
Matt Ferris
Utah State Hockey Team
253-312-2387
Matthew.Ferris@aggiemail.usu.edu

-END-

Final: Email Pitch

Financial Independence for Anybody
As quick as 3 years


Dear Editor Scott:

I came across an interesting idea that could make somebody become financially independent in as quick as three years. Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) was created a few years ago by President and Founder Preston Parker. Parker is a current teacher at Utah State and is also a former student. He is confident that with a little time invested, some assets and some experience, anybody can become financially independent. Parker had this to say when asked the purpose of this association, “Our main objective is to help people learn and apply philosophies that will lead them to financial independence quicker.”

There are several ways that you can get in contact with this group, the first, and most common, is that they have an annual meeting every other Thursday. The next meeting is March 5th, and they meet at the Logan City Chamber of Commerce. This group has also reached out to its younger members by having a facebook group page. CVAIA has recently adopted a website, www.cvaia.com, where you can explore options and ideas that this group now has. Lastly, if you are a member Parker has an email list which he uses two or three times a week, emailing the members opportunities that he has found.

If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something that they love, not just a job that provides income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographic locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

For more information contact:

Matt Ferris
PR Department
253-312-2387
prferris@cvaia.com

Draft Press Release 4: Aggie Hockey

February 13, 2009
For Immediate Release
Utah State Hockey Team
2825 N 200 E
North Logan, Ut 84341


Last Chance for Nationals
Aggies Aim for Grand Rapids

The Utah State Aggies hockey team aims for a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan this weekend when the host the Western Regional Tournament here in Logan at the Eccles Ice Center. The tournament consists of 8 teams seeded 3-10 in the Western Division. The tournament will be held this weekend Friday and Saturday the 27th-28th of February. The two teams that survive and win two games in two days will be the final two teams that will get the opportunity to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan to compete with 15 other teams in the National Tourament.

The tournament will consist of four games on Friday and another two on Saturday. On Friday February 27th, the #5 seeded Northern Colorado plays against the #8 seeded San Jose State University at 11 a.m. The next game is at 2 p.m. and the game it features the #4 seeded Eastern Washington University against the #9 seeded University of Nevada Las Vegas. The third game is at 5 p.m. and it is between the #3 Colorado University versus the #10 seeded San Diego State University. The last game is between the #6 seeded Utah State Aggies and the #7 seeded Denver University.

For Fridays game the Aggies would like to promote a “white out,” which is wear everybody is the stands come to the game in white shirts. This happens in the National Hockey League (NHL) for some teams when they get into the playoffs. It is an amazing site, which the Aggies would love to have replicated for their playoff run starting on Friday.

This is the last chance for Aggies Defenseman Jordan Francom, as his hockey eligibility runs out after this year. Francom is the captain of the team and the only player on the team that has experience at the national tournament. Francom went to nationals in March of 2004 in Laurel, Maryland, and again the next year in Oakland, Michigan. Francom had this to say about the possibility of the Aggies making it to nationals this year, “As far as talent goes there is no team in the league better than us, if we play as a team and work hard this weekend, we should be punching our ticket to Grand Rapids…the problem with our team this year has been individualism, if we get past that, we should have no problems.”

The Aggies would love the community to come out and support them in this tournament. Head Coach Jon Eccles had this to say about the home crowds at Eccles Ice Center, “It is a blast to come out and play in front of our fans, we certainly have the best fans in the league…hopefully our great fans can pack the house in white this weekend for the big weekend.”

For more information, contact:
Matt Ferris
Utah State Hockey Team
253-312-2387
Matthew.Ferris@aggiemail.usu.edu

-END-

Draft: Email Pitch

Financial Independence for Anybody
As quick as 3 years


Dear Editor Scott:

I came across an interesting idea that could make somebody become financially independent in as quick as three years. Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) was created a few years ago by President and Founder Preston Parker. Parker is a current teacher at Utah State and is also a former student as well. He is confident that with a little time invested, some assets and some experience, anybody can become financially independent. Parker had this to say when asked the purpose of this association, “Our main objective is to help people learn and apply philosophies that will lead them to financial independence quicker.”

There are several ways that you can get in contact with this group, the first, and most common, is that they have an annual meeting every other Thursday. The next meeting is March 5th, and they meet at the Logan City Chamber of Commerce. This group has also reached out to its younger members by having a facebook group page. CVAIA has recently adopted a website, www.cvaia.com, where you can explore options and ideas that this group now has. Lastly, if you are a member Parker has am email list which he uses two or three times a week, emailing the members opportunities that he has found.

If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something that they love, not just a job that provides income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographic locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

For more information contact:

Matt Ferris
PR Department
253-312-2387
prferris@cvaia.com

Final Press Release 3: Cause Promotion

February 13, 2009
For Immediate Release
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
160 N. Main St
Logan, Ut 84321
cachevaiai@gmail.com


Become Financially Independent
Love your job


LOGAN, Utah—Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) wants to make you financially independent while allowing you to love your job. President and Founder Preston Parker had this to say when asked the purpose of this association, “Our main objective is to help people learn and apply philosophies that will lead them to financial independence quicker.”

If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something that they love, not just a job that provides income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographic locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

There are several ways that new member are encouraged to join this association. CVAIA has recently adopted a website, www.cvaia.com, where you can explore the different opportunities and ideas they can offer you. CVAIA also has a facebook group that anybody can join and be a part of. Preston Parker also sends out emails once or twice a week to the associations email list. However, the most common way to get in touch and be a part of this association is through their meetings, which happen every other Thursday at the Logan Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. These meetings are offered to anyone and everyone that want to try and better their financial situation. All of the ways to get in touch and be a part of CVAIA are 100 percent free of charge. Parker and the rest of the association look forward to hearing from you soon.

For more info, contact:
Matt Ferris
Public Relations Advisor
Mferris@cvaia.com
253-312-2387

-END-

Final Press Release 3: Cause Promotion

February 13, 2009
For Immediate Release
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
160 N. Main St
Logan, Ut 84321
cachevaiai@gmail.com


Become Financially Independent
Love your job


LOGAN, Utah—Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) wants to make you financially independent while allowing you to love your job. President and Founder Preston Parker had this to say when asked the purpose of this association, “Our main objective is to help people learn and apply philosophies that will lead them to financial independence quicker.”

If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something that they love, not just a job that provides income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographic locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

There are several ways that new member are encouraged to join this association. CVAIA has recently adopted a website, www.cvaia.com, where you can explore the different opportunities and ideas they can offer you. CVAIA also has a facebook group that anybody can join and be a part of. Preston Parker also sends out emails once or twice a week to the associations email list. However, the most common way to get in touch and be a part of this association is through their meetings, which happen every other Thursday at the Logan Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. These meetings are offered to anyone and everyone that want to try and better their financial situation. All of the ways to get in touch and be a part of CVAIA are 100 percent free of charge. Parker and the rest of the association look forward to hearing from you soon.

For more info, contact:
Matt Ferris
Public Relations Advisor
Mferris@cvaia.com
253-312-2387

-END-

Draft Press Release 3: Cause Promotion

February 6, 2009
For Immediate Release
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
160 N. Main St
Logan, Ut 84321
cachevaiai@gmail.com

Become Financially Independent
Love your job

LOGAN, Utah—Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) wants to make you financially independent. President and Founder Preston Parker had this to say about his main objective for this association, “Our main objective is to help learn and apply philosophies that will lead them to financial independence quicker.”

If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something that they love, not just a job that provides income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographic locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.
CVAIA offers many ways that you can be a part of this association. The first, and most common way, is that every other Thursday this association meets at the Logan Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. The next meeting will be February 19th, 2009. CVAIA also has a Facebook group that anybody can join. President and Founder Preston Parker also sends out an email once or twice a week to the associations email list. Recently CVAIA has created a website, www.cvaia.com where you can explore the different opportunities that this association offers.

For more info, contact:
Matt Ferris
Public Relations Advisor
Mferris@cvaia.com
253-312-2387

-END-

Final Press Release 2: Image Building

February 3, 2009
For Immediate Release
Burger Planet
54321 French Fry Drive
Gary, Indiana 12345



Burger Planet Goes Healthy
Burger Planet Appeals to Women 30-40 Years Old


GARY, Indiana—Burger Planet has decided to stay current with the new trends of the industry and offer healthier items on their menu for its loyal customers. This change in the menu will be directed mostly toward women, ages 30-40.

Burger Planet has hired Jayne Petersen to help with this health movement. Jayne Petersen has helped many women live a healthier lifestyle, including famous Talk Show host Opal Whitcomb, who lost 75 pounds. She is committed to doing the same for the customers of Burger Planet. She and Burger Planet will launch a program to assist women in making healthier decisions. When asked about the hiring of Jayne, James Meullenbach III, CEO of Burger Planet, had this to say, "Jayne Petersen and Burger Planet share a commitment toward health. The women Jayne Petersen have helped lose weight eat at Burger Planet. Burger Planet and Jayne Petersen are launching a comprehensive program to assist those women in eating healthy."

The first of the new items that is on Burger Planets menu is a white mean chicken breast. This chicken breast can be wrapped in a piece of lettuce if the person ordering is on a low carb diet. Another option that Burger Planet now has is customers can ask for no mayo on their sandwiches, this will save 500 calories off of anything with mayo on it. Also in the past year Burger Planet has decided to offer a variety of fruit slices to the menu. They have the following fruits for the customers to enjoy: apples, grapes, peaches, pineapple, or bananas. None of their current competitors offer these types of menu items.

Burger Planet has been serving its customers for seven decades, and has always catered to their needs and wants. The company started in the 1930’s and since then Burger Planet has become the world’s largest fast food chain. Burger Planet has a commitment to serve its loyal customers, and will continue to do so in the many years to come.

For more info, contact:
Matt Ferris
Public Relations Department
253-312-2387
mfpr@burgerplanet.com



-END-

Draft Press Release 2:Image Building

February 3, 2009
For Immediate Release
Burger Planet
54321 French Fry Drive
Gary, Indiana 12345



Burger Planet Goes Healthy
Burger Planet Appeals to Women 30-40 Years Old


GARY, Indiana—Burger Planet has decided to offer a healthier menu for its loyal customers. After many tests and surveys, Burger Planet realized that with the new trends and fashion in the world today, customers, particularly women from ages 30-40, wanted healthier choices on the menu.

Burger Planet has hired Jayne Petersen to help with this health movement. Jayne Petersen has helped many women live a healthier lifestyle, and she is going to do the same for the customers of Burger Planet. She and Burger Planet will launch a program to assist women in making healthier decisions. When asked about the hiring of Jayne, James Meullenbach III, CEO of Burger Planet, had this to say, "Jayne Petersen and Burger Planet share a commitment toward health. The women Jayne Petersen have helped lose weight eat at Burger Planet. Burger Planet and Jayne Petersen are launching a comprehensive program to assist those women in eating healthy."

The first of the new items that are on the menu is a white mean chicken breast, this chicken breast can also be wrapped in a piece of lettuce in case the person ordering is on a low carb diet. Another option that we have is that customers can ask for no mayo on their sandwiches, this will save 500 calories off of anything with mayo on it. Also in the past year we offer a variety of fruit slices to the menu. We have the following healthy fruits for our customers to enjoy: apples, grapes, peaches, pineapple, or bananas. None of our current competitors offer these types of menu items.

Burger Planet is committed to doing what our customers want. Our customers want healthier options on the menu, so that is what we have given them.


Matt Ferris
Public Relations Department
253-312-2387
mfpr@burgerplanet.com



-END-

Final Press Release 1: Announcement

January 29, 2009
For Immediate Release
ABC Real Estate
123 Creative Way
Logan, Utah 84341
801-555-4567

Successful Idea Moves to Cache Valley
ABC Real Estate Aims for Investors


LOGAN Utah—ABC Real Estate has found a new home in Logan, Utah. In August of 2008, President Preston Parker brings a successful idea to Cache Valley. Parker brings this idea to the Valley after a very successful track record for this type of company. This is the third location for this creative way to buy and sell homes. The first location was created in Southern California in the 1970’s and has been going strong ever since. More recently, Salt Lake City has benefited from this business, and has been doing so since the 2002. Preston Parker had this to say about the future potential of the business, “This has been a successful business model for the past 40 years, and we are excited and hopeful that it will continue to work here in Cache Valley.” In the two previous locations this business has seen a 99% success rate.

ABC Real Estate is looking for investors to help get this process started. A seller can offer their home to be put into a trust where these investors will need to pay an initial investment. After this initial investment has been paid residents can then move in to the house. These residents will, for the most part, not have good credit. These residents will then make payments toward the trust until their credit is to a point where they can buy the home for themselves. Once their credit reaches this point the trust is broken and the original home owner plus the investors plus ABC Real Estate will get a portion of this trust.

This type of buying and selling homes is very beneficial to all the parties involved. The original home owner is able to sell the house to someone that was not able to buy it on their credit while also collecting some of the trust money. The original investors make money during the time while the residents are paying towards the trusts. In the end, the residents are able to build their credit back up to a point where they are actually able to buy the house. This is a great opportunity for all the parties involved. In the past 40 years this company model has faced all kinds of different markets in all kinds of different economic situations and has proved to be successful in all of them.

Matt Ferris
Vice President
VPmattferris@abcrealestate.com
253-312-2387
-END-

Draft Version Press Release 1: Announcement

January 16th, 2009
For Immediate Release
ABC Real Estate
123 Creative Way
Logan, UT 84341
801-555-4567

Successful Idea Moves to Cache Valley
ABC Real Estate Aims for Investors

LOGAN, Utah--ABC Real Estate was created last summer, in August of 2008. Preston Parker, the President of ABC Real Estate

Letter to my Cousin

Dear Turkey,

Hey Buddy, how are you? I’m here at school in Utah, and I was just wondering how you were doing? I had a great time over the Christmas break when we went bowling on your new Wii, and when we got to go skating together, and to watch the Seattle Thunderbirds play too. You were getting pretty good on those skates for being only your first few times on the ice. Are your mom and dad still taking you skating sometimes, because that’s the only way you’ll get better you little turkey. Do you know how exciting it is for me to know that my little cousin wants to play hockey too? I’ll be able to watch you play once my playing days are all over here in Utah. You know bud, when I leave after Christmas break to go back to school, I kind of feel bad because you don’t exactly know where I go, or what I do. You just know that I go to Utah, and that I’m going to college, but do you know what I study here?
My main focus, and the main thing that I study here (besides hockey) is a field called Public Relations. Do you have any idea what that is, or what I would do with that kind of education? Yah I figured that you wouldn’t. It’s a tough thing to explain because the opportunities from this sort of education are very broad. I think the best way to summarize what we do in this field is that we are a bridge for communication between a company and the public. I realize that is a little hard for you to understand, but let me see if I can put that in terms that are more relative to you. When I was home for break, we went to the very first Seattle Thunderbirds game at their new arena, the ShoWare Center. Leading up to this game, there was lots of things that happened to promote the opening of the brand new Arena in Kent. A Public Relations person working for the T-birds would be responsible for writing memo’s to the people in Seattle and the surrounding area to try and get new fans to come support the T-birds in the new arena. This is the part of the Public Relations profession that can be described as the voice from the T-birds to the public. Sometimes a Public Relations professional is responsible for relaying messages to the other employees for the company. For example if the T-birds organization wanted all of their employees to wear T-bird colors for the first game at the new building, then a Public Relations person would send out an internal memo telling the employees to do so. Do you remember during the second intermission at the T-birds game when they did the “Chuck-a-Puck?” That was a special event that is done to raise money for the Thunderbirds, but it is likely that a Public Relations person came up with this idea. You see, a Public Relations person is also responsible to do events such as this “Chuck-a-Puck” or maybe setting up a public skate with the members of the T-birds to show fan appreciation. These are some examples of how a Public Relations person can be used in a certain company, such as the Seattle Thunderbirds. Like I said, a person that is studying Public Relations is required to do a variety of things, and that is why I am so interested in it. I hope that explains why I always have to leave after Christmas and summer to come back here to Utah. It is tough to leave you and the rest of the family because I enjoy it at home, but I do love coming back here to Utah to study and play hockey. I have to leave now, because I have a game tomorrow and it is late. You be sure to keep in contact you little turkey, and I miss you and the family. See you soon bud.



Your older and wiser cousin,
Matty

BCS National Champioship Game Preview

Thursday, 1-8-9

Florida Gators(12-1) vs Oklahoma Sooners(12-1) at 6 p.m. Mountain Time

Gators- SPEED, SPEED, S-P-E-E-D!! The Florida Gators are, without question, the fastest team in the country. They have six guys that can run "the 40" in 4.3 seconds or under, including their all american standout wide reciever Percy Harvin. Harvin has 595 receiving yards to go along with 7 touchdowns in just 11 games this season. The Florida Gators are ranked #2 in the BCS standings this year, but are still 4.5 point favorites against the #1 Sooners. The Gators have last seasons Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, who again is having an amazing year, and it seems that nobody can stop him. He has lead the Gators to their 12-1 record, with their only loss being to Ole Miss 31-30. The Gators hopped from #3 to #2 in the standing after beating the then #1 Alabama squad. Florida managed to jump over Texas by just fractions of points to have a chance at the National Title this year. The Gators get lots of praise from the national media for their offense, but lets not forget about the Gators Defense. The Defense has played solid all year against the highly regarded South East Conference(SEC). Every team in the SEC is solid, and it seems that when the Gators need the big stop, they get it from their small, yet very fast defense. They will face a very high high powered offense on Thursday that can put up points in a hurry. This will most definitely be the biggest test for the Gators Defense all year. I done anticipate a low scoring game at all, but this game will come down to which defense is going to make the stops at the big moments, will the Gators be able to do so, or will the high powered Sooners offense control the game? Florida is solid everywhere, and have no weaknesses. They are amazing offensively, defensively, and even on special teams. The Gators will be tough to stop come tomorrow night.

Sooners- When you talk about the Oklahoma Sooners, the first thing you mention is their offense and their ability to put up a huge amount of points. Sam Bradford is the Heisman Trophy winner this year, and has lots of targets to throw to that can put the ball in the endzone. The Oklahoma Sooners have played five games in a row in which they have scored 60 or more points, that is insane. You're probably thinking that they must have played some cupcake teams but that is not the case at all. In the last three games Oklahoma scored 65 against the then #2 Texas Tech squad on November 22nd. The they scored 61 against the then #12 Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 29th. They followed that up with 62 points against the #20 Missouri Tigers. Hardly what I would call weak competition. The knock on Oklahoma is that they have a history in getting crushed in BCS games, they seem to not come to play for the big games. Bob Stoops and his Sooners aim to end that streak tonight against the Gators. Just as Florida's D will be the key to the game against the Sooners offense, the Oklahoma D will need to be huge against the Gators high powered offense. This game is by no means going to be a lowing scoring affair, which means that the defense that can step up to make the big play, will be the team that wins. Oklahoma think they have a plan to shut down Tebow and the Gators, well see if it comes true tonight to win the National Championship.

Prediction- Everybody and their grand-daddies are taking the Florida Gators to win the National Champioship tonight, the Gators started out as 3 point favorites, and now they have moved all the way to 6 point favorites in some sports books. Maybe I'm way off my rocker here, but why is the 12-1 Oklahoma Sooners not getting any respecct out of the Big 12 conference? Here are the arguments, Florida is in a better conference? No question about it, the SEC(Florida's conference) is very good with Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia, and South Carolina, which means that Florida played some great competition to get where they are, but where is the love for the Big 12? Oklahoma had to beat teams such as, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska to get here, with their one and only loss coming from the great Texas Longhorns. The SEC is certainly good, but is it better than the competition in the Big 12? I'm not totally convinced on that one. "Florida has a great offense," says the world, yes, but so does Oklahoma dont they? "Florida has a great defense," says the media, well Oklahoma's defense played some great teams too, and they handled their business, right? It seems that the Heisman Trophy winner doesnt always fair too well after winning because of the added pressure, but Bradford has been able to handle pressure so far this year, why not again? The whole world is picking against The Sooners, and I think that in it of itself is going to be a great motivation for the Sooners, and unless I've absolutley lost it, I dont see why there is so much love for the Gators and not for the Sooners. I'm going to go against the grain here and go with the underdogs. I'll take the Sooners in an absolute shootout, one of those games where the last team to have the ball is going to win. Bob Stoops wants this one more than he ever has wanted a championship because of the disrespect they are getting. Sooners in a high scoring affair 44-40.

Tostito's Fiesta Bowl Preview

Ohio State Buckeyes(10-2) vs Texas Longhorns(11-1)
Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. Mountain time

The Tostito's Fiesta Bowl will be played tonight on a neutral field in Glendale, Arizona.

Texas- The Longhorns have a lot to prove tonight because they feel that they have been snubbed from the National Title game. The BCS computer system chose the Oklahoma Sooners to take on Florida in the BCS National Championship game rather than the Longhorns, even though earlier this year Texas beat Oklahoma in a great college football game by the final score of 45-35. If it wasn't for Texas' loss to Texas Tech in the last seconds, they would be playing for the National title without question. Unfortanetly for them, Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech caught a pass down the sidelines to beat Texas 39-33 in another exciting game. But make no doubt about it that the Longhorns still feel like they gat a raw deal by not being able to play on Thursday in the title game. Colt McCoy is a highly talented, highly regarded college Quarterback, having an amazing season. He passed for over 400 yards against Oklahoma, and threw for 4 touchdowns that game. McCoy has plenty of offensive talent around him, and Texas should be able to move the ball very well against Ohio State's Defense. One thing that McCoy and the Longhorns offense is able to do is they seem to always convert on third down. I can't count how many times Oklahoma forced them into 3rd and long, and how many times McCoy was able to bail them out with a great play. If Texas can keep the chains moving on third down, they should have a great chance to control the ball and win this Fiesta Bowl.

Ohio State- Ohio State has had a solid year this year going 10-2, and only losing to then #1 USC Trojans, and then #3 Penn State Nittany Lions. They did get blown out 35-3 against USC but that was in week three of the season. They certainly feel they are better now, but not everyone agrees. Ohio State is being highly critisized for being in the Big 10 this year, because the Big 10 has not been that solid of a conference. In the Rose Bowl Penn State(Big 10 conference) got blown out by the USC Trojans 38-24, and the Nittany Lions scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to even make it somewhat close. Ohio State lost to Penn State 13-6 in a slow moving Big 10 football game earlier this year. That is exactly the beef with the Big 10, there is no outstanding players, no outstanding teams, and certainly no outstanding shootout football games like Texas played against Texas Tech and also Oklahoma. But how can yo not notice that Ohio State still went 10-2, they still play in what is called a "BCS Conference" and always seem to be in contention late in the year. The last two times that Ohio State has been in a BCS game, they have been absolutley blown out by Oklahoma once, and Florida another time. The strength in Ohio State is its offensive attak with Chris "Beanie" Wells, and freshman quarterback Terrell Pryor. These two players have carried thier team to their great season, but Texas is not a Big 10 team, they are a Big 12 team, and have a high powered offensive attack. Will Ohio State's defense be able to shut down Colt McCoy and the Longhorns offense? If they can, they have a chance to win, but that is a big "if."

Prediction- The Texas Longhorns go into this game as 9 point favorites in Vegas, and I dont see any reason to think otherwise. The Longhorns have only lost one game all year playing in the highly talented Big 12, whereas Ohio State has two losses, one of which was out of conference to USC. But still, the Big 12 is a better conference than the Big 10, and with Colt McCoy calling the shots in the Texas offense, I dont see how Ohio State wins this game. One thing that can not be over looked is the fact that the Texas Longhorns have a lot to prove tonight, because they feel shorted by not being in the BCS National Championship Game. I look for Texas to come out fired up and ready to prove the BCS voters wrong. They will score early and often against Ohio State, and I am all over the Longhorns in this game. I'll take Texas in the biggest margin of victory in the BCS bowls games, 38-10.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions, Philadelphia vs Minnesota

Sunday, 1-4-9 at 1:30 pacific. Philadelphia Eagles(9-6-1)@ Minnesota Vikings(10-6)

Vikings- The Minnesota Vikings, all year long, were not a super flashy team. There was no media turmoil, like the Cowboys, They didnt make a whole lot of SportsCenter "Top 10's," but they just seemed to find a way to win a lot of games and host a home playoff game. The Metro Dome will be rocking on Sunday when the Eagles come into to town. The Vikings certainly have the Runningback to get the win in this game, Adrian Peterson is a stud runningback, and will be ready to run wild against Philly, but can the Vikings do enough through the air to prevent the Eagles from putting 8 guys in the box? The Vikings still have not declared a starting Quarterback, they are deciding between the young, Tarvaris Jackson, or the much older Gus Frerotte. Either way, it is safe to say that the Viks are not steady at the Quarterback position. Look for them to come out and try and run the ball with Peterson and control the clock in this game.

Eagles- When the Eagles walk onto the field tomorrow, they should look up in the sky and thank the good lord that they are even playing in these playoffs. Last weekend they needed lots of things to happen to get into the playoffs. The Bears lost to the Texans on the road, which didnt surprise too many people outside of Chicago. But the Tampa Bay Bucs lost the the Oakland Raiders, who were 13 point underdogs on the road, that lost may have even surprised the good lord above. Those games were both the early wave of games, so when Philly found out that all they had to do to get in was beat the Cowboys, they put a hurting on them that Dallas will never forget, beating them 44-6 in front of the home fans. So the Eagles are in, and that is something that the rest of the teams in the playoffs did not want to see. After the late season turmoil of Donovan Mcnabb being benched, and them tying the terrible Cincinnati Bengals, they have been on a tear. The Eagles offense is very dynamic with Brain Westbrook running the ball, and Donovan Mcnabb being able to launch bombs down the field that Usain Bolt couldnt catch up to. The Eagles offense also have a very under rated defense that should be able to put some pressure on whatever insecure quarterback the Vikings decide to throw in there. This game will come down to The Eagles front four being able to stop Adrian Peterson to force them into some 3rd and long situations. If theyre able to do that, they have a great chance to win in Minnesota.

Prediction- The only thing flashy about the Minnesota Vikings is their win loss record at 10-6, and even that is nothing amazing. But they worry me with there weak quarterback. The Eagles are coming into Minnesota flying high, and looking to notch another win to keep the season alive. Here is the key to this game, the Minnesota Vikings are a one demensional offense with Peterson getting the ball out of the backfield. If the Eagles can stop the run, they will be able to control this game and bring lots of pressure to the Viks Quarterback. The Eagles defense will look to stop the run first, and when they do, theyll be able to score enough points to fly back to Philly with the win. Eagles win 34-13 in a bit of a laugher to cap the NFL Wild Card Weekend.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions, Baltimore vs Miami

Sunday, 1-4-9 at 10 pacific. Baltimore Ravens(11-5)@ Miami Dolphins(11-5)

Dolphins- The Miami Dolphins were 1-15 last year, only avoiding going 0-for by winning a three point game over none other than the Baltimore Ravens. But this year during training camp, Chad Pennington got run out of New York, when the Jets were able to get Brett Favre, so he fell to the once lowly Dolphins. Wouldnt that be a great story if Pennington goes back to New York late in the year and clinch a playoff spot by beating the team that cut him lose in August? Well thats exactly what happened last week when Pennington took the Dolphins back to Meadow Lands and clinched the AFC East with a win over the Jets. What an amazing story for Pennington. But was that too much of a High? I dont think so, because the Dolphins have said all along that they are not satisfied with just making the playoffs, they want more. Dolphins have a under rated Defense, and need them to play well to keep the Dolphins close late. If that can happen, Pennington has a chance to lead the Dolphins to another victory.

Ravens- The Ravens, for years, have been known for their stellar defense. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed lead the defense and can shut down almost any attack from any offense. The Ravens won a Superbowl on defense a few years ago, but will they be able to do it again this year? The Ravens offense is certainly nothing extraordinary, they have a pretty decent running game, and a rookie Quarterback in Joe Flacco, who can really throw the ball well, and make some things happen. But this is the playoffs and this is a little different. Will Flacco and the rest of the offense do enough to get the win? Well see on Sunday when Rookie Coach Jim Harbaugh leads his team on the road into Miami.

Prediction- The Ravens went into Miami in week 7 and put a 27-13 win up against the Dolphins, will it be the same result in the playoffs? Both of these teams were not at all expected to be here when the pre season predictions came out, but they have both had a very solid season at 11-5. Unlike the other rookie Quarterback that was in the playoffs(Matt Ryan) Joe Flacco does not have quite as solid of a running game, and I have a feeling that Joe Flacco will be put into some pressure 3rd and long situations with the hard charging Dolphins defense and Joey Porter coming on a blitz. I think the Ravens defense is better, but I like the Dolphins offense better and full of confidence after going into Penningtons old stomping grounds and clinching the division in New York. I like the Dolphins, in front of the home crowd, in the lowest scoring game of the weekend Dolphins win 20-10 in a slow moving, low scoring, defensive style football game.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions, Indianapolis vs San Diego

Saturday, 1-3-9 at 5:00 pacific. Indianapolis Colts(12-4)@ San Diego Chargers(8-8)

Chargers- The Chargers were 5-8 and three games behind the 8-5 Denver Broncos just three short weeks ago. All that needed to happen was for Denver to win a game, or for the Chargers to lose a game, and san Diego wouldve been out of the playoffs. But the stars aligned for the Chargers and they snuck into the playoffs by winning the AFC West. The fans should be rowdy and ready to go for this night playoff game in San Diego. The Chargers are a little banged up with LT(Ladanian Tomlinson) and Antonio Gates both classified as game time decisions. I would expect them to both play, but will they be a 100% healthy and ready to go? Well see.

Colts- The Colts were mediocre at best in the first half of the season with Peyton Manning coming off of off season knee surgery. But since the middle of the season they have been the hottest team in the NFL winning 9 straight games. The Colts just always seem to be a good football team and in contention. This year, the Colts have had a very hard time running the ball. Joseph Addai has been hurt off and on this year, and the Offensive line is not what it used to be. But the Colts still have the 3 time NFL MVP Peyton Manning, and he always seems to find a way to win games. The Colts are the most consistent team in the NFL, as they have now been in the playoffs for 7 straight years.

Prediction- Both teams are very hot of late, so momentum is not gonna win it for one team of the other. I like the Colts to get the running game going with the now healthy Joseph Addai, while LT(if he even plays) will limp around and get stopped by the Colts defensive front four. Ohh and lets not forget the NFL MVP Peyton Manning, who just seems to have a knack for these kind of wins. I'll take the Colts 30-24 in a bit of a shootout.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions, Atlanta vs Arizona

Saturday 1-3-9 at 1:30 pacific. Atlanta Falcons(11-5)@Arizona Cardinals(9-7)

Cardinals- The Cardinals havnt had a home playoff game in some 20 years, and the fans should be be riled up and excited about this game. Once the Cardinals clinched the division, they really stumbled down the stretch, they played bad football including a 47-7 at the hands of the New England Patriots in week 16. But the playoffs are a new season, and even with the bad finish to the year this offense can certainly still put up points. They have an NFL MVP Quarterback and anything can happen when the ole wily veteran Kurt Warner.

Falcons- The Atlanta Falcons have surprised alot of people by even being here in this playoff game, but they are going to be on the road in a hostile environment in Arizona. They have Michael "the burner" Turner, who had been a great weapon at Runningback, for the rookie QB Matt Ryan. The Falcons need to be able to run the ball effectively early to take the pressure off of the young QB if they want a chance to win this game.

Prediction- The only bird vs bird matchup of the weekend shapes up to be a very interesting game. The Falcons have been good all year, and been able to score points, but they are very young and inexperienced for the playoffs. The Cardinals are much more experienced, especially at the Quarterback position but have really stumbled down the stretch having to beat the lowly Seattle Seahawks in week 17 just to finish with a winning record. This is the first home playoff game for the Cardinals in a long time, and the house should be rocking for the home team. But I look for the Falcons to control the ball on the ground with Micheal "the burner" Turner against the bad Arizona Cardinals run defense. This will take the pressure off of the Rookie of the Year Quarterback, Matt Ryan. I like the dirty birds to overcome the crowd noise and outscore the Arizona Cardinals 31-20.