Fresh off an Obama Organizing Fellowship in the swing state of Missouri, I am (working...quickly! :-) ) to raise funds to produce a documentary film -- FROM DENVER TO NOVEMBER -- about the netroots, its impact on Presidential politics and the potential for a brand new model of social change under an Obama administration.

Evidence -- plus my own intuition / experience -- suggest an Obama administration can deliver a new model of social change: a parallel path coordinating top-down governmental change with unprecedented community action, efficiently enabled by web technology, social media, and where both citizen activists and citizen journalists play vital roles.

This Saturday, May 10, 2008, the world will come together through film.

You and your friends are invited to a free public screening we've organized on the Plaza  in Kansas City.  Stop by for a few minutes or take in more of the show at Unity Temple, 707 West 4th Street between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. 

In a world where people are often divided by borders, differences and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that -- to help people see the world through someone else's eyes -- through the power of film.

When Bill Clinton ran for President, he brought Hillary into the equation. Bill's appeal: a "two for one." What's not to like about benefitting from the experience and commitment of two accomplished public servants?

So what might Obama bring to the White House?

How about a critical-mass manifestation of George H.W. Bush's "a thousand points of light"?

It's the perfect storm:

• a candidate with a community organizing background;
• expert use of the Internet to efficiently connect and mobilize the masses; and
• a huge and growing database of Obama activists, most of whom have flagged those issues -- Economy, Education, War, etc. -- that personally matter most.

Never before have we had the means and national motive to engage individuals en masse, after an election to contribute to solving social and environmental challenges.

Move over oil addiction. America's got a whole new habit we're getting hip to -- the global water crisis.

"If you think the oil shortage has caused stress -- emotional, financial, political -- wait to you see people fighting over water," offered serial inventrepreneur Dean Kamen on the "Colbert Report" which dedicated an entire episode to the subject.

A brilliant move, Kamen demo'd his water purification system on the show. Capable of purifying any water source -- from poison to a 50 gallon drum of urine, Colbert mused -- the unit, which will cost $1,000 - $2,000 per unit can supply a village with 1,000 liters/day of clean water. Fifty percent of human disease are caused by waterborne pathogens.

And don't miss this hilarious segment on Aqua Colbert, Stephen's own bottled water brand blended from the finest waters of the world.

Google Image Labeler created a simple, addictive global game out of tagging images to improve image search results. If you're online, you're already playing a bigger game with each search, tag and click.

This video from Mike Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, is a provocative primer on how humans are teaching "the machine." Wondering if digital culture is calling us to rethink a few things? Just about everything.

Once you've seen the video, maybe there's cause for pause for a virtual walk down your own street on Google.

Also of interest: Wesch's "A Vision of Students Today" video.

At today's DMA talk, I made the point that many-to-many online communication, made uber- efficient via social media, is urging every organization to take note of a new reality.

• Grassroots mobilization is trumping media spend of multinationals.

• Business of all sizes is being held to higher standards of accountability, often by a vocal and well-connected "few."

• Congruity between words and deeds (in operations, customer service, product satisfaction, etc.) isn't optional.

Case in point: Unilver's dissonant brand campaigns for Dove vs. Axe deodorant I only briefly touched on today.

For an entertaining, wonderfully-written version of the full story (so far!) -- complete with illustrative video clips -- visit Brene Brown, PhD's Ordinary Courage blog.

I speak tomorrow about Word of Mouth (WOM) Marketing to the Kansas City chapter of the Direct Marketing Association.

Several sustainability stories are peppered into the presentation because a sea change is underway. Beyond legitimate attacks on the $15 billion bottled water industry and efforts to curtail plastic grocery bag usage, the direct marketing industry may be the next target of eco-conscious living.

We're seeing WOM-amped grassroots efforts trump multinational ad spends. Word of mouth and the social media venues that extend its reach and velocity are forcing new standards of accountability. Congruity in word and deed are essential for every business these days. Especially for direct marketers: it's time to think differently and forge new contracts with your customers, giving them choice in how they want to receive you. Saving you dollars, improving customer loyalty and earning positive word of mouth in the process.

How do you foster more mindful consumer behavior?

Take a cue from this sustainability campaign: Tappening, a brilliantly simple brand ambassador program in praise of tap water. Rather, not bottled water.

Their formula? Seems to be:

Blank reusable Nalgene (it looks like) bottles +
1 Logo +
1 Blog with e-commerce capability +
1 strategically placed story in AdAge about a potential PR stunt targeting Coke -- seven months out (!) so whether or not (and how) Coke responds will continue to make Tappening news =
A flurry of blogosphere buzz +
1,310,886 page views as of today.

A very, very nice start. We'll be watching how this one continues to unfold.

Two words make my Dad Arnold Baum, a WW II veteran who served in the Battle of the Bulge, apoplectic.

Jane Fonda.

Years ago we caught a news clip of Jane, tears streaming, pleading her case against war.

"Bullshit!! She's acting! She's an Oscar-winning actress!" Dad barked at the television.

"She's manipulating us!"

I attempted solidarity, chastising Jane for clomping around that canyon waaay too long in those heels in "The Electric Horseman." Dad didn't bite. Once Hanoi Jane...

So when this clip of a more personable, vulnerable, human Hillary aaaaall ferklempt made the rounds, my gut said: acting.

In contrast, Obama shows a consistency of character that's short in most others. His also-ran address last night was as Presidential as in Iowa.

Hillary's transformation from her Iowa to New Hampshire self has been Kamikaze precise. The critics said...

In 1992 I was living in New York City when the Rodney King verdict and aftermath of riots gave my employer reason to dismiss staff early. The unspoken message: find safe haven, preferably out of dodge.

New York could blow any minute. Unrest was claiming lives and $1 billion in damages from South Central to Las Vegas and Atlanta. Even Seattle.