According to my calendar, Sunday marked the beginning of “Make Someone Smile Week,” a week of beautiful gestures designed to make the flower industry some cash. My calendar was, of course, manufactured by Teleflora, a flower company. Which is a brilliant idea. I wonder how many other flower-centric holidays these guys have created to boost their industry.

From the mouth of flowers:

At Teleflora, we love making people smile. That’s why during Teleflora’s Make Someone Smile®. Week, July 20—26, we’ll be working with thousands of Teleflora florists nationwide to deliver over 40,000 Teleflora Be Happy® Bouquets to hospital patients, children in foster care, nursing home residents and many other people who do not usually receive flowers but whose day will be brighter because of this surprise gift.

Since Teleflora created this program in 2000, it has grown to become one of the floral industry’s leading charitable projects. It is made possible by Teleflora florists who contribute their time to create these cheerful bouquets in the Be Happy mugs donated by Teleflora with flowers provided by local wholesalers and growers. To learn more about this exciting humanitarian program, please visit www.teleflora.com/makesomeonesmile.

Wait, if this is a charitable project, why are they selling the bouquets? Especially if local wholesalers and growers are giving the flowers to the shops? How wily. But hey! anything to stimulate the United States sagging economy. I say, let them have their flowers. I am particular to irises. In the meantime, this makes me smile:

This three part series of Absolut Vodka ads by marketing genius Zach Galifianakis is probably the most awkward way to promote your product, ever.

Just got done posting a bunch of new reviews to the front page of this bitch, including DVD reviews for The Onion Movie: Revealing the Raw Truth and Cloverfield, and a bunch of new CD reviews including The Herbaliser, Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet and The Brakes. Yep. Oh yeah, and this was my face while I was posting them:

The Baby is full of win today. The rapper decided to one-up Lil Jon’s winery, which I told you about awhile back, and now he’s at the top of my favorites with a new champagne: Halo Champagne. In case you haven’t heard, Ms. Nickels is somewhat of a champagne connoisseur [I even spelled that without looking it up]. I know the difference between brut and extra dry, so bring it Weezy Baby, make it rain champagne!!!! From AllHipHop.com:

Lil Wayne has partnered with Milestone Brands and French grower Voirin-Jumeh, to create his own brand of champagne.
Halo Champagne, which Wayne introduced to the world in the video for his chart topping hit “Lollipop,” is set to launch later this year.
“I’m excited about this venture with Milestone Brands,” Lil Wayne told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “Champagne is for celebrating. There are so many different business opportunities…I want to take advantage of it all. I’m ready to put my foot in a new door.”
Halo Champagne consists of four distinctive sub-brands, each with its own flavor.
Halo Brut, contains various flavors and a citrus finish, with hints of lemon cream and roasted hazelnut.
Halo Brut Vintage features a classic, creamy consistency and a stronger mix of lemon blossoms and almonds.
Halo Rose, a combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, offers an aroma of pomegranate, crushed raspberries, and mint.
Finally, Halo Pinnacle is a fruity Chardonnay blend, capped off by hints of lime-tree flower and roasted hazelnuts.
Wayne’s French partner, Voirin-Jumeh is recognized as one of the finest makers of Chardonnay-based champagne.
The company, based in the Grand Cru Village of Cramant in Northeast France, has been known traditionally for artisanal champagne making.

I can’t wait! <3333

Just when it seemed like it couldn’t get worse for the newspaper industry, it did. Makes me glad I’m a totally 1337 bl0gg3r!:

Even for an industry awash in bad news, the newspaper business went through one of its most severe retrenchments in recent memory last week. Half a dozen newspapers said they would slash payrolls, one said it would outsource all its printing, and Tribune Co., one of the biggest publishers in the country, said it might sell its iconic headquarters tower in Chicago and the building that houses the Los Angeles Times.

The increasingly rapid and broad decline in the newspaper business in recent months has surprised even the most pessimistic financial analysts, many of whom say it’s too hard to tell how far the slump will go.

“They’re in survival mode now,” said Mike Simonton, a media analyst at Fitch Ratings, a credit-analysis agency.

But don’t feel too bad for those old cigar chomping newpaper execs in their soon-to-be-sold big city highrises. This whole thing is their own fault anyway:

Some say complacency in the industry about the threat the Internet posed is to blame for the current quagmire. Speaking on the CNBC business-news cable channel Friday, Sam Zell, the real estate magnate who is now Tribune’s CEO, said newspapers historically have been “monopolies” in their local markets and “insulated from reality,” according to a transcript of his remarks provided by CNBC.

Hats off to Mr. William H. Gates who retires today at the young age of 53 and is the third richest person in the world. The Harvard graduate became the most recognized computer industry entrepreneur and is worth an estimated 58 billion buckaroos. Sigh… must be nice.