So we only have one Halloween party to go to as of today, and we're not too excited about that. Look, we know it's totally anti-classy to invite oneself to stuff, but who the hell cares anyway, right? So here's the deal — I have a super sweet costume I put together for like, $13 at KMart, and I aim to get every cent out of it. I'm happy to don it for your agency parties, if you'll have me. I promise to stand by myself in a corner and stare uncomfortably at people until security asks me to leave. Really, it'll be suuuuper awkward.

Email me with all those well designed invitations at matt@mediabistro dot com.

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Good morning adverati, and welcome to Friday. In just 9 short hours, you'll be getting your things ready to go home for the weekend. If you're working from home today, consider yourself lucky. As for the rest of you, try not to spend your entire day working — and be sure to do something pointless.

A reader sent in the above photo this morning. Thanks reader! You know who you are. In case you can't see it, it's a newsletter from an advertising recruiter that apparently came by mail. The copy is pretty standard, until you get to the bottom of the page — and the sign out.

Following the contact name, in big letters it says, "OUR WEB SITE ON THE INTERNET". From the tipster:

"this was a newsletter that came in the mail from an advertising recruiter who may have a website but hasn't figured out how to use it yet. you'd think all the jobs would be filled by the time a jobs newsletter was printed and carried to your house by the postal service."

He/She goes on:

"by the way...she writes like a used car salesman!! read some of these postings.

'This is such an outstanding position ladies and gentlemen --- taaaa dahhhh - CRM MANAGER wanted for huge automotive client. 5-7 years experience working in direct marketing. Direct and online program responsibilities. Beautiful Southern California headquarters of international company. You must have experience with database marketing and program management. This position acts as primary contact with partner agencies. (On hold.)' "

More: "DraftFUCBUH's Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Spot = Sweet"

Write a headline, win pride for creativity that we may or may not talk about.

More: "This Image Needs a Headline"

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Commenter Sparky points us to an article in Valley PR Blog from yesterday, Oct. 8, which merrily hums about the new hires made at R&R Partners in pa-ho-nix (Phoenix). Remember way back when to this past Tuesday, as in Oct. 7, when we posted in "Raw and UnCut" a rumor that the agency had laid off 12-15 people?

Well the very next day, the agency announced via Valley PR blog, the hiring/advancement of some new/existing employees. Yippee! Everything's fine! See, we just hired some folks.

Btw, we e-mailed the agency (press@rrpartners dot com) on Tuesday (and again today) to confer on the issue of said layoffs, but they never got back to us. But according to VPB, the agency just hired a super-fresh PR coordinator (among others) — so we're guessing the last person was among those laid off? Just a hypothesis, really. Here's wondering if the post on VPB was her idea...

We'll go easy since the aforementioned PR coordinator just graduated from ASU in May. Nothing like cutting your teeth on the still-warm bodies of a bunch of people you don't even know. Damn, that's a long row to how the fuck are they going to recover from this one? See how I just changed subjects mid-sentence there? I took the cue from R&R, which went from laying off a bunch of their staff to shouting about their new hires in one short, smoke-filled breath.

We hate layoffs, you hate layoffs, and so the merriment goes. But for whoever's sake, don't spin death with birth. Just don't. Good luck Ms. Coordinator — we are honestly pulling for your agency — and every other agency that's had to let people go, and for the people that were let go, and for the economy and bla bla bla bla bla. Is the week over yet? E-mail me when it ends; matt@mediabistro dot com.

More: "Blind Item: Who's Got A Bad Habit"

No really, we're not even kidding. A story in the Times had all the deets, but here's the parts you all will care about. Vaseline branding machine BBH headed to a small Alaskan town called Kodiak with a bunch of bottles of lotion, which they distributed for free from a local store.

Mistake 1: Taking sales away from a local store in a relatively small market where the owner might actually care about not having sold lotion. Whatev.

So the reps set up a table and hand out two free bottles of goopy-slimey goodness to anyone that wants them. The catch: the giftees had to divulge which person had told them about the giveaway. In doing so, the reps were able to create a "social network" map of the town, and link back to the person who was extolling the freebie most.

That person was one Petal Ruch, who according to the Times is a voice coach and mother of four. Who better to hawk lotion than a buttery-voiced mommy (blogger? not yet anyway)?

So now Ruch is representing the brand in a pseudo-mentary (that's pseudo and documentary melded together...like ginormous). Hope it goes better for them than it has been for...the polar bear, which is nearing extinction, possibly due to global warming.

Gawker via Times

More: "BBH's Blacklist"

Since we've got a fancy new commenting system...erm...one that works, anyway, why not let's give 'er a try. I snapped the photo you see above on my walk to work this a.m., somewhere near 9th ave. and 43rd st. At first I though it was one of those, "in memory of so-and-so who was hit by a car whilst riding along" thingys, but alas, it's an actual vehicle.

Is this what George Parker would have ridden to school as a young boy (not sure why I'm picking on George so much today — but he usually doesn't mind). I heard his prep school graduation coincided with the completion of Stonehenge. Ba dun, ching!

Anyway, so let's see what you can do. Post away!

Not to be insensitive, but as I combed the wires this morning, as I do everyday, I got a good laugh from the headline you're about to read. Yeah, it's immature of me to point this out, but seriously, who comes up with this stuff?

"Breakthrough Optical Technology To Assess Colon Cancer Risk, Accuracy"

Cue sighs.

(left to right: Matt Van Hoven, Kelly Samardak, Ryan Katana photo source)

It was a rainy Thursday night when I sauntered up to the entrance of the Nokia theatre in Times Square. I was dressed, equipped with Flip Mino and Blackberry, and ready to get some story tellin' done from inside the Facebook Party that capped off Advertising Week V.

Earlier in the week, I attended the opening party at 30 Rock's famed ice rink bar. There I met some nice industry folks, had a few cocktails and even shot a bit of video before hopping off to take care of other business. The barrier to entry at the opening night was low — and I hadn't anticipated any issues since the PR folks knew I was planning to attend. What's more, I had confirmed they received my schedule, just to be safe.

Back to the Facebook event. Being that I had taken the time to make sure I was on the FB list, I felt confident that I wouldn't have any trouble getting in. But as it goes, such was not the case. I stepped out of the rain, flashed my press card, and presented my name for the obligatory "name check" on that fancy clip board the velvet-ropers are always tottering about with under their arm. Much to my dismay, "The great and mighty AgencySpy" was not listed. Neither was my real name. WTF?

See what happened, including an awkward encounter with some FB employees, after the jump.

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Hey ad-world. We came to work this a.m. to find a link waiting for us on our desktop, and here's where it led. DraftFCB Singapore dressed up like pimps and hos, and ran through a mall in the name of building camaraderie.

We agree with out tipster, who writes, "I don't even know what to say with this."

Maybe we're just feeling lazy 'cuz our thumbs are still throbbing from laying two coats of paint on the new apartment last night (til 5 a.m. — damn we're tired), but something about this story feels tots wrong.

From the original story: "We did this for a laugh and also to build a better relationship between staff and team members. It was fun. When you have daily work pressures and deadlines to meet, it is nice to do something really different and daring, sometimes," said someone. Take it away, George!

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See more ridiculous pics after the jump.

More: "Yahoo! is dusting off its pimp game..."

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