Once a week I receive a concert update email from Ticketmaster. This morning I opened it up and saw Engelbert Humperdinck’s photo THINKING it was Gene Simmons. I’m thinking… “Wow, I didn’t know Gene Simmons was touring.” I guess there is a huge resurgence after his successful run on the Apprentice. I’m definitely going to check out this show. Will he be singing songs from his latest release Ass****? Could he actually sing “Waiting for the Morning Light” live? Or will he dive into the KISS catalog?

Upon closer examination (When I clicked the link and was taken to the Ticketmaster site) I noticed it wasn’t Gene Simmons at all. Oops, my bad. I have to say the resemblance is uncanny.

Forget about the two remaining democrats for now – let’s ask the all important question – who has the better splash? The splash page is what you see when you first reach a Web site. In both cases, the primary goal is to get you on the mailing list. The good news is that they both drop a cookie so you never see the page again.Let’s start with the splash pages. Both use traditional colors – red, white, and blue. Let’s workshop the splash pages:

Hillary Clinton’s splash page

Info
Requires first name, last name, email and zip code. They obviously want to know who you are and where you live. Important for getting the word out. Once the form is complete, you are redirected to the homepage.

Tagline
“Help make history” – Somewhat confusing. Does it refer to the history that will be made because it’s a first for a woman nominee? If so, that message is really more about Clinton. You can help HER make history. This tag line appeals to some but not all.

Design
Traditional non flashy design displaying Hillary’s three quarter photo. Generally photos that are shot under the chin looking up are a no no. The face does point in towards the message and that works well. The logo “Hillary for President” is confusing as it also shares this tag line “Help Make History.” There are no styles attached to the form. The GIANT submit button is a bit overkill. It’s red. It doesn’t need to be bigger than the logo.

Overall
The design is very traditional and old school.

Barack Obama’s splash page

Info
Only requires an email and zip code. This tells me the Obama camp understands the internet much better. You can add your email and zip and still remain anonymous. In all fairness, Obama uses a rather large button as well. However, Obama’s says “Learn More” which may encourage a click. Also, unlike Clinton’s splash page, you are first taken to a “Thanks for joining the movement” page then redirected to the homepage. Good feedback for the user.

Tagline”
Change we can believe in” – Obama’s tag line appeals to all. Everybody can get behind this type of inspirational message.

Design
The overall design is pleasing to the eye. The bold use of blue works well and helps to frame the message. There is a clear distinction between the logo “Obama 08″ and the inspirational tag line “Change we can believe in.” The black and white photo of Obama and his family is tastefully done. The vignette also allows the photo to breathe and bathe in the whitespace.

Overall
The design is more web 2.0 and much cleaner.I give this round to Obama. Simply on design alone.

These are only a handful of clever bathroom signs I found over at the toilet sign blog. I imagine the possibilities are endless…

This kid is amazing! The fact that he’s doing it all on a unicycle is unbelievable.

Starbucks ditches the overpriced T-mobile Wi-Fi service for free AT&T service and I couldn’t be happier. A smart decision no doubt made by once again CEO Howard Schultz. More from this Associated Press article:

SEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks Corp. and AT&T Inc. will start offering a mix of free and paid wireless Internet service in most of the global coffee retailer’s U.S. shops, beginning this spring.

The move announced Monday ends a six-year Starbucks partnership with T-Mobile, which did not include free Wi-Fi and charged higher fees than AT&T will.

Starbucks said it will give customers who use a Starbucks purchase card two hours of free wireless access per day. More time than that will cost $3.99 for a two-hour session. Monthly memberships will cost $19.99 and include access to any of AT&T’s 70,000 hot spots worldwide.

Nearly all of AT&T’s broadband Internet customers, about 12 million, will automatically have unlimited free Wi-Fi access at Starbucks, the companies said.

The deal boosts the number of AT&T hotspots in the U.S. to 17,000 — the most in the nation.

Two hours free per day. Now that’s fair. It makes sense to charge more to patrons who wish to call Starbucks their office. Freeloaders!

This is a huge blow to T-mobile. But moreover, what was Starbucks thinking? Most modern food retailers offer free Wi-Fi to entice customers into their restaurant. Starbucks was exploiting their customers. Cheers to Howie. Glad to see you back at the helm!

Also see:
Starbucks Sleeve
Jackhole goes to Starbucks
Do Starbucks corporate employees get free coffee?
Akeelah and the Bee and the Starbucks employee