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Remember the singing sensation Daryl Hall and John Oates from the late '70s and mid-'80s? If you're not keen on listening to oldies stations, you may not have heard the pair's collaborative efforts in a while. Want to hear their No. 1 hits now? Well you're in luck. San Francisco start-up Twilio created Callin' Oates, a telephone hot line (719-26-OATES) people can call to select and hear famous songs from the duo. Now, Hall and Oates are going viral in 2011 thanks to a single retweet from New York Times journalist Jenna Wortham. They're most well-known for their unique blend of rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues. Songs you (or your parents) may be most familiar with are hits such as "Maneater," "Private Eyes," and "Kiss on My List." When Wortham learned about Callin' Oates, she retweeted it to her more than 400,000 followers. In just one day, nearly 100,000 people have called the hot line, which is nearly 5,000 calls every 20 minutes. If you're thinking this is a clever marketing campaign to get people intrigued for a new album, it's not. Hall and Oates do not have a new album coming out that we're aware of. The Callin' Oates hot line was created as part of an employee initiation for Twilio. New workers have to create a simple application for the company. A die-hard Hall and Oates fan thought of Callin' Oates. It's safe to assume that the app creator passed his or her initiation with flying colors. If not, at the very least, fans are happy to revisit the pair's classic and iconic '70s and '80s music.
Our next story takes us from a viral '70s sensation to a Christmas card snub.
By now, you've probably received most, if not all, of the holiday cards that you're going to get for the year. Families and friends send them out, and so do businesses you've worked with. Well, if you worked for Fox News, you may have received one of two cards that have people on social media going haywire. How did they see the cards? New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter received holiday cards from Fox News and Fox Business. Stelter uploaded pictures of the cards to his blog, thedeadline.tumblr.com. People who saw them on the Web are finding them very humorous. Why? The Fox News card displays a cartoon fox leading a sled pulled by sheep. Behind the fox, ABC and CBS are trying to catch up in their sleds. It also appears that CNN and MSNBC are peeking over a hill watching the competition race to victory. The Fox Business Christmas card takes the cartoon to a whole new level. This card depicts two foxes roasting what looks like an NBC peacock over an open fire. Is that direct enough for you? On Twitter people are giving the cards mixed reviews. One person sarcastically tweeted, "keep the tactless competitiveness in Christmas," while one sympathetic tweeter felt bad for the roasting bird saying, "poor NBC peacock."
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