Archive for: January, 2007

Interchangeable Words

Jan 19 2007 Published by under Craziness, Food, Marketing

Sorry for the radio silence. A good friend is getting married in Florida next weekend and I have been busy with work and planning a bachelor party this weekend. I probably would not have written until next week, but I heard something on the radio that irked me.

If you know me, you will know I am a connoisseur of both advertising and pizza. The subject of my ire was a radio ad for Papa John’s, so it combined these two things I love. The ad in question was for Papa John’s new garlic breadsticks – which it advertised as “tearable and sharable”.

Keep in mind this is a radio ad, so it is not quite as easy for the ear to distinguish the difference between, for instance, “tearable” and “terrible”. When I heard the ad, it took a moment to figure out why Papa Johns would be advertising bread sticks as simultaneously atrocious and yet, something you should pass on to friends.

I had this vision in my head of the guy who takes a sip of a long stale beverage then turns to his friend to say, “Does this taste bad to you? To me, it is both terrible and sharable.”

I can’t imagine Papa Johns will run this ad for long. It can’t be easy to justify spending large dollars on an ad buy to tell people your product is terrible.

One response so far

The Pride of Wisconsin

Jan 12 2007 Published by under Candidates, Craziness, Democrats, Politics, Stuff That Sucks

Rep. Steve Kagen is the kind of guy that would tell all his geeky friends he banged the hottest girl in school, and then, when confronted by her boyfriend, claim he never said it.

He’s been running around telling the nutty left that he blocked the door to a White House restroom to keep Karl Rove from leaving, bragged about kicking Rove’s ass, insulted the first lady, and mocked the President and Vice President all in one evening. But the minute the mainstream media got wind of the story, he isn’t quite the braggart.

Now that Kagen’s longer story about his White House visit is getting publicity on talk radio and among political bloggers, he won’t comment on whether he referred to Laura Bush as Barbara.

“I’m going to leave that one alone,” Kagen said Wednesday. Asked why, he said, “I’ll make no comment.”

As for his exchange with Rove, Kagen said he can verify that they met in the men’s room and that Rove congratulated him. But he wouldn’t comment on his reported comments to Rove.

What a putz. Somehow I suspect this kind of jackass isn’t what the people were looking for when they ‘voted for change’.

2 responses so far

Locker Room Conversation

Jan 11 2007 Published by under Crime, Society

As I was changing clothes following my son’s swimming lessons tonight (he’s almost 20 months, so I was swimming and he was paddling/kicking), I overheard an interesting conversation. Two guys were talking about their kids. One made a fascinating comment.

I sometimes wonder if I’m actually doing a disservice to my kid by teaching him to be honest and trustworthy. Since it seems most people get ahead by lying, cheating and stealing, I wonder if he’d be better off if I taught him how to get ahead by being dishonest and gaming the system.

The other guy clearly had the same reaction I did. He commented that it was a fascinating question.

As a parent, I hope that my kid will be a good person and do well in life. Honestly though, when I see Congressmen with bribery menus or freezers full of cash, pro athletes routinely testing positive for illegal performance enhancing drugs, and business executives taking 100 million dollar salaries for fleecing the customer and ripping off the employee pensions, I have to wonder if it’s possible to get to the top without being a lying, cheating scumbag.

Part of me asks, “If I raise my child to be good, honest and kind, am I dooming him to a life of mediocrity and middle management?”

No responses yet

More Dem News: Denver Gets The Nod, The Quip Goes Two for Two

Jan 11 2007 Published by under Conventions, Democrats, Politics

Last May, I made a prediction about the locations of the two national conventions. I picked Minneapolis-St. Paul to get the GOP business while the Dems were chilling in the mountain air of Denver.

When the GOP picked Minneapolis (and irritated the Dems by doing so), I knew I was right. Unfortunately, I had no idea Denver would do all it could to pooch the bid. They had union troubles, money troubles, more union troubles, organizational problems, and even more union troubles. I almost thought for a moment that they’d blow it.

But they finally pulled it out. Denver has been picked to host the Democrats and I have been proven right yet again.

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Dems08: Attack Of The Has-Beens And Never-Will-Bes

Jan 11 2007 Published by under Candidates, Democrats, Politics, The President

Dear god I would hate to be a Democrat primary voter this year. The slate of wannabe Presidents that are lining up on the left is absolutely ridiculous. Now Chris Dodd is jumping into the waters hip deep. It’s like every bad candidate from years past is lining up under the theory that they’ll be somehow more palatable.

So your field includes 2004 loser John Kerry, 1988 plagiarist-in-chief Joe Biden, 2004 joke Dennis Kucinich, and 2004 double loser (POTUS and Veep) John Edwards. Al Gore could jump in. You just know Al Sharpton wants 15 more minutes of attention, though Jesse Jackson might have to arm wrestle Sharpton for the right to be this years token wacko. All we need is Dick Gephardt to come out of obscurity and form a dream ticket with Geraldine Ferraro.

I look at the GOP field and yawn, but I look at the Dem field and cringe.

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