alice was another story

I am a light sleeper and, unfortunately, my apartment looks out over a courtyard which has an amazing capacity to amplify sound. In addition to the kids who occasionally play outside early on Saturday morning and, from time to time, loud music late at night, I can hear the guy who drops the the toilet seat when he's done (is he hostile after years of being told by his girlfriend/wife not to leave the seat up?), the 6:30 am daily nose blower and the 6:00 am NPR radio alarm. This morning the last on the list went off at 4:30 and, yes, I am now exhausted.

Some clips to share this morning . . .

The Village Voice has a timely article about how new technology has facilitated an increase in drunk dialing -- and drunk texting -- on college campuses. It's timely because just this past Tuesday night I made a call that I really shouldn't have . . . but, luckily, he didn't answer. New technology is also adding a whole new reason to hide the phone when a drink is in hand. Dial those digits and your embarrassing moment could end up on DrunkDialed.com.

Kristen has a post about how the producers of Veronica Mars has been reaching out to blogging fans, even inviting nine particularly fervent fans to visit the set. The UPN show is not the only one that recognizes the relevance of blogs, according to the article that Kristen links to on the San Diego Union-Tribune site. An SVP at Universal has this to say, "Young audiences really want to be part of the show and blogs give them that sense of community. There is a sense of ownership that makes them very invested viewers. They are talking about the show, they are emailing other people about the show. It makes them loyal and active, and it helps us to market the show."

Fast Company is also talking about the power of word of mouth in their profile of five products that have managed to turn customers into brand evangelists: Guiness, Netflix, ESPN, Luna Bar and Harley-Davidson. Back at the Word of Mouth Marketing Association conference in January, Fred Reicheld pointed out that Harley customers are such fans that they are willing to tattoo the brand on their body, a point that Fast Company reiterates. That's dedication, folks. I like my iPod, but I'm not getting it etched into my skin. (Alice was another story.)

I saw Billy Bragg in concert late last month and Jill Sobule, who I didn't really know -- beyond her one hit, "I Kissed a Girl" -- opened the show. She was great (smart lyrics, great sense of humor) and played this song, "Under the Disco Ball" that The Huffington Post is providing as an mp3. Listen. Sing along.

That's it. I need to get to work.