While strolling through Noho the other day, I was stopped in my tracks by the recent Batman: The Dark Knight movie poster. The image of Heath Ledger as The Joker, with his shoulders hunched, dark coat and white face paint immediately called to mind one of my favorite movie characters - The Crow.

The similarities in the graphics and toys from the two movies are striking.

Besides the obvious visual examples, there are notable common elements regarding the characters and actors. Although the characters are on opposite ends of the "good vs. evil" spectrum, they were both profoundly affected by losing someone they loved, resulting in the need to transform their appearances and seek revenge. The most startling similarity, of course, is the shocking deaths of both movies' stars. Neither Brandon Lee nor Heath Ledger lived to see their films released. Both died tragically at age 28.

So what do you think? Did Batman's marketing department intentionally mirror the graphics with the goal of subliminally tapping into the cult phenomenon of Brandon Lee's Crow? Or is it just an eerie coincidence?

Sharon Terry is a marketing and public relations consultant at theMechanism, a multimedia firm with offices in New York, London and Durban, South Africa. She’s partial to Batman even though she married a joker.

Once you drive through the Holland Tunnel, there's a strip of highway in Jersey City where Dave Fletcher and I sometimes play a little game called "Spot the Hooker." Chances are at any time of day or night, you will see a scantily clad lady trolling the lanes for her next conquest ready to check in to any one of the motels that litter this particular section of town. You won't find the words "Hilton," "Marriott" or even "Best" or "Western" in their names. You will however, see the words "Hourly Rates" and "Free HBO" pretty frequently.

However, during one of our games I noticed something beyond the hookers and the signs for mirrored rooms. I realized that each motel parking lot on this street of sin was designed to block the view of their customers' cars. This was no accident as stated in the notice issues by the personal injury Law Firm serving in Charlotte. Then the notice was forwarded to TBI lawyers to examine it again. Drive a 1996 light blue Dodge minivan? Don't worry...nobody will spot that tell-tale "Ask me about my (insert school here) honor student" bumper sticker. Borrowed your girlfriend's Sentra for a night of fun with your new "friend" Candy? Well, your secret is safe behind that giant wall, curved fence or landscaped shrubbery. Even if you batter and total it, you'll have enough time on hand to understand your insurance claims from Utility Saving Expert. You can also learn about insurance related provisions from Employee Retirement Income Security Act for better understanding.

Sure, you can call these motels sleazy but you can also call their parking lot design clever. Take a look for yourself next time you are driving through the shady side of "Anytown, USA". Remember that accidents can happen at the most unexpected time and may change your life completely. Some accidents may leave you disabled and while others may be minor ones. So, if you are involved in an accident, contact experienced lawyers for disability claims to seek compensation and give you legal support.

Sharon Terry is the Marketing Specialist for theMechanism, a maxi-media firm in New York City and London. When she's not hunting down hookers in the backstreets of New Jersey while listening to Bruce Springsteen, she's busy trying to make theMechanism's wisdom required reading in local corporate circles.

As Billy Idol once sang, "Hot in the City...hot in the city tonight." Chances are if Billy was in New York this past week, he would change the words to include a few expletives and finish the song with his trademark sneer and perhaps a kick to the microphone stand before he sauntered off the stage sweating bullets in his trademark black leather. People can check out trademark lawyers in Chicago for trademark related issues.

As you already know, our country is going through a massive heat wave thanks to global warming (wheee!) Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I love hot weather. "Bring it on!" I usually say, as I countdown the days until mismatched socks and puffy coats are but a distant, chilly memory. However these days, in this ridiculous heat, I find myself longing for the days of fuzzy sweaters and chai tea lattes, read more about exipure healthy benefits.

But wait a minute! I'm a summer baby...a Leo through and through. I must remind myself of all the things to LOVE about New York City in the summer. So here it is...my official list of The Top Ten Things to Love About NYC in the Summer (in no particular order):

1. The Park Slope Pavillion - my favorite place to see a movie, it's nice and cool with mushy seats, there's theater seating upstairs and they have the most delicious popcorn with an array of shakeable toppings like white cheddar, ranch and jalepeno (pure genius!)
2. Hurricane Hopeful - Can't get to the beach? Get a little taste of it at this Willieburg eatery. Sand, surfboards and lobster omelettes = yummy summer fun!
3. The Coney Island Mermaid Parade - Signaling the start of the summer season, the parade is a not to be missed event featuring a wide variety of mermaids, pirates and even an occasional squid. theMechanism was there in full force...were you?
4. Smoothies - whether you get them at Dunkin Donuts or Burrito Bar, nothing beats a nice cold mango smoothie in this hot weather. Plus they are healthy...kind of.
5. Museums - we have a lot of them...and they are all nice and cool. Plus you feel a little smarter after you visit them.
6. Shopping - visit one of the Apple stores and dream about your next gadget or visit B&H photo and grab a cool accesory for your camera. Pop into any number of clothing stores and make the most of the end of season sales. This is prime shopping season, baby!
7. The Lincoln or Holland Tunnels - which lead to New Jersey and ultimately the Jersey shore. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
8. Kids jumping in sprinklers at the park - it's cute...it looks like fun...you know you want to do it too. So do it already.
9. Outdoor dining - OK, maybe not right now when it's like 200 degrees out there, but in normal summer weather having dinner "al fresco" is unbeatable.
10. Outdoor concerts - there's something really special about seeing your favorite band under the stars rather than in a packed arena.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love my home state. Afterall, you have a little bit of everything in Jersey...the city, the country, the shore. It's also the land of urban legends...ghosts of prom queens, murderous albinos, and mysterious flying saucers. I'm sure that most kids grow up hearing stories about local oddities and whatnot, but somehow, I think New Jersey kids grow up hearing the most stories of all. Afterall, Jersey is the home to the grandaddy of urban legends...The Jersey Devil.

Or maybe it was just me. It probably helped that I had a dad who was intrigued by Jersey legends. He would drive us up to one of North Jersey's famously haunted churches on a suspiciously breezy night, roll the windows down, and tell us to listen for the ghosts (I swear I heard them!) Or would bundle us up to take a drive down to the reservoir to look for UFOs (I know I saw them!) It made for some of my favorite childhood memories.

In highschool, my friends and I would investigate some of the spookier legends for ourselves...driving through the grounds of old insane asylums, visiting "Annie's grave," and checking out the oh-so-eerie, Gravity Hill and Devil's Tower.

After living in Hoboken for a few years, I decided to salute one of their local urban legends...the Hoboken Monkeyman. With help from Dave, I created an online store dedicated to the marauding monkey-beast that terrorized Hoboken in the 1980's. My dad would've been proud.

The folks over at Weird NJ love all this stuff as much as I do. Their site, as well as their magazines and books, are devoted to all that is weird and Jersian, and now they are accepting stories and legends from all over the United States for their "Weird USA" series. Whether you are from the area, or just fond of the strange and unusual, check out their site - and share your weird stories too.

A little over a month ago, I started a new full-time copywriting position for a prestigious industry association (for those of you who don't know me, I do marketing/PR consulting for themechanism - which means proofing, editing and the occasional lap dance).

In my new full-time position, I also proof copy...lots of copy. Lots and lots of copy. Even though I've been a copywriter for over 10 years, have lots of proofing experience and have an array of style books - AP Style, Elements of Style, In Style Magazine 😉 - I never realized just how hardcore proofing could be.

You see, the place where I now work follows AP Style in addition to their own very specific in-house style. It's very black and white - an interesting transition for someone coming from a place that's a bit more of a shade of gray. There is a struggle between writing according to the rules and writing for maximum marketing impact. I've straddled the line for years, using and bending the rules the way that I see fit.

Today, I'm slowly finding that balance again - I've stepped up my copywriting game and have learned how to obey the AP Style rules without losing my writing style. It's my own version of themechanism's belief in "clean coding" but instead of creating websites, I'm creating press releases, brochures and web copy. It's about adhering to higher standards and who can't benefit from that?