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Sasha Baron Cohen is killing off Borat, once and for all. For some people, this should have happened a long, long time ago.

Note: Sergio - Please don't cry.

Rochameau Fo Sho: Certainty in Rock-Paper-Scissors

I loved this link, courtesy of Freakonomics.com, on the psychology behind rock-paper-scissors, which is a game also known as rochambeau. Evidently, you should go with scissors every time. The logic? People expect their opponent to start with rock, so they strategically choose paper.

Can we get a game theory diagram on this one??

Obaminable Hope

I'm not endorsing any candidates here, but I liked the way this Rolling Stone writer added more of a story line to our next presidential election. Thanks to Chris Goldberg to pointing this out.

Derelique

Someone has finally taken Mugatu's artistic direction into functional clothes. Link courtesy of extratexture.com

Skiing in Minnesota

The Madness Behind The Method

Great video from PSFK.com about the founding of Method, a consumer brand differentiated by design and eco-friendliness. It goes to show that there's a great opportunity in even the must mundane and mature of product lines.

Dutch's Best Albums of 2007

I know it's a little trite, but the end of the year brings about a much needed necessity - the "best of" list. As a big music fan, I love to read about how other people view the quality of music over the prior twelve months. NPR has listed a ton of critics' lists here. Thanks to Siegl for the link.

My top 3?

# 3
Arcade Fire, Neon Bible





# 2
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky


# 1
The Shins, Wincing the Night Away

Vanity and Obesity: Living in Perfect Harmony

Congratulations, Nashville. You're now a city esteemed enough to be known as the 6th most vain and 7th most obese in America. 28% of you are obese, and there are 4.4. plastic surgeons for every 10,000 people. How on earth did you accomplish such irony? Bravo.

The George Mitchell Report

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that I'm really dismayed by the Mitchell Report on steroid abuse in Major League Baseball. Let's just hope that baseball can leave these dark days behind.

It was most shocking to see Roger Clemens' name on the list. Growing up on Boston, the Rocket was one of those players you pretend you are while playing neighborhood baseball. (I was just as ripped though.) It's a sad day when you find out one of your sports heroes is just a doped up meat-head.



The Onion did a good job of adding humor to this situation in August 2006 in an article entitled "Report: Your Favorite Player Took Steroids." The best part is where Bryant Gumble implicates Secretariat for doping.

Deep Thoughts - Google Style

Google just released their 2007 Zeitgeist - a compilation of reports on what we're searching for on the internet. The Zeitgeist - which is updated monthly - is one of my favorite reads, and gives you a glimpse of the collective human data acquisition experience.

My favorite chart from this year's version? The one below...

Zeppelin's Back

I was so excited to hear that living members of Zeppelin had reunited for a December 10th concert. I saw a few clips on the web - and I was going to post them here - that was until Warner Music had them all taken down. Thanks, Warner, for killing this buzz. Wah wah.

Most Awkward Commercial Ever

Pfizer has hit a new low. No, I'm not talking about their stock price. I'm talking about their advertising.

For the uninitiated, the spot (below) begins with the banal joviality of an Applebee's babyback rib commercial. We see five men, sitting in an old barn, playing their instruments, taking turns on vocals. If you think they're singing about serving food, you're very, very, very wrong.

After the first few bars, you realize they're talking about Viagra. That's when I start to cringe. Not because it's an ED commercial - there is an abundance of them out there - but because of the smiley, unreserved nature in which these men are singing to each other about Viagra.

For a second, I'm trying to realistically think how such an event could ever occur in real life. "Hey Bob, if you're not too busy fixing your car this weekend, me and the guys are going to start a jug band. Walt's got a great new piece on Viagra. Swing on by with your eight foot tall sting bass. Buh bye."

Did I mention that this also sullies the good work of the King?

Oh, Magical Bacon

Bacon, despite its modesty, is an ingredient that can really take a meal to the next level. Bacon and eggs? Check. Bacon wrapped filet mignon? Check. Bacon flavored chocolates? That may be pushing it a little to far.

Great Video

This video is pretty cool. Make sure you wait until he starts adding in the piano part.


Stop Motion Piano And Drums - Watch more free videos

Understanding the Realities of a "Weak" Dollar

Tyler Cowen, George Mason University economics professor and prolific economics blogger (Marginal Revolution) wrote a great piece for the New York Times for today's edition. I too have been tired of hearing about how a "weak" dollar is a sign of troubled times. See below for what a weak dollar really entails.

"Should we be happy with the low U.S. dollar?

from Marginal Revolution by Tyler Cowen

Here is my latest column:

A low dollar simply looks bad. We are, after all, used to judging ourselves against others — comparing our salaries with the earnings of our peers, and our homes with those of our neighbors. We’re used to thinking it is a big advantage to stand at the top of a numerical list.

But when it comes to currencies, a higher value neither brings national success nor predicts future prosperity. The measure of a nation’s wealth is the goods and services it produces, not the relative standing of its currency. Take a look at 1985-88, when the dollar lost more ground than in the last few years. Those were good times, and the next decade was largely prosperous as well.

Most of the piece is standard economics, not far from recent writings by Krugman or DeLong. The more interesting question is which measures of a national economy we, for reasons of pride, inefficiently attach too much importance to.

A second interesting question is: if we should not be worried about a low dollar, what should we be worried about? I see two answers at the current time. First, if a negative shock hits China, or perhaps some other negative shock hits the U.S. or Europe, we have precious little room to maneuver. Second, there remains some chance of a cascading credit crunch."

Like, keep it "like a secret"

Target has recently come under fire for some suspect marketing practices (see article here). Specifically, Target started a group of volunteer consumer advocates, the Target Rounders. These advocates would be tasked with peer to peer marketing of Target, with the promised compensation of various Target goods. In what looks to be an episode of managerial oversight, Target released a communication to these Rounders, essentially telling them to keep their association with Target "like a secret."

These disingenuous marketing practices are dangerous, especially when it comes to Generation Y, a group of individuals who live and breathe TRANSPARENCY. They're advertising their social footprint on Myspace and Facebook and baring their souls on their blogs. And, they expect companies (and political figures) to be as upfront about their practices as they individually are with their personal lives.



While programs like Target Rounders seem to be a great way to reach consumers in a media-fragmented, over-communicated marketplace, companies need to heed the caution of being honest and open with their consumers.

When Consumers Realize Your Company Has No Soul

There is something to be said for brands that promote virtuous messages. Such is the case with Dove, whose "Real Beauty" campaign encouraged women around the world to accept the beauty of the individual, no matter what society's concept of beauty may be.



Dove followed up this campaign with the engrossing "Evolution" piece, a viral video that showed a beauty model transforming from a natural, makeup-less state to an over mascaraed, runway fashion queen.



Another one of Unilever's lead brands is Axe (known as Lynx in Europe), and Axe has quite a different consumer segment and message. As you're probably aware, Axe Body Spray positions itself as a pheromone for the romantically inclined young male audience. Here's one of their ads (a European Lynx ad to be specific), which, on its own, is also a great creative execution.



All of the attached videos are great pieces when viewed as communications from one brand. However, consumers have begun to peel away from the Dove only messages and view the campaign in the continuum of other Unilever brands. Unilever's envelope pushing campaigns for Axe/Lynx are now being viewed as exactly the type of exploitation that the Dove points out in its new "Onslaught" web film.



This hypocrisy has been picked up as of late in the media, and even non-activist consumers are becoming aware of these two contrasting brands. There are several great lessons to be learned from this situation, which is far from over.

Great (and expensive) brand building run the risk of becoming undone by another brand (or corporate scandal for that matter) under a corporate umbrella, no matter how much marketers try to understate a corporate moniker.

With the information omnipresence revolution we're all taking part of, companies truly need to determine their individual corporate souls. The risk, as we're seeing played out here, is that consumers become disgusted with such brand hypocrisy, realize that your company is just there to make money, and abandon your brands.

Ipod Shuffle Gold of the Week

What does Steve's divine hand have in store today?



Pearl Jam - In Hiding: Though I am not the Pearl Jam devotee that Scott Orn is, I listen to my fair share of the band. One of my favorite Pearl Jam songs is In Hiding, which came off Yield, a well reviewed 4th major album. My freshman year roommate, Chris Goldberg, played this album a little too much. I think I now forgive him.



Filter - Take a Picture: From the same guys who sung about a political figure committing suicide during a public hearing comes a more gentle and toned down, um, ballad? I do have a soft spot for this tune though.... great beat, good combo of acoustic guitars and bongos. Like most of my musical favorites, it's usually not for the lyrics but the instrumentation. Besides the chorus, I have a really hard time understanding what the Terminator 2's younger brother is saying. "Awake on my airplane.. my skin is bare." Was this song really about taking a picture, or did Northwest lose another poor soul's luggage?

Finally, Ford!

Ford Motor Company hasn't been on my hot list of companies with good taste for advertising. As one of the top advertisers on the planet, I would figure their increased "shots on goal" would result in many more good advertisements. With the exception of their Bold Moves campaign (is that dead yet?), I actually think that they're on the right track.

That said, I love this ad featuring their new Sync by Microsoft technology. Does a great job of making a fun ad that clearly articulates the benefit of the technology.

Tossed Salad and Scrambled Egg Blues

Just got back from Seattle. Very cool place. Many thanks to Kurt, Karl, Sarah, David, Choi, Ben, Jack, Bergen and Spence for taking time to visit.

And thanks to the weather for largely cooperating... got a great view of Mt. Ranier.

Shotpaks: Please Krunk Responsibly

I love learning about innovation in the marketplace, no matter if it's scientific or commercial. I also really enjoy reading about goofy new product ideas. This probably comes from my childhood of watching the silly product parodies from Saturday Night Live (Happy Fun Ball anyone?).

My latest favorite is by a company known as ShotPak. ShotPak vies to do for alcoholism what Flavor Ice did for summertime refreshment. By placing a pre-mixed shot in a small disposable bag, ShotPak hopes to unlock your inner (and much older) Capri Sun consumer.

My favorite part of the whole site is the PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY message. What part of consuming a little baggie of whisky indicates responsible drinking?! Am I to only have one per serving, perhaps with a meal? Or... am I to (responsibly) strap 15 to my chest and become the most popular guy at a tailgate?

Papel-bonanza

This blog has been surprisingly quiet, especially of the remarkable recent run of New England sports. While I am still in another post-World Series contentment coma, I wanted to highlight something that may not be known to those outside the Boston area.

You know the name by now. He's Jonathan Papelbon, Boston's star closer. He's serious on the mound, and his gaze to the plate is unmatched. But, as we've recently found out, he's a total goofbal when he's off the mound. Take a look at the new Charles Riverdance...

Shuffling Toward Ecstasy

(did i really just paraphrase a Sarah McLaughlin album title?)

It's well established that Apple's Ipod has revolutionized the way in which we consume music. (Sorry Hegs and Bergen... it's not the Zune). I figured it was my time for some necessary approbation.

On my daily commute, I've got my Ipod feeding into my car's soundsystem. I recently switched my car Ipod back to my 60 gig one (from my much smaller shuffle), and it's been quite a reunion. Over time, I've accumulated just about 45 gigs on this Ipod. I've got so much music on my Ipod that I don't even know all the stuff I have. This is both a blessing and a curse.

It's a curse because going through my artist/album/song list is about as fun as searching a library by Dewey decimal numbers. The other downside is that, when on shuffle, the randomizing divine hand (not yours, Mr. Jobs) will pick something like Toxic by Britney Spears or songs from The Notebook soundtrack.

The upside, on the other hand, is tremendous. Most of the time, I'll get a golden nugget from my Ipod . . . a song or an artist that I love, but haven't listened to in a long time. It's kind of like seeing one of your best friends from the past at the grocery store... only there's no awkward small talk or disingenuous promises to get together.

That said, my shuffle has inspired a new column idea for this blog.

Here are this week's Ipod Shuffle Golden Nuggets:

Lounge Act by Nirvana - I completely forgot how much I missed Nirvana. This song harkens back to middle-school pseudo-parental defiance. Like most Nirvana songs, I can't really decipher the lyrics. Even upon reading the lyrics in the CD jacket, I still have no idea what they mean. Kobain was quite the enigma. OR, maybe he was just on a lot of drugs. Probably the latter.



Strange Condition by Pete Yorn - Another moody song my a moody songwriter. That is probably a statement of the obvious, but every time I hear a Pete Yorn song, I imagine a guy sitting alone at a bar, choking down some Cutty' and puffing on a red, trying to put his past behind him. Despite the blue tones of his music, he writes some pretty cool songs.




America F*#& Yeah from Team America - One of my favorite comedy anthems of all time. The best part of the song, besides the excessive swearing, is the end, where the singer essentially lists various things about America, to which a chorus exclaims, "F-Yeah!". I love the silence after "Books!"



It's probably not a good thing that I heard this right before getting to work. Let's just hope none of my conversations were peppered with an occasional "F- Yeah!"

Big Boned?

For those who know me, I'm always into finding new and interesting facts from recent scientific research. Here's a good example of one of those studies ...

The New York Times recently ran a story in which a small scale laboratory study showed that mammals could hypothetically turn fat tissue into bone tissue.

For once, Eric Cartman may have had a valid point.

Heavy Metal

Lead.

It’s a substance common in bullets, fishing weighs, and Zeppelins. Due to (1) lax quality control procedures by US companies outsourcing work to China and (2) the abysmal environmental disaster that is China’s manufacturing sector, we can now find lead in toys and even lipstick.

Lead poisoning is serious business. According to WebMD, “Too much lead in the body can cause irreversible problems in growth and development in children, including behavior problems, hearing problems, learning problems, and slowed growth.”

In other words, lead makes us stupid. And potentially obnoxious. Permanently.

Sound familiar? Isn’t this how the rest of the world sees Americans? The “Ugly American” is stereotyped as loud, ignorant, and uncultured... Sometimes sunburned and wearing a fanny-pack. I was once offended by this generalization, but after multiple jaunts across the globe, have realized that, in general, it appears to be true.

Some illustrative Ugly American anecdotes from my domestic and international travels:

• Three 30ish stoner dudes, in Thailand, LOUDLY cursing and discussing during a 2 hour ferry ride how many times they had been hit by cars
• A Minnesota man explaining to his son that the Muslim women from Somalia he had seen at the state fair wore headdresses because they were from Arabia;
• A fraternity brother of mine who had a bad habit of humping statues;
• Me, mistakenly ordering a Danish. In Denmark. (I was 13, sorry.)

(If you have interesting Ugly American anecdotes to share, please comment.)

Let’s face it.

The collective intelligence of Americans fits a wide bell curve with a large standard deviation (nerd words!). We house a great diversity of intellect. And yes, we can be loud and obnoxious. However, I’m beginning to believe that it’s really not our fault that we act in such a way.

We may now be able to blame China.

Does this make me look fat?

For eons, man has been forced to deal with this awkward question. It’s fraught with disaster, and can turn a hot dinner date into night of eating Hot Pockets and watching Cops reruns alone. Finally, we may have an accurate answer.

We’ve all been asked it. The proper answer is always “No,” and this is true for a very clear reason. I don’t think clothing can make a person actually look fat. You either are or you aren’t.

Well, I think it's time to admit that I was wrong. There actually is an article of clothing that can make you look fat. They are termed “babydoll shirts” (photo below), but to me, this pseudo-maternity wear deserves a different title. Pregger shirts.

To women of the world – congratulations. You now have the answer that you were passively looking for.

Irony in Signage

Pred-Locks

So, I've been watching my boy Manny Ramirez as of late, and besides yelling at him to hit the ball, I was giving some thought to his outrageous dreadlocks. Though he's well known for his hitting ability and work ethic, as well as his lackadaisical outfield defense, this guy has first-hand brought back the dreadlock.

His influence goes far and wide. It's true that "Manny" is good at "being Manny," but now we may want to reconsider just what exactly "being Manny" means. Evidently, "being Manny" translates into "sportin some killer dreadlocks."

Or, as I like to call them, pred-locks. Let's face it, while Manny may get credit for the resurgence of the lowly dreadlock, Predator really kicked this style into high gear. It started in mid 1987, with our friend Predator filling the screens as a nefarious time-traveling alien. Little did we know that this angry creature would inspire generations of athletes to come.

Jumping On The Blogwagon

I'll admit it... Lately, I've been impressed by the literary abilities of my buddies Gust Funnel and Kenny Kellogg. Hell, perhaps I've been a little bit jealous. I've been waiting to start a blog of my own for some time, but I don't quite know why I've been waiting. Oh wait, I remember now. I'm lazy.

It's official - I am jumping on the bandwagon (that's me on the far left).

Without further ado, I bring you my blog. As Dutch Evans, I plan to delight and surprise you with a mix of humorous observations as well as musings on business, music, entertainment, sports, and musings. I realize that's a little general, but it's a start.

Anyway, I'll probably post on this thing around 1-2 times per week. Now that I'm on the search for content, I'm sure it will become a regular thing. I hope you enjoy the blog, and feel free to comment or email me at dutch.evans@dutchevans.com.

--Dutch

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