tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79513962024-03-12T21:18:29.206-07:00Smarty Pants Moustache Man<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4329286372_f85b28a207.jpg" width="500" height="352" alt="SMMlogo">Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.comBlogger538125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-35000007719782673372012-09-19T18:25:00.002-07:002012-09-19T18:25:58.829-07:00Let Me Google That for You<br />
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"What did you you do to get answers to questions before the internet?", the boy asked on Reddit.</div>
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I had to think about it. What did we do before the answers to casual questions were available on our telephones and on the internets?</div>
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Sense memory recalls a shattering teen trauma as my entire family turned against me during a game of scattegories when i claimed "<a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asante_dialect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asante_dialect" target="_blank">Ashanti</a>" as a language that started with the letter "A".</div>
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"No such language! No points!", they shouted. My Dad was always the leader of these intellectual witch hunts. He has always been appallingly smug about what he considers to be cutting edge knowledge, and having smelled blood in the water, my brother and mother quickly went in for the kill. My dad made one of those jokes that only dads find amusing and are repeated throughout the years in the vain hope that the time has finally come for dad humor. "Armand Ashanti" was the Hi-larious joke my dad still proudly claims as having been forged in the furnaces of his wit, on the spot, as a win was ripped from my grasp. To his credit, and in defense of the LaMont family intellect, my dad has a keen eye for geopolitics and cultural affairs. In 1997 my father identified the Taliban as the number one most serious issue facing the world. Untrue for the time, though eerily prophetic, i'll admit. Nonetheless, his dismissal of the charming Twi/Ashanti tongue would not stand.</div>
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Sharks.</div>
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I would have to turn to the crappy <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk_%26_Wagnalls" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk_%26_Wagnalls" target="_blank">Funk and Wagnalls</a> Encyclopedia set my family depended on to validate my answer. I knew it was a sub-par source, but it was the only reference my family would buy into since my Mother has an inherent distrust of anything Anglo-Germanic, and the Encyclopedia Britannica fell squarely into that category. Had an Encyclopedia Hispanica or Franca been available, my mother would have enshrined it in our study. Such was the limit of fact finding in the otherwise literate household i grew up in. Niger-Congolese tribal languages of Ghana being deemed unimportant by Messrs. Funk and Wagnall, I suffered the "Armand Ashanti" joke in silent humiliation for YEARS, because the internet did not exist.</div>
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Equally traumatic is the memory of having recently emigrated to the US from Mexico and clinging to the nuggets of English language culture. Star Wars was of course spoken fluently in the LaMont household before we moved to the US, and Disney, surely. The relatable pop culture references ended there since English language cartoons and programs in Mexico were a hodgepodge of syndicated American, English, Canadian, and Australian shows along with reruns of long gone US sitcoms like the Love Boat, Dallas and Dukes of Hazzard.</div>
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I was greeted by the cruel taunts and disbeleif of dismissive 2nd graders as I brought up <a data-mce-href="http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Skippy.htm" href="http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Skippy.htm" target="_blank">Skippy: The Bush Kangaroo</a> , <a data-mce-href="http://kevinmccorrytv.webs.com/rrobin.htm" href="http://kevinmccorrytv.webs.com/rrobin.htm" target="_blank">Rocket Robin Hood</a> , and the unbeleivably strange <a data-mce-href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR8ad2hVsaI" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR8ad2hVsaI" target="_blank">Odisea Burbujas</a>. As the years passed, i would wonder whether my memories of these shows were even real, or if they were strange fever dreams of my childhood. It was the internet that restored my memories long after i had dismissed these actual shows as figments of my overactive imagination.</div>
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So to answer the lad's question, we lived in darkness. We lived in an uncertainty that could only be validated through exhaustive research not immediately available. So many questions would go unanswered. So many arguments would remain unresolved.</div>
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Even today, the memory of the unknowing darkness is so present that perfectly reasonable people will ask questions while sitting at a desk, in front of , or while holding a powerful device with access to answers and details on that answer. People continue to purposely remain in the dark rather than take the simple step of asking the handy device in front of them.</div>
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That is why<a data-mce-href="http://lmgtfy.com/" href="http://lmgtfy.com/" target="_blank"> THIS</a> has become one of my favorite sites with which to respond to easily answerable questions.</div>
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A pointed, short, elegant and snarky way to remind people that we have the shared knowledge of humanity at our fingertips. No longer need we live in darkness, no longer need the Ashanti language be ignored and no longer will Odisea Burbujas exist in my nightmares.</div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://lmgtfy.com/" href="http://lmgtfy.com/"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-687" data-mce-src="http://adlerintegrated.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Screen-Shot-2012-09-19-at-6.01.38-PM.png" height="268" src="http://adlerintegrated.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Screen-Shot-2012-09-19-at-6.01.38-PM.png" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Let Me Google That" width="637" /></a></div>
Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-56023922325088999132012-08-13T15:25:00.004-07:002012-08-13T15:26:21.395-07:00Cats: Help End a Vicious Interspecies Scam<br />
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Internet, world, take a knee. We need to have a real talk. This is one of those moments where we all have a breakthrough. Where we look at obstacles ahead and change the tide. This is that moment in Braveheart where Mel Gibson says that non antisemitic stuff and people cheer. This is that moment in Henry V where Lawrence Olivier says "We fyooo, we heppy fyoo". THIS is that moment in <em style="border: none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Independence Day</em> when Bill Pullman inspires Randy Quaid to fly up the Alien Ship's butt and save mankind. This, by golly, is the moment we turn things around.</div>
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It has been obvious to scientists and those of us unaffected by the mind control virus, for quite some time. However, the recent surge online of puppy and dog related memes and videos is a heartening sign that the tide may be turning on the most vicious and long practiced example of intentional self infestation by a host of a vicious parasite.</div>
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I am, of course, referring to the destructive and cultish practice of cat ownership.</div>
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It is a well documented fact that cats pose a myriad of health threats. Cat owners know this. In their heart of hearts they know that every time they are emptying out the litter box, it is hastening their death. The brilliant Czech scientist <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaroslav_Flegr" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Jaroslav Flegr </a>has <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">documented thoroughly</a> how the parasites emitted from cats infect our brain, causing risky behavior ranging from reckless driving to downright sluttiness, and even schizophrenia. Those of you already infected by Toxoplasma Gondii will surely scoff. You'll say "Not my cat!" and that is EXACTLY what the infection does! It forces risky behavior on behalf of cats! Infected mice find the smell of cats, sexually appealing, thereby putting them at the enormous risk of loving something that might end up killing them. SOUND FAMILIAR?! Add to this horrific notion the long known <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_scratch_disease" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">effects of cat scratches and their virulent bites</a>, and you have, in your purring, beloved kitty, a biohazard worthy of an Al qaeda plot. Not a very effective plot, mind you, but certainly up there with the <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/07/152207969/reports-cia-thwarts-new-more-sophisticated-underwear-bomber" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">explosive underwear plot</a>.</div>
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So you are not swayed by the health argument. Your devotion to your animal far outweighs the possible health hazards. Consider the entirety of your feline human relationship by removing the furry/cute aspect thusly:</div>
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You meet someone. A very special person who you connect with (possibly because they have infected you with a mind controlling parasite) and you absolutely love them. You move in together. They barely pay attention to you. They do not work. They are not always visible, and in fact, they sleep most of the day. Your affection is sometimes greeted by a return of affection, especially at mealtimes, and other times it is greeted by violent outbursts. This person goes through a phase where they decide that they hate your furniture. They destroy your furniture. You angrily discipline this person you love. They poop on your bed or in your shoe. You reach out to them, trying kindness and finally get through to them, at which point they kill something and put it in your shoe to remind you that they can kill effortlessly.</div>
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At this point, you would be calling the cops and evicting your "special someone" if they haven't already murdered you in your sleep. Owning a cat is the equivalent of allowing a self obsessed and violent psychotic into your home.</div>
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Super villains never sit in their chairs, deep in their island fortresses, and stroke a puppy. Witchcraft rarely requires a Basset Hound's presence, and having a Chocolate Lab cross your path means very little in folklore other than the possibility of being licked, and the Lab peeing on your shoe out of sheer excitement for having met you.</div>
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"Awww, my cat is JUST LIKE a dog!"</div>
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No it isn't! You poor, idiotic, cat-puppet! Cats exist in spite of humans. Dogs exist because of humans. There aren't any feral Pugs roaming the wild! They are bred to love! Cats do not understand the concept of love! It is a cat! It will suck the breath out of you and hand it to Satan if it hasn't already!</div>
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I digress.</div>
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Ultimately, what we have here is a human failure. A vicious interspecies scam has been perpetrated on us, and our own hubris from the successful domestication of other animals blinded us to the reality of how we were being used by these psychotic beasties. Now look at us. A new cat cult rivaling that of Bastet in Egypt has arisen online. We giggle daily as Nyan Cat and LOL cats distract us from our state and in the meantime, perfectly attractive women are ruining their chances to date me, by getting cats.</div>
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So what is the solution?</div>
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Education. The fight starts in your home. I'm not suggesting you rid yourselves of your cats. I'm not a barbarian. I understand the repercussions. What i do suggest, is that you help dissuade future cat owners. Inform your friends and family about the dangers of cat ownership, and emphasize the destruction of personal property and toxic poo if need be. As more and more adorable puppy videos permeate the internet and more people are made aware that there are options to allowing wild animals into your home, the demand for and breeding of cats will decline. Eventually, the remaining population of cats in the U.S. can be shipped off to somewhere where they are in need. Like, say, Australia, where they have a tendency towards bad choices anyway, and a <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/farmers-bane-returns-20111022-1mdgf.html" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">horrific mouse problem</a> to boot. Then, we can turn to our children's children and speak the words of the brave, turn of the century immigrants to this great land.</div>
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"<a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujgbMo-dLec&feature=player_detailpage#t=45s" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">There are no cats in America, and the streets are filled with cheese</a>"<br />
-An American Tail (1986)</div>
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Further Reading:</div>
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Futurama: <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/gt74gf/futurama-cats-from-thuban" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Cats from Thuban</a></div>
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Southpark: <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/411091/you-cats-want-a-war" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Faith Hilling</a></div>
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Cracked: <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.cracked.com/article/226_6-adorable-cat-behaviors-with-shockingly-evil-explanations/#ixzz1xj3oiOAb" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">6 Adorable Cat Behaviors With Shockingly Evil Explanations</a></div>
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Tumblr: <a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://catsaretheenemy.tumblr.com/" style="border: none; color: #bf1900; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Cats Are The Enemy</a></div>
Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-91329521741105072812012-08-10T17:09:00.002-07:002012-08-10T17:27:24.152-07:00Reach out to Conservatives Before They Become Totally Insane at Their Convention.Hip hip! Hey hey! It's only a week or so before we descend into the sweaty, Day-Quil nightmare, of a Tampa Florida Republican National Convention. Not sure if any of you remember the last one of these hoe downs but i'm fairly certain that it was a pretty cantankerous affair even without the swamp ass inducing climate. The only moment that really stands out in my head from the last RNC was the chant of "Drill Baby, Drill!" echoing through the hall as crowds were whipped into a frenzy by the appearance of recently betrothed teen parents, Bristol (TV) Palin and Levi (Johnson) Johnston, who still had the whiff of teen lust on them. After that it was just a series of horny seniors rambling and acting like the Bush-Era never happened. President W. Bush himself was "unable" to attend as hurricane Gustav threatened to remind people of Katrina, so in his stead they rolled out his lifelike lady Laura Bush and the sad clown, Joe Lieberman. It was tragic and awful in a Detroit Lions superfan sort of way. Oddly though, the soporific broadcast was a HUGE contrast to the actual crowd at the Xcel center, where something akin to A Clockwork Orange style mental rehab descended on these darling old people in their silly hats. It was at this moment that the Republican party cemented itself as the "F**k You, I'm Eating" party. A fall from the halcyon days of being the "Hold my beer, watch this." party of Reagan. I fear that if this trend continues, the Republican party will have devolved into the party of "Grrr. Gay.", and not much else.<br />
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There's no reason to think this is avoidable. I heard today that the pink and pudgy Newt Gingrich and the frothy Rick Santorum will be speaking at this thing and Donald Trump has threatened appear. Probably doing something awful and tacky because, hey, it's Donald Trump. The question is, can anything be done before this final descent into madness? Can we rescue any of our right-leaning friends and family before they become an episode of <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/here-comes-honey-boo-boo" target="_blank">Honey Boo Boo on TLC</a>?<br />
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We must try. As the loser John Kerry said, "The high road is not always the easiest way, but it is the right way." Or something like that. So here are my humble suggestions for reaching out to people before the RepCon <strike>2012</strike> 1860.<br />
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1. <b>Stop calling them names like "stupid" or "redneck".</b><br />
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Those terms are offensive to illiterate bumpkins and it lumps all wingnuts into the yokel demo, which we know isn't true. We must be mindful that the Republican party is a diverse group of crotchety white people. Heartless Bankers and Closeted Preachers hate to be called "Stupid Redneck" and calling them that is not at all constructive. <br />
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2. <b>Find Common Ground. </b><br />
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We can all agree that The Avengers was awesome, right? We can also all agree that sick people shouldn't be left to die because they are poor, right? Ok. Well, The Avengers was pretty awesome though.<br />
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3. <b>Don't Mock Their Beliefs. </b><br />
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"The world was created in 7 days" "There are still WMDs hidden in the sands of Iraq" "There's no such thing as global warming" All those things sound so incredibly stupid to us that it's mind boggling. I mean it's almost inconceivably dumb to believe those things. There are parasitic worms in the Amazon who know better than that. No matter how backwards or stupid their beliefs, it is not constructive to mock people for being purposely ignorant to actual facts.<br />
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4. <b>Offer Them Gay Sex. </b><br />
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Stay with me on this one. I know gays. I have often spoken to them and I watched The Birdcage the other night. Of the gays i know, none are as obsessed with gay sex as the Republicans seem to be. Actually, only one is, but only when he drinks. The logical conclusion to take from the gaysex fixation of the GOP is that they all want it desperately. They need it. So take a wide stance, and kindly offer. You needn't go out of your way to actually act on the offer, but you will probably have some good blackmail material.<br />
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5. <b>Plead. </b><br />
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Tell your conservo-pal them that you understand the importance of sticking to principle, that you understand their passion, you admire their ability to remain steadfast and you would welcome an honest debate. Remind them of the unseemly hoots and hollers of the republican primaries, the "You Lie" outbursts, and the ugly and racially tinged birthers. Point out that they are the party of Lincoln and that the obstructionist Tea Party crew in the house are doing them a disservice. Remind them they are better than all this garbage. Plead with them not to be a part of a party who is poised to nominate a man who stands for nothing other than being elected. Show them video of Mitt Romney saying anything and point out his uncomfortable demeanor and his dead eyes. At the very least, you'll get them to accept that Mitt Romney has no moral compass, and as we all know, acceptance is the first step to recovery.<br />
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<br />Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-21613925438143335132012-08-09T20:34:00.000-07:002012-08-09T20:34:43.522-07:00The Double Slit Experiment, Marshall McLuhan, and Social Media: Human Evolution in Action?Most of us, and I thoroughly include myself on this, are completely in the dark about the insanity that is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics">Quantum Mechanics</a>. The entirety of my knowledge coming for easily accessible books on string theory like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Universe-Superstrings-Dimensions-Ultimate/dp/product-description/039333810X">The Elegant Universe</a>, or from oddly new-agey films like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Bleep-Do-We-Know/dp/B0006UEVQ8">What the Bleep Do We Know?</a> So when I revisited the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment">double slit experiment</a> last night, I was already slightly aware of the implications of it in a theoretical sense but i failed to see practical implications.<br />
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I'm jumping ahead of myself. <br />
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Instead of boring you to death with a written description of THE classic quantum physics experiment, I beg your indulgence with this video that explains it in cartoon form:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DfPeprQ7oGc" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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So this is what i correctly or maybe incorrectly gathered from that. Matter is capable of existing in two places at once, positing the potential of an "Alternate Reality" or a separate plane inhabited by the same particles.<br />
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I know. Mind = blown. It gets crazier.<br />
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If at a quantum and very basic level, matter can exist in multiple states, then all things can also theoretically possess the same qualities. Furthermore, that existence is affected by either an observer or measuring device, hinting at the possibility that our perception helps shape our reality.<br />
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Positing this, and I'm aware it is a huge and fanciful leap, reality may very well be a shared experience subject to our physical ability to comprehend the vastness of the universe. If this reality is an agreed upon or physically imposed limit, it stands to reason that reality may be influenced by People's agreement on a matter. Everyone agrees a fork is for eating, most people agree we should not kill our neighbors and so we do not. But does it change people?<br />
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For most of human existence only leaders, Kings, Queens, Popes and so on were subjected to public scrutiny. The masses would give them almost godlike attributes and in turn, they would exhibit those attributes themselves. One hardly needs to read many biographies to see the change that leaders undergo to become icons. Washington the blundering social climber becomes "Father of our country", Elizabeth I the bastard daughter becomes "Gloriana", and so forth.<br />
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Newspapers and Hollywood, would make the next round of subject of mass scrutiny and possible influence. How glamorous was Norma Jean until the public needed a Marilyn? When Britney had her kids with that doofus, did our shared repulsion affect and instigate that downward slide? I know people who feel a sense of shame and guilt for what happened to Anna Nicole, and were we not in a way responsible for it by encouraging her to live up to the preconceived mess ? Is the public scrutiny in a very physical sense potentially responsible for the outcome?<br />
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I fear the subject choices may detract from my wild jumps, so let's get back to something that is affecting us all.<br />
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Marshall McLuhan has famously stated that the "The Medium is the Message", that it doesn't matter precisely what we are saying, but rather how we are saying it. That our ability to communicate faster and at a more intimate level is forcing an evolutionary path where we are being forced to become more aware of the world around us and of each other.<br />
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McLuhan died before the internet, but his ideas are more true now than ever. As we have become more connected online, it has become increasingly obvious to many that there is a change in our behavior and how we interact. For better or worse our behavior is being projected at the very least to our immediate circles and at the most, to the world entire.<br />
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Does influencing the perception of you, eventually change who you are? Is the Internet, through connectivity, contextualizing everything and placing them in an agreed upon order? Are we evolving into a better ability to control what we perceive as real?<br />
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Deep stuff, but take the Arab Spring as an example. Can an oppressive government that doesn't control the flow of information exist is this day and age? There was a consensus among the people that this could no longer stand and suddenly, it didn't. How far will this go? Can we will ourselves into a better society? Is this the road to our ultimate destiny as a species?<br />
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Incredible times we live in.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-77986460044214844822010-12-09T13:10:00.000-08:002010-12-09T15:15:26.877-08:00The Trap of Reciprocal Following on Twitter: How following your followers can hurt your message<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/TQFh7M2ZtPI/AAAAAAAAAXY/G2-ThiDl66s/s1600/Picture%2B5.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/TQFh7M2ZtPI/AAAAAAAAAXY/G2-ThiDl66s/s400/Picture%2B5.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548823885586740466" /></a><br />Let me begin by saying that my choice to not have our brand follow all our followers has assuredly cost me numbers. It's been a long struggle and something I've questioned about our social media strategy from the very start as well as something I've had to defend from peers, casual critics, and social media pros alike. <br /><br />The first of the two main arguments for reciprocal following is that it makes your followers feel like you are interested in them as well, and willing to be part of their conversation. <br /><br />We all know the fallacy of that argument. We do not, in fact, give a rat's ass about what our followers had for dinner, nor do they EXPECT us to give a rat's ass. They care that we interact and opine on things they choose to interact with us about, but it would be weird and almost intrusive for The Comedy Store to comment on all our follower's tweets. Even if a random interaction is healthy and fun (Which they are.) they can be achieved without reciprocal following.<br /><br />The second argument is a bit more undeniable. Choosing not to follow back affects the numbers of people who remain your followers. To that, I say "good riddance". Social media needs to cure itself of the "Thanks for the add" and number collecting mentality that helped drive Myspace into the ground. Reciprocal following only encourages number collecting in others and spammers who depend on that mentality to inflict their awfulness on the general population. Your content should be reason enough for your numbers. Your retweets and your interaction should be driving your numbers, not some sort of false feeling of inclusion and certainly not something sketchy like an algorithm. <br /><br />Keeping the accounts you follow low and relevant allow you to further expand on what your brand stands for and what is important to you and your followers. The Comedy Store follows Scientists, Art Museums, Writers, Politicians, Local Businesses, as well as The Comedians who perform here and Comedians we WISH would perform here. Retweeting those people, and interacting with them is just as important for your brand management especially if you plan on expanding your sphere of influence to include content curation, a lifestyle blog and eventually the Holy Grail of online marketing, which is quality original content. <br /><br />At the end of the day, the question for your brand must be whether its a simple numbers game or if you are preparing your followers for the expansion of your brand and cultivating a sense of ownership in something greater than just a company or a twitter account.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-71395274235995227162010-11-03T12:18:00.000-07:002010-11-03T14:22:31.891-07:00Citysearch at Rorke's DriftIts an amazing thing to watch a company shoot itself in the foot. You'd think that there would be some sense of perspective inside a company that gathers opinions like Citysearch does, but when the promises of social media don't save your ass entirely, you feel like placing the blame somewhere and the hippies writing tweets and creating "community" seem like the perfect place to clean house. It seems to be a trend for companies to cut out their heart in an effort to save the body. The highest profile example of this was MySpace as they tried to be more like facebook and twitter, they slashed their music and comedy staff, the ONLY parts of MySpace that were actually working for them. Comix, the comedy club in NY, is in a similar boat having rid itself of the innovative Ochi's Lounge and holding "Club Nights" in the space in order to make ends meet. Who knows if that will work? My guess is that half a nightclub and half a comedy club make for a whole mess. Pabst Blue Ribbon after being bought by Los Angeles businessmen, is going through a similar rehashing where their Social Media reps are being slashed and community outreach is being curtailed in lieu of more traditional advertising. Ballsy, considering that PBR's success has been largely in part to its grass roots, divey, image. Now, Citysearch is getting rid of its editorial staff. Facebook pages, twitter accounts, and outreach are at a standstill.<br /><br />The thing that all of these companies have in common, aside from their clumsy willingness to do away with the things that define them as unique, is the ominous and crushing competitor that looms over their very existence. MySpace had facebook biting at its heels, Comix has 3 more established Comedy Clubs in NY hoping for its demise, PBR has actual beer to compete with, and Citysearch has the behemoth known as Yelp.<br /><br />All of this reminds me of on of my favorite movies- ZULU!<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IWuaSww3JnA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IWuaSww3JnA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />When faced with overwhelming odds (Ten thousand Zulu Warriors Vs. your 150) , you button up the top button your tunic, straighten up your pith helmet, and do what you do best. You are, after all, you. No one is a better "You" than you are, so you become the best "you" that you can be.<br /><br />So who is Citysearch if not their content? They are no Yelp. Yelp's user generated content is a fearful and vengeful beast compared to the insightful tips generated by Citysearch's staff. Yelp is so big, that an attempt to compete rather than finding your niche and growing there, could result in the utter ruin of your brand by playing catch up where there is no need in a playground that's too big. This of course is assuming that competition with Yelp is behind the seemingly suicidal moves at Citysearch. Even if there is a just a tech readjustment, the personality crisis will probably be too much. Who wants to reimagine Citysearch as Citygrid when you can just "Yelp it"? All of this smacks of the manic "Changes" at Myspace before it settled into its current and smaller role. Unfortunately with the loss of E-Vite (Yes guys, e-vite is done, just admit it.) can "Citygrid" get any smaller before disappearing? Again, this is just assuming that it might be some sort of misguided rebranding. It could be, most horribly, a vicious cost cutting of full time professionals for cheaper part time labor which is illegal in places like France.<br /><br />Whatever the case, I'm sure that this decision was not come to suddenly, and I'm sure the powers that be are well aware that they are risking a lot by switching gears rather than by reinforcing the strong points. <br /><br />The lesson from this, I suppose, is yet to be seen. Rather than buckling down and relying on what works for them, like the men at Rorke's drift, Citysearch has doubled down that reinforcements and a new strategy will win the day, much like another heroic stand at a mission. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YTVgSqDNU68?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YTVgSqDNU68?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-493391722947377532010-09-07T16:57:00.000-07:002010-09-07T16:59:43.450-07:00<script type="text/javascript" src="http://alflamont.tumblr.com/js"></script>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-44392717322718923432010-04-12T15:23:00.001-07:002010-04-12T18:36:20.359-07:00The Streamy Awards: Accelerated Growth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newteevee.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/streamys.jpg?w=291&h=218"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 218px;" src="http://newteevee.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/streamys.jpg?w=291&h=218" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Imagine going from a toddler to a teen in all its ghastly awkward horror, in one year. Forget the buildup of hair growth and hormones, voice changes and acne. Imagine you go from playing in a sandbox to a full-on first semester of college. I mean you wouldn't have the accumulated experience of dealing with idiots in Middle School, or disappointment in PE class, or even your victories at speech and debate in High School or the bizarre sexual tensions of glee club and marching band. Hell, those who lack the maturity for college even after HS, end up dropping out after their first semester, with syphilis, a terrible tattoo and trying to figure out who will take half a semester's worth of failing credits for their abortive Philosophy degree. The Streamy awards flung themselves into that very situation last night as they experienced for the first time what precisely it is to hold a major event where people have expectations of you.<br /><br />Let me just say, that this is not a Streamy bashing post. It's not. Anyone expecting me to make comparisons of last night's show to the Polish President's airplane will be disappointed. <br /><br />All of us who love Teh Webz, have a vested interest in seeing the Streamy awards succeed. In fact, many of us were there not because we were entirely familiar with the content or the talent, but rather because we are part of the online community to who it is beneficial to be elevated by the prestige that comes with a well publicized and industry-wide awards show. The value of the Streamy awards is undeniable. However, the lack of self worth was evident in the production last night. What is a Streamy? Who is "The Academy"? Why did the kid from Wizards of Waverly Place present an award, and how is it that I know what Wizards of Waverly Place is? <br /><br />The very first Academy Awards were a small dinner. The winners were announced a month before so they would show up, and they later agreed to not divulge the winners to the press until 11 PM the day of. From such humble beginnings came the lunatic 4 hour telecast we see today. The prestige and time commitment was earned from the 15 minute radio announcement that covered it early on ,to the 2 hour shows of the forties, and to the 4 hour monsters we have today <br /><br />To say that the Streamy awards grew quickly is an understatement. 3.5 hours is difficult to fill, and as someone who works with Venues, I also know how trying it can be on audiences to sit still. Oscar night overnight, is not easy to do, and next year's Streamy awards need to fulfill the high expectations, quickly. <br /><br />We all want the Streamy awards to succeed, we want the online community to have their awards show, but we are running against the clock and its only a matter of time before The Emmy Awards decide to add online categories thereby making the Streamys irrelevant. If we want to keep this as part of our community, and we should, then it is up to everyone who can to help The Streamy awards grow, and for the producers to call on the multidisciplinary talents of the web to produce a show worthy of the web.<br /><br />And to find a liquor sponsor so there's an open bar at the after party. I wouldn't have ordered an "Atomizer" if i didn't think it was free.<br /><br />If you want a review of the show itself, <a href="http://newteevee.com/2010/04/12/the-streamy-awards-a-producers-apology-and-its-three-fails/">THIS ONE </a>about sums it up.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-25444291851426806462010-02-26T09:21:00.000-08:002010-02-26T09:46:20.856-08:00"Professionals"This is why I avoid "Mixers" and "Networking Events".<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lBCaS-lz1_k&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lBCaS-lz1_k&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4YBxeDN4tbk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4YBxeDN4tbk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-2734926893719646342010-02-14T00:09:00.000-08:002010-02-14T00:10:48.923-08:00Amazing Concept<object width="400" height="240"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9352664&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9352664&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="240"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/9352664">Flattr.com - How Flattr Works</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3073272">Flattr</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Appreciate content? Say so with $.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-85010498407951910082010-02-09T17:05:00.000-08:002010-02-14T00:27:42.779-08:00Bad Habits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dweebist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/buzz.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 339px;" src="http://www.dweebist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/buzz.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>
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<br />"I’m starting to wonder if pop culture is in its dying days, because everyone is able to customize their own lives with the images they want to see and the words they want to read and the music they listen to. You don’t have the broader trends like you used to...Now, everyone basically is their own microculture, their own nanoculture, their own generation."- from a recent Douglas Coupland interview</span>
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<br />Yesterday morning, Google released the "buzz". Its latest attempt at digging into the social media phenom, and forcing its way into your life even more-so than knowing everything you do.
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<br />Google wants to know who you do with it too, and with all signs pointing to social searches and curating as the next big step in online social media evolution, it would make sense that our favorite search engine would, in their attempts to keep it all so very real and do no harm, want to dip into the nourishing, feel-good pond of social media.
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<br />So, WTF?
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<br />Why is it, in less than 24hrs, being considered the "Meh" heard around the world when earlier posts were referring to it as "Facebook Killer" and "the next step"? Suddenly the web is largely in agreement that "Buzz" is a stillborn endeavor. Bloggers who were screaming and shouting in excitement at the launch are now ashamedly admitting that there's not that much to Buzz about. The excitement from the announcement is now turned to red faced embarrassment.
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<br />Again.
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<br />Social media is young. Very young. The power is not fully tapped,and many if not most people are not fully connected. In fact, the major players in SM are still learning the basics. Is anything more painful than watching Facebook's growing pains?
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<br />Those of us who have found a niche in the world of SM can be swept away by the amazing connections we can make with each other, the elegant beauty of finding our brothers and sisters can be mesmerizing. Yet, to our horror, we can find horribly tacky or worse, easily manipulated trending topics on Twitter. I'm still repulsed by every "For every person that posts this on their profile, so and so will donate whatnot to blah blah." that i see posted on a FB status. The much loathed "Post this to receive a free Mac (It really works, really!)" still makes an appearance, and I can only assume that Nigerians are still at the scheming because it still works from time to time, and so we must look at ourselves as the first generation of Social and Online Media Pros and accept our limits.
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<br />Yes, this is no longer the community that ruined MySpace by friending every bot and spammer out there, yes we are a wiser more careful audience with potential. However, the biggest obstacle to Social Media is not so much unlocking its potential which continues to astound and evolve almost daily, but rather the breaking of bad habits.
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<br />One one end, we see the astounding shortsightedness of Music Labels and their continuing and <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8507885.stm">losing fight</a> against file sharing / their illogical sense of ownership to their music, and on the other end of the spectrum we see the bizarre and dare I say, delusional, example of <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/29/ronna-and-beverly-how-the-showtime-sitcom-went-from-cancellation-to-sensation/tab/article/">"Ronna and Beverly"</a>. I've never seen Ronna and Beverly, so I'll reserve judgment on the quality of the show itself, but rather heap thunderous, Olympian, judgment on the blogosphere and SM pros who got caught up in the excitement once more.
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<br />The story is a pretty common one in Hollywood. A pilot gets made, everyone involved loves it. For reasons unknown (Most likely it tested poorly with audiences), the network doesn't allow it to see the light of day or fills in some empty air time and that's the end of it. In certain situations, producers will shop the product elsewhere, and in more extreme situations there will be a public whine about the show. Long ago, an ad on Variety would do the trick. Now, social media is the stage. The writer of Weeds / Ronna and Beverly, along with some of the producers, decide to harness the power of Teh Webz. So, with the help of high profile Twitter users like The Office's Rainn Wilson they generated a mild buzz. Buzz enough to get the attention of blogs like the WSJ article linked above, and enough buzz to get a modest number of sycophants and hangers on to do their bidding, show unseen. The result? Well, what result? Showtime has been quiet on the subject, and the sudden flurry of attention about a grass roots online movement being able to change programming seems to have been like excitement over the iPad, and Google Buzz, premature. Showing the true Achilles heel of social media is its susceptibility to influence by MSM and corporations.
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<br />The majority of us, bloggers, SM pros, and users alike, are still very tapped in to the corporate mindset. For every Mac Air, there has been 2 amazing innovations, so its easy for us to hope and want to believe that Mac has some magical trinket that will transform our lives up its sleeve. Who isn't a fan of the Office? When Rainn Wilson tells me to support something, maybe he'll give me props. So goes the mindset of every generation, till now.
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<br />Those of us who grew up with the influence of corporate America in our after school and Saturday morning cartoons, in our toys and lunches, must be more vigilant than those kids who are now growing up with the added influence of the web, with the far more powerful influence of peers, family, and personalities.
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<br /> The most powerful connections, the lifelong connections, for SM professionals and corporate accounts, are those made at a personal level with the consumer.
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<br />NBC may have made the decision to keep Jay Leno over Conan O Brien based on hard numbers, but they fail to consider the generation that will remember "I'm with Coco" over who was the successor to Carson. NBC is not investing in its future, rather it is allowing the conversation to be had without its active participation. It will take NBC years to recover from its decision to be so unfeeling towards the sincere expressions of love towards "Coco", as will it take Google some time to recover from the stupid "Buzz" release and even less time for Apple to recover from the iPad.
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<br />We must be weary of manufactured hype and emotions. They are the fossilized remains of insincere and manipulative marketing tactics that are slowly fading away to a true connection to the consumer. Tomorrow's consumer will be able to spot those a mile away, and they'll reward your help and sincerity tenfold. We best be getting used to it. In the meantime remember:
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<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2722/4348046446_b7c093725b.jpg" width="356" height="500" alt="Gb4" />Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-14888829103394522562010-02-06T02:11:00.000-08:002010-02-06T02:20:37.195-08:00Vice is all groweds up.<script src="http://www.vbs.tv/vbs_player.js?width=480&height=270&ec=NmZmg2MTqOfHyw3TRbvGoxfqUfa482zT&st=The%20Vice%20Guide%20to%20Travel&pl=http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/the-vice-guide-to-liberia" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script><br /><br />For all the pithy comments in Vice Mag about how people dress, cocaine fueled nights, and boobs, this report from Liberia is one of the most relevant and pieces of journalism I've seen in a long time.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-56375618570835244742010-01-20T12:07:00.000-08:002010-01-20T15:03:18.105-08:00Announcing The Cheese of the Year!In observation of <a href="http://www.mypunchbowl.com/holidays/2010/1/20/national-cheese-lovers-day">National Cheese Lover's Day</a> I am happy to announce my choice cheese for the New Year.<br /><br />2008 was the year of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchego">Manchego</a>. The sharp and stout Spanish cheese was a great way to introduce everyone to the world of finer cheeses without insisting on the soft and aromatic goats and bries that everyone considers "Fancy". Manchego is what I describe as a "stealth sheep" so good, that the green can't fathom its complexity. We can also say that 2008 was the year of Humboldt Fog. A fine California cheese with layers of taste AND ash that made it a particularly exciting cheese when cut right.<br /><br />2009 was completely owned by <a href="http://www.cheesemonthclub.com/pastnewsletters/vol5no3.htm">Roaring Forties Blue Cheese</a> which is widely accepted as the most exciting Blue Cheese in years. To eat a sliver is to have a dance in your mouth of almost a minute as the complex veins and flavors dissolve on your tongue.<br />I'm salivating just thinking about it.<br /><br />2010 is a challenge for all my From-Friends. It is a commitment to adventure, and a financial investment in a cheese that is a landslide of complexity. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimolette">Mimolette</a> the cheese made to order by Louis XIV, is my new love of the year. Albeit a touch pricey, Mimolette, like Manchego , has the rustic base that appeals widely, but a refinement that cheese lovers can really hang on to. The nuttiness makes it an ideal "Beer Cheese" but you can pair it with any strong wines. <br /><br />Go get em.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4290753017_4463f33dd0_o.jpg" width="425" height="334" alt="dscf3110" /Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-4775479296013555922010-01-11T14:16:00.000-08:002010-01-11T14:25:27.527-08:00My Grandpa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/S0ulFaN2IOI/AAAAAAAAAW8/n5aqMAemIyw/s1600-h/101_0398.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/S0ulFaN2IOI/AAAAAAAAAW8/n5aqMAemIyw/s200/101_0398.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425611688453218530" /></a><br />My Grandpa is 92 and still writes a <a href="http://www.exonline.com.mx/XStatic/excelsior/template/content.aspx?se=columna&intColumnistaId=88">daily trivia and advice column</a> for the biggest Newspaper in Mexico. <br /><br />He does this every day by hand and gives it to my grandma, who then types it up and E-mails it. Then, Grandpa gets fussy about e-mail until we receive the confirmation, at which time Grandpa starts research for the next day's column.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-67302804236295700262010-01-09T12:32:00.000-08:002010-01-10T11:43:06.310-08:00Smarty-Pants Moustache Man Tumblr<script type="text/javascript" src="http://alflamont.tumblr.com/js"></script>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-58353301764936730812009-12-13T08:02:00.000-08:002009-12-13T10:14:27.642-08:00Mustache Patronage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6TN4X31Ca6c/Suz7ewuLuNI/AAAAAAAAACA/h83huNoNp5U/s400/all_saints_day.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6TN4X31Ca6c/Suz7ewuLuNI/AAAAAAAAACA/h83huNoNp5U/s400/all_saints_day.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Of all the kooky bizarre things the Catholic Church has to offer, the veneration of Saints has to be my favorite. Just like a pantheon of pagan gods, saints are assigned patronage to specific things and praying for their intervention in their area of expertise or causes of which they are the patron is a time honored tradition, in spite of common sense.<br /><br />We are all familiar with Saint Patrick the patron saint of Ireland, snakes and toothaches, and of course Saint Valentine, the patron saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. I know. Bee keepers, right?<br /><br />Saint Nick? Patron of bankers and pawnbrokers, I shit you not.<br /><br />National saints? Sure thing. England has Saint George, Scotland has Saint Andrew , Wales has Saint David. Austria gets five with Joseph, Maurice, Coloman, Leopold, and Florian. Italy tops out at six, with Bernardine of Siena, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and Our Lady of the Snows.<br />What about the U.S of A? The Blessed Virgin Mary herself is our patron, while Papua New Guinea gets St. Michael the Archangel, who also happens to be the patron Saint of Paratroopers, which is pretty badass.<br /><br />The whole thing is fascinating if nothing else and you can get your saint fix anytime at <a href="http://www.catholic.org">CATHOLIC ONLINE </a>. <br /><br />Why all this sudden fussing about saints, you may ask? Well, after our team of four were declared "World's Greatest Santa" at the LA Santa-con yesterday for trouncing everyone in the Scavenger hunt, i figured i should refresh my knowledge of the actual Saint Nick, and see if I was wrong when I claimed he was the patron saint of beards and facial hair. Not only was I wrong, since there is no patron saint of facial hair, but i was giving the title to someone far less deserving. Saint Nick's beard holds nothing to what I stumbled on.<br /><br />Ladies and gentlemen, I give ye Saint Wilgefortis. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nysa.eu/xinha/plugins/ImageManager/demo_images/biuro_promocji/edyta/wilgeforti1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 705px;" src="http://nysa.eu/xinha/plugins/ImageManager/demo_images/biuro_promocji/edyta/wilgeforti1.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Betrothed to a heathen king by her father, so the story goes, Wilgefortis who's name is a derivation on the latin "Virgo Fortis"or "Strong Virgin", prayed to god that she would become hideous and therefore be spared the unhappy marriage. Sad, right? So the next day, she wakes up to find that she's grown a full beard! <br /><br />God is hilarious.<br /><br />The pagan king is grossed out, and the marriage is cancelled. Hooray! <br /><br />But Wilgefortis' dad is so pissed off that she and her god did this, that he has her crucified. Boo!<br /><br />THE END<br /><br />Talk about your joke backfiring, huh? You'd think God in his omnipotence could have seen that coming, right? Whatever. <br /><br />The cult of Saint Wilgefortis was all sorts of popular in the middle ages, so much so that the monks at the abbey where her wooden statue was, had it plated in silver to prevent erosion from all the pilgrims kissing her feet. It is said that when a poor minstrel played at the statue, one of the silver slippers came off as a reward from the saint. Which is a nice way of saying "It was stolen". However, that explains why she has only one shoe in the statue above, but it does not explain her enormous Sasquatch feet in the same sculpture. <br /><br />Needless to say,that Wilgefortis with her sad story of a heavenly practical joke gone horribly awry, should absolutely without a doubt be new patron saint of mustaches and beards in general, as well as the patron saint of bearded ladies, which she already is. I encourage the Vatican's commission on gobbledygook and totes ridiculousness to look into the matter as soon as possible.<br /><br />Now enjoy this lovely music video i found of a song by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rebeccaclamp">Rebecca Clamp</a> about Wilgefortis.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TYOt2hSPxyQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TYOt2hSPxyQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-28315032859565210082009-12-08T21:09:00.001-08:002009-12-08T21:09:59.320-08:00War is over<object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fyokoonoofficial%2Fsets%2F72157622834909233%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fyokoonoofficial%2Fsets%2F72157622834909233%2F&set_id=72157622834909233&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fyokoonoofficial%2Fsets%2F72157622834909233%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fyokoonoofficial%2Fsets%2F72157622834909233%2F&set_id=72157622834909233&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-29408160450924850872009-12-02T22:32:00.000-08:002009-12-02T22:33:22.446-08:00More Art from The Lady who designed "Mad Men Me"<object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fnobodyssweetheart%2Fsets%2F72157606178887453%2Fshow%2Fwith%2F3769629972%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fnobodyssweetheart%2Fsets%2F72157606178887453%2Fwith%2F3769629972%2F&set_id=72157606178887453&jump_to=3769629972"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fnobodyssweetheart%2Fsets%2F72157606178887453%2Fshow%2Fwith%2F3769629972%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fnobodyssweetheart%2Fsets%2F72157606178887453%2Fwith%2F3769629972%2F&set_id=72157606178887453&jump_to=3769629972" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-40182921883542254362009-11-29T20:04:00.000-08:002009-11-29T20:21:55.390-08:00Fallen Princesses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2500/4145573303_6c8fda347d_o.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 704px; height: 476px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2500/4145573303_6c8fda347d_o.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />As I look forward to seeing the much ballyhooed and newest "Disney Princess" in THE <a href="http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessfrogtickets/?cmp=dmov_dpic_frog_psg_nltitle_princess%20and%20the%20frog">PRINCESS AND THE FROG</a> I find myself tickled by photographer <a href="http://www.dinagoldstein.com/">Dina Goldstein</a>'s less than idyllic take on what the future holds for our fairy tale heroines. The super saccharine characters are easy enough to lampoon, but Goldstein manages to add just the right amount of sympathy to the general sense of comeuppance that we all crave, to make it almost as poignant as it is clever.<br /><br />See the whole set <a href="http://www.fallenprincesses.com/">HERE</a>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-2686782445389410362009-11-23T10:19:00.000-08:002009-11-23T12:20:49.667-08:00Cogito ergo DM<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/Swrbmiu-s1I/AAAAAAAAAWI/w_aIyh1d3ZI/s1600/descartes+copy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/Swrbmiu-s1I/AAAAAAAAAWI/w_aIyh1d3ZI/s400/descartes+copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407375757817066322" /></a><br />Or should it be "DM ergo sum"? Regardless of the Latin, there's a point to made. As a marketing professional, i often have forbidden fruits dangled before me. <br /><br />"I've produced an algorithm." <br /><br />Is usually the first sign of trouble in Social Media. Followed quickly by the words "Viral" and "Blast". All of those connote a detachment from the wondrous teeming, bubbling, and ever evolving mass that is Teh Webz and how, despite the technology and ways of "tricking" people into receiving your message, there is nothing as powerful as a loyal customer spreading your message of his/her own accord. As my dear friend <a href="http://macslost.com/">mAcslost</a> said, "What is the ROI on a friend that helps you move? What's the price on that long term relationship?" <br /><br />So true. Like any friend, a SM professional needs to know what favors to ask and what is too much of an infringement on their relationship with their followers. We often walk a fine line, understanding the necessity of mass e-mails but not wanting to go into the SPAM folder. Needing to reach out, but not be so callous and so to the point that your customers learn to disregard your message. <br /><br />Two things reared their heads this previous week that I'd like to address. Both were tempting in their effectiveness and both I ultimately passed on, simply because I am personally uncomfortable with how intrusive they are. <br /><br />Firstly, i had myself an apoplexy when i received a DM to my company's Twitter account from one of our competitors. "You have been invited to (EVENT DETAILS)" <br /><br />I was livid. I received that message on my phone, in my E-mail, and on my Twitter. 3 messages at once from my competitors made me angry at the invasion, and jealous that their message had infiltrated so entirely. I looked to my SM peeps to validate my outrage. By a huge majority we all agreed that a mass DM was considered "Twitter Spam" and would ultimately damage them more than help. Officialy, you give people who you follow the right to DM you, and they are within their rights to do so. However it is in bad form, and a breach of "Twettiquette". Though I sit here in my SM tower and cast judgment on their SM fumbles , though our SM community dwarfs theirs in numbers and community involvement , I also know that their one Spammy, BS, DM was seen by every one of their followers. The temptation to follow suit is enormous. <br /><br />The second was similar in nature. Text message marketing. I know people must opt in, I understand that its highly effective, I just don't like it. I think our brand needs as much goodwill as possible and douchey marketing like Texting, overzealous E-mail "Blasts", and "Twitter Spam" are harmful to our image. <br /><br />Ultimately, it's a personal decision for SM professionals. For my money and many of the people that i work with, goodwill, respect, and a knowing nod to our community acknowledging that we "Aren't like THAT" is worth more than the potential returns from such direct and aggressive advertising. There are people who market by wrapping a building in their message, there are people who buy electronic billboards, there are those who blast and spam and plan to "go viral". I am not one of them, and my brand will not suffer those indignities. We aim to build a community out of respect and goodwill. We will talk to our customers when we e-mail them, and direct message them, we will not be talking at them. <br /><br />That's just how we roll.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-38534196264447775912009-10-27T10:40:00.000-07:002009-10-27T11:08:47.558-07:00Social Media ROI (God. Just writing that makes me sweat)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/whatz_roi.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 315px;" src="http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/whatz_roi.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />At an astoundingly douchey mixer held by the club promoters of the digital world (<a href="http://digitalla.net/">Digital LA</a>), I was approached by a very pushy young man who was hocking applications. After figuring out my position in our Company and my affinity for Social Media, he posed the question "What is your ROI?".<br /><br /><br />I thought about it for a moment, and I responded. "We don't speak ROI, we speak relationships and community."<br /><br />He laughed nervously, and i ran away. <br /><br />ROI? Good grief, doesn't he know that social media is all about Teh Gudwillz and teh Relashunshipz? I have since obsessed. The positive impact of our SM campaigns is evident to me, but our bottom line would still seem unaffected. How do I convince the boss folk that this is a good investment?<br /><br />Below is a starting point. Obviously for a small business like ours, it's not necessarily all applicable, but its a start on what I'm sure will be a lengthy discussion as SM begins to settle into its place as in the world of brand management, public relations, and marketing.<br /><br /><br /><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNTY2NjUxNjUyMDcmcHQ9MTI1NjY2NTE3MzE4NSZwPTEwMTkxJmQ9c3NfZW1iZWQmZz*yJm89NTZiZTFhOWQ3NmQ1NDY3ZDk5OTNhMTkwNjY2ZGQ5OTUmb2Y9MA==.gif" /><div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_1902502"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/thebrandbuilder/olivier-blanchard-basics-of-social-media-roi" title="Olivier Blanchard Basics Of Social Media Roi">Olivier Blanchard Basics Of Social Media Roi</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=olivierblanchard-basicsofsocialmediaroi-090824230322-phpapp01&stripped_title=olivier-blanchard-basics-of-social-media-roi" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=olivierblanchard-basicsofsocialmediaroi-090824230322-phpapp01&stripped_title=olivier-blanchard-basics-of-social-media-roi" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/thebrandbuilder">Olivier Blanchard</a>.</div></div>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-43059972390347508102009-10-14T12:35:00.000-07:002009-10-14T12:38:53.637-07:00I am increasingly Opposed to our involvement in Afghanistan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/070201_JoeBiden_vl_widec.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 359px;" src="http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/070201_JoeBiden_vl_widec.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />An exchange in the WH Situation room with The VP and the President's advisors.<br /><br />"Can I just clarify a factual point? How much will we spend this year on Afghanistan?" Someone provided the figure: $65 billion. "And how much will we spend on Pakistan?" Another figure was supplied: $2.25 billion. "Well, by my calculations that's a 30-to-1 ratio in favor of Afghanistan. So I have a question. Al Qaeda is almost all in Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And yet for every dollar we're spending in Pakistan, we're spending $30 in Afghanistan. Does that make strategic sense?" The White House Situation Room fell silent.<br /><br /><br />Read more at: <a href=" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/why-joe-biden-should-resi_b_320929.html">The Huffington Post</a>Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-36386289364781366782009-10-09T09:55:00.000-07:002009-10-09T11:27:07.003-07:00Barack's Nobel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/Ss90TEEgOJI/AAAAAAAAAWA/jLvIhBi8bUY/s1600-h/Picture+10.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/Ss90TEEgOJI/AAAAAAAAAWA/jLvIhBi8bUY/s200/Picture+10.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390655149844740242" /></a><br />It is a shock, no doubt. Nobody expected our President to receive the Nobel Prize. What has he done? He's only been in office for less than a year? Hell! He was only eligible to win as president for 2 months before nominations were closed. Is this the Nobel committee's way of giving a final insult to the Bush administration, who's critics (<a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/gore-bio.html">Al Gore</a>, <a href="http://nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=1089">Paul Krugman</a>) seemed to be winning prizes left and right for the last few years? Or is it more important than that? <br /><br />I think the key to the Nobel Committee's decision lies in the brevity of time that Barack Obama has spent as President. Just as it is the most shocking part of the announcement that mere months into his presidency he's won a prize given to MLK and TR, the fact remains that President Obama has turned the global conversation back towards unity, hope and diplomacy in a VERY SHORT TIME. A few years ago, this country was still coping with the fact that we tortured detainees. We were mired in conversations about whether or not Waterboarding was considered torture, and dealing with a war fought under false pretenses. Remember the awful images of Saddam Hussein being executed? Remember? It seems a world away. We are now debating taking care of each other (Health care), our focus lies in bettering this world and not in creating tactical nukes and alienating friends with missile shields. <br /><br />President Obama, through peaceful political means changed the entire direction of global politics by inspiring the world's most powerful nation to hope and better ourselves. We are now talking to Iran, with a heavy hand and backed by all our allies, including those who previously supported Iran. The world is already a safer, and more united place because a Hawaiian-born African American man from Chicago decided we still could. Imagine this world under McCain and Palin. Remember this world under Bush and Cheney think of how much has changed in a year, and then ask yourself in 2009 who else has done so much to bring people together? I can't think of a single more powerfully uniting figure.<br /><br />Congratulations, President Obama. Well deserved.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-37469179897229946282009-10-07T10:50:00.000-07:002009-10-07T16:08:21.336-07:00Twitter Killers?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thefreelancesquad.com/blog2/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/twitter-dead4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 242px;" src="http://www.thefreelancesquad.com/blog2/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/twitter-dead4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I know. I know. This is my second post in a row about Twitter that has a question as its title. I know the posts have been Social Media heavy lately, and I know I owe you all my analysis of Chicago's failed bid for the 2016 games, but bear with me my dears, as I spin a yarn of greed, ego, and the powers that our personal accounts and engagement are up against. <br /><br />Gather round Tweeps, and Facebook friends. Tumblrs and MySpace pervs. <br /><br />The whole thing began about a month and a half ago when one of the top 6 agencies in town sent over someone who referred to himself as a "Social Media Agent" to meet with the celebrity I work with from time to time. Astounded at the notion, since social media doesn't pay off directly, and talent agencies are very aggressive in monetizing everything, and 10% of nothing is bupkes, I was eager if not thrilled to see what this guy knew and what his insight might be into monetizing SM. <br /><br />When he arrived, I was a touch shocked. Was it possible that a man well into his forties could have insight into SM ? I'm in my early thirties and I can barley keep up, could it be that this man had the tech savvy that I lacked and therefore some sort of insight into monetization that would make everyone very rich? I listened to his pitch with five people present in the room. <br /><br />The pitch went as follows:<br /><br />T<span style="font-weight:bold;">here is a huge amount of money to be made by celebrities who Tweet.<br /><br />He has a Company that is willing to pay per commercial tweet according to the amount of followers a celebrity may have. <br /><br />The company hosts a variety of brands that the celebrity can choose from, so the celeb could choose brands that are applicable.<br /><br />The company requires every fifth tweet to be a commercial with up to 40 tweets a day for it to be profitable.<br /><br />With the formula pitched, Ashton Kutcher could make over one million dollars monthly.<br /><br /></span><br /><br />Naturally there were questions to be asked.<br /><br />Firstly, the Celebrity in question has an honest but unimpressive 5k followers. Not nearly enough for it to be worth it.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />"That can be easily addressed with a service we employ that can artificially boost your numbers. We could have you up to 50k in 2 weeks.</span>"<br /><br />They don't pay per click, they pay per follower?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />"Yes, but who knows how long they'll be doing that for. So we have to get on this right away so we can get the numbers up and the tweets going."</span><br /><br />Is the tool you use to boost the numbers Ok by twitter?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Well, not exactly. Which is another reason why we would need to get on this right away."</span><br /><br />Who else is doing this?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Well, if say Ashton Kutcher would do it.."</span><br /><br />Is he?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />"No, but if he were.."</span><br /><br />Why wouldn't he want an extra 1 million a month?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"I don't know."</span><br /><br />Ok, so Ashton doesn't do it, but you haven't told us who. So who else would be interested in doing something like this?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Well, we want to keep clients protected."</span><br /><br />At this point the celebrity interjected. "Do I have to tweet and choose the ads myself or can my guys do it?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />"Oh for sure your staff can do it, 40 daily tweets is a lot."</span><br /><br />The celeb's assistant sank into his chair. But the feeling of all in the room is that this bit of sketchiness would not see the light of day. I was glowing at being able to thwart something that would be detrimental not only to the celeb's brand, but to the Twitter community as well. After all, posting for a profit defeats the idea of sharing. Its filling a quota and manipulating. It goes against what the Twitter community is all about, and leaves the door open for the profit hungry "Man" that drove MySpace into the ground. I had come head to head with the capitalist machine and managed to defend my online socialist utopia for another day. God bless the <a href="http://www.eff.org/">EFF</a> and <a href="http://creativecommons.org/">Creative Commons</a>, keep your filthy corporate greed out of our web, etc. etc. ad nauseum.<br /><br />This was 45 days ago. <br /><br />Yesterday it all resurfaced with the acquisition of 2 interns who's duties include Tweeting. Calls were made and the whole mess is a "go". Now it is up to the Twitter community to react. Do we reject advertisement as a part of feeds altogether? Is an individual endorsement more valuable when not contractual? (See? It does connect to the <a href="http://alflamont.blogspot.com/2009/10/sucessful-conractual-twitter-feed.html">previous post</a>.) All this remains to be seen. I have faith that something so sneaky and ill conceived has little to no place in the twitterverse. However, i have noticed something that insists on a caveat for this sort of marketing on Twitter.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3991415378_f473692212_o.png" width="362" height="81" alt="Picture 7" /><br /><br />Which leads to this site.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3990659513_33cf1f6c8a.jpg" width="500" height="221" alt="Picture 8" /><br /><br />Although i believe that weight loss products and Acai Berry drinks are beneath <a href="http://laist.com/">LAist</a>, their tweets are transparent, and we do not expect a personality or a connection to a website like we would a brand. Their twitter feed is simply links to their blog and their blog makes money off of ads, ergo this is fair play. This cannot be said of corporations and celebrities who use twitter to further their personal brand. Their unspoken contract with the web and in social media participation is to provide the public with information about themselves with goodwill and without trying to make a cynical buck off of us. However, if we find ourselves following celebs, and clicking on their every link with the same blindness with which we accepted hookers and club promoters as our MySpace "friends" then the FAIL Whale is upon us and we can only watch the potential of yet another Social Networking site diminished and destroyed by corporate greed. It really is up to us.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951396.post-28513090579281759432009-10-05T14:35:00.000-07:002009-10-17T09:33:36.564-07:00A sucessful contractual Twitter feed?"The ways of the Living Force are beyond our understanding... But fear not. You are in the hands of something much greater and much better than you can imagine." <br /> ―Qui-Gon Jinn<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/Ssp1qaixUhI/AAAAAAAAAV4/TrT3e_CEhh8/s1600-h/O2__AD_head_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ojt7Y9PA090/Ssp1qaixUhI/AAAAAAAAAV4/TrT3e_CEhh8/s200/O2__AD_head_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389249275642335762" /></a><br />A Protocol Droid fluent in over 6 million forms of communication, and able to communicate with binary loadlifters has only NOW discovered the value of Twitter? So it would appear, as Twitter-friendly nerdery everywhere welcomed Anthony Daniels, who is better known throughout the galaxy as C3PO, to the world of Social Media. His newly minted Twitter account handle bears the name <a href="http://twitter.com/ADaniels3PO">ADaniels3PO</a> and he boasts a modest following of 1700 accrued in the short time of 5 days.<br /><br /><br />It would make perfect sense that someone who owes his career to the genre of Science Fiction would be tapping into the Nerd/Geek rich world of social media, where no matter how mainstream things are, they retain an air of geeky innocence. However, such has not been the case for Mr. Daniels who's recent discovery of Twitter happens to happily coincide with a new <a href="http://www.anthonydaniels.com/">website</a> and the beginning of his national tour with <a href="http://www.starwarsinconcert.com/#">Star Wars in Concert</a>. Is it possible that someone in the marketing department for Star Wars In Concert was prescient enough to see Mr. Daniels as an indirect marketing tool? Contractually obliging him to a twitter feed seems contrary to the "Feel-Good Community" of Twitter, but the opportunities for the concert can hardly be ignored. When a visual music and lights show starring your favorite movie rolls into town, who better to be a spokesperson than one of the stars? It takes the notion of celebrity, product, and word of mouth to a whole new level. <br /><br />Do I think it was a draconian marketing person who put him up to it as a part of some awful, greedy contract? No. Should Marketing people encourage it and make available all resources to those who are promoting their goods? You bet! Anthony Daniels should have the full support of the enormous companies affiliated with Star Wars and the concert, and they should all be touting his Twitter feed. I bet they could pump those numbers well past the 2k mark they have now, and in turn give Mr. Daniels a powerful tool for his personal brand as well as allowing him to maximize his role as a spokesperson for their brand. <br /><br />Let me put it this way:<br /><br />I wouldn't know about Star Wars in concert if it weren't for Anthony Daniels. Anthony Daniels would never have told me about it unless it was through his Twitter feed. His Twitter feed inspired this blog post, which in turn, touts Star Wars in Concert. The force is strong in that.Alfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11203501259969765040noreply@blogger.com0