"It ain't over 'till it's over." Oh the joy.

He had a million and one chance. He was just another bum from the streets.

And so begins my Rocky Balboa countdown!

Nothing like a story/post that tells me everything and nothing at the same time. Come on! Tell me what my inactive, non-contributing self is worth, damn it;)

A question was raised to me this week - and now I raise it to you - about the marketing potentional of social bookmarking sites.

Who sees the future in social bookmarking? Consumer contests? Company incentives tro consumers for bookmarking and tagging? Whatchoo got? Lay it on me via comments or email.

I've been crazy busy lately and the only free time I've had, I've spent sleeping. Therefore, I don't have much for you right now.

Here's something. Freecycle is one of my favorite web sites because it's not just useful, it's also helpful, and I really think we should all try to be more helpful to (wo)mankind.
Life is too short.

I've been thinking about life being short lately as well. August can be reflective time for me because it's the precursor to September 11th. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the attacks. More than a handful of my friends were killed in the World Trade Centers'.

So I mentally prepare for the enslaught of media coverage, the barrage of prayer emails, the proliferation of powerpoint's filled with images of soldiers in Iraq as I think about my friends and laugh at the good times we had together and wonder if the rest of America still takes a moment to look at their faces. So many of them, so young. So vibrant. Good people.

Maybe this year will be the year, that someone does something truly meaningful to commemorate the victims online. Skip the viral emails with the blame games and the horrific photos of the buildings that most of us can't erase from our memories anyway. Maybe this year, someone will use Web 2.0 tools to spotlight the warm, smiling faces of almost 3,000 people that were killed in-flight or sitting at their desks on a beautiful Tuesday morning five years ago.

If only we used our powers for good more often;)

You know, back in this day, this is the kind of entertainment I had as a kid:


Today, my friend's 9-year old brother is spending all of his free time on this.

I don't know...my Mom always told me I was sitting too close to the TV. What about these kids with eyes glued to monitors? Will they be a generation of Mr. Magoo's...who incidentally, won't know who Mr. Magoo is?

*sigh*

I'm writing this from my laptop, with my iPod plugged into it, a lamp lit next me, satellite radio on behind me (but signal going in and out, no surprise) and sitting directly next to a sliding door to my balcony with metal fencing, during a massive lightening storm. So should this entry not post incomplete - call 911 for me;)

I've been thinking today about the state of broadcast television. Share/ratings keep dropping thanks to those crazy kids on the INTERNET (what do they do on that blasted computer all day?!) and broadcasters are scrambling to stop from bleeding out.

NBC took some steps in the right direction with youtube partnership and everyone else is trying new distribution methods, like selling episodes online. It's a start, but what I can't figure out, is why broadcasters don't see the answer right in front of them: flip the model.

You know that there's a demographic still watching TV, maybe a bit older, those who aren't wedded to other screens. TV is the screen they know. Those people, baby boomers and beyond, will continue to keep TV their primary screen and you don't want to lose that market. What you want to do, is pull in the younger viewers who like the social media revolution they have online.

And that's where my idea comes in to play. This week we heard a lot about Time Warner's investment in veoh. The cable conglomerate sees the future in consumer generated video.

Now what Time Warner and broadcast properties neeed to do, is flip the model and bring consumer generated video to their line up. We already have a plethora of On Demand channels. We know that On Demand is the future, be it portable devices, PC's or TV's. What they need to do is make that web content available On Demand on TV.

My mother and her generation (pre-baby boomer) have all heard about the Diet Coke-Mentos video from MSM coverage but for whatever reason, they haven't seen the video online. Now On Demand on their TV, that they understand. If there were a tab for viral video on that TV menu, they'd be able to participate in this social media revolution in the way they are most comfortable.

And I'd venture to say that some teenagers might think it's pretty dope to order up their favorite viral videos on the telly as well.

So step up broadcasters. Make your opportunities, stop fighting the New World, join the revolution.

Ok, one more post today because I just saw this. The Empire Strikes Back! Loves it.

This is public service announcement for a great band, OK Go. The band behind one of this year's greatest music videos is announcing a dance contest open to anyone, via youtube.com. Winner gets to dance onstage at a show with the band. Check it out:



In other youtube discoveries, here's a video I had link because it's so well produced:


Well done everyone.

I've been away on an extended low-tech holiday weekend. My blackberry died and I didn't bring my charger (Freudian slip?); for the first time in a months the incredible shooting pain in my wrists and fingers has subsided. It's a glorious time.

I spent a great deal of time biking and on a beach and some time explaining how wifi works to my aunt and uncle, while helping my Dad upload massive software code files to an FTP site.

Most importantly, I've been licking my wounds since Brazil was ousted from the World Cup and then my beloved Germany was eliminated by the lazy, injury-faking Italians.

This piece captures some of my feeling toward the Italian futbol team. Fakers. Lazy, crybaby fakers.

So I'm back for a day or two to return to the work week until the weekend. Until then, Viva la France!