Everything About Business Except The Bottom Line: FunnyBusiness

Jukebox Jungle Be To Blogs What The Associated Press Is To Old Media?

Anyone who has picked up a newspaper, listened to the radio or a television newscast knows that local news organizations rely on The Associated Press to provide national coverage. While the relationship between The Associated Press and newspapers is currently strained, the news agency has long provided much needed content to provide local news organizations with much needed gravitas.

Until recently there hasn't been an organization that provides individual bloggers with a similar arrangement. Enter Juicebox Jungle- a video content provider for bloggers  who write about parenting for the six and under set. In addition to providing content, each video can be  embedded with a customized Amazon Affiliate video player providing bloggers with an opportunity to earn money when viewers click on Amazon and spend money.

In addition to providing content and a monetization model for individual bloggers, the founders of Juicebox Jungle: Philippa Smith, Melissa Lawrence, and Sarah Eisner are trying a new advertising mode inspired by Mad Men where the advertising integrates their real-life sponsors as advertising clients within the show but also features their commercials.

For more on Juicebox  visit my post on Blogher where  I discuss how Juicebox Jungle hopes to succeed in monetizing social media- a feat that neither Facebook or Twitter has quite figured out yet

Voicemail Message Hall of Shame: Alamo Rental Car

Just in case you ever lose something in an Alamo Rental Car from the Dallas Forth Worth airport, this is the message you'll be greeted with when you try to call Lost and Found.

I had to call the Lost and Found because on Sunday I left s a 15-year old leather cover in my rental car.  It once housed my mini-Franklin Planner and has now become a case for my Blackberry. That's besides the point.

 I had a feeling things were not going well when the customer service rep taking the information for my LOST report  took 20 minutes to complete the transaction. To complete the report he needed my contract number, the license plate of the car, a description of the car, a description of the lost item, a description of where I thought the lost item might be and numerous other factoids that I just thought were not necessary. 

 When I asked why we couldn't  just call the Dallas office and check with their Lost and Found, he explained that they had to file a report first.  He promised he was forwarding the information to the  DFW Alamo office. That was Monday morning.

When I asked for a confirmation number for the Lost report he said he couldn't give me one. He did give me a phone number to call if I needed to check in with Lost and Found and he emphasized I should not call it for 24 hours. He also promised that I would hear from someone within 24 hours.

It's now 48 hours later. When I dialed the number from that very awkward voicemail, it was a non-working number.

After a series of calls, I did get through to the Alamo Lost and Found in Dallas. It was a completely different number than any one had provided.

The case is now in the hands of Judy. For the record, she never received that Lost and Found report that took someone 20 minutes to generate. My hunch is that it's in some other airport that sounds like DFW.  Not sure where Alamo's call center is located, but based on the accent of the person helping me, they don't live in the contiguous 48.

Not only is there no record of my LOST claim, but no one has turned in my little leather case. As to be expected, the car is currently in use and is scheduled to be returned later today.

Judy said she would be a LOST HOLD on the car when it is returned.

I suggested they look under the seat.

Will I ever see my leather case again? I'm not holding my breath.

Have no idea what kind of training is provided to the customer service team at Alamo, but who approved that  voicemail message? This is a major corporation,and there is an erase button on voicemails recordings.

Didn't anyone tell the person leaving the message that you can stop and record over again?
It's an absolute embarrassment to have someone stumbling and mumbling on a corporate message.Not to mention that the number provided is a non-working number. If this wasn't such great material for a blog post I might be a little cranky over the entire episode.

Hasn't anyone in corporate bothered to listen to that thing?

The ultimate impression is that Alamo doesn't give a rat's ass. So if they don't care about the customers, what condition are the cars in? And that takes me to the potential conclusion, are their cars safe? If they can't take the time to record a Lost and Found message without someone stumbling through it as if they were punch drunk, then will they take the time to take care of their fleet of cars?

I could pretend to have outrageous indignation and say that I will never rent from Alamo again. That would be disingenuous because I typically rent my cars from Hotwire where I don't get to choose the rental company. That's the price I pay for paying $11.25 a day for an economy car.

But, in those situations where I rent from Priceline,you can bet your bottom dollar I will avoid the Alamo.

Twitter TMI and It Might Just Get You Fired

It started with this tweet.

Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

Let's just say things got very interesting from there. MSNBC.com has the complete story of the would be Cisco Employee who is probably wishing he would have shared his pithy thoughts with a couple of trusted friends.

This social networking comedy of errors spread like dancing hamsters across Twitter. In the retelling, "theconnor" earned the nick, "Cisco Fatty." Before the work day ended, Web sleuths revealed "theconnor's" true identity. "Theconnor" was lampooned in a popular YouTube meme. And thanks to Google Cache, the deleted content of "theconnor’s" homepage resurfaced on CiscoFatty.com, a Web site erected to commemorate this cautionary tale.

Here is the YouTube meme. Very funny but warning:  It has significant profanity.

Cartoonist John T. McCutcheon's 1931 Pulitzer Prize Winning Bank Failure Cartoon

McCutcheon was known as the "Dean of American Cartoonists". He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for this cartoon.

To The Common Room who found this cartoon in her grandfather's scrapbook.

Current TV Promotes Twitter Stereotype- Misses The Point

To watch The Current's The Trouble With Twitter, you'd think that everyone who  participates in the microblogging  social media network is a bunch of social deadbeats who don't have a life and don't have a clue how to get a life because they are all digital narcissists.

Not so says the L.A. Times.

But naysayers will soon eat their tweets. There’s already a vibrant community of Twitter users who are using the system to share and filter the hyper-glut of online information with ingenious efficiency. Forget what you had for breakfast or how much you hate Mondays. That’s just lifecasting.

Mindcasting is where it’s at.

Mindcasting is when you share information important to your "followers" whether it's an interesting article you've read, an interesting article someone else has read or sharing news in general. While there a many people who use Twitter to Mindcast, it is the Lifecasting aspect of Twitter that has critics cackling and dismissing it as digital narcissism. Lifecasting in and of itself is not a bad thing. Let's say you spend 90% of your time mindcasting and then you throw in a lifecast tweet that you are going to Napa Valley and would love some recommendations on good restaurants. Chances are that life tweet will provide some great recommendations that you would not have it if didn't share something personal about your life in a Tweet. Like so many things, Tweeting is an acquired taste. It does seem silly and senseless when you begin but once you click on a link that someone generously mindcasted about a topic you are very interested in, the light bulb will go off. But convincing people is not easy. If my only window to Twitter was the video produced by the Current, I too would say, Are You Jokin' Me?

Can't Afford The Kindle? APP available on iPhone and iPod Touch

Two years ago, at a  business conference, I got a sneak peak of the Kindle. I think I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
I've been in lust ever since. Given my current state of austerity I won't be buying a Kindle 2 any time soon. But as soon as I am in a position for a little splurge here and there- the Kindle is on the top of my list. Click here for a demonstration video .

This week the lusting got a little less intense because I learned that Amazon is allowing a KINDLE APP for iPhones and the iPod touch. Bingo
. I am a Blackberry user but I have an iPod Touch that up until this time has simply been a music delivery system for me.

Christyxscore reviewed the Kindle app for the iPod Touch

The main thing about the Kindle for iPhone app or the Kindle device is that books will be delivered directly to the device after purchasing Kindle format books from Amazon. When buying books from Amazon’s site, you’ll have the option to choose what device to sync it to, as long as you’ve already input your login information on a Kindle, or iPhone or iPod Touch. These digital books will be delivered wirelessly to the chosen device in about sixty seconds.

There are a few features on the Kindle that are not available on the iPod version including E-ink, annotation, and text-to-speech - a feature I really wish I had for the road trip I have to take to get to Tulsa this weekend. However, for the air travel part of the trip I won't have to pack two books - they're on my iPod. Can't wait to start reading. Even though my iPod Touch screen is not big, it's surprisingly not annoying to read a book on it. Not sure why - I thought the screen size would make it difficult but it's not. And the best part- the book always opens up to the last page you read- no more missing your place. I love that.

The introduction of the Kindle App for the iPhone/iPod Touch is part of a trend. BusinessWeek is reporting that Apple has just made it easier for software developers to create new apps for these devices. Not to be outdone...

The App Store is also a key reason why rivals will have such a hard time closing Apple's lead. In recent weeks companies including smartphone leader Nokia (NOK), BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM), and Microsoft (MSFT) have announced plans to open their own app stores.

Twitters React To AIG Bonus Plan

Over the weekend the New York Times released the names of firms that received payments from AIG from the first bailout  money  the company received. That list was released  one day after the company announced it was using hundreds of millions of bailout money to pay bonuses to its executives.

Unless the definition of a bonus has changed, I thought bonuses were given when a company made a profit. If profits were down, bonuses were down.  Paying out bonuses with taxpayer money is not only incredibly tone- deaf it could be a career ending move for the company.

While people may not close their current  insurance accounts, who is going to want to do business with these people moving forward?

Some of my favorite AIG Tweets

marcvasseur: AIG : Association Internationale de Gangsters ?

suzyjax: Okay. if Congress won't do 100% tax on AIG bonus, how 'bout paying the bonus in AIG Stock?

Rouge_James24: I'm looking for a job at AIG they reward failure.

: AIG is a new top trend. Follow it on twitterfall at http://twitterfall.com/AIG.

Lewan73 Wishes she had worked for AIG, maybe I could get a bonus instead of wondering if I will be able to find a job after graduation.

FLIRTTASK: AIG finally answered what they did with the bailout money....hmmmm

thecajunboy: Bright side: AIG execs being paid huge bonuses may actually stimulate the economy by revitalizing the dormant torch & pitchfork industry

brownsoc: hmmmm as a working member of society....upper mgmt never had a problem asking me to take one for the team....what is up with AIG?...

Couldn't Find Recycled Toilet Paper @Target

Some people are calling it the Toilet Paper Wars. Luxury Toilet Paper vs. The Recycled Kind. On the side of the luxurious TP are major brands Charmin and Cottonelle launching massive marketing campaigns - campaigns that have helped lift sales 40% this year.

On the other side is the recycled Toilet Paper fans who say the product has improved -that would be code for it's not as scratchy as school TP-- and that if each American bought just one roll of recycled TP 400,000  trees could be saved every year.

The Toilet Paper Wars is the topic of a post I have at BlogHer which provides details on what both sides of the marketing war are up to.

Full Disclosure:  I have been a luxury toilet paper consumer for quite some time.  However, after reading the comments on my BlogHer post I decided that I would at least try recycled toilet paper.. However, when I looked for recycled  TP at Target this morning, couldn't find any.  I must say I was very surprised at this - I just assumed they carried a line of recycled paper products. Did I miss them? Are they in a separate section?

While being kind of to the earth is a motivator for my desire to switch brands, the strongest motivator is that the luxury toilet paper is a known pipe clogger. Here are what two readers at BlogHer said about luxury toilet paper and clogged pipes.

"TinkRBell wrote:
...so-called "luxury" toilet paper clogs my pipes!  I'll take Publix "Green Wise" brand any day.  Easy on the pipes, and my tush really doesn't know the difference

Gena shared:

If I buy the high tone stuff my toilet will clog. No discussion or debate. I have to get the single ply and double up as best I can. I have bought Recycled TP and there is not difference on the skin that I can tell from el cheapo refined roll. This isn't frugality, it is keeping the plumber from making a visit and costing me $$$.

So for those of us that have older pipes that need TLC I say go green and don't look back

Let's just say I have plunged more toilets than I want to. One plumber explained the reason my toilets need plunging is that I have energy efficient toilets that are known for clogging problems. His suggestion was that I buy $750 European commodes. Now, I have four bathrooms and at this point in my life spending $3000 on toilets is not a high priority.

If you are buying recycled toilet paper which brands do you like and where do you buy it?

Image Credit:Tim Peckham, Bag of Nothing

Tide's Loads Of Hope Is A FREE Mobile Laundromat for Victims of Natural Disasters

Unless you were one of the 20,000 families that was able to have your clothes washed thanks to Tide's Mobile Laundromat, there's probably a good chance you have never heard of Tide's Load of Hope program. It has definitely not been a high visibility program.

Now the company wants to change that and is launching a campaign to increase visibility  and donations to it's  Mobile Laundromat service. While the program will always take cash donations, it is currently running a Vintage T-shirt campaign to help support its efforts. Each T-Shirt has the vintage Tide logo on the front and Loads of Love on the back of the shirt.

The program started with Hurricane Katrina. In the three years. since Hurricane Katrina , the Tide's Load Of Hope has done loads of laundry for the victims of the Southern California Wildfires, the Iowa floods, and most recently for Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike.

Tide partners with Feeding America ( Formerly America's Second Harvest). in its disaster relief efforts.When The Loads of Hope truck or van comes to a disaster zone it can do up to 300 wash and dry cycles in one day- that's equal to a year's worth of laundry for a typical family.

Disclosure: Tide is an advertiser in my BlogHer Advertising Network.

Ice Cream Wars: Haagen Daz vs. Ben & Jerry's

 Ben And Jerry's is expressing outrageous indignation that its competitor, Haagen Daz, has decided to mess with the traditional size of a pint of ice-cream. Haagen Daz recently announced it was reducing the size of its pint ice cream containers from 16 ounces to 14 ounces because of increased cost of production,

Ben and Jerry's responded with a pint size attack.

\

Creative. Fun. Even Funny. But in the end will the pint size kerfuffle amount to a hill of beans where size really counts--the bottom line?

It's not as if Haagen Daz is the first company to change its size. Even a package of Girl Scout cookies now offers fewer cookies than it used to.

What we didn't learn from Haagen Daz's announcement is if they would be lowering the price of their ice cream when they downsized to 14 oz.  According to icecreamsource.com, Ben and Jerry's is currently the better buy. So,  if Haagen Daz can lower its prices when it downsizes its pint, they may be the ones who get the last laugh.