Allow me to begin by apologizing for leaving you nearly blogless the week.  Chaulk it up to Fitz and I both reeling from post-birthday depression (and perhaps a hangover or two from the celebration).  Regardless, if there were one thing for you to take away from this week, it would be the follow.  So listen up!

The world will be watching Savannah once again.  This time it’s because of BLUE - and ocean film festival featuring the greatest collection of ocean films and filmmakers – that will take place here June 10 – 14. The event will screen over 50 finalist films and host a capstone industry awards competition.  The event has garnered support of Disney, who will open the inaugural BLUE Ocean Film Festival with a screening of its first theatrical release, EARTH, produced by Disneynature, which set box office records for a documentary when it opened on Earth Day, 2009.  Overall, the festival promises to gather paramount ocean filmmakers, broadcasters and conservation leaders from around the world.

Next week marks an important date.  Yes, it’s my birthday.  And yes, it’s Fitz’s birthday.  And yes, it’s Leigh’s birthday. (TCCa hat trick!) But it gets even better.  The 5th Annual SEDA Luncheon takes place on Thursday, May 28 beginning at 11:30 am at the Savannah International Trade and Conference Center on Hutchinson Island. The high point of the lunch (aside from the spreadable artistry of the shell-molded butters) will be the keynote address, delivered by Ms. Ping Fu, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Geomagic.

Devoted blog readers, you remember Ms. Fu and Geomagic from our February post on the Convergence Conference that took place here in Savannah.  (Yes, that would be the one where I invoked scenes from Total Recall to explain the true technological brilliance of Geomagic.)  To jog your memory, Geomagic is a worldwide software and services company specializing in digital shape sampling and processing (DSSP),  which entails scanning an object and then rendering it on a computer screen in full three-dimensional fidelity for manufacturing, testing, and inspection purposes. Yes, wicked cool.

Wow. We won something! Almost two somethings. Feels pretty good.

It seems as though our loyal blog peeps are also connect readers. Either that or they’re bald and Irish. Regardless, we won “Best Local Blogger” and runner up for “Best Local Website” in Connect Savannah’s Best of Savannah!

Ok, so technically speaking I won “Best Blogger.” But I won’t hold that against Connect readers. While I built/maintain the beast (thanks to Paragon & Nicasio) and did most of the writing initially, most people around here know that Miss Summer Teal Simpson now writes the majority of blog posts, and does a darn good job at it. After God, the Pope, and David Caruso, she deserves major respect.

I still do some writing, but most of what I do with the blog now is more editorial/managerial stuff behind the curtain, directing the content and representin’ TCCa on Twitter/Facebook/{insert latest social media craze}.

Either way, we/I/us, we’re honored! So thanks guys! We heart you too!

P.S. You can see the full write-up on all the winners (and more pores than you can handle) on connectsavannah.com.

I love to people watch.  And there’s never been a better town for it than Savannah.  It has occurred to me during my many hours spent staring out into the local space that I’ve never lived in a more tattoo’d community.  (Has anyone ever run the numbers on what percentage of SCAD students have body art?  Let me save you the work; It’s alot.)

There are tattoos on our neighboring artists, musicians, designers.  Even the most buttoned up friends I have are sporting a body art secret.  So it got me wondering, if tattoos are so popular in a sleepy Southern town like Savannah (however creatively infused), what’s up with the greater American tattoo trend?

Now, there just ain’t enough time in the day to debate the merits (or not) of tattoos themselves.  What I want to discuss is thus…  With the general increase in tattoos in America, has the professional environment changed its opinion of tattoos in the workplace?  Moreover, with a concentrated number of tattoo’d creatives entering the workforce, how much has the growing creative industry impacted any marked acceptance of body art?

According to a CNN article,