Oops

So the blogosphere thing can be tricky.

As I am finding with business, there is no longer anything that a company can call "internal." For once a memo goes out, once a new product is planned, once an idea is articulated, it somehow finds its way into the ether.

The notion of "where there's smoke" there's fire is true. If a reporter calls asking about a rumor, chances are there is some element of truth to it. So while I was getting calls about a magazine being sold or a CEO retiring, behind the scenes, these things were really happening. In front of the scenes, I had deniability because I HAD NO CLUE.

Today, however, there is a new transparency. Nothing happens behind the scenes anymore. With blogs, a newsmedia that runs news as it happens (and sometimes before it happens), we are all subject to exposure.

I got exposed yesterday. I monitor an industry blog and on occasion, I will comment on a post. I do this under a nom de guerre. But in yesterday's post - which was very innocuous and thankfully did not call out a client -- I signed the stupid post "Toni."

Not sure now what to do. There are a lot of Toni's out there, but if I'm monitoring those blogs, I know a lot of other people are as well. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me they saw my post.

The lesson? Just like there's no more transparency in business or life - there really is no anonymity. Sooner or later, you are exposed.

UPDATE: Nailed! Just got asked by a friend if I was "Toni" on the already mentioned Blog. Things move in superhigh speed online.

The Root of All Evil

According to a new film out by Bill Maher 60% of the US Population actually believes the tales from the Bible. They believe in Noah and the Ark. They believe that snakes talk. In sum, they believe that things that can't be explained by science or fact, are true nonetheless. And they believe this because they were taught at a very early age about god and their religion.

I was taught as well. But I have to say, somewhere along the line I came to the realization that the only one who was going to help me in this world was me. I have a hard time believing in some all knowing great being.

Thankfully we have Bill Maher and his new film "Religulous" that is being called an "uproarious nonfiction film about the greatest fiction ever told."

Bill made a special appearance on Jon Stewart's show the other night and I was rivited. One of my friends said she was shocked that he was so far left and that she found herself agreeing with everything he said. Me too.

Fame

My friend Mike has been playing with the Roxy Perry band now for about 3-years. They just came out with a new CD and we celebrated the release at the Georgetown Saloon on Friday night.

I thought they sounded awesome. My friend Mike is on keyboards. He told my husband they've played better. I missed his solo - which I heard was funny.

He teaches philosphy by day and plays keyboard by night. I know there is something profound to say about that, but I'm not in a very profound mood today. Short and sweet - if you have a passion for something, go for it. It would be a shame to say, should, woulda, coulda...

Save Levi

I promised not to post about that silly woman now running as a VP candidate, but this piece from Bill Mahar is tooooooooooo funny. I love the fact that he calls poor Levi, father of Bristol Palin's incubus a "political prisoner."

I think we should all get Save Levi t-shirts.

Do Lawn Signs Work?

As you know by know, I have a thing for illegially placed lawn signs.

But what has become more interesting in my little tiny town is that signs all over are disappearing. The idiotic head of the Republican Town Committee had a letter to the editor this week decrying the lack of "democracy" afforded to the GOP as scores of McCain/Palin signs have been taken down in town. (I swear it wasn't me - honest). I didn't do it this time.

The guy's letter is literally impossible to read. Everytime he writes something he makes the case for NOT being a republican. But what is interesting is that the Democrats have not really had signs up at all. We just got our signs for our party candidates and the Obama signs -- in limited quantities, just arrived. So what's the noise about?

According to this very interesting article from a political friend, Lawn Signs don't even work. They make people feel like they are part of a cause, but don't really influence voters.

I have another point of view. I think they add to the visibility of a candidate, especially on the local level. If all you see is one candidate's name out there all the time, you're liable to think they are hard working and well liked. So it seems to me to be important for the competitor to also have his or her name out there.

My new strategy is to put my candidates signs up right next to his competitor -- at least when the signs are on public roads....

Jews for Obama - A Sarah Silverman Film

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Not much more I can add to than this. She was brilliant with her film, I'm fucking Ben Affleck. This is a close second. The point, that we need the generation of parents and grandparents to really think about what they are leaving behind for their children. Will it be hope as offered by Obama? Or war, distrust and religious fanaticism as offered by McCain.

The Cult of the Yogi

I have missed Yoga. I realized that today when I finally got to a class. I've tried to stay away because my Yoga studio teaches a fairly aggressive form of Yoga that is hard on the wrists, elbows, joints in general. I thought this was supposed to be good for you!

The funny thing I've found is that a lot of people have Yoga injuries. Even those who practice more easy going forms of yoga.

So what's up with that?

Here's another interesting thing about Yoga. You get there. It's a de-stressing environment. Yet as soon as you leave the studio, the stress of just crossing the street erases the magic "om" feeling of zen you had for maybe 10-minutes.

Last note on this subject. My studio has a "celebrity" type co-owner. He came on board after hooking up with one of the owners and now is the hot teacher. He's so hot that he is now teaching one class that you need his "permission in advance" to take. That does not strike me as the way of the Yogi. It strikes me as the way of the egoist.

Did I mention that when I emailed him this summer asking for a little help with my injury he never got back to me?

Is it because I'm not a size 4 like everyone else? Do you have to be a "beautiful" person to succeed in Yoga?

A Truism

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did." "But people will never forget how you made them feel".

This line was at the end of an email from my Mom. And it made me think of something that I've never forgotten.

Now, everytime I see Alex Witchel's name in the New York Times, I still remember. I like what she writes, but I can't forget that when I was around 12 or 13 on the Scarsdale Swim Team, Alex Witchel was my bully.

She and another girl - her name was Ellen - delighted in tormenting me. To this day, I don't remember what they did or what they said, I just remember hiding in the locker room every day after practice. I was kind of a tough kid myself. I was the oldest. I was bossy. I was used to getting my way.

But this quote reminded me that while I don't recall the specifics. They way I felt those days is still with me.

Lessons of Number 1

Since I'm in "marketing" it would follow that I'd write about some marketing lessons.

Here's one major rule that the top marketers seem to keep forgetting - if you are number 1 in the marketplace, you should NEVER take on number 2. You should not even acknowledge they exist. It is ok for number 2 or number 3 to take on the leader - it gives them the challenger status and everyone loves the underdog. But for Number 1 to take on Number 2 is a mistake.

Why, because then Number 1 looks defensive. They look like they really care about Number 2 or 3.

When Budweiser (the leader) bowed to pressure from Miller (the challenger) after Miller mocked Bud in its ads, it made Bud look like a cry baby. And it drove sales of Miller to an all time high.

So what does this have to do with today's lesson?



Microsoft has come out with a new campaign on the heels of a badly received "teaser" effort featuring Seinfeld and Bill Gates. The new ads proclaim that I'm a PC is a good thing. It is directly taking the piss out of the Apple ads where the "PC" character is some poor shlubby nerd -- actor John Hodgeman -- to be specific. While "Mac" is super coolish Jason Long.

If you remember the rule, Number 1 (Microsoft) should not even acknowledge Number 2 (Apple). But here's where things are squirrelly. Microsoft doesn't really compete with Apple which is a hardware company. Microsoft is a Software company. While the operating system that powers Apple is different. Microsoft has such a huge command of the market, it is puzzling that they see Apple as a competitor.

The reason Apple is the competitor is because Apple took Microsoft (the PC) on in it's advertising.

I have to say however, that I think the new I'm A PC ads by Crispin Porter Bogusky are brilliant. And the reason is because they hijack the PC character. And they show that being a Nerd is ok.

This will be an interesting battle to watch. And maybe a new lesson to learn.

Hope

At lunch today with my friend Michelle I expressed my pessimism about the future of our country. I have doubts about Obama's electability. But she came back at me with the goods - see below.

Guess we should never give up hope.


And here’s a solid analysis of state-to-state electoral votes . Obama’s got a slight lead, had a larger one in the summer, but it’s not all bad news. And my ex-Dean campaign friend feels more optimistic than most Dems these days, for the following reasons in particular:
It's not all doom and gloom for Obama. So far this month, he's seems to have solidified his narrow margin in Michigan and New Hampshire (states McCain is hoping to flip) while expanding his edges in the Bush states of Iowa and Colorado, where he now leads by 9.7 percent and 2.3 percent , respectively. If he wins these states in November--along with Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Mexico--he wins the White House. New Democratic registrations and Chicago's sophisticated field operation will surely help. But what the last week of polling has shown beyond any doubt is that McCain's successful convention and shocking choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate have shifted the map ever so slightly to the right, transforming a landscape that favored Obama into a landscape that favors, well, no one. For the next six weeks, then, expect Obama and Joe Biden to play defense (Pennsylvania, Michigan) as well as offense (Colorado, Virginia, Nevada) while focusing much of their attention on the king of all swing states: Ohio. But don't expect the final map to look all that different from 2004.