If you want people to like you…

….first decide who needs to hate you. So begins the subtitle of the article “Polarize Me” from April’s Fast Company magazine. The article is largely a lot of blather about the unimaginative things people say in the headlines of their personal ads, and about the unimaginatively earnest slogans of do-gooder products. The article talks about branding, and about how companies need to learn how to differentiate themselves not by figuring out who they want their customers to be, but by figuring out what kind of customers they don’t want. The article is rather bland, and the authors are guilty of the same sin for which they castigate companies and insipid singles. Of course, that’s what happens when you let eggheads with all the edginess of a Weeble write without an editor.

Oh, and Happy St. Paddy’s Day to all the Irish, and to everyone pretending to be Irish by acting like a drunk asshat today. It seems that St. Patrick was likely never canonized by a Pope, and that Ireland never had any snakes.

Getting back to the latest issue of FC, which I perused while soaking in the tub, I came across this story about Prosper.com, a “social networking meets microfinance” web site so far most famous for being taken by Craigslist blackmailer Jessica Wolcott…yes, the one who suckered in the Pepsi exec trolling for strange on teh Interwebs to the tune of $30K. Luckily, with a name as unwieldy as Wandschneider, the former Pepsi VP likely won’t suffer the same fate as fools whose names have become synonymous with their misdeeds or misadventures.

From the art imitating life imitating art daisy chain, check out Bodywork by Liz Cohen. In the photographic project, she transforms some POS German car into a POS American car, all while transforming herself into one of those lowrider models you’d find at a car show.
Finally, the newest issue of Fast Company reveals Microsoft’s newest marketing/PR strategy with respect to employee interviews. After the creepy, creepy story about Gordon Bell and his attempt to transform himself into Funes the Memorious, Microsoft has shifted gears to only allow attractive employees with a fondness for stupid acronyms to submit to interviews.

Someone at the 9:30 Club has a twisted sense of humor. The latest issue of their newsletter includes an ad for the True Colors Tour on top of the announcement of the Kenny Chesney concert. If I hadn’t already seen Erasure in concert, I’d consider checking out True Colors. Cyndi Lauper still scares me, although she’s finally stopped looking like an extra from Farscape.

My contacts are burning, which may have more to do with the fact that I’ve slept in them the last few nights than anything (more on that later), so I think it’s time I bid my loyal readers adieu for the evening.

Oh, before I do, N’awlins rockers Mute Math are going to be at the 9:30 Club on Monday. I may try to check out the show, although that may not happen since I have an early kickoff meeting on Tuesday. Glad to finally be getting back to work.

UnQ