You’d be crazy not to buy it

Dora the Explorer: Hangover edition

#ows Bank of America is hedging its bets on Europe at the expense of the taxpayer.

Excerpt:

What this means for you is that when Europe finally implodes and banks fail, U.S. taxpayers will hold the bag for trillions in CDS insurance contracts sold by Bank of America and JP Morgan.  Even worse, the total exposure is unknownbecause Wall Street successfully lobbied during Dodd-Frank passage so that no central exchange would exist keeping track of net derivative exposure.

Full story here.

Phillip K. Dick wrote: “The sci-fi writer sees not just possibilities, but wild possibilities. It’s not just ‘What if.’  It’s, ‘My God, what if?’”  So, what if the Singularity happens, and it’s all we can do but hold on for dear life?

http://dollarnovels.blogspot.com/2011/09/accelerando-by-charles-stross-review.html

THINGS WE LOVE has a  ”Flags Inspired By Video Games” mashup that I came across while looking for flag images.

More here.

Fresh, local BC blueberries were about $3 for a pound and a half, & delicious!

#Downgrade Advice to investors.  LOL.

Ask about the exorcism package.

#photo

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.

Red sky at #night sailor’s delight.

productdisplacement:

So brands are increasingly taking out ads to highlighting their social media accounts rather than their products.  Cool.  This struck me:

Even if those live snippets in ads include brands apologizing about missteps or customers griping, it still could benefit advertisers because in an era when consumers actually become friends with companies on Facebook, those consumers may expect some warts-and-all human characteristics.

“There is transparency in being willing to say, ‘This is what people are saying about us,’ ” Mr. Smith said. “And with the relationships that people have with brands today, the more honest and human they seem, the more likely consumers are to like them and stick with them.”

I don’t think I’m far off in saying that audiences are far more accepting of integrations that include “warts-and-all” depictions of brands.  It’s much more palatable then glossy, overly-forced traditional product placements.