Geckofabulous

I've been in the mood for funny lately and feel like sharing it with you. So here to tickle your funny bone, the dancing lizard:



Hope you enjoy it.

Just For My Dad

This post is just for my dad cuz he's such a dork. You can listen in too if you'd like...




You've been Rick Rolled!!!

Motrin Moms Update

Katja Presnal has an excellent update on her blog Ladybug Landings with a letter from Susie Spence, president of the nonprofit organization Babywearing International inc. Go read it. Good stuff.

I also found a wonderful post from Julie Roads, on her Blog Writing Roads how she would have written the Motrin ad. Her proposed ad copy is very well written casts an even broader net to fathers and grandparents is informative, sensitive and inclusive. Bravo!

I just want to also add that I have been a little dismayed with some of the backlash I have seen directed at the women who have participated in blogging about the Motrin ads. There have been some rather negative remarks on twitter and on the comment sections of other blog posts suggesting these women have too much time on their hands and resorting to the classless snark of hormones, PMS, and boredom. Not surprisingly most of the remarks have come from men, but sadly they have also come from women. It saddens me that when a group of women speak out to say they find something offensive, a group of people will make disparaging remarks about it. The general theme being to shut up. They fail to see why the very women the Motrin ad was designed to target were offended should have a voice in saying so.

For years advertising has cast women, especially moms, in a negative light. Moms feel judgment from all sides for every decision and choice that they make regarding how they care for their children. Those decisions aren't made lightly and thanks to the internet, not only are they able to research information that will assist them in making informed decisions, but they are also able to find other women who struggle as they do to find the right answers. They are a powerful group in terms of the amount of money they control and spend and in light of today's economy, companies are going to have to learn to show them some real respect in order to be able to profit from them. From what I've read, it seems that there are still a few (mostly) men out there that just simply don't like that idea.

To the men that did understand the issue and created thoughtful intelligent responses I simply say thank you.

More on Motrin's Bad-vertising Campaign

Here is a video of some of the response to Motrin's baby wearing ad. This is a great compilation of Twitter posts along with pictures of moms wearing their babies. Funny, none of the mom's look like they're in pain to me....




Oh, to all you baby wearing moms, those are some darn cute kids!

Update:

Links to a few other blogs that reference this:


Motrin Giving Mom's A Headache

Motrin, Whose Feeling The Pain Now?

When Motrin Creates A Marketing Mom Miss...


Mom's Speak Out Against Motrin Ad

A Dad & Pharma Rep Perspective On The Motrin Ad

Oh, and by the way, on the Motrin site, the Childrens Motrin Ad is completely off the mark as well. In that one, we are all crazy moms with crazy kids.

Yet Another Update:Yet Another Update: As of this evening, the Motrin site has been taken down, but some one has it saved on You Tube.

A couple of the mommy bloggers who responded to the add on the Motrin site received a letter from the VP of the marketing for the campaign. You can read it at Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

Would You Like Some Insult With Your Pain Reliever?

A whole army of passionate moms in the blogosphere are ticked off and rightly so. I don't know who came up with this idea for Motrin but it's a bad one. You can see the ad online here.The ad is targeted to women who "wear" their babies. You know, those baby slings that hug the baby close to mom or dad. Research has shown that babies who are carried this way cry less. The slings also help to position the baby so as to prevent strain on backs and arms. I would also hazard a guess that they are safer too.

In the ad, a woman is talking about the pain she experiences by "wearing her baby" but, she is willing to tolerate the pain because it totally makes her "totally look like an official mom." So the ad folks at Motrin think that baby slings are a fashion accessory? Did anyone really ask moms to weigh in on this one? Apparently not judging by what I'm seeing on twitter. I would love to be a fly on the wall at Johnson & Johnson HQ on Monday morning to hear how they're going to get out of this one.

I think I need to go take an Advil now...

The Morning of My Dreams Has Finally Come

It has finally come. The Morning of my dreams. Yesterday, history was made but today is what I have been waiting for. For years I have longed to wake up to a new day and a different future. Not for me but for my sons. Since they were small, I have worked to ensure that my sons be critical thinkers. To look beyond the rhetoric of campaign ads and to choose wisely.

I dreamed of a morning when our nation has an opportunity to heal the scars of racism. To move forward from hate and division. A future that includes possibilities for a cleaner environment, a partnership with the world for peace and a symbol of hope for the disenfranchised.

That morning is here and my sons were a part of making that happen. My sons had a voice in this election. My sons have a better hope for their own futures. My neighbors children have a better future ahead of them.

We had to work hard to get here, but the real work is just beginning. I look forward to the task in front of us. The results of this election prove that America is ready to take a giant leap forward. Change is going to happen at a speed that will make your head explode. But for today, this day, I will spend in quiet reflection and gratitude to all who worked so hard to make it happen.

Update
One more thought: My proudest moment as a mother: Both of my sons voted for Barack!

Oh! and I am adding this because I want to remember it:

Get Out and VOTE! Then Get Out THE Vote!

The day is finally upon us! I voted over two weeks ago and it only took a half hour from start to finish. I voted early because I wanted to be available on Election Day to help ensure that others get to cast their ballot as well.

If you didn't vote early, please get out and vote today. When you are done, make sure your friends get out to vote too! You can still volunteer to help by contacting your local Obama Campaign offices today. They are coordinating a city-wide effort to get people to the polls and encouraging people in long lines to stay until they cast their ballot.

I will be volunteering for this effort by working as a Line Manager. We will be available to give out sample ballots, point you to the voter protection workers if you have questions and trying to keep you entertained while you wait.

I will be posting updates on twitter during the day and plan on remaining at my assigned location until the last voter is done.

One More Day!

Only one more day of nasty attack ads and lies. Instead of getting on my soap box, today I will entertain you with this:




And This:




And finally, This:



See you at the polls! Go vote!