“A” is for “Awesome,” at least that’s the hope of the Corporation for Travel Promotion. The organization hired agency JWT, who along with The Brand Union, was given the hefty task of rebranding the U.S.A. The outcome—welcome to the “United States of Awesome Possibilities.”

It’s hard not to believe in the awesome spirit of our country and its political figures when courageous representatives such as Gabrielle Giffords are in office. Eleven months after suffering her near-fatal shooting, the congresswoman is walking, talking, and most important, smiling. A spirited Giffords sat down for her first interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer since the shooting to discuss her new book and life after the tragedy. The special airs Monday, Nov. 14 at 10/9 pm C.T.



Elsewhere in the realm of political figures, GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry has been on damage control since his televised memory-lapse during Wednesday night’s Republican debate. The incident serves as a valuable reminder to media relations pros that you should always prepare for the unexpected. Here are three tips to keep in mind before you suffer from a humiliating public display of temporary amnesia.

Sadly, there’s little damage control Penn State can do at this point to prevent fallout from its child-sex scandal. It was only a matter of time before sponsors started distancing themselves. One of the first, Cars.com, has temporarily withdrawn its sponsorship of “Saturday Afternoon College Football” on ESPN for the next two weeks.

If a crisis teaches us anything, it’s that you can’t keep secrets secret forever, but the Federal Trade Commission hopes to keep people’s privacy on Facebook a little better under wraps. The FTC and the social network are reportedly near an agreement that will provide users safer anonymity over content they share privately on the site.

As a writer, I like to pay my due respects to the earnest ventures of wordsmiths. If it happens to involve baked goods, well that’s just the icing on the cake. (NSFW)

As a consumer of drinks that may or may not contain alcohol, I also like to pay my respects to beers—except Miller Light, which might as well be water. However, Bud Light is going “platinum” with a new brew this January which will gives those figure-conscious frat houses a bit more ABV (alcohol by volume) without expanding their BMI (body mass index).

And while you’re holding that beer, for goodness sake, use a koozie. Your hands are the key to future interaction design.

If you find a bottle of water while visiting the Grand Canyon, whatever you do, don’t just toss it aside. Despite accounting for 30 percent of its total waste stream, the national park has dropped its motion to ban the sale of disposable water bottles after officials from Coca-Cola—which has donated more than $13 million to the parks—raised concerns over the matter.

If Coke wants to influence legislation in the city of Aredale, Iowa, it’s going to have to go through 18-year-old Jeremy Minnier, the new mayor for the city of 73 residents.

I wonder if Minnier would ban the Marc Jacobs perfume ad of his peer Dakota Fanning that we mentioned earlier this week? Regardless, Dakota, you’re not alone. Here are five other celebs who were a little too racy for marketing standards—and somehow, they’re all still doing OK.

That’s all from us this Veterans Day. Have a great weekend, and Happy Nerd New Year — ring in the holiday tonight, 11.11.11, at 11:11 p.m.