Be my Valentine (Scott Brandon)

Scott rummaged around in his long-abandoned blog for this inspirational Valentine which is, I think you’ll agree, timeless:

“The day every single, available, looking, scouting the territory, exploring your options, on the market, in the market, playing the field, non-committed, searching (whatever you choose to call yourself) person dreads…is here. Valentine’s Day has returned. Bringing withering flowers, deflated balloons, frilly cards and the shattered self worth of the un-attached with it.

Is there another holiday as cruel as this one? Christmas says that if you are alone, we will love you. Thanksgiving says that if you are alone, we will share with you. News Years says that if you are alone, we’ll get snockered with you. But Valentine’s Day says that if you are alone, hide…because we will flaunt our relationships in front of you, see your pain and then pity you for a brief second between our butt naked, hand in hand, slow-motion trots through fields of sunflowers.

At first, I thought I hated the questions the most…”Who is your Valentine?”, “What did you get your Valentine?”…then I thought it was the look you get after you answer the question. That “awwww” look. You know the one…where their head tilts like a dog when it hears a high pitched noise. But, I soon realized it was the blind optimism they spout afterwards that makes my teeth grit, my ears turn red, and my trigger finger twitch. “Well…don’t you worry. There’s a woman out there for you.” Yeah, she’s out there. She’s washed up on a beach in Mexico after an all night Tequila party gone sour…but hey she’s out there!

Do me a favor, take your unsolicited advice and your positive outlook, stick’em on the end of Cupid’s arrow and shove the whole thing right up your ass-orted box of chocolates.

Today, as the army of “I heart you” Teddy Bears comes marching down the hall, all I can think of is why isn’t there an “Ain’t Gettin’ None” Day? You know, a little day (say in mid-March…right after the Madness wears off) set aside just for those who aren’t bumping nasties. It would be a national holiday for the single person (or the relationship challenged). We could have special songs, a mascot and traditions like taking pot shots at the “dreamy” couple as they’re lip-locked in the Romance Classics aisle at Blockbuster.

Until that day arrives, I will have to be content with my own Valentine’s Day ritual. I walk around the office after closing and pop all the heart shaped balloons and eat the candy. Hey, I’m single…what else do I have to do tonight?”

Upon re-reading Scott’s essay, I thought to myself (because it’s almost impossible to think to anyone else), if only there were some kind of online answer to Scott’s delimma…

I’m sorry. So sorry.

Seth Godin points us to this list of how to (and how not to) make an apology. During my years doing affiliate relations, I had to apologize many times. Didn’t matter who screwed up, I was the network as far as the affiliate was concerned. I quickly learned that weasel words and mealy-mouthed language (“We’re sorry you feel that way.”) didn’t cut it. And a sincere, heart-felt “I’m sorry” was really all most of them wanted.

I’m sorry for the way things are in China — John Denver

Pork Board sees light (feels heat?) of citizen media

A few days ago I posted about Jennifer Laycock getting hassled by the National Pork Board because she was selling T-shirts they felt infringed on their trademark and campaign “The other white meat.” Laycock was surprised by the Boards threats, and wrote an impassioned blog post about the situation.

It looks like the Pork Board realized that hassling an activist blogger over a T-shirt that parodied their branding in the name of a good cause (breast feeding) would probably hurt their brand more than it would ever protect it. Laycock reports that “I have received an apology from Steve Murphy, the CEO of the National Pork Board and we are currently working toward a resolution.” [via Podcasting News]

“Computers for people who believe in feng shui”

That’s how Charlie Brooker describes Macs. He really wails on Macs, people who use them, people who associate with people who use them, etc, etc.

“I hate Macs. I have always hated Macs. I hate people who use Macs. I even hate people who don’t use Macs but sometimes wish they did. Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults; computers for scaredy cats too nervous to learn how proper computers work; computers for people who earnestly believe in feng shui.”

You can read his full article here and it’s worth the registration. I hope to god he never stumbles across my “Mac Lust” post from last April. [via Jeff Jarvis]

What your iPod reveals about you

Podcasting News: Psychologists Jason Rentfrow of the University of Cambridge in England and Sam Gosling at the University of Texas at Austin, have found that strangers can accurately assess another person’s level of creativity, open-mindedness and extroversion after listening to his or her top 10 favorite songs.

While I had no data to support it, I theorized about this a year ago. Anyway, two of the conclusions in the new study caught my eye:

“Whether you can study or work efficiently while listening to music may depend on how outgoing you are. Background music can help extroverts focus but tends to torment introverts.”

I’ve always thought of myself as an extrovert but I can NOT listen to music while I’m trying to concentrate.

“Fans of energetic music like dance and soul are more likely to impulsively blurt our their thoughts, compared with fans of other styles.”

Guilty. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

Sheryl’s gonna tell us how it’s gonna be

Ann Morren (our only Belgian reader) reminds us to watch for Sheryl Crow’s Revlon ad in the Super Bowl (sometime in the 3rd quarter)… and then head over to iTunes and purchase Ms. Crow’s cover of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” Proceeds going to aid breast cancer research.

Update: Purchased/listened to the song. Okay. Liked Rolling Stones & Buddy Holly versions better. Would love to know what Revlon is paying to have SC as spokesperson.

While pinging back and forth with Ann Morren, I learned she is a photographer and persuaded her to let me share a few here. I’ve noticed that a disproportionate number of smays.com readers (Henry, Bass) take great photographs.

 

Radio Iowa Week in Review

RIWIRRadio Iowa reporter Stella Shaffer produces “Radio Iowa: Week In Review” and it’s a nice toe-in-the-podcast-water for the network. She pulls together the top stories of the previous week:

“The old governor’s got a gig teaching law at Drake, the new governor wants a dollar-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax, and an economist tells us what that might cost. The new improved state minimum wage may also have unanticipated consequences, according to HeadStart heads. Bitter cold played a part in the apprehension of an auto-theft suspect, OSHA offered a helping hand to migrant workers while one mayor wants a fulltime cop to bust them, and we mourn two more Iowa soldiers lost.”

Another of our networks began repurposing feature programs as podcasts last year. But RIWIR is our first true podcast (by my definition).

We have some really good reporters working in our newsrooms. Historically, if they came up with a good idea for a new program, it could only fly if we could convince enough affiliate stations to “clear” it.

In the world of podcasts, they are only limited by their imaginations and the hours in the day. I’m hoping to hear some good stuff in the coming year.

Love flickr. Yahoo! not so much

This week Yahoo! announced that flickr users would have to merge their accounts with their Yahoo! account (Yahoo! bought flickr a couple of years ago). Long-time flickr users aren’t happy. I really like flickr but Yahoo!, not so much.

So I’ve been looking around for alternatives and came across Picasa (a Google service). Just started playing with it but like it a lot. I’m conducting more and more of my online life with Google services (Search, Gmail, Google Reader, Google News, etc).

A total switch would be a pain (if I go back and change links in previous posts) but I’m thinking about it.

Writing it down. 2,500 times.

I started this little online journal on February 3, 2002. I couldn’t come up with anything to mark the anniversary so I checked the stats and found I have posted 2,500 times. Rather modest as blogs go, but a nice round number.