Carter is on a well-deserved vacation this week, so the blog post is being written by the boss.  Bear with me.

It’s a working vacation for Carter … not working for PR/PR, but working to help a friend move cross-country.  Carter flew to Los Angeles to help his friend drive to Florida.  Having made the trek myself many years ago, I’m envious of the adventure Carter is having.  When I did it, there were no smartphones so we didn’t have texting or Angry Birds in our car.  Fortunately, there are two of them so they can trade off the driving and avoid the distraction of our electronic age.

The story of the young man on trial for allegedly texting while driving, causing a head-on collision and the death of the driver of the other car, has been discussed in the office recently.  Many Americans would scream to the heavens if you try to pry their cell phones from their gearshift-holding hands.  Many states already have hands-free cell phone use laws and others have no texting while driving laws.  The National Transportation Safety Board has called for a nation wide ban on all cell phone use in cars, while Chapel Hill, NC has already implemented this.  The state of origin of this story reminded me of another American institution which has waned in use in recent years. 

The parallel that popped into my head was the protests of tobacco users when the ban on smoking began.  Being of an age that remembers ashtrays at the isle ends of grocery stores, I also remember the Marlboro Country citizens’ outcry as their areas allowing exhaling shrank and eventually disappeared.  If you had told children of the ‘70s they would see a country where smoking was the exception, not the norm, they’d tell you you were crazy.  Yet as public opinion turned the popularity of puffing began its dénouement.

Popular opinion dictates what is socially acceptable and what is not.  Perceptions of common activities change over time and generations.  Consider these social norms no longer viewed through the same filters: views on sexual orientation, violence and nudity on television, tanning and sunscreen use.

Is it possible we are seeing the beginning of the end for cell phone use in cars?

– Russell Trahan
President, PR/PR Public Relations

Changing things up a bit on this humid and overcast day in Orlando. As we’re all well aware, yesterday was Mother’s Day, and in this week’s edition of the blog, we decided to take our own individual trips down memory lane as a tribute to the PR/PR moms!

Russell Trahan:

I love this photo of my mother at the beach.  That’s Haystack Rock, on the Oregon Coast, behind her.  You may recognize the landmark from the movie “Goonies.”  Mother loves the coast; her grandparents had a house there when she was young and she has great memories of it.  Since she was a librarian in the public school system, mother always had spring break off with us kids.  Dad would take the week off, too, and we’d all head down to the beach.  The weather on the Oregon coast isn’t always pleasant in March, but that didn’t stop us from having fun.  We’d play games by the fire while the storm raged outside.  Mother and I would always share a pinochle hand against my dad and sister.  As a team we always won, but I suspect that was more due to her skills than my help.  Seeing my mother smile at the beach, I know she’s remembering her good memories while I’m remembering mine.

Amanda Tucker:

I lived on campus all four years of college at USF. At the end of every semester, my mom would come down to Tampa to help me move my things out of my dorm room. It wasn’t always the most exciting way to spend the day…it was usually uncomfortably hot outside and I had more than you could imagine packed into my small room. Somehow we always managed to have the most fun! Those days were always full of gossip, laughter and quality time for us. On several occasions, we would have our hands full of clothes, books and boxes, get into the elevator and get the giggles, dropping what we had in our hands and laughing until we cried. My mother has a way of making every situation silly and fun. I can always count on her for that.

Lindsay Durfee:

My mom and I tend to do stupid things together.  Really dumb.  As in, at some point, we are looking at each other with that “How did we get ourselves into this mess?!?” look.  It always results in good times and hilarious memories.  Which is funny, because I think one of my favorite times with my Mom was my senior year of college.  It was fall break; there was nothing going on at home, so no one really wanted to pay for me to fly there.  Instead, my mom drove the 10 hours up to Elon to see me.  I had an off-campus apartment, so Mom had a free place to stay, and we just hung out.  We watched movies, got take out, chatted about what I wanted to do after college and just interacted as friends.  I really think it set the tone for the future of our relationship.  We have had so many more fun times since (vacation, moving to Florida, my wedding) but this memory really sticks out as one of the best times I ever had with my mom.

Carter Breazeale:

My mom and I have always been the most light-hearted and casual of the family, and because of this we share a special, enduring bond. Blessed with unrivaled patience and penchant for understanding, I always knew my mom would listen and give sound advice. My fondest memories with mom continue to this day, and they just involve sitting in the backyard with the family dog, Riley, and enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes we discuss important life-events, other times we just relax in silence and take in the moment. I’ve learned in life that the little things matter as much, and at times even more, than the large, and I cherish all of these day to day moments with my mom that have contributed to a lifetime of great memories.

Earlier this year, denizens of the cyber-arena defeated the government. On January 18^th, in a substantial display of solidarity against perceived threats to Internet rights and freedom of speech, an online blackout was organized that ultimately defeated the proposed SOPA and PIPA bills. Initial sponsors in the House of Representatives retreated in droves, providing palpable evidence that the online-community is a powerful entity, capable of organizing and altering public policy; why then, is the proposed Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, a real threat to online privacy, flying under the collective radar?

CISPA is a classic case in shadowy language and political posturing. Superficially, the bill appears fairly innocuous and even beneficial, allowing for accelerated government-to-corporation communication that circumvents legal red-tape should any potential online threats arise. In an age where cyber-terror organizations such as Anonymous are running rampant, this is completely understandable; businesses have to remain vigilant. But with vague amendments that expand the scope (and legal-reach) of the bill to allow the government to access your personal information ‘to protect national security,’ you begin to see where the waters get murkier.

With SOPA and PIPA, the online-response was swift and commanding. #STOPSOPA began trending worldwide on a variety of social media outlets, Internet stalwarts such as Wikipedia and Reddit enacted self-imposed 24 hour blackouts in protest and within hours the bill’s supporters abandoned ship like it had burst into flames. CISPA has received a fraction of the attention as the two previous bills, when the semantics suggest a broader impact on personal privacy and liberties.

From my viewpoint, the lack of response and outrage boils down to a narrow online-attention span and absence of a perceived cause. With the SOPA and PIPA protests, there was a tangible element; there were no ICanHazCheezburger posts that day and college dorm residents were unable track down slightly deficient mini-fridges on Craigslist. The prearranged blackout brought attention to the negative aspects of these bills and the inherent infringement on online-rights; in regards to CISPA, no online organization has taken the reins to lead the charge.

The legalese and political tight-rope-walking jargon contained within CISPA draw distinct parallels to The Patriot Act; where it boils down to selective-interpretation and subjective opinion. There is too much at stake, and the budding implications on individual freedom and global economics are far too great to risk. The trends of the Internet are ever-evolving; and in my opinion, #STOPCISPA should be one of them.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

As the holiday season nears its end and we gear up for a brand new year, the PR/PR family wants to extend our wishes for health, happiness and success to you and your families.  Every turn of the calendar is brimming with possibilities; be it personally or professionally.  May you ring in the New Year surrounded by those you love and cherish, celebrating the conclusion of 2011 and anticipating the wealth of opportunity that awaits in 2012. 

Happy New Year from Russell, Amanda, Lindsay, and Carter.

So the holiday season has officially kicked into high-gear (although I feel like I began seeing Christmas decorations in my peripheral back in August, but this may just be a personal problem.)  With Thanksgiving a day away, I’ve decided to mix things up a bit: I present to you a comprehensive list of things that we at PR/PR are thankful for:

Russell Trahan:

In no particular order, the top three things I’m thankful for this year are:

1.  My health, I’m relatively healthy for my age

2.  My relatives, they are a healthy distance away

3.  Amanda, Lindsay and Carter.  Without these three, I wouldn’t have all the other things (like happy clients) I’m thankful for but can’t mention since we’re limiting this to three.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Amanda Tucker:

1. My health

2. York peppermint patties* (blog manager’s note: this is no surprise)

3. Friends & family

Lindsay Durfee:

I am grateful:

1.  (This time of year especially) for the great weather in FL.  No snow!

2.  That my family all live close by (but not too close!)

3.  That my husband likes to cook

Carter Breazeale:

1.  Manning the blog means I can list as many things I’m thankful for as I want and elaborate ad nauseam.  Take that, office-mates! 

2.  Jason Segel championing for and writing a brand new Muppets movie.  Seriously-this just may make the holiday season for me.  Nothing says, ‘great time’ like Animal.

3.  Energy Fusion coffee at 7-11.  Extra caffeine AND Guarana?!  This rocket-fuel analogue is a certifiable godsend.  Expense reports never seemed so exciting at 9:00am!

4.  The Internet!  A never-ending channel for information, inside jokes and the panacea for my directional maladies.  A man never asks for directions.  When in doubt: Google it.

5.  My nephew and niece.  Little balls of energy.  They both keep me entertained and exhausted for hours on end.  Watching a child figure the world out one moment at a time is astounding.

6.  Chipotle burritos.  Take everything that makes you happy.  Put it in a tortilla.  Adorn with copious amounts of Tabasco sauce.  Smile for the remainder of the day, even if someone cuts you off in traffic.

7.  My PR/PR family.  What an enjoyable work environment.  The lighthearted environment I walk into every morning makes coming to work a blessing; something everyone should be lucky enough to experience on a daily basis. 

8.  The Atlanta Braves.  The bane of my existence year in and year out since I was old enough to comprehend what ‘failure’ was, and yet I cannot help feeling a renewed sense of hope come every April.  By July I will be cursing their name far and wide and regretting their inclusion on this list. 

9.  Jeff Mangum and Neutral Milk Hotel.  This man’s music was the soundtrack to my high school years.  Everyone should own a copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, or at least listen to it once in their life.  Thankful he got over his agoraphobic paranoia and has begun playing live music again.  See you in Atlanta in February!

I sincerely hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.