It's Friday and we could sure use a swig of the "the good stuff" right about now.

We couldn't agree more, so we stole this post from the gang at the SanFran Egotist:

We're getting annoyed by this new Facebook meme where all our friends are changing their photos to cartoon characters as an anti-child abuse awareness ploy. Not because we now know some of our friends loved Smurfette, but because it's an entirely pointless circle jerk that does nothing to actually help abused kids.

With all the power that social media has, is this what we're reduced to? Swapping out a photo but doing nothing else about real children who are getting abused each day? No links to a hotline to report abuse. No way to donate money or time. No information on how to spot abuse or where to get help if you need it.

This is how the world ends - not with a bang but with people posting pictures of He Man and Care Bears instead of actually helping other human beings.

The biggest reason we're here is to help increase the profile of the Des Moines creative community. That means YOU. So how can you help? Sign up for a member profile. It costs nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. And, it's an easy way to promote you, your expertise and a sampling of your best work. What bad could possibly come of that?

Building a member profile is simple. Plus there are benefits, like seeing local job postings three days before anyone else, having the ability to comment on articles, stories, editorials and forums ... and, did we mention you could be "discovered" here?

Here are the basics: Choose a user name. This is the name that will show up at the top of your profile page. Then select your "listing name" (the one you enter after the initial user name and password setup). This will be the one used to list you on the talent category pages along with other members.

Fill our a few additional details. If you don't have a website, please put your email address or phone number in your description so people can contact you. Then take a gander through the digital/development listings to find someone to build you a site!

Select and upload a few examples of your best work so people can get a feel for the type of work you do. Viola! You've got a profile that can be seen by the entire creative community!

Start here: www.thedesmoinesegotist.com/join