So far, with this beautiful piece of machinery, I have introduced these foods into my daughters' diets without them even knowing it.

• Escarole
• Avocado
• Kale
• Spinach

Today after school we have only a couple of hours before heading to Chloe's karate class so it was the perfect opportunity to whip up a smoothie. So far, I have never follow an actual recipe. This is what I threw in today.

• 2 cups of raw spinach
• 1 frozen banana
• 3/4 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1 cup of ice
• 5 prunes
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• Some sunflower seeds
• Some pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup of grape juice
• 1/2 cup of soy milk
• 1 tbsp of agave nectar
• 1 tbsp of Splenda

The key is to not let them see you make it and to put enough dark ingredients (grape juice, blueberries, etc.) to make the final product a purple color. Ainsley is wary of a green smoothie. The spinach in undetectable. The Blendtec turns it into a smooth, creamy treat that's more like ice cream than anything. Even the prunes disappear into the mix. Obviously, it would be impossible to get them to eat a prune on its own.

I think I could write about our blender all night. For the first week, I made my wife sleep on the counter, and the new kitchen appliance took up the other half of our bed. That's how much I love this blender.

*Haterade: Bjork hates Pitchfork even more than you do. "just read that pitchfork.com credited nico muhly for the choir arrangement of “hidden place” from vespertine . also that he has done string arrangements for me . this is not true . journalists : please read the creditlist before you write your articles" [music slut]

*Jazz: Second-graders fall in love with jazz legend John Coltrane. Then they try to save the house in which he wrote "A Love Supreme." [fark]

*Streaming: You can listen to Metallica's new single, "The Day That Never Comes," on MySpace legally, without being sued. [pop candy]

*Local: Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue has redesigned their website. Now with 50% more pulsating! The history section is worth a read. They also twitter when shows are announced or sold out.

*Viral video: Rob Walker looks at Blendtec's "Will It Blend?" YouTube series. Personally, my favorite part is when a lot of toxic dust comes wafting out of the blender.

*Namaste.

Ambil contoh apa yang dilakukan Paman Tom Dickson. Dia ini pendiri dari Blendtec, sebuah perusahaan yang memproduksi blender. Selama setahun terakhir ia rutin mengupload video pendek di youtube yang terkait dengan jualan blendernya, khususnya salah satu produk blender yang konon memiliki kekuatan yang luar biasa.

Nah, yang menarik adalah, video itu menampilkan ia tengah mem-blender berbagai macam hal yang aneh-aneh. Baru-baru ini misalnya ia mencemplungkan iPhone 3G ke dalam blendernya dan benar-benar ia blender sampai menjadi debu berwarna kehitaman. Di kesempatan lain, ia memblender stick golf, handycam, bola golf, bohlam, kelereng, sepatu Nike, ayam dicampur Coca cola, bahkan Coca-cola bersama kaleng-kalengnya pernah ia blender. 

Lebih dari sekedar pamer blender, ia juga suka usil dengan menampilkan video yang terkait dengan tema-tema aktual. Di jaman pemilu ia memblender simbol partai demokrat dan republik di Amerika. Ketika para penulis script film di Amerika demo, ia merebut salah satu poster orang yang sedang demo dan juga memblendernya. Bahkan digambarkan ia pernah memblender handphone kru videonya, gara-gara salah satu handphone itu berdering waktu sedang rekaman.  

Kegilaannya inilah yang membuat orang ramai-ramai menonton videonya di youtube. Video iPhone 3G nya saja sudah ditonton hampir 2 juta orang sejak 11 Juli kemarin, bahkan secara keseluruhan videonya konon sudah disaksikan lebih dari 100 juta kali.  Apa namanya kalau bukan marketing? Memang beberapa kali ia dikritik di youtube karena dianggap berbohong. Tapi toh secara marketing ia berhasil menarik perhatian orang juga, kan?  

Si Paman Tom ini menjadi terkenal dan sering diwawancara sana-sini, termasuk di sejumlah acara televisi terkenal di Amerika. Kata-kata "Will It Blend" menjadi sangat terkenal dan lebih dari itu, dalam sebuah wawancara ia mengakui bahwa video itu juga sangat berdampak pada angka penjualan blendernya. 

Saya jadi teringat pada Pakde Tung Desem Waringin yang juga tidak kalah gila. Ia konon pernah menjual mobil Mercy yang sudah terbakar seharga ratusan juta. Aksi yang tidak kalah gila adalah dengan membuang uang ratusan juta dari atas pesawat. Ya aksi terakhir ini memang gila dan ia memang mencapai target dengan diekspos di media dalam dan luar negeri. Itu juga marketing, kan? Tapi entahlah, saya merasa aksinya itu tidak pantas saja dalam keadaan ekonomi seperti sekarang ini.

Tapi terlepas dari semua itu, kreatifitas memang menjadi kunci utama seorang marketer. Kreatifitas ini pulalah yang agaknya perlu di pelajari oleh para marketer politik kita menjelang pemilu.. Jangan kayak si paman kita yang satu itu yang sampai membuat seorang suster Apung merasa tertipu.. hahaha.. Nyambung ke politik juga.. 

Udah ah. Mendingan nonton ulah si Paman Tom lagi deh..  

~~~

Tautan Terkait:

• Channel 'Will It Blend' di youtube
• Memblender iPhone 3G hehe
• Situs resmi Will It Blend
• Will It Blend di Wikipedia 
• Wawancara dengan Tom Dickson di Squid News
• Ulasan pakar marketing Seth Godin tentang Will It Blend

George Wright, VP of marketing for Blendtec, gave the keynote this morning at the New Media Expo. And he hit a home run. He showed several examples of the Will it Blend? videos, including the iPhone and a Chuck Norris action figure.

Beyond the fun, it is Wright's message that connects for a lot of companies and marketing/corporate communications departments looking to do something a little different to raise awareness of their brand.

Wright says the key components to a video campaign are:

-It has to be entertaining, and worth watching. "I love to watch people watch this," Wright says.

-It has to demonstrate a real product.

-It has to be sponsored by the manufacturer, not labeled as being from outside agency on your behalf.

-It has to be based on real people. Blendtec uses their actual company president.

-You have to have interactivity with viewers, allow for comments and suggestions. Be ready to be overwhelmed if it takes off!

-You have to have a way for viewers to subscribe, to build your base.

Wright says advertising simply doesn't work the way it used to. He's had more impact online than any TV or print ad could do.

One other note, Wright says Blendtec has had huge success on YouTube but actually makes money by using Revver. Worth pointing out as a way for marketing departments to earn money. They also now charge some companies (Nike, etc...) who call them up and ask for their products to get blended up.

Before the Q&A, Wright ended his keynote appropriately with a demonstration. He blended up the handle on a rake!

Not to be outdone, someone came up and asked Wright to blend his Motorola phone. It didn't take long to take care of most of it!

Buddy Bear said to his new friend Robbie the Weasley, "Hey man, let's go shoot some bitches."

Rob replied, "What?"
Buddy said, "Yeah man, let's go shoot some crazy bitches."

"No, what, what? What kind of bitches, what?"

"Yeah, some big ol' wobbly ass bitches walkin' down the street man, it might be fun man, c'mon, man, c'mon," Buddy said with smirks and jabs to the ribs.

"Man, I don't want to be going out and shooting some ass bitches what the hell man."

"Assbitches! That is why I like you man, sayin' stuff like that, man, this is why you're my boy Robbie, this is why you gotta be with me when we start shootin' some bitches, man!"

"I just want to go home and eat some hamburger helper, why do we gotta go out and shoot some bitches?"

"Because they ain't going to go and shoot themselves!" Buddy was giving this idea of his two thumbs up!

"Violence is not the answer." Robbie was being pragmatic.

"You don't even know what the question was!" shouted Buddy, not sure of what he was saying after he found Robbie's not well-hidden stash.

"I think you're just a mindless individual who conforms to the visceral appeal of the glorification of violence by the media."

"Naw, man, you know me, man, I ain't gonna do you like that, man. Don't be a ho, man. Be a bro, man!"

"Screw this, I'm getting a beer. Wait a second, why does the refrigerator smell like deodorant and listerine? Why does the toilet not flush? And why is the garbage can full, we just changed it yesterday?

"I took a shit, chewing gum, and bootleg porn dvds, in that order." Buddy scratched the back of his head and his arm a little.

"Damnit, you frickin bear!"

"This reminds me of a dream I had. Where Hermione, Harold, and Haggard went through the Phat Tollbooth and fought a bunch of battletoads, froggers, kermit the frogs, and teenage mutant ninja turtles. Actually, Haggard was using his axe, Hermione was using her spells, and Harold was just standin around in a french maid outfit. Do you know what this could mean?"

"What? Did you really have a dream like that?"

"Nope, but I just took a dump on the couch."

"Damnit, you frickin bear!"

"Hey, chill out Robbie, don't be grizzly, be polar, think polar, dude" Buddy burped while holding up his can of beer.

"How are you supposed to be helping me with this quest to save the world from Harold and the Golden Army?"

Buddy smacked his lips and threw away the recently finished rocky road ice cream container. He nonchalantly inquired, "What quest?"

"WHAT?! You're supposed to be here helping me with a quest to save the world from the Golden Menace! Remember? Your obscure references to a cataclysm involving the sky turning gold and how there's a holy cow? That's the reason I let you stay here? Huh? Ring any bells or nothing?"

"Oh, yeah, about that. Hermione already fixed that a long time ago. It was a bunch of stuff about a Goldeneye and a golden gun and a goldfinger. I'm just chillin'." He took another bite of Domino's pizza.

Robbie was not pleased. "So why are you still here?!"

"Shut up, you my bitch now! Are you a bitch? Yes, you are bitch, yes you are!"

"Now see here my good man, I am a respectable robber that does not have to stand for being referred to as a bitch from a punkass bear that eats my food and dumps his business in refrigerators!"

"Aw, don't be like that... After all, I am a respectable bear that won't be restricted to not mauling your ass in your own house. I have 7 kids that I am trying to avoid. 7. Plus, I took a dump in your dishwasher."

"Damnit you frickin bear! Dumps like a truck..."

"Nope, there's not a way we can do anything about it. You're going to have to face the fact that you got a bear living with you."

"Can you at least use the coaster for your cup of rollerskate milkshakes? Which, I might add, have made a  considerable mess of my Blendtec blender."

"Hm..." The bear was ponderous. He replied, "Hey, it'd be like a roller coaster! Get it, roller coaster?!" Nudge nudge, jab ribs, wink wink, Buddy did. "And I sure hope my tongue doesn't slip about your secret identity!"

"What secret identity?"

"You're Super Zammo Man!"

"What...."

"And you know what's Super Zammo Man's favorite thing to do is?"

"Not clean feces!" He said with a huge grin and shining eyes.

"That's right! Shoot bitches with me at the vet's place!"

"What??? Like..."

"Yeah!"

"Like, shots. Like give them shots. Female dogs."

"Yeah Super Zammo Man! Let's go shoot some hot dog ass bitches!"

"Ugh... I need to lie down."

"Not on the couch!" Buddy tried to warn him...

"Damnit you frickin bear! What is this on the couch? Were you eating corn? How much corn were you eating? Damnit! That's it I'm mad, I'm seriously pissed. I'm going to go frickin' Zammo the shit back into your ass whether or not, you are a bear, you are gonna get something handed back to you!"

Buddy was silent. He was shocked. Suddenly, he became sincere, "I'm sorry man. It was the fear of getting tranq'd and roped up out in the street by the popo. I got nervous, dawg. I was afraid of them being all like "We gonna be all in yo grill buddy bear in the big city. Not big enough for bears," and business like that. I don't give a shit non-compulsively, man... (No pun intended). You can understand this from a bear's perspective, can't you? And if not a bear's perspective, a buddy's perspective?"

"Argle fargle rargle. Frickin bear... Maul my ass why don't ya..." Robbie struggled for words. "Fine! Just try to refrain from being turd burglar!"

"Yes sir, Super Zammo Man, sir!" Buddy Bear gave him his word on the Scout's honor.

...

But he wasn't a Scout...

Later that day, Robbie broke his ankle. It was because Buddy mutated into a zombie tiger and attacked.

Found Footage: Blending an iPhone 3G

Also all der Hype um das neue Plastikspielzeug des Edelschrott-Herstellers Apple will mir nicht so ganz einleuchten. Allein die hundsmiserable Kalenderfunktion ist mir zutiefst zuwider und hält mich von einem Kauf ab. Von all den Dingen, die schon mein 3310 vor etlichen Jahren konnte und die das Ei-Fon NICHT kann möcht ich hier garnicht anfangen.  Apple darf seinen DRM-verseuchten Schrott namens iTunes ruhig behalten, die Installation zusätzlicher (Fremd-)Software gern weiter unterbinden und mündige zahlungswillige Kunden gerne weiter bevormunden. Mich stört´s nicht sonderlich, solang es "Hip" und "In" ist, werdens wohl genug kaufen, wie man allein schon beim Verkaufsstart bei one/orange hier in Österreich sehen konnte. Nichtmal eine Stunde hielt der Vorrat in den One-Worlds ob des künstlich herbeigeführten Lieferengpasses des wurmigen Apfels.

Blendtec hat das neue iPhone ausführlichst getestet und ich muss sagen: nice:

Danke an cashy für den Tip ;)

It shows what happens when an iPhone goes for a spin in the high torque world of a blender.  For those of you standing on line to get your new iPhone just think - this stunt has probably cost you another 15 minutes in the dang line.

He could have just given it to me!!

ในขณะที่เหล่าบรรดาสาวกไอโฟนกว่าจะได้เครื่องรุ่นใหม่ iPhone 3G ต้องนั่งรอยืนรอกว่า

5 ชั่วโมง แต่นาย Tom Dickson จากรายการ "Will it Blend" กลับทำร้ายความรู้สึกอีก

แล้ว ก็พี่แกเล่นใช้เครื่องปั่นทรงพลังจากบริษัท Blendtec ปั่นเจ้า iPhone 3G ซะเละไป

เลย...เฮ่อ...เห็นแล้วเสียดายจัง

ความจริงแกตั้งใจจะปั่นไอโฟนเครื่องเก่า แต่ใส่ผิดอธิบายเพลินไปหน่อยหย่อน iPhone

3G เข้าไปแทน ดูคลิปแล้วฮาไม่ออก เพราอย่างที่บอกไว้ตั้งแต่แรกค่ะว่า เสียดายจัง...

นายคนนี้ชอบทำร้ายจิตใจเรื่อยเลย

Os filmes do Chuck Norris são sempre daqueles onde o herói está lá tranqüilo fazendo seu trabalho, até que acontece alguma injustiça ou crime, ele sente sede de sangue e vai se vingar, sendo que na maioria das vezes nem por ele mesmo, mas pela honra dos que já morreram ou apanharam no filme.

O fato é que esses "fatos" sobre o ser supremo, Chuck Norris, já vem de algum tempo e viraram inspiração pra muita coisa na publicidade. O exemplo brazuca é a campanha "Verdades sobre o Gol" que fala sobre a mitificação de um produto.

Outro exemplo interessante é um filme da série "Will it blend?" da Blentec. Pra quem não conhece, os caras colocam qualquer coisa dentro do liquidificador e botam pra bater. Já vi de tudo aí, desde iPhone até facas Ginsu.

O que quero dizer com tudo isso é que, gosto muito de personificar as coisas. Acho esse um exercício bacana pra qualquer um que quer definir uma marca ou mesmo fazer escolhas na vida.

E o quanto mais personalidade tiverem suas escolhas, fica mais fácil se decidir o que você prefere e/ou definir quem você é. E fica mais fácil para as outras pessoas também. Toda essa discussão me lembra mais uma campanha ícone. Com quem você se parece? Mac or PC?

For starters, we have www.WillItBlend.com touting Blendtec's Total Blender capabilities to blend just about anything you can squeeze in.

Examples include the:

Apple iPhone

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.618649&w=425&h=350&fv=%26mediaId%3D326933%26affiliateId%3D46872%26height%3D372%26width%3D460%26pngLogo%3Dunbranded%26allowFullScreen%3Dtrue]

Nintendo Wii Remote[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.618625&w=425&h=350&fv=%26mediaId%3D867505%26affiliateId%3D46872%26height%3D372%26width%3D460%26pngLogo%3Dunbranded%26allowFullScreen%3Dtrue]

Next we have a similar site named www.WillItShred.com from SSI whose shredding capabilities tells you just about how rich the company is to shred the items they used to shred in order to promote their product - but it worked! At least I rememebered.

Now have a look at the piano becoming debris:

Next a car that could still be driven...but not anymore:

There are still tons of videos touting both companies machines.

I must say I shiver when I imagine the SSI being used to shred human bodies - they would be chewed in a flash. Horrific.

I also read about Market Leverage more and more.

Their tv show thingy is quite cool – who would think to do that for an affiliate network?

Actually – I would and others – we just don’t have the wherewithal to actually do it.

They have and its really pretty good.

Smiley Central – oh brother. That is an offer that should not be bragged about.  Every time I installed that I got nothing by spam and viruses.  I thought they were gone long ago……

Market Leverage care package – well, pretty crazy that the folks that get this are so excited about it.  Really – its all hype and self promotion.  Having said that I have just applied to be an affiliate – not because of the free stuff but to hear what they have to say – and pay attention to how they are doing things over there – they’re dong something right.  I hope to strap the I’m blogging this t-shirt on the next over zealous rocket that swoops past a jetliner with the I’m blogging this logo passing by the passengers and pilots.

As for the hat – some white spray paint may spice things up a bit – the golf shirt – kindling?

USB drive – useful.

Pen – will it blend?

In addition to the Market Leverage hype I wonder what’s up with people finding my message to the Twitter Gods only after 4 or 5 days have blown by.  I am getting comments there now – but only days later.  I’m indexed very quickly on Google – hmmmm oh maybe its because twitter was gone and down for the past few days from what I’ve heard.  Please can’t twitter so the read blogs about twitter instead?

Other random thoughts.

Did you know that on a 2005 Chevy Venture you can’t chage the PCV valve without breaking the metal retainer it mounted in? They riveted it into the valve cover and there are no bolts to take out – at one of the auto parts stores a mechanic finally took a look at it for me and said – just break off the clips and change the valve.  I did it was easy – but really come on Chevy what gives.

Oh – and those back 3 spark plugs on the Venture – you have to basically remove the back half of the engine – remove bolts and lift the rear of the engine to get to the SPARK PLUGS – come on dudes!  I changed the front three then gave up.

Chevy is my engine goes bad cause I can’t get to them – you’ll be hearing from me.  The venture – will it blend?  Blendtec ought to make a bigger version for crappy cars.

Another random update.  My laundry soap experiment.  Well, the wife is not too happy with the stuff.  She called me one day to tell me I was going to clean the flooded laundry room that night.  The goop gets very gelatin like and on the cold cycles clogged the soap intake tube.  I simply added hot water and it melted away – but keep this in mind as you make and use your own laundry detergent.

So…these are the things I’m thinking about. The pattern – they all somehow have to do with the internet.  Yep, the only way I found out what I did about the Venture – the internet, and the mechanic.  This post – to tell you who are trying to change out the spark plugs and the pcv valve of the 05 venture – break the pcv valve retainer – forget about the back three plugs – have a mechanic due it. 

*****

Science MachineThe music in the video may make you want to kill yourself (or at least I did), but the art work is worth a look.

*****

The Sphere of Fine Dining
I like the design of this furniture.
It almost looks like it's still being drawn up.
Like wooden sketches, that you can actually sit in.
*****

Stackable Chairs - that look and feel niceNo way!
Yea, that's what I said.
I'd have to actually get to sit in these, but the way this guy describes them, you'r imagine their like heaven.

*****

Lilly McElroyThis lady is pretty awesome.
I would say what she does is performance art, mixed with still art.
As she throws herself at strangers and takes a picture while doing it.

*****

Water Vapor ExhaustZero Emission Suzuki Crosscage, wow.
You can be green and dangerous at the same time.
I like it.

*****

Funny but gross Rubik's Cube adsMixing a babies arms and legs, then twisting them sideways, doesn't exactly make me smile.
But it does definitely catch my attention.

*****

Creepiest Blind Date EverHaha...Just watch.

*****

Food ArtNot like most other food art with just a fruit cut up to like a smiley face on crack.
Although the very first one is a bit intimidating.

*****

Blendtec's viral ad campaign, broken downIf you haven't heard of Blendtec yet just go youtube it and you'll find out.
There's a bunch of videos now of the blender destroying items, and doing it well.
LifeisOverpriced.com figures a nice break down of how they pulled it off.

*****

Google SitesThe people at Google never seem to stop creating cool new ways to utilize the internet.
And here is a new one, Google Sites.
Basically a site that helps you build a website, nothing new, but with google's mind and power behind it, it's bound to be great.

*****

Zappos Pays New Employees to Quit - WTF!?No Lie. They do.
Very interesting article that describes why Zappos does this and how it helps the bottom line.

*****

Bar RefaeliThis girl is ... wow.
Just something new I ran in to.

*****

Radio Controlled Penis...say what!?Yea, a flying RC Penis.
With balls and everything.
Genius.
Pure Genius.

*****

Devastating Insults from Around the WorldThese are some great insults.
So many new insults to use, and so many places to use them.
"I dream about farting on you" is just one of the many you will find here.
I'll honestly say I don't know when I'm going to tell someone "I dream about farting on you",
but I know when I do, it will be great.
Others include "Graze on my ass hair", "The Pope fucks you" or if you're feeling a little frisky, "Your mother sucks bears in the forest".
A good one to let the ladies know, "Brush your teeth, my dick will be inspecting soon!"

*****

Sketch a human body and locate the Following:a. plank of wood
b. a ruby stuck in my forehead
c. words can't really describe this picture

*****

Dear JessicaI've tried a letter like this,
it doesn't seem to to the job at a bar...
on a napkin...

*****

Amazing Peice of TechnologyYou'll be amazed, I gauruntee it (unless you've heard of it before, then just move along).Here's a link to the website he mentions

*****

GreatGlam.comI may be a perv, but these are some of the hottest clothing models I've seen in a while.
I mean this top is called the bronco
The names of some of these put words to my mouth where words are lost.
I mean just take a look at a few more:
 Innovative (sure is...I actually like the conservative look more than the flashy, almost nude-look)
 Thunder (Where there's thunder theres...a nice rack. But seriously, I applaud like thunder)
 Utilize This (I will)
 Simply Deep (Is it really?)

*****

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Internet Uesrs

I'm intersted in the "Feeling Horny" and "Social Networking" mix...hmmm...
AdultFriendFinder here I come.
But if I wanted to have an actual relationship I'd be on Facebook.

*****

Most Memorable Pin-Up Posters (That We Missed)
Great collection from asylum of pin-ups that weren't too famous, but definitely could've been.

*****

Gaming FashionPersonal Favorites from this list:
 Pac-Man hat - Now I'm not saying I'd wear this in public...maybe just on halloween.
 8-bit Tie - Awesome tie. Would like it better if it wasn't a clip-on.
 Tetris Mirror - Cool mirror, for those vain tetris players.
 Pac-Man Shot Glasses
 Your Mom Shirt

*****

Don't Mess With Texas
"We're a gun toting state. We have a lot of John Wayne in our blood. We're gonna shoot first and ask questions later."
Exactly.
A robbery went down and the robber ended up shot dead.

*****

Steven Seagal Emotion Chart
Steven Seagal is one tough guy,
but you'd never be able to tell by his face.

*****

If Nintendo Made Halo 3
The Red VS Blue guys are always entertaining, here is a good one from them.

*****

The Real Simpsons
Making animations in the real human form is always tricky,
and this time proves to be no different.
Someone took the time to design what the Simpsons would look like in real human form.

*****

Insane Instrument
An instrument that could literally drive you nuts!
(not "drive your nuts", as some people would like)

*****

gloggomobil
This "kids" toy works like a music box, but it lets you direct the music.
I'm in love with this product, but definitely not the price tag.

*****

Rainbow
This is a rainbow you can buy.
I almost would like to get this for my desk at work,
but then I'd have a rainbow on my desk...
But this thing is still cool.
Once again, not a fan of the price tag on it.

*****

Funny Stop Signs
These stop signs have hidden messages to get people to actually stop at them,
but the government doesn't find them 'uniform' enough for their standards.

*****

Whacky Vending Machines
Funny that half of these are Japanese.
They all are pretty cool in theory, not sure if I'd use them all.
I do need a marijuana vending

*****

Bionic Exoskeleton - Suits of the Future
Cool suits that could be at a store near you - soon! (maybe)

*****

Chubby Kid Work Out
Watch this guy,
you may learn a thing or two.

*****

Overweight Monkeys
Fat ass monkeys.
This is what happens when you GIVE them bananas and they don't go climbing around for them.

*****

R2D2 Projector
It can mobilize itself and you get a millinium falcon remote!
Star Wars fans pull your jaw back up after watching the video on Gizmodo.
Simply amazing.

*****

UtiliTILE
A tile, not a floor tile, a wall tile, that you can use to store your utensils.
The downside to this is that the placement of your utensils is preset,
so no literal throwing will be going on here.
Now who ever thinks of that one has something even more valuable!

*****

The creative Frenzy of Arne Quinze
I'm loving the almost purposefully random art made here.
And the construction-work-orange color of the creations.

*****

SKYplay on Flikr
Amazing photos with a simple formula:
1 part Nice Cloudy Day
1 Thing
1 Creative Minded Photographer

*****

Yakisugi House, Terunobu Fujimori
I am loving the style here.
The all wood rooms are beautiful, and the overhanding attic-like space is a bit crazy, but cool.

*****

People Are Ideas
NotCot.org Description: "Y.O.C. BOX: "Year Of Creativiy Box" is an Admcom self promotion. It contains 366 illustrated business cards which show different,
imaginative professions (one per day), all of them addressed to the recipient."
All the cards are very intuitive in design, but very creative in execution.

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An amazing new revolution is coming...
You asked for change...
Arm Wrestling + Tetris = Tresling

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Minnesota's statewide mullet contest winner announced!!!
So Minnesota

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$360,000,000,000 (AKA Three Hundred and Sixty BILLION Dolla Bills Y'all)
Now that's a lot of money...
Especially when you take a check to a bank and try to cash it!
Charles Ray Fuller had no problem attempting this one.

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Will Ferrell + Shaq = ?
Well if you like Ferrell and Shaq, then you'll definitely like this.
From a few years back, but a good, clean laugh.

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What are your plans for your body after death?
This article could give you some ideas on what to do with it.

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What Guy's Think About in Class
A man's POV when he's stuck in class.

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Refacing Government Tender
Ever got a dollar bill that had lincoln with a face mask on?
This guy probably did it.

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Movies that could shape your life.
Make a list of 10 influential movies, that if watched in your adolescent years, could shape who you become.

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Twistori

"this is the first step in an ongoing social experiment, based on twitter. inspired by wefeelfine and drawing data from summize, hand-crafted by amy hoy and
thomas fuchs."
Crazy little site, grabs info using twitter, using some keywords.
Interesting idea - I like.

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Seriously...stop playing
When a joke goes a few steps too far.
Spider.

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Trapped in an Elevator for 41 hours...with diarrhea!!!
Hahahaha.
Halirious parody of the recent man who was really trapped in an elevator for 41 hours before being found.

Fonte:Blendtec

Bye,bye.

No longer is fame reserved for stars of TV. These days, thanks to the internet, anyone can become famous - and the marketing effect on brands can be extraordinary. Below is an interview I conducted with one of the new stars of the Internet, Tom Dickson. Tom utters the catchphrase "Will it blend?" before putting all manner of objects from an iphone to a garden rake into his blenders to demonstrate their effectiveness. His videos have been a huge hit on YouTube.

Will It Blend?

WF: When did you first realise you were ‘Web Famous'?

"Probably June of 2007 at the Internet Retailer Magazine convention in San Jose, California. I did a presentation on the history and success of the Will It Blend viral campaign to an audience of 2800 people which was enthusiastically received. I also did a live Will It Blend demonstration to thunderous applause. I think that's when it hit me that people really got a huge kick out of the idea of putting crazy things in the world's strongest blender to see if they would blend."

WF: How did your fame come about? Was it part of a cunningly devised viral marketing ploy, or slightly more organic?

"We started out with the idea of raising brand awareness and demonstrating the power and durability of the Blendtec blender. For years I have been doing a test where I start the motor then jam a long piece of wood into the blades to test the strength of all the drive components and the jar blade assembly. So we thought if we showed some other fun things being blended people may find it amusing and entertaining and at the same time see what an amazing machine we offer. We started with 5 videos and put them out on You Tube and also on a website we developed - Will It Blend.com. The response was not immediate, but within a short space of time people began sending them to their friends and they began to spread virally through the internet. I don't think any of us thought it would become the international phenomenon it has grown into."

WF: Has you fame translated into more mainstream media, or is it pretty much confined to the web? If so, what mainstream media interviews and appearances have you done?

"It has been amazing how much interest has come from mainstream media. We have received inquiries from many different media outlets all over the world for interviews and appearances. In the U.S. I have appeared on television on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, CBS News Sunday Morning, and iVillage Live. News articles have appeared in numerous magazines and periodicals including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week, and Internet Retailer. We have been nominated for a CLIO award and were a finalist in You Tube's annual awards, and won .net Magazines award for Best Viral Video of 2007. We were recently featured on The History Channel for an episode of Modern Marvels called The World's Strongest III, and German television sent a film crew to do an entire segment for a show called Galileo on PRO7 television."

WF: What has your fame done for Blendtec as a brand / company?

"Probably the best example of that which I can share with you is the increase in our website sales. Since we released the first 5 videos in late 2006, we have seen a 500% increase in our sales of the Total Blender, the machine which is featured in the videos. It has given us instant recognition with a large segment of the population. When we go to trade shows, or do live demonstrations people come up to us and say, 'Oh I know you guys, you are the ones with those videos on You Tube. Those are so cool.' Immediately people understand what our product represents and it is easy to show them how all the power translates to what they can do for foods they blend in their own home or in a business."

WF: What do your friends and family think of your new-found fame?

"They are very proud of me, especially the grandchildren. I have 11 children and 28 grandchildren and they all have seen the videos and made comments (at least those who are old enough to talk). They constantly have input on what to blend next and can't wait for the next video." 

WF: What's next for Blendtec? Do you have any other plans? For example, will we soon be able to see live product demos?

"Blendtec is known as an innovator and a continuous improvement company. With a large engineering department as part of our internal staff, we have projects in the works right now that will continue to put as at the forefront of the industry and maintain our reputation as the leader in blending technology. As far as live demos, we have done those at trade shows and in the future we could possibly have live webcasts and podcasts which would include some fun WiIl It Blends."

WF: Did you ever imagine that your home appliance company would cross over into entertainment with such great effect?

"Never. We are proud enough our blenders are in the finest coffee shops, smoothie shops and food establishments around the world, that's wonderful. But now to have this whole new paradigm that includes a tremendous following of young people all over the world is just incredible. When we first released the initial five videos on a $50 budget our marketing director came into my office and said "We just hit a homerun on You Tube with 6 million views in five days" and I replied "who tube?" At that time I didn't even know what You Tube was, and now we are the 12^th most subscribed channel all time on You Tube for directors and 25^th most viewed all time overall on You Tube. It just goes to show the power of the internet and the way it has transformed how people are entertained and receive information."

Truth be told, since the advent of streaming video through websites such as Youtube, VEOH, and Dailymotion, the television set has slowly but surely become less relevant. Television content still holds importance, however, almost all of it can be found on the internet somewhere.

With this shift, has come several problems for communicators and the companies they represent. For one, all forms of TV promotion such as advertising, and public service announcements, have a harder time reaching their audience. In addition, some viewers are choosing internet content over traditional media. Social media is usually able to peacefully coexist, and even enhance traditional media. However in this case there seems to be a bit of competition.

Nonetheless, after realizing that blocking of questionable Youtube content on their companies or products was futile, communicators seem to have adapted. In fact the corporate world has decided to join the party.

This wave of corporate involvement comes in several different forms. In it's simplest form it involves moving television content to the net, as is. In the entertainment industry this has been especially true, among record labels, such as Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and Bad Boy Records, all of which have their own user profiles on Youtube. These companies have most of their music videos available online through Youtube, free of the distortion that sometimes occurs when these videos are uploaded by other users.

Another form of corporate involvement involves, creating original content specifically for the internet. This has been used as a form of viral marketing and brand promotion for several companies outside of the entertainment industry who realize the strength of the streaming video medium. An example of this is the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment first shown on Youtube, which has since spawned a number of similar videos across the internet.

In his Strategic Public Relations blog, Kevin Duncan notes that a lot of smaller unknown companies are also using Youtube to create brand awareness online. In "Blending Youtube into Brand Awareness", he interviews George Wright of Blendtec, a manufacturing company that has posted a series of videos testing a blender with unusual objects such as ink pens, and golf balls. Its Will it Blend? iPhone video where they attempt to blend an iPhone was viewed almost 4 million times since being posted in July last year.

In the interview, Wright says that the video itself started as a $50 investment, but has already helped build a brand for its home appliance products. The results in terms of impact were far above expectations.

It seems that more and more, the corporate world is sitting up and paying attention. In fact a TNS Media Intelligence/Cymfony news release on BusinessWire.com noted that 50 per cent of senior marketing executives see social media as a vital component of corporate communications which should not only be monitored, but allocated significant company resources.

It is clear that streaming video content on the web is here to stay. Communicators should likely get on board, or get left behind.

Computer manufacturers release funny promotional videos*, but with 1500 views the CDC isn't donning hazmat suits. Meanwhile, the same company's tech support calls gone awry get 10x the views on YouTube in a short time. Uncomfortable.

A colleague penned a humorous email recently. His idea: what if we replaced corporate lingo for 'big wins' and 'step-function improvement' with 'kick-ass' and 'blowin' s**t UP!' We laughed about it, and he edited a real memo detailing a technical team's recent progress into this style. I made a mistake in forwarding that, and now it's going viral through that technical team. That made me uncomfortable. It made me SQUIRM. Which is the simple secret to virile viral marketing.

The goal of viral marketing is to motivate individuals to pass something on - a video, an email, whatever - against their better judgement. SQUIRM means "Something Quite Uncomfortable Is Really Motivating." Use it as a test for anything you want to go viral. In the first viral video I ever saw, a cat got caught on a ceiling fan and spun around. The camera panned out and you saw that they were filming this on a Nokia phone. I'm SURE there was discussion about the SPCA, about possible backlash, about "this is just a little too far." Marketers at Nokia were uncomfortable about sending this out. They squirmed. But they got past it. If they hadn't, I'd never have seen it.

If you don't squirm a little, it's probably cute. Cute's nice. Cute's not viral. Viral doesn't have to be offensive, as the Blendtec videos show. But when they came up with that idea, somebody squirmed. Somebody said "We want to be known for high-quality kitchen equipment, not for an iPhone in a freakin' blender." They got past it.

Squirm. Get past it. Go viral. I wanted to change 'virile' in the headline to the blander 'successful' to make sure all are included and none are offended. I didn't.

*For the record, Dell guys, the video you had to pull - the one where the Mac guy has the lotion in his man bag - was MUCH funnier. As an old Dell guy, I'd love a copy (hint). Stevie J's lawyers, lighten up!

Duncan Watts takes on the concept of 'influencers' in this month's Fast Company. He's got some great observations.

The idea of 'influencers' - highly connected people who are the Typhoid Marys of cultural zeitgeists - has always seemed suspect to me. Sure, you can identify influencers in a post-hoc fashion. But that's a statement about a role they played. Marketers would like it to be a statement about the kind of person they are.

The whole Gladwellian scheme has achieved traction in the Marketing world because it fits in with the way marketers are trained. We segment people into groups (like mavens, influencers and connectors) and choose a target segment (as viral marketers seek out black-clad, irony-laden hipsters to carry their message). Like all marketing, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Here's what marketers don't like to hear: that success or failure has more to do with the message or product than with the targeted messengers.

If you study viral marketing you've heard of Blendtec - David Meerman Scott was touting them long before I'd heard of them. They get 3-4MM views on Youtube for many of their 'Will It Blend' videos. Why?

Typical Marketing response: Because they've identified the key influencers who can quickly make an idea spread until it reaches a tipping point

The Egghead response: Because they put a freakin' iPHONE in a freakin' BLENDER! Who doesn't want to see THAT?

Disclaimers: I have no interest in bashing Gladwell and find value in 'The Tipping Point'. I just think that compelling content or product wins over smart targeting every time. And I know full well that in using the dated word 'hipster' I identify myself as anything-but-hip.