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announcement

I decided that I am going to try and post at least one video, personal or news story that is to the same effect as the first post called "there is some good in the world still." So be on the look out for those hear warming stories of kindness in the world around us. if you have any particular examples or stories that you would like to share please let me know and we can get that set up!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Crazy Couple of days!

So late Friday night, about 11:00pm something came up and we decided that we needed to go down to my parents house right away. We got everything packed and ready to go by about midnight, and then drove down here. We got in about 3am, and then had my little sister let us in so that we could surprise my parents in the morning. What we forgot in our sleep deprived brains was that the van was sitting in front of the house... oops :P.

Yesterday we went to the theater out here and watched Catching Fire, it was pretty good. I am curious as to what happens next though, I might actually consider reading the last book. My dad, Mom, Karlie, Karen and I all went to see it.

Our turtles are getting HUGE! I will try and take a picture to post on here later, but they are a lot bigger then I thought they were going to get, and they are still growing!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

New Layout Getting Set Up!

Hey everyone, I decided I would find a better layout, and I think that I like this one so far. What do you guys think? I am still working on getting the menus, and bars all in exactly the right place but I have a start. Very excited about the weekend almost being here!

I don't know if anything particularly exciting is going on this weekend, but Karen and I defiantly need some rest. Neither of us have been feeling very well lately.

Oh, Also I am on the lookout for the next "good in the world" post. If you have any personal story you would like to share, or know of any in the news where your from send me an email at jay.fretters@gmail.com thanks!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

All Registered for next semester!

I got my schedule filled up today for next semester, and the cool part about it is that they are all business classes. That will be fun, and a lot less walking! The business building is not on campus so this semester i have classes there and then back on campus.. maybe I am just lazy, but it does get tiring trying to get from that building to campus in 10 minuets!
   
     Hmm.. What else is new, lets see.. Karen is still working on her dress for her sewing class. She has never really done any sewing before this semester and she is really enjoying it, AND she is really doing great with it. It has been really cool to see the great things that she has made this semester. I may post some pictures after christmas.. wouldn't want to give anything away just yet :P.


   Its pretty crazy to think that the semester is getting close to an end all ready. I am excited about thanksgiving break. We are going back to my parents house, and a bunch of my family is going to be there that I have not seen in a while. Well that's about it for now, ill write more again soon!

  What are you plans for the thanksgiving holidays coming up?


Saturday, November 16, 2013

Some things i have learned so far this semester. (social media/marketing)

Social Media has become of larger and larger importance in the world of marketing. I have been studying social media marketing this semester at Snow College in Utah. I have learned many things that I did not understand before taking these classes, but I decided that I was not going to just take what was being taught as a 100 percent truth. I decided to take things into my own hands, and see what does and does not work. There are a few things that I have personally learned through this process. One of the biggest things that I have found is that making connections is truly a vital process. I am not talking about connections who will click 'like' once on your post, or maybe even click 'follow' on your blog. I am talking about really personal connections with others. Its important to remember not to start off going to someone, or someones site and spamming your links and screaming here follow me! 'like' this! Etc. All that will get you is a group of people who are looking for exactly the same thing, to click a little button, and then never think about that site or person again. If you take some time to become active in a community or niche' that you are specializing in before you start spamming out your links the results will be a lot more long lasting and real. Another thing that I am learning is that there is a site out there called stumble upon. I had not really thought about this as a platform to drive traffic to your site, or even a way to be found at all until I started to play around with it some more. Surprisingly I am finding that I get quiet a few page views from posting my articles and web links into that platform. That way when people are “stumbling through” pages if yours is in the category they are searching it can show up. A few things that I have found that are not working so far are the “quick” “easy” “fast” ways to build followers and likes. There are some programs and sites out there that may claim to get you 1000 followers in a matter of an hour. Those sites well, the ones I looked at do actually get your small follower label to go up, but most of the ones that add or follow you appear to be nothing more then computer bots. It also has to gain access to your accounts to post things for you that end up just spamming your clients and friends saying things like “click this link for 500 friends a day” and so on. Fivver does seem to have some legitimate gain x amount of followers for you for $5.00 adds. I have been yet to try one of those, but I have a friend here at the school who did, and who actually had great success with that. I know that I have mentioned it before, but it really cant be stressed enough to try and avoid being impersonal. Think about how you would feel if someone who you thought was doing something really great just ignored you when you sent a message to them, or a comment on a blog. How would you feel if you just got the standard response that everyone who makes a comment gets back, or worse yet, if you felt completely ignored because that comment never got any response at all? There really isn't any get big quick things out there when it comes to building your presence online through social media, but if you stick with it and are sure you work on it a little bit each day, or a few times a week you will start to see results. Try not to get too disappointed if in the early going things don’t just take off and explode for you, that’s not how most of these big internet celebrities start off. To sum up the things that I have been learning about lately. Be personal, take an interest in those who are beginning to take an interest in what you are doing. Look for new platforms and sites in the social media world frequently. They are all ways changing and evolving to suit different needs and demands, and Stay consistent or you may lose that following you have started to build up.

Good in the world article

This is a story that I found Very touching, It really amazes me with how bad some people are getting in the world these days that there are still some seeds of good. This Video shares the story of a very special thing that a school football team did for a friend of theirs with some special needs, and I think that everyone should see it. This is the good in the world story this week, if anyone has a personal story they want to share, or know of one in the media send it to me and I will consider putting it up on the blog. thanks E-mail: jay.fretters@gmail.com

My Movember Contest entry

so the game company EA games has a contest going on for movember, or no shave November, where you take one of your favorite players and put them on the cover of their NHL 14 hockey game with a mustache! this is my contest entry that i put in. what do you guys think? I thought it turned out pretty funny, and it was fun to put together.

http://avsblogz.blogspot.com/2013/11/movember-contest-entry.html (contest entry can be viewed here)

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Video project done!

Yesterday was a pretty busy day. I got some intrest from a company about me working for their social media marketing campaign and helping them out with that so that was pretty exciting. I had to of course go to class so that took up some time as well :P. Then last night i spent 5 hours with my group for a project working on our video project. I think that it turned out pretty well, let me know what you think ill post it here so you can see it.

Today I just have a couple of classes, and then I need to work on some homework. Nothing too spectacularly exciting going on today as far as i know yet. There is an avalanche game so that should be fun to watch though!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Another day at Snow College

Today was a pretty good day. I am trying to learn how to edit sound files for my class project that is due tomorrow so that has been interesting. I really am not sure how the programs work I am going to have to look up some more how to videos online before tomorrow night i think. We found out our neighbors are "cooking weeds" not as in the drug, but as in actual weeds that are being cooked by the steam that comes out of the vent by their house. Karen was nice enough to point out what they were doing, and it took her a minuet to realize why it came out sounding a little funny. I am excited about one of my last projects for my digital media class coming up. I have to make a slide show with music and video. I think that I am going to see if i can put together an Avalanche Goal video to a song with some effects added in. Karen has been really enjoying the game called "Don't Starve" lately. she has gotten a lot farther on it then i have. Should have some pictures to put up here in another day or so also, so look forward to those!

Monday, November 11, 2013

There still is good in the world

Tonight my wife and I ran to walmart to get some bread, milk, and a couple other basic food items to get us through this week. As we were going to through the check out line tonight I went to scan my card, and it didn't work for some reason. I thought that was strange and I tried scanning it a few more times and it still wasn't working right. So the person at the check out said they could hold our things for us while we figure out whats going on. We walked over to the side and pulled up my phone to check our bank account and try and figure out what had happened. As we were looking there confused and not sure what to do the person who was in the check out line behind us walked up and asked if we needed $20.00. My wife and I were a bit un sure what to say, but he just quickly handed it to us and disappeared just as quickly. Our total came to $17.00 so we had enough to get what we needed tonight even though my card was not working. I know it really isn't much, and it may not seem like much to some, but for both my wife and I it really hit us hard. I wish that that person who was so kind as to take an extra 20 out of his bank tonight to help us out could know just what an impact that had on us.