And we’re live.

So in one day I’ve managed to find myself a way to have a “web presence,” as they say. I’ve been told by many that I need to get “brand Alice” up-and-running, putting my name and my stuff out there so I can soon be Alice J. Robison, PhD, Inc., which to me sounds like a mouthful of modifiers but oh well. One cost me money and the other will hopefully make me money. So let’s hope it works out.

The title of this blog/site comes from a little obsession of mine regarding the best marketing scheme of the new millennium: naming things. From Web 2.0 sites to cars to prescription drugs, names are where it’s at. You can’t start something new without a good name. Just ask Flickr, Yahoo!, Google, MySpace, Wikipedia, pinkisthenewblog, YouTube, and homestarrunner. It can’t be both new and cool without a good name.

So not too long ago, I started noticing that the trend in naming consumer products in particular was to lean toward three syllables, ending in a vowel. Especially with regard to vehicle models and prescription drug names, the model of “three syllables, ends in a vowel” is king. I spent some time imagining the marketing folks who spent the time and money finding a linguist to tell them that three syllables, ends in a vowel is the most pleasing consumer product naming method they could use.

So now we have cars like Sephia and drugs like Cymbalta. We’ve got Tacoma, Montero, Altima, Viagra, Celexa, Lunesta. My friend Jonathan once realized that if you list them out and sing them to the tune of the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo,” you’d have a pretty good song.

The idea of course is that there is a way to fool people with language without them noticing it. Er, at least that’s what I took away from it.

A more optimistic thought would be that there’s something here for everyone, and that it will be pleasing to the eye as well as the ear.

Well, here’s to happy reading. Just make sure not to take your Allegra while driving your Integra.