Subject: Blastfishing.com’s Going “Ack!” to School, Baby!
   From: Brian Madison
   Date: August 23, 2005
     To: listserv


"The Memeticist"
 Edition 1


"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
                                    --Gandhi


--> In this issue: new products, new pages, free stuff.


Greetings Once Again, Fellow Traveler!


Zen Master This has been tirelessly toiling away these past months in the Blastfishing/General Memetics labs in his never-ending mission to Save Humanity From Itself. I am pleased to announce that his toil has not been without results. We have recently added these fine new products to our website, by popular demand of our ever-growing Army of Memetic Insurgents (AMI)...


Magnetic Sticker Holders Save Valuable Auto Paint Jobs
======================================================

Peel your Blastfishing.com bumper sticker, stick it to the magnet, then attach the magnet to the car. Voila: removable bumper sticker! Made of heavy-duty 0.030” FMRS (flexible magnetic rubber stuff). $1.50 each.


Boutique T-shirts are All the Rage
==================================

Yes, we have finally put 10 of our finest precision-engineered memes onto t-shirts! Just imagine the memetic damage you’ll do to unsuspecting normals when you proudly stroll down the street, across campus, or through the shopping mall with “You’re inadequate; buy more stuff” emblazoned across your chest! No one’s been arrested for this yet, but we’re certain it’s only a matter of time. Our complete line includes:

   You're inadequate; buy more stuff
   Remember: the whole system depends on you not asking too
     many questions
   It's not that life's too short; it's that it's too full
     of distracting, pointless crap
   Thou shalt think for thyself
   Love your country, fear your government
   As long as there is power to be sold, there will be
     money to buy it [w/graphics of Republican elephant and
     Democrat donkey]
   Act like nothing's wrong
   So, what have we learned from all this?
   Outsource Executive Management
   Our survival requires bold, decisive, visionary
     leadership. So basically we're all screwed


They are simply stunning: white silkscreened artwork on black Hanes Heavyweight tees in 100% cotton. Shirts are $15.00 each and are available in Medium, Large, and X-Large. Don’t wear clothes? Buy a few for a college kid you know and/or as holiday gifts for those cranky relatives who are always so hard to buy for!


Buttons, Buttons, Who’s Got the Buttons?
========================================

WE’VE got the buttons, baby! Put ‘em on your jackets, put ‘em on your backpacks, put ‘em on your purses, put ‘em on your guitar straps, put ‘em on your hats! This last option is especially popular with gymnosophists (got a good dictionary?) who purchase our “Why wear clothes?” buttons. Our complete collection of 20 designs includes:

   Remember: the whole system depends on you not asking too
     many questions
   You're inadequate; buy more stuff
   It's not that life's too short; it's that it's too full
     of distracting, pointless crap
   Thou shalt think for thyself
   Love your country, fear your government
   As long as there is power to be sold, there will be
     money to buy it
   Act like nothing's wrong
   So, what have we learned from all this?
   Outsource executive management
   Our survival requires bold, decisive, visionary
     leadership. So basically we're all screwed
   The journey is the point
   Conform or we will crush you
   Steal your life back
   It's too late for me; save yourself
   Power is a drug...we are ruled by addicts
   Anti-establishment hippie troublemakers rule [w/cross
     graphic]
   The louder the shout, the bigger the doubt
   Never, never, never trust the ruling class
   Why wear clothes?


Clinically proven to make anyone instantly 30% more attractive, cure dropsy, and remove that stubborn clog. They are simply stunning: white artwork on black background, 1” diameter, and plastic coated. Buttons are $1.00 each. Don’t wear buttons? Buy a few for a college kid you know and/or as holiday gifts for those cranky relatives who are always so hard to buy for!


You Can Never Have Enough Fridgie Magnets
=========================================

Derived from the above-mentioned buttons. Under clean-room conditions, we surgically remove the captive pin from the button and replace it with some double-sided sticky tape and 0.125” thick FMRS. Only the patients which pull through are sold to customers, after a thorough post-op recovery. “Steal your life back” is a popular one with dieters. Our complete collection of 20 designs includes:

   Remember: the whole system depends on you not asking too
     many questions
   You're inadequate; buy more stuff
   It's not that life's too short; it's that it's too full
     of distracting, pointless crap
   Thou shalt think for thyself
   Love your country, fear your government
   As long as there is power to be sold, there will be
     money to buy it
   Act like nothing's wrong
   So, what have we learned from all this?
   Outsource executive management
   Our survival requires bold, decisive, visionary
     leadership. So basically we're all screwed
   The journey is the point
   Conform or we will crush you
   Steal your life back
   It's too late for me; save yourself
   Power is a drug...we are ruled by addicts
   Anti-establishment hippie troublemakers rule [w/cross
     graphic]
   The louder the shout, the bigger the doubt
   Never, never, never trust the ruling class
   Why wear clothes?


It is rumored that McGyver recently used one of our fridgie magnets and a bit of twine to prevent Hoover dam from bursting. They are simply stunning: white artwork on black background, 1” diameter, and plastic coated. Buttons are $1.50 each. Don’t have a fridgie? Buy a few for a college kid you know and/or as holiday gifts for those cranky relatives who are always so hard to buy for!


Free Stuff and Other Business
=============================

If you haven’t been to our website lately, check out our new additions:

  --We now accept payment by Paypal and check (mail order)
  --Priceless ruminations by Zen Master This in an
    essay titled “Let’s Put a Big Dent in the Memesphere”
  --Customer photo page: Please forward photos of you
    enjoying your precision-engineered Blastfishing/General
    Memetics memes; we'll put 'em on this page. The
    stranger, the better! But wait, it gets even better:   
    we’ll send you one FREE sticker, button, or magnet of
    your choice for each photo we use!
  --Two different animated .GIFs you can add to your blog
    or website to help spread the word about Blastfishing.
    Put one of our .GIFs on your blog or website, and we’ll
    send you one FREE sticker, button, or magnet of your
    choice!


Advertising is HIDEOUSLY expensive. In order for us to successfully carry-out our mission of Saving Humanity From Itself, we need the support of every AMI member out there in the web’s thriving Independent Minds eek-o-system. Please help us and get free stuff for yourself!


We can never get enough word-of-mouth advertising, either. Please be sure to tell everyone you meet on your journey about Blastfishing.com! (Please consider forwarding this e-mail to a few friends, too!)


Our products and our website are continually evolving; we have received many excellent suggestions from our AMI in the past, and we hope this continues. Please, don’t be shy about sending us your ideas. If we use an idea of yours, we’ll send you a FREE sticker, button, or magnet of your choice!


Finally, we have begun exploring our first “giving back to the world” program. We are considering giving a portion of our profits to a worthy organization. Our favorite so far is WITNESS (www.witness.org):

     WITNESS uses the power of video to open the eyes
     of the world to human rights abuses. By partnering
     with local organizations around the globe, WITNESS
     empowers human rights defenders to use video to shine
     a light on those most affected by human rights
     violations, and to transform personal stories of
     abuse into powerful tools of justice.

We welcome your thoughts on this.


That’s all the news for now, from what may very well be the ONLY company that EVER mattered!

Best Regards,


s/BAM/                   s/ZMT/

Brian Madison            Zen Master This (Immortal)