It’s a new year and the holidays are over.  How can I tell?  AdAge.com starting sending out email updates again.  (This is just one of the many ways that I can tell it’s a new year and the holidays are over.  Also, I looked at a calendar.)

For 2009, instead of a list of resolutions, I’ve decided to make a list of links that are relevant to the day (January 5, 2009).  In fact, I’m not making resolutions by the year anymore.  I’ve decided to make “New Day Resolutions” instead.  That’s right, I’m making resoultions every night before I go to bed (then celebrating at midnight).  So Happy New Day, everybody!  And please support my resolution to lose 2 lbs. by tomorrow.

Here are the links:

• Obama meets on “The Hill” (may or may not be a new reality show) to discuss a major stimulus proposal with top legislators from both sides.
• Web 2.0 valuations, for sites like the Huffington Post, may be getting a reality check in 2009.
• Pepsi and David Beckham end their steamy romantic relationship after 10 years.  (Okay, maybe it wasn’t a “steamy romantic relationship.”  I got confused when I read the name “Beckham,” and figured it must be a celebrity gossip link…  Or maybe I just thought it sounded funny.)
• David Berkowitz offers some social media-themed New Year’s resolutions.
• BlogTalkRadio relaunches.  Hosts still can’t get their friends to listen to their show.
• Will Apple really produce and sell special gloves for using the iPhone?  Los Angeles may never know (either way.)
• LG and Netflix work together to create a new HDTV that will stream movies directly from Netflix.
• BRANDWEEK introduces a new blog, BrandFreak.
• The New York Times will sell frontpage ad space for the first time in it’s history.
• ESPN.com has been redsigned to be more ad-friendly.  I’ll be contributing to their impressions…a lot.

Brian Laesch compiled this list of links.  He is enjoying his New Year so far.  Thanks for asking.

It was a good night for NFL teams from the west, as the Arizona Cardinals held off the the Atlanta Falcons 30-24, and the beat-up San Diego Chargers upset the Indianapolis Colts, 23-17 in overtime.  It’s been an exciting start to the 2009 NFL Playoffs.  Media-types seem to be over-hyping this season’s playoffs after last year’s unbelievable Super Bowl…but so far the games have lived up to the hype.  (And then again, when aren’t the playoffs exciting?)

“I just want to say, good luck.  We’re all counting on you,” said Coach Whisenhunt to Kurt Warner, five times during the game, and this sixth time, twenty minutes after the game had ended.

You’ve gotta give it up for the Arizona Cardinals, who hosted the first home playoff game (and win) in the history of the franchise.  Not bad for a team that nobody picked to win.  (Maybe subconciously, the media was thinking geographically about college football and the Georgia win over ASU at Sun Devil Stadium in October.  But the Cardinals don’t play at Sun Devil Stadium anymore.)

“I hate you guys,” said Tony Dungy to his coaching staff.  It was a different type of “Hoosiers” moment.

Congratulations are also necessary for the undermanned San Diego Chargers, who saw star running back LaDainian Tomlinson leave in the 2nd Quarter with a groin injury.  No telling if he’ll be ready to go next week, but backup Darren Sproles filled in nicely–including a 22-yard touchdown run to win the game in overtime.  It was a sad day for the Indianapolis Colts, and MVP Peyton Manning, but most fans are blaming Offensive Coordinator, Tom Moore, for his call of a pass play on 3rd and 2, in which Manning was sacked.  It was a really bad ending to a 12-4 season for the Colts, but a huge win for a Chargers team that needed it.

Creepy, innovative or just weird?

On Christmas Day a new John Lennon commercial appeared on TV (not sure where) and online.  The ad, for OLPC (One Laptop Per Child Foundation), featured an impersonation of Lennon’s voice, with a short clip of Lennon himself at the end, saying, “You can give a child a laptop, and more than imagine, you can change the world.”

And recently an ad began airing in the Philippines, featuring an impersonator of President-elect Barack Obama having dinner with an impersonator of the President of the Philippines and getting indigestion. It’s an ad for a product called “domperidone,” which helps with “impatso” (indigestion). There’s an article about it on Adage.com that I don’t necessarily understand, so I’ll just let you watch:

I can’t really say that the ads are offensive, given that Yoko Ono gave complete permission for the use of John Lennon’s image, and that the Obama ad is light and comical. However, they are kind of weird. The general consensus on Yahoo is that the Lennon ad is “creepy.” I just think they should let him rest in peace. Laptops weren’t even invented when he was alive. It seems like a stretch to me. But they are obviously looking for controversy to bring attention to the cause, and it seems to have worked.

The Obama ad is just silly (a word I don’t use lightly). I guess it’s harmless. Although, the celebrity aspect of Obama’s presidency (when it starts) is already starting to get out of control. SEE: Obama beach photos (that I’m not linking to). I guess the creators of the ad, TBWA SMP (Santiago, Mangada and Puno) Manila, were looking for similar controversy to help bring attention to the ad.

So, I guess both ads worked. They brought attention to two things I didn’t even know about. They are both creepy/weird and innovative. Case closed. I’ll shut up now and let you go watch them again and forward them to everybody you know through email/Facebook/Twitter/whatever is next.

Brian Laesch wrote this blog without the help of an automated version of himself, or a Brian Laesch impersonator.

Even in the middle of the holiday break, the creative world is still abuzz (underrated word).  Here are some relevant links to us:

• The game technically didn’t mean anything, but the Lakers got a little payback against the Boston Celtic team who beat them in the Finals last summer.  To bad the NBA doesn’t give out championships for Christmas.
• Now you can read your favorite novel in digital form…with advertising!  You know you’ve been waiting for it for a long time.  Well, here it is.  Here it is.  What are you going to do with it?
• Super Bowl commercials cut back…at least for BBDO.
• Top Five Ads of the Year–including Goodby’s NBA Split Screen
• How To Do Almost Anything with Social Media (Mashable)
• Brandweek’s list of worst line extensions (including Burger King underwear)
• A study shows that 59% of Americans believe you can judge a company by it’s online presence.  (Hope we are holding up well…)
• Management lessons from the NFL (not including tackling insubordinate employees…we’re assuming)
• 10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009 (Entrepreneur)

Brian Laesch had a great Christmas.  Thank for asking.

By “go elf yourself,” I’m not saying, “go viral buzz off,” or, “make like a Christmas tree and branch.” That would be weird. No, I’m literally saying, “go elf yourself” with the return of Office Max’s Elf Yourself. This year you can upload up to 5 elves. Try to contain yourself, people.

We are currently on break until January 5th. The blogging may be a sporadic during that time…but then again, it’s not like we are CNN.com.

Here’s to everybody out there having a great holiday and a happy new year. Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Eid or whatever it is you celebrate. Enjoy the season!

Brian Laesch is in the holiday spirit. He would also like to congratulate his Chicago Bears for beating Matt Suttner’s Green Bay Packers on Monday. (Sorry, Matt.) This may be the first time in the history of the world that a Bears fan and a Packers fan have worked together on anything.

What are you thankful for in 2008? Personally my list is longer than the evening bumper to bumper traffic on the 405. Here at Eleventh Hour we’ve compiled the top 11 things we are grateful for in 2008:

• Our spacious new office in Marina Del Rey allowing us to host gatherings.

• Hal and Brian teaching me the ropes with social networking.
  

• Julie’s tasty treats to keep 11thr’s sweet tooth satisfied.

• Free parking! And not having to validate our visitors!

• Unlimited restaurants peppered near our office, leaving impressive options for lunchtime cravings.

• A fun, laid back work atmosphere where we can get our business done and then unwind with Home Run Derby or Wii.

• All our amazing candidates allowing 11thr to maintain its superior status.
  

• A new 11thr internship program allowing college students the opportunity to gain great career experiences.

• Our tight knit group and knowing we are all part of the Eleventh Hour family.

• Our great clients who allow us to connect amazing candidates with their companies.
  

• Most of all 11thr is thankful for its fearless leader Jeff Ganter who orchestrated big strides for 11thr in 2008 and paving the way for 11thr in 2009…also for allowing us the extending time off during this holiday season.

Check out our Eleventh Hour E-card wish you a safe and happy holiday.

Matt Suttner is extra thankful for his Eleventh Hour family and it could only be more perfect if there was snow to give it the true Christmas flavor…

This is actually more than a viral buzz. This is more like a full-on night of viraling, followed by a morning of viral hangover (but still knowing that it was worth it). That is, if “viraling” is a word…and any of that made any sense.

Here is the entire Season 2 premiere episode of Flight of the Conchords. It’s the whole episode. It doesn’t air on HBO until January 18th. Awesome.

I can’t take credit for finding it though. The Rundown pointed the way.

Bret and Jermaine are back…

I hope you enjoyed that. If not, no, I cannot give you your 30 minutes (+/-) back.

Brian Laesch is getting ready to drive across country for the holidays. He must be insane.

Heavy snowfall blanketed much of the western half of the country yesterday reaching as far south as Malibu and also dropping over 3 inches of snow on Las Vegas. Unfortunately it may have been the closest southern California will come to a true winter wonderland this year.

There is nothing better than fresh snow to spark an impromptu snow ball fight to get you feeling holiday spirit. Sadly that snowfall was a little short of us at Eleventh Hour. With a number of us growing up in parts of the country that normally experienced a white Christmas, we were a little jealous of those snowed in today.

Check out pictures of those who had to deal with sudden snowfall. Below see how Las Vegas and the rest of the U.S. will handle the wintery front as it moves east.

Though I wish we could have seen some snow flurries instead of a day full of rain, I am thankful we made back safely after a full day of delivering 11thr gifts to our friends throughout the great Los Angeles area.

Matt Suttner would have loved to have been able to give one of his co-workers a ‘face wash’ yesterday but will have to wait until Christmas break back in WI to find an unlucky friend to give a face full a snow to…

What is the “creative world,” you ask? It’s the subset of people in the regular world who are creative. I just call it the “creative world” to simplify things.

Get it?

No?

What?  You don’t?

Oh, you were just joking? Okay, cool.

Here are some links that are all the buzz today:

• According to AdAge.com, Creativity named Crispin Porter & Bogusky the 2008 Agency of the Year.
• NBC makes an exception for one of it’s videos posted on YouTube.  (Hint: It’s a music video by Andy Samberg that aired on SNL recently.)
• American Media cuts staff.
• The American Football League is forced to cancel their 2009 season due to the economy.
• TechCrunch reminds us of a promising Yahoo! project that never was…
• Mashable has announced the winners of the 2nd Annual Open Web Awards.
• Sad news out of the UK: A former Bond actress was murdered.
• Clint Eastwood thinks America is getting soft.
• Amazon’s Kindle celebrates it’s first birthday.

Brian Laesch is a freelance, link-compiling blogger, originally from Illinois.  He attended Arizona State University.  He did not major in link-compiling.

Sarah and Shane were discarded at the side of the Freeway in a Cardboard Box. Thankfully a kind passerby spotted one of their heads peering out from the box and brought them to safety. Very Sweet and Mellow Young Chihuahuas. NOT BITERS. Desperately looking for a foster or forever home. If you can help foster or adopt these two little ones that deserve more than they have got please contact carolfarescue@yahoo.com or call (310) 362-0321 or (310) 739-3578

For more information about the adoption process please visit www.farescue.org