Social Media \ E-Marketing Platform...and it won't cost you a dime

The diagram below gives a high level concept of one way to integrate many of the free tools you need to start building your brand and\or launching a e-marketing campaign.
It's pretty simple, you just need a blackberry\iphone and a PC\Mac to get things going.
The hard part is being able to create content within your blog that people will actually be interested in reading. But if you have a passion, then I'm sure you will have readers. "If you build, they will come" - Shoeless Joe in Field of Dreams


The 2 key tools you will use are;
1. Your blog - which you will use to create articles about your interests. Your blog can then be syndicated to your website(s), myspace, and facebook via RSS.
2. Your Twitter account - which will help you build a network of followers and also keep in touch with your fans\followers. Your tweets (status updates) can then be syndicated to myspace\facebook via myspace\facebook apps and of course many of social networks in the near future.

Cash for clunkers?? Are you kidding?

Ok, by now , most of you know about the "Cash for clunkers" federal program.
The intention of the genius U.S. Congress and noble leaders is to take fuel inefficient cars off the road and give car owners a $4500 rebate in order to buy a new and more fuel efficient car.

This sounds very altruistic, but did anyone actually think about what we are actually persuading people to do? So, it's now a good idea to destroy a debt-free asset(clunker), in exchange for a car-loan(debt) that someone did not need in the first place?? Seriously? How can this really be a good thing? I don't get it.

Why don't we try to actually sell\export cars that people actually what to buy? Also, since when was is OK for the govt. to act like car salesman and conning people to go sign up for a car loan, and use MY TAX MONEY to fund the marketing campaign? Maybe the sham-wow guy should run for office next year, we need someone to smack those hookers around.

I am willing to bet that this will come back to haunt us in the next 2-3 years when millions of people can't afford to pay for there car that they didn't need.
Does anyone remember when the govt decided (CRA) that they should make getting a mortgage easier for lower income home buyers? That seemed to have worked out superbly. Why is it possible for everyone else to learn from their mistakes, but Congress's only solution is too keep repeating their mistakes. Aarrrgh! Thank God for alcohol.