It's all about marketing and spin ...

UPDATE: For more on the destructive direction of the U.S. read: Forty Million High-Skilled Jobs Headed Over Seas

The multinational corporations have no loyalty except to the bottom line and their compensation.

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Is there anything else left in the U.S. We have no manufacturing to speak of. We import too much of our food. There is a 'christian' movement to deny science and to turn us into a country of dunces. We have politicians, lawyers, fast food restaurants. Media companies and insurance companies (which control our politicians more than we, the electorate, do).

In order to control those being 'served,' businesses need advanced clipping services. And, apparently, they have them. One is called Relevant Noise.

From their sign-in page:

Welcome to relevantNOISE and the sonar blog mining platform. Log in to easily track and view the blogosphere "noise" that's important to you.

sonar provides an easy-to-use reporting interface that shows you the volume of relevant mentions over time - and whether the tone of those mentions is positive or negative. You can even sort your results and drill down to view the actual blog posts.

With sonar you'll be able to determine real-time fluctuations in your share of voice versus your competitors', gather the intelligence you need to quickly address brewing problems with your product or brand, and identify and capitalize on growing trends in your marketplace.

Listen and Learn^TM

If you have any questions or need help, give us a call at 908.788.8844, or send us an e-mail at info@relevantnoise.com. We'll be happy to assist you.

Notice that they've trademarked a very common set of words in a very common grouping?

And a blog too? The blogger is, I think, on his/her way to appointment in some government agency aiming to keep the public pacified.

An excerpt from a post on poisoning-our-pets (Menu Foods and the Pet Food Recall Scandal):

Bloggers are a very vocal bunch (really, we are) and Menu Foods has been taking a beating in the blogosphere. Is it just that people blame them exclusively for poisoning their beloved pets? As Jeanne Bliss over at MarketingProfs Daily Fix sees it, this was “another majorly missed opportunity” Not their responsibility over the ingredients, but Menu Foods’ responsibility to its customers to provide timely, honest communication on a horrible situation.

And another post [cute title; murky Merck] -- Mercky Waters: Bloggers on Gardasil, the HPV Vaccine

Has the damage been done? Looking at sonar the buzz around Merck and Gardasil the tone is mixed; however if you take school-aged children out of the mix, it’s definitely negative. Looking at their stock for the past year, the negative buzz doesn’t seem to be hurting Merck where it counts, at their bottom line.

The bottom line's OK. Is there anything else?

There's just something unsettling about marketers (and economists) when they apply their verbal/visual/psychological (and numerical) trades to the detriment of our lives and well being in favor of making money.