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« Monday « February 25, 2008
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Creatives Have a Crush on Obama
(Advertising Age)
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The fact that Mr. Obama "behaves like a well-defined brand" probably has something to do with why advertising and marketing creative types are attracted to him more so than other candidates.What's stunning to me, as a marketing professional, is how tailor-made Obama is for a generation that doesn't read, and hence, think for itself. It's a generation perfectly susceptible to propaganda and demagoguery. Hell yes, this guy is a marketer's dream: he's all image and sound and slogan. And it's all powerful stuff, but I want to start seeing some real content behind this guy first. I do not deny that he packs a compelling mixture of rhetoric and showmanship. He is a powerful orator and he is certainly more dazzling and charismatic than Clinton or McCain, or Nader, who's jumping his tired-ass into the race too. But, that is also what's starting to make me stop and take a moment to think about this some more. I work in the advertising industry, and let's be honest about one thing: it's not an industry based on telling the truth. In fact, you could argue, it's a business that has perfected the art of lying for one singular purpose: to get you to buy something you probably don't need. Yes, he's selling change... and you're hoping he means change for the better, but that's really just a 50-50 proposition; if things get worse -- and they could -- that's change too, right? That people in the industry that I work in, and in media overall, seem to love Obama without question or examination should really make you think. It is a red flag. I have another take on this, but I'm still formulating that thought. I'll post it later.
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- obama
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The Nokia Morph
(DVICE.com)
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Ummm... I lurrrrrrrrrrrv this concept!
b/w: BuzzFeed
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- mobile computing
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« Sunday « February 24, 2008
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Accumulator
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This guy, whom I don't now, L.M. Orchard, who has this blog which I used to visit often a few years ago, but not so much now, has a great idea that I'm going to start working on. He calls it 'The Accumulator.' I love the concept; the name he's using, that's a bit weak for my taste, but the idea is what I'm after. You see, the thing about blogging is, you have to actually take the time to do it. But for me, writing blogposts -- like this one -- just one task I regularly perform in my ever-growing digital smorgasbord of activities, both wired, and more and more, wirelessly. Since I began blogging, way back in 1999, all these other services -- these YouTubes and Facebooks and MySpaces, the Diggs and Shelfaris and allconsumings, these Twitters and 43things, 43places and LastFMs, the Pipes and Flickrs, the del.icio.uses, ad infinitum -- have cropped up... and I'm on all of those sites too, leaving my digital fingerprints all over cyberspace, things that back in 2001 would probably have ended up on solely on my blog. Hell, I'm online just as much today as I was in 1999, but I'm not only blogging now. So it seems that the only logical thing to do is turn the blog into a collection of all the things I'm doing online. My hub. Stay tuned.
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« Tuesday « February 19, 2008
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Google Finds Evil All Over the Web
(CIO.com)
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According to Google's research, 67 percent of all malware distribution sites are hosted in China. The second-worst offender? The U.S., at 15 percent, followed by Russia, (4 percent) Malaysia (2.2 percent) and Korea (2 percent).
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« Monday « February 18, 2008
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Facebook: What They Really Have On You
(5min Video)
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This is a kind of eye-opening, and creepy video clip, but you already know that we're living in The Matrix, right? Our's is a surveillance society, so smile for the security cam and get on with it. But let's, uh, face it, Facebook isn't the only one watching what you do. Your credit card company does it, your cable and phone companies do it, your bank does it, your supermarket does it if you use their loyalty card, ad infinitum. It's less about Big Brother and more about selling you sh*t you probably don't need...which might be worse.
But to live in this modern world, this cyberspace cage, you can either completely disconnect, and deal with lots of inconvenience in your daily life (see previous post) or you embrace the system, use it to your advantage, and flood it with lots of useless data to confuse mask the your digital footprints. You're not defined by the movies you watch, the music you listen to, or the cyber "friends" you have on Facebook or MySpace. Now, the political affiliation thing, well, if you're worried about that, then don't declare anything. My general approach is this: even though these are online services, I don't do anything online that I wouldn't do in meatspace. If I'm going to get profiled online, I'd probably get profiled on the street as well. Hell, I know I get profiled on the street every day, I'm a Black man.
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Human ID Chips Get Under My Skin
(BusinessWeek.com)
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The technology is available, but the potential for misuse is almost limitless. Our columnist takes you through the dangers of this futuristic process.The thing this blogger recognizes about technology is that no matter how well-intentioned, it always comes with a sinister underside. The upside is usually convenience, and for that, you apparently have to risk a lot. And let's not let Bible scholars get ahold of this one, or they'll invoke Revelations 13:17, no doubt: "no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name."
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TED Talks
(TED)
Great online video collection of big brains talking about their big ideas, really.
11:08:38 AM
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TED Talks
(TED)
Great online video collection of big brains talking about their big ideas, really.
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Toshiba Halts HD DVD Production, Mulls Future
(PC World)
Blu-ray wins.
Aren't you glad you weren't an early adopter of HD-DVD?
Playstation3 is starting to look like a bargain now.
09:52:03 AM
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Toshiba Halts HD DVD Production, Mulls Future
(PC World)
Blu-ray wins.
Aren't you glad you weren't an early adopter of HD-DVD?
Playstation3 is starting to look like a bargain now.
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« Friday « February 15, 2008
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Microfiber fabric makes its own electricity?
(Reuters.com)
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The fiber-based nanogenerator would be a simple and economical way to harvest energy from the physical movement... [but one] major hurdle remains: zinc oxide degrades when wet.Still, pretty interesting. One day, you shirt may power-up your iPod or iPhone.
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« Thursday « February 14, 2008
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Clemens' answer? Blame everyone but himself
(ESPN.com)
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Wednesday was a day of losers. While the Mitchell report withstood its stiffest challenge yet, baseball lost. Roger Clemens lost and Brian McNamee lost. Clemens had his day under oath in front of the country, and he spent it flailing, splashing against relentless waves of facts he could not calm, even after 4-1/2 hours.Well, actually, the biggest loser -- apologies to the NBC show -- is the American public. The economy is tanking. The ill-conceived and foolish war effort, which is killing thousands of our troops, and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, is diverting trillions of our tax dollars away from things we need (and have presumably paid for) like schools, roads, job-creation programs, and affordable health care. And yet, here we have buffoon politicians acting like giddy fans when talking to Clemens, an alleged cheater who makes his living by playing a game. A game, people. I'm a baseball fan, but it's really not that important; it doesn't merit this kind of kangaroo court. This is a complete waste of time and energy. All these people should be working on more important matters, and fixing the country. A shameful disgrace, and a sad commentary on the republic, as it stands today. We're not going to hell ...we're already there.
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« Monday « February 11, 2008
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Interpublic, Jay-Z Team For Multi-Culti Agency
(MediaDailyNws)
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After ducking out of multicultural advertising targeting African-Americans several years ago, the Interpublic Group of Cos. is getting back in the business, partnering with Jay-Z to create a new ad agency called Translation Advertising.I love this part, "Marketers are coming to understand the value of reaching African-Americans and other minority consumers with culturally attuned and hopefully 'authentic' messages. I can't wait to see what Jay-Z and Company, Inc. thinks is authentic. So far his entrepreneurial ventures have included music, clothing, nightclubs and spirits/liquors. Hey, wait a minute, they're right, Jay-Z does have his finger on authentic urban: beats, bling, clubs, and booze. What else is there to life, right. I can't help but think: is this for real? That said, I do think that overall, this is a good move: we need more black folk involved in business, generally, and advertising, especially. We are the biggest consumers; so why can't we also big players in creating those consumer desires?
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The 50th Grammy's Awards: my favorite moments
(Grammy.com)
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I thought Kanye West was a bit ridiculous with all his "I own this show" antics. We're talking about (arguably) art here, not sports. There are no real winners and losers in art. Relax Kanye, because entertainers are here today, and gone later today. Just enjoy the ride, stop talking and keep performing. I thought country singer Vince Gill had the best line of the night: upon receiving his country song of the year award, from Ringo Starr, Gill said, paraphrased, "I just got a Grammy from a Beatle! ... (pause) ... have you done that yet, Kanye?" Perfect. I thought that in his tux, Jay-Z looked like he was one top hat and a monocle away from being either Mr. Peanut or The Penguin from the old Batman TV show. And my favorite moment -- no, it wasn't Alicia Keys, but dayammmm she's fine -- was when Tina Turner and Beyonce doubled up on "Proud Mary." Beyonce is Beyonce: she's the mold all women should be made from, but Tina Turner, whoah, is 68 years old...and still a fox... seriously. Sixty eight! And Amy Winehouse is a strangely alluring freak, but boy can she sing. Hey, she told she was trouble, she's no good. Overall, a pretty decent show that grew on me as I watched.
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« Tuesday « February 5, 2008
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Andrew Bogut Had a Point
(Sports On My Mind blog)
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[A] representative of the NBA Players Association addressed the Raptors recently on matters of financial prudence. A statistic was cited during the meeting that startled some of the hoopsters. It was said that 60 per cent of retired NBA players go broke five years after their NBA paycheques stop arriving.The great thing about a blog is you can crib things you find on the Web and post them unexamined and unproven. I'm posting this one, because, if true, it's just a shocking stat. I really don't want it to be true, and yet my gut tells me...d*mn it is true. Of course, we need comparative stats: how does this apply to other sports, or how about other entertainers. For example, what percentage of platinum-selling rock or hip-hop stars go broke after their careers end?
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- nba
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« Sunday « February 3, 2008
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Review: Cloverfield (2008)
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Imagine a Godzilla movie, shot from the (handheld camera) point-of-view of people on the ground, as they desperately try to escape the destruction on foot. Only cooler. The problem, for me, is that a love story is intertwined with the main story, and as soon as you insert a love story that becomes the movie, because no matter what else happens, now the audience wants to know did the boy and girl end up together in the end. Spoiler coming: I'm here to report that they do. But as you'll see, what's the point? A refreshing new look at the monster movie. Good, mindless fun.
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Patriots Trying to Trademark '19-0'
(AOL Sports Blog)
How's that working out, greedy suckas?
'18-1' is available.
09:10:01 PM
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Patriots Trying to Trademark '19-0'
(AOL Sports Blog)
How's that working out, greedy suckas?
'18-1' is available.
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New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
(NFL.com)
Greatest team ever? ROTFLMAO! Eli Manning grows up before our eyes, and chowderheads everywhere need to shut t.f.
up.
The New York Giants are Super Bowl Champs!
07:24:00 PM
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New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
(NFL.com)
Greatest team ever? ROTFLMAO! Eli Manning grows up before our eyes, and chowderheads everywhere need to shut t.f.
up.
The New York Giants are Super Bowl Champs!
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« Saturday « February 2, 2008
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Microsoft Makes $44.6 Billion Bid for Yahoo! Yawn.
(IP Democracy)
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"Aside from that, a merger between Microsoft and Yahoo! is just boring. Neither company has done much that is terribly innovative or interesting for years. What, precisely, will merging these two lumbering, bureaucratic giants achieve that is even remotely interesting?"With so many Internet knuckleheads commenting on this proposed Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo! I picked the soundbite that summed up the deal best, IMHO. Two lumbering giants will melt into one bigger, lumbering giant; thousands of decent people will get laid off; and a bunch of investment bankers will get even richer. And then, a little later, Google will still be kicking all of these bozos' collective *sses! And nothing will be better. And greed is good. That's why the economy is the way it is today. Next.
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