Obama leads in 5 key states, McCain in 2...

First of all, this article grabbed my attention because the U.S. presidential campaing is the hot topic in the country right now. Second of all, we just watched a video that talks about the U.S. Election System... So when I saw the article saying that "Obama leads in 5 key states, McCain in 2" I immediately wantend to know which states they are leading and the importance of those states in the U.S. Election.

According to a series Reuters/Zogby polls realesed today, a week before the presidential election, the Democratic senator is leading over McCain in Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Nevada. While McCain had a solid 10-point lead in West Virginia and a 6-point edge in Indiana. However, the canditades were tided in Florida, the lasgest of the battlegrounds with 27 electoral votes and the state that decided the disputed 2000 election.

Who will win the U.S. presidential election? Do you have a bet???

Check out the Election 08 - Political Dashboard and make your bet...

MAVERICK... find out its origin!

The term "maverick" has been used by the Republican candidates McCain and Palin with frequency during the presidential campaign, but in Texas a REAL Maverick named Terralita has been claiming that the term comes from her great-grandfather, cattle rancher Samuel Augustus Maverick. In her interview - "These Texas Mavericks Are For Obama" - to ABC News, Terralita blames the cowboys who worked for her great-grandfather, who were supposed to brand the cattle and because their “drunkenness” did not do it. And since then, “maverick” came to mean unbranded, and from that, an expression for describe someone who stays apart from the crowd.

Terralita, a flaming liberal in Texas, also says that “[McCain] cannot be a maverick in upper case or lower case because he's not related to [her] and he's not independent of his voting record or of the Republican Party".

So if you were wondering ... what does the term “maverick” mean? Now, you now!
And you also know that the real MAVERICK isn't happy because the two Republicans are using her name as a slogan for their presidential campaign...

Guns is BACK!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Who never screamed because Alx Rose????

Who doesn't know Guns N'Roses????

So prepar yourself because they are back...
YEAP!!! "After years of delay, Guns N'Roses is releasing 'Chinese Democracy' " on Nov. 23. This is the first album with new songs since 1991, when "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" were released. The new album has 14-track, including the song "If the World", which is part of the soundtrach to the movie "Body of Lies".

I have to confess that I used to love Guns N'Roses... Actually, I was too young when I started to listen their songs... To be honest, my older sister is responsable for that... She is one of those girls who screamed because Alx Rose. So while she was dreaming about him, I was listening the songs with her... I still hear some of their song and my favorite music is... [click here to figure it out].

Did 'Family Guy' Go too Far with Nazi 'McCain' Pin?

The well known animated sitcom 'Family Guy' steped in an obscure area last Sunday when it linked the McCain/Palin ticket to the Nazi Party in World War II - in the episode "Road to Germany". According to the article "Did 'Family Guy' Go too Far with Nazi 'McCain' Pin?", the show's creator, Seth MacFarlane is an ardent supporter of Obama.

The McCain campaign didn't comment the fact, but a rep for the show defended that 'Family Guy' has a provocative format and uses satire as the base of its humor. The rep also says that "The show is an 'equal oportunity offender'.".

That is not the first time that MacFarlane get in trouble, because his criticism and satire. In the past, the show had problems with some famous people, including the actor Tom Cruise and the comedian Carol Burnett. They unsuccessfully sued the program.

I particulary love 'Family Guy'. In my opinion, it is a great show because it is a smart humor. Its audience has to know what is going on in the American scene to understand its jokes. However, McFarlane went to far, when linked McCain/Palin with the Nazi Party. I agree that he is allowed to express his polical opinion and he can use his show to do it, but McFarlane should be more careful and choose other subject to make fun of the Republican Candidates.

Bizarre News!!!

I don't know if it is a hot news, but I am pretty sure that is B-I-Z-A-R-R-E... While surfing the internet, I read the article "Judge in Nebraska says, thou not sue God". Last year, Senator Ernie Chambers, who represents legislative District 11 in North Omaha, filed the lawsuit against the "highest power" saying that God has spread fear around the world causing destruction and terrorization of millions of the Earth's inhabitants. However, the Judge Marlon Polk dismissed the lawsuit last week. According to the Judge, no lawsuit can be filed against God because He doen't have adress. In consequence, the service can't be effectuaded on the named of defendant.

Reading this article was a great way to laugh and relax... I really don't know who is more bizarre... the Senator who filed the lawsuit or the Judge who waste his time responding to it...

Story of Stuff

As an assignment for Topic in Media, my classmates and I had to watch a 20 min video published on The Story of Stuff website. It is an interesting video about the process of production and how it affect our world. In this video Anne Leonard says that the product process consist in 5 basic steps – extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal – and each step of this process affect the environment in a particular way.

This video is a criticism to the American life style. It is common sense to related the U.S.A. to the act of consumption. It is also true that the American marketing is the best example of capitalism and its demand, but we have to be conscious that this system in crisis has been followed by most of the developed and developing nations.

For developing countries as my home country, the false necessity of own stuffs can be seeing as a generation problem. While my parents grew up having minimal stuffs, the essential to live, my sisters and I had more than parents did. Each one of us had at least 3 or 4 Barbies, thousands of table games, different styles of dress and more. And now, when I look at my cousin's kids, I just can't believe how many toys and clothes they have. And most of the time how easy they get tired of some thing. They want more and more... More than theirs parents wanted... Who wanted more than their parents...

This generation gap can be caused by globalization or the capitalism demand. Nowadays, we have way to much advertises... and those make us want more... The marketing also makes us have a felling of status. Specially for the western nations what you own says who you are. Clothes, shoes, cellphones, houses, cars... everything tells about you. At least, that is what they sell to us. In this vicious cycle, each process causes dangerous effects and each of us is responsible for this situation. As Leonard says in the “Story of Stuff”, we are only the top of the iceberg, but I believe that we can do our part and start to change our habits. These changes will contribute to create a sustainable economic growth.

PR Blogs

Recently, I've been reading many blogs and websites related to Public Relation (PR) and Marketing. One of my favorites blogs about the subject is the PR-Squared written by Todd Defren, who is a principal at SHIFT Communication. His last entry in the blog – Will Social Media Help PR Weather the Storm – talks about the economic crisis and how PR/Marketing firms should prove their value and promote themselves.
Social Media basically refers to the integration of technology, social interaction, and communication as tools for discussing information among human being. According to Defren, Social Media provides a great return on investment when added to traditional online marketing means. However, economic downturn is forcing companies to re-evaluate the way they are promoting themselves.
I think that it is a interesting topic and I agree that social media is a tool. Whether if it will weather the storm or not depends on why and how it is used. In a crisis, it is important that the company evaluate their position in the marketing and what are the strategies which should be used.