Link-o-rama!
March 15th, 2007 by Doug Schnitzspahn
What to do when you are too busy to post but have been compulsively reading all sorts of worthwhile stuff? It’s time for Link-o-rama:
* Well RED is just what we thought it would be. I truly believe consumer-driven charity can work. The big mistake here was that the high-end marketing and PR firms used the same stuff they would have rolled out if this had been any other celebrity launch (and blew $5o million). What the project required was a campaign that created a new paradigm. E.g., instead of using the Gisele ad that could have come from the latest line of perfume, why not have her shedding a red tear? Or surrounded by refugees? Those are gross off-the-cuff examples, but something that contrasted the world of consumer pleasure with the serious side of RED’s mission would have better expressed the message. The marketers couldn’t see past what they normally do to create something that spoke for the uniqueness of the project’s vision.
* If you want to get your core-certified dude credentials in order, move to the Bay Area and keep away from the Wahlbergs.
* I love this idea. This is really smart simple green/sustainable thinking. Cut down on all that wasteful stuff you get with to-go orders. Best part: not only does it cut down on waste, it saves the restaurant money.
* Red Sox bullpen looking
bearish.
* If only this Starbury would show up on the court.
* I was always annoyed by the misguided Times Select program. Now the big ethical question: do I use my alumni ID to get it? No way. The fewer subscribers Times Select gets the sooner the content becomes free again and the more readers get to access the material.
* If the Gonzales/US Attorney’s scandal blows up, Josh Marshall deserves the credit for sticking to the type of old-time hard-boiled journalistic instincts and first-class reporting that print and TV news outlets seem to think are out of vogue. The most interesting thing here to me is that this could turn the corner for blog journalism. Granted 99 percent of it is free-swinging opinion-driven garbage, but if more journalists like Marshall create sites that base their posts on credible, professional reporting and investigation blog journalism could be the key to keeping politicians honest. And Marshall smells blood here.
* Finally… There are probably too many outdoor brands out there. Winter OR had over 800 exhibitors. I’m suffering over the problem of how to winnow the 30 hard shells I have been testing down to just seven for Outside’s Buyer’s Guide. Etc. But I’m excited about Ahnu. This is the same team that made Keen such a truly socially responsible brand and I’m excited to see what they do here. Drew Simmons is the perfect man to help spread their word.