Man on the Lot: Health Care Reform

Going Viral at the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup

Last week I attended the two-day Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup in San Francisco. It was fantastic. I got to speak with youth marketers about their innovative campaigns and promote HeadCount’s new strategic plan. I was most impressed by two corporate campaigns that use the Internet to provide young people with creative outlets for self-expression: Ashoka’s…

Man on the Lot: What Issue Matters to You Most?

What Now? HeadCount’s New Campaign

“What is HeadCount doing now that the election’s over?” That’s a question I get asked almost every day. I’ve got a ton of answers, but if I had to sum it up, I’d say, “We’re gonna make $!#@ happen.” When Marc Brownstein and I launched HeadCount in early 2004, it was a time when many…

Rock the Earth at Bonnaroo

Rock the Earth has confirmed the lineup of its fourth year of environmental programming at Bonnaroo, where it will host panel discussions, artist interviews, films, and performances on the fest’s Solar Stage. Founder Marc Ross will host a panel discussion on the topic of “Social Change Through Music” on the Solar Stage each day at…

Democrats Mock GOP Dinner, Non-Showdown Ensues

If there’s one thing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee knows how to do, it’s take advantage of the follies of their Republican rivals. Witness the Sarah Palin invite fiasco, for instance. Now sure, the Dems could have just let the headlines about infighting and egos at last night’s National Republican Congressional Committee gala fund-raising event…

Phish Fans on Dave Matthews Fans – and Vice Versa

Riverfront Times writer Annie Zaleski’s polling data are in. And it turns out that many more Dave Matthews Band fans are also Phish fans than vice versa. Zaleski’s article, “Jam On It: Phish and DMB fans sound off — about each other,” is accompanied by caricatures guaranteed to offend both camps equally. Also, and not…

Battling for the Soul of Young Republicans (in 140 Characters or Fewer)

Not only older Republicans like Gingrich and Cheney are grappling with the age of Obama. According to a recent article in Slate, even College Republicans are having an identity crisis. “We’re the dead-meat party,” said one young conservative. “We need to be the happy meal.” The first College Republican National Committee (CRNC) convention since the…

In the Wake of the Quake: Abigail Washburn and Shanghai Restoration Project’s ‘Artquake’

I first heard the singer and clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn in the excellent all-female bluegrass group Uncle Earl. It’s always cool to hear Washburn sing bluegrass in Mandarin, which she learned while studying in China. Washburn returned to China in 2005 with her Sparrow Quartet, which includes Bela Fleck. In May 2008, an earthquake…

Farm Sanctuary Has Serious Beef With USDA’s ‘Naturally Raised’ Meat Label

On January 16, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began allowing agricultural companies to slap a “naturally raised” label on meat and meat products from animals whose upbringing may well be far from natural. In response, Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit that combats the abuses of factory farming, has launched a petition demanding a more…