i can has change nao?

it's official. lolcats have made it to the white house. alright, clearly not. but it enabled me to have a good friday feline giggle at the same time as address the new change.gov that debuted.

of course there's been considerable buzz around the launch of the presidential-elect blog and website, since it carries his campaign past his election, which some folks thought would end when the road to the white house did. granted, people are still wondering what he's going to do with his new phone list.

i like this "transparency" and carry-through... though it does make me wonder how it will effect the reception of his years as President. if he makes good on promises, it could be a great thing. if he doesn't, it could be detrimental, moreso than previous politicians' promises.

but back to the "phone lists" and all the involvement the Obama army has had. will there be a way for them to continue to stay involved? i'm sure that will be resolved if the folks running his web2.0 stuff are as clever as they've been so far. "tell us your story" is a typical, if nice, gesture. as of right now, you can't leave comments on his blog.

how much involvement do you think is appropriate in this new "2.0" presidency?
UPDATE: & then there's this... obamachangefor.us and his flickr.

&PS>> if you're still here just for kitties and puppies, someone made up a drinking game to go with the live puppy stream i mentioned yesterday. find it here. i chose Autumn. happy weekend!

[img via.]

'yo mama so fat, she thinks the G8 is a Value Meal.'

title hat-tip there to @fernandorizo, as part of "Presidential Election Dozens" as dubbed by Xeni Jardin over at BoingBoing. see highlights there. personally, if the G8 were to be confused with anything, it'd be in the realm of "my mama the mechanic."

in other twitter news, if you didn't already hear through the grapevine (i heard it from @ischafer), there's a tool to let you know who unfollowed you, and after what tweet. it's pretty sweet. check out Qwitter.

i described twitter last night as "a boardroom full of smart people having a pizza lunch: business casual at its finest." i think that about sums it up. give or take a comfort level, i don't say anything on twitter i wouldn't say in a boardroom full of the business casual. haha. (except on fridays?)

that DeclareYourself voting vid? think twice.

it seems that the Don't Vote video i discussed here yesterday has caused quite a stir in the advertising and marketing community, from a number of age ranges and locations, like Public School Intelligentsia and Dear Jane Sample, both of whom are devoutly, it seems, against it. in a way, rightfully so. it's unappealing. but...

i think that there has been sight lost on the target group for the video. it's not meant to convince jaded 30-40 somethings to vote through use of the wiles of overpaid celebrity--you and i see through that by now. neither does it appeal to my age group, unless they act younger, because many of us have graduated college, have decided to vote or not vote already, have assessed our politics, and so forth. as such, we likely won't care about the spot.

it is meant to appeal to high schoolers and recent high school grads, whose attentions spans, as i've mentioned and many know, are incredibly difficult to capture. you can't coddle them like mommy and daddy or tell them what they should do. they're teenagers, they're rebellious, and likely, they don't give two shits about you, the government, or Wall Street. but if you get their back up by being condescending, you may just have a shot. MAYBE. though to get them to watch for 4 mins is asking a lot of the ADD generation.

to verify my thought process on this, i tossed my brother, a high school aged kid, the video. told him to watch it and just tell me what he thought. no prepping, no framing. then i asked him a few pointed questions: would it have made you register to vote? what did you think about the use of celebrities? what did you think about the use of sarcasm?

--
the responses were as follows:

on voting:
it would have persuaded me to vote, within reason yes i would try to but it would be put on a list of personal priority meaning i'd get to it asap but i wouldnt go out of my way instantly to do so

on sarcasm:
if i could vote, and wasnt planning to, it sure would've made me feel like crap. their approach was very sarcastic (obviously on purpose). i think the sarcasm was just right, but as i said it would come down to personal priority to whether or not i left that second to register

on celebrity:
sarah silverman(silvermen? sp?) was a little over the top with her...nonsense - it didnt fit well with the seriousness of the video. otherwise they worked well together.

any other thoughts:
ME: if i hadn't told you, specifically, to watch the whole thing, would you have if you stumbled on it?
HE: with a proper description and/or title, yes. i dont just click randomly at yt vids
ME: do you want to add anything else?
HE: the length was abit much, only when they started "waiting" for you to register
--

i don't profess that my brother is the be-all end-all answer; in fact, he's atypical. he's highly aware, interested in politics, and extremely bright. if you were following me on twitter, you noticed that i didn't think he'd like it, since he tends to have views nearly as mature as ours. so if this video works for him, i urge you to think about that, and to ask others in the high school age group what they think. no prepping, no framing. just, does it make you want to vote? food for thought.

"rampant like herpes. for positive."

nice job declareyourself. via socialvibe.

i think the beginning shock value offers enough to keep a younger viewer watching/listening, but after the first two minutes of more and more people telling me not to vote, i may just turn it off before it even gets to the payoff. clever idea, but a bit lengthy. could have survived with slightly less celeb face time by about half. especially since some repeat, even in the "vote if..." section. me personally, i don't need Hollywood telling me to vote, but i've always been politically active. i think this may do well at speaking to the 'newly unregistered 'voter, that is 18-20 types who haven't yet had a big reason to vote, who are still swayed by pop when nothing else will. if, that is, the spot can get past the ADD factor.

good, bad, ugly: more places to be.

link haze!

THE GOOD:
Tyler Durden's 8 Rules of Innovation. seriously brilliant & fun way of saying the usual stuff. i love Brian Clark for writing this. give it a read, even if you have no idea what Fight Club is. and if you do, well, you shouldn't be talking about it. and if you're on that kick, seriously, check out this awesome Fight Club kinetic typography. here and here.

THE BAD:
when will hair care people get it through their heads. WASHING MY HAIR does NOT give me--and i doubt any other women--orgasms. not Herbal Essences, not VO5. so just stop already. i want to know what moron thought that picking it up for VO5 would somehow make it more true. or is THAT why you guys thinking we take forever in the shower?!

also, 4 cheerleaders just taught me, courtesy of HungryMan, that "fuck" stands for "fornicate under consent of the king." i did not know this. but you can know this. [turns out i'm not stupider than marketing cheerleaders. it's not true. see comments.] check out the cheerleaders' series, i'm referring to the ep called "f**k." verdict still out on the campaign, though. i mean, it works for men, and that's the target, so i guess it's good? hat tip to adrants.

THE UGLY:
apparently, in the election, it all comes down to Halloween masks, ever since Reagan. the tricky thing this time around? of course, as usual, it's all about Palin. how-to costumes are popping up all over the internet, with tips galore. don't forget the gun, the baby, and of course, the glasses. UPDATE! "The GOP tells her what to say... now you can too!" -- pa.lindro.me speech creator.

funny after 5: i can haz bailot?

it's new, but i'm sure it will get even funnier. keep your eye on icanhazbailout.com, because as their banner says, "we're fucked, and it's funny." i'm not sure i agree.

but for moment to moment feelings surrounding the bailout and the economy, look at twistori's election aggregator here. and if for some reason you have absolutely no idea what's going on, there's always The Economic Collapse for Hipsters, a For-Dummies-esque look at whatthefuck is going on.

while you're at it, get your sassy, savvy, snarky hipster on with two of my fave non-ad-related blogs, Public School Intelligentsia and Hipster Runoff.

because pigs are trademarked, duh.

"If you've been on planet Earth in the last 24 hours, you've probably heard the phrase "If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig" more times than you can count. Well, we at PETA would like to put our own spin on this phrase and let everyone know that there should never be any real reason for lipstick on a pig unless it's because you've just given a pig a big kiss for being so darn cute." see more here.

i think, despite its political nature, that this approach is a good one for PETA. i actually wished they had thought of it before people decided to get up in arms over mammals in lipstick, metaphorically speaking (because we all know the GOP has a monopoly on the animal kingdom in rouge).

something that never quite made sense to me was the laborious use of half-naked women against animal cruelty. i mean, i get the shock value, and like anything else, if sex sells, why not use it to sell something worthwhile, like animal rights? i get that. but i didn't get what naked women had to DO with making me concerned about animals.

these kinds of ads, showing (in this case) pigs as loveable cuddle mongers in a near-grotesque Cosmopolitan socialite mask goes straight to the heart of the matter much more clearly. at least if you feel animals should be saved out of cuteness, and let's face it, cute is in. look at the news.

and if you're really still that heartless, check out the bacon links i've found. because apparently bacon is the new penguin. but really, check out the bacon flowchart (wtf?). okay. so where's the bacon flavored lipstick?

the good, the bad, and the ugly, deux.

other places to be. 1) because it's 9/11 and i'm sad and inarticulate. 2) because i was just on a three hour conference call. 3) because all lists need at least 3 things.

THE GOOD
if you thought Blue Oyster Cult was better with cowbell, you have NO IDEA. now, you can bring a little Walken into any situation. that's right, i said it. i have a fever and the only prescription is MoreCowbell.dj. and if you think your friends are funny, they are even funnier in 140 characters. so says ChoiceShirts, a spiffy company now promoting a tee shirt widget. you can get anything your friend said on a tee shirt with ChoiceTweets.

THE BAD
dear Miriam decides that she'll stick to mechanics rather than touch advising a woman about her cross-dressing husband. also--i am late on this, sorry, but Dane Cook is too funny at addressing this photoshop disaster.

THE UGLY
why did the chicken cross the road? Political Disgust answers. and if you need more disgusting politics... nah, i'm sure you know where to find all that.

the good, the bad, and the ugly. other places to be.

link haze; things i don't have time to comment on, since i'm actually doing work on a friday, like you should be, haha. ;)

THE GOOD
just some random funny stuff i found... Unplug Your Friends made me smile, and also made me look up Get Off the Internet by Le Tigre on songza. Listen here. and if you need to get out of a not-so-hot date tonight but don't have the balls, there's always the coward's way out: Get MOOH [get me out of here!]. oh, and lastly, am&a's Reverie Apparel is clearing inventory; 2for1 sale, check it out.

THE BAD
i am not at all touching on Palin's politics here, suffice to say i disagree; that's my prerogative, and you can have yours, that's cool. i don't care what it is so long as you VOTE. regardless. i am floored that, above all else, she wanted to ban books. 1984 anyone? oh, and while we're on the topic, Heart isn't so fond of Palin's... musical choices.

THE UGLY
as if you couldn't tell from my post about Twittad, i am tired of people hijacking some other people's stuff. for more blatant ripoff fun, check out You Thought We Wouldn't Notice, a fave blog of mine for some time.

funny after 5: an introduction to Palin

just in case you have no bloody idea who Sarah Palin is [cough: Alaskan governer] other than she just got the Republican Veep nomination today [ever wonder if she's as surprised as we are?--or as the other 3 male repub veep contenders?], here's a short introduction to her persona and her political experience via the lovelies on twitter:

- Sarah Palin's maiden name is Connors. (@skydaddy)
- There are 327 words in Inuit for Sarah Palin (@Dayngr)
- When a tree falls in Alaska, Sarah Palin knows EXACTLY where it is (@doctoranonymous)
- Sarah Palin tells Steve Jobs at Apple what to do. (@illuminato)
- Sarah Palin drilled there, and drilled then (@travis)
- Sarah Palin singlehandedly keeps the Alaskan vampires at bay. (@jtcalhoun)

see more meme here: little known fact. discerning eyes (the guy who started it) have catalogued some of the funnier ones at palinfacts.com

let the world decide.

what's better than Paris Hilton as faux-running mate to Obama?

letting the world (agencies?) decide. [see slide 16; i also like 8 & 9, personally.]

TBWA\CHIAT\DAY:


but clearly, that would be a bad idea. incongruent governments and all. so when you actually go to lettheworlddecide.org, you get a "404" error message. one of the funniest i've seen in some time. something something iPhone.

to see other funny 404's, check these (that one's my fave!) out (that one you can refresh for something new, too).

on another note, you can read a recent analysis of Obama's slinking campaign from an ad POV here.
i didn't realize a new slogan right now was that detrimental, but, i am willing to buy it. especially considering Biden.

...twitter sex? ohNO.

today's funny after five is a set of three... cheers!

Adhack searches out the meaning of life. just kidding. he's looking for answers to even more impossible questions, like, where do clients come from? i mean, i assume he doesn't want the stork answer.

twitter etiquette -- the best version i've found yet. pass it on.
...If it could get you fired, be used against you in court, or impede your ability to get laid, be-still your typing thumbs.
...If you think texting your ex is embarrassing the next morning, try texting all of them.

and lastly, proof that politics is all relative.
the problem with Georgia (no, not that one!).

felines later. don draper now.

i'm busy at work on deadline (friday deadlines ftw!), but this made my morning, so i'm sharing. i'll get around to feline friday later today. xxo!

What Would Don Draper Do?

"I don't care. I'm a white male. Election results don't affect me."

late breaking politics on twitter.

Obama and McCain reps go tech on twitter.

debates around technology for the future ensue this evening with Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) mediating between "two officially sanctioned stand-ins for the rival campaigns -- Mike Nelson [(@MikeNelson)], who's advising the Obama campaign on tech issues, and Liz Mair [(@LizMair)], online communications [sic] director for the Republican National Committee."

you can follow all three participants via twitter or you can search for them on Summize, using the #pdfdebate hashtag. more on this here. i will likely respond with my thoughts after their debates conclude in a few days.

hook, line: pioneering creativology

made it to cannes and can't write for shit.

in case you were wondering... this even fails as a critique of advertising buzzwords. this can't even survive as satire. not that i would think satire is in line with microsoft's brand image. oh man. click for bigger view. pioneering creativology. yeah, okay, if by creativology you mean verbal diarrhea. and post script. that twitter page causes migraines. for real. sledgehammer. i get it.

another side note to make you laugh:
things younger than mccain dot com. oh yeah, they went there. score.

mccain's admorons go one further.

truthiness! first, i gave you last week, a plagiarist you can believe in.

this week, i'm afraid it doesn't end. i regretfully, fretfully give you, some bullshit you can believe in.

ohmy. who is paying these people? who said this was a good idea? WHO?
[and yes, you should also hear colbert in the background saying "repore" in your head.]

it's so sad it's not even funny.
[if you can't compete: steal, mutilate until useless, repeat.]

to make it up to you, in the news today is also a unicorn you can believe in.

a plagiarist we can believe in.

...for real mccain?

i mean, i know you feel threatened... and maybe even, like you predecessor, you feel that you're clever. but really, you just lack that.

and what does this really say to me?
"i don't believe in change. i just want you to vote for me."
by omitting the key phrase--change--and shifting the emphasis from an ideal to a person.

yeah, you're not changing my mind. ick.
[new slogan released june 3]

zappos rocks. facebook scares kittens.

i can't say it better than Marshall Kirkpatrick, who reports on Facebook's message censorship. good comments going on there, too. censorship makes Riots very, very cranky. you don't want a cranky Riot, let alone multiple cranky Riots. you really don't need to know me in my plural state. anyway. i only recently started getting heavy into Facebook again after a year or two of App Intimidation, but the Flair app has assuaged me. this might send me running yet again.

in other news, Zappos is still bloody brilliant and is paying their employees $1000 to quit after one week. you're jealous you didn't think of it first. it's okay: you can still do it. something about imitation and flattery, right? i'm still trying to figure out why, if i'm so in love with how zappos runs things, i've still not been able to find a pair of shoes on that site worthy of ordering... i do want to support. i'm trying?

and lastly, it seems i've also become a connoisseur of the lolcat, and so, compliments of @ckieff, i give you Cats For Obama dot com.

badass, more badass, and badasser.

badass: Recount - showing us how badly we effed up since '00. it dares you to recast your presidential vote. if you can. (cue badass music)

more badass: Stoli Hotel - helping you forget to remember anything at all. it's a traveling circus, only with beds. the only way it could be better is if it weren't stoli. but hey, i already admitted i'm a vodka snob.

badasser: Beating Card - bringing you fight club in the safety of your interwebs. check out toad all decked out in black and blues. sexy, i tell you. heh.

and a parting gift, for those of us who have a slightly different definition of badass:
intellectual badassness: Inner Daemon - in His Dark Materials spirit, you can figure out what your inner daemon is. i've got a snow leopard. @dailybiz has some nice toucan plumage.

where's the line?

i don't have time to post today, sorry; very busy.

in consolation, a very disturbing post for your pondering mind to ponder this friday afternoon.

i am cranky about this and i even purchase all my music. this is effed up.
where's the line?