Small town sightings

No, seriously. I drove past this sign. I took this photo.

Then I honked.

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I want this for my birthday!

Somebody get me a gift certificate to this place. I love BBQ! And to have my feet rubbed in the sauce, well…This reminds me of the Red House! A serious thank you to Big Dog Eat Child for this, however,  couldn’t you guys come up with a different name…it’s kinda creepy.  On the other hand, you guys need to be hired by some of the ad agencys out there who only THINK they know how to get their commercials viewed.

Celebrate the Exclamation Point!

Why didn’t someone tell me?  It’s National Punctuation Day!   Given my extreme use of the God-Given, All-Sacred Exclamation Point, I’m really surprised I didn’t know about this.  Visit the site here where you’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about the little devices that give our language meaning and clarity. (Be sure to check their special meat loaf recipe … seriously.) They provide instruction on how to properly celebrate:

• Sleep late.
• Take a long shower or bath.
• Go out for coffee and a bagel (or two).
• Read a newspaper and circle all of the punctuation errors you find (or think you find, but aren’t sure) with a red pen.
• Take a leisurely stroll, paying close attention to store signs with incorrectly punctuated words.
• Stop in those stores to correct the owners.
• If the owners are not there, leave notes.
• Visit a bookstore and purchase a copy of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style.
• Look up all the words you circled.
• Congratulate yourself on becoming a better written communicator.
• Go home.
• Sit down.
• Write an error-free letter to a friend.
• Take a nap. It has been a long day.

The only thing it DIDN’T say was open a nice bottle of Frogs Leap. Anyhoo, you can buy T-shirts, posters and mugs with witty little sayings like Jesus and the Twelve Apostrophes, and A Semicolon is not a Surgical Procedure. I.LOVE. IT.

Call me a geek, but I think correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar is what separates us from well, perhaps, The People of Walmart?

Obama and his Newspaper

So the Toronto Blade tells me:  Newspaper journalism gets words of praise… Print media’s role vital

Mr. Obama said he noted the trend. “I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding,” the President said.

“What I hope is that people start understanding if you’re getting your newspaper over the Internet, that’s not free and there’s got to be a way to find a business model that supports that.”

Since I’m not a white male, wealthy beyond words, a fundamentalist Christian, or freaked out I might lose my guns, I’ve pretty much been behind Barack Obama every step of the way.  But now, I take issue with his misplaced concern. News and information is not determined by the method in which its delivered. These times are achangin’, Mr. President, and Internet is here to stay. Read this from Stephen Hodson…he says: Just as there is suppose to be a separation between church and state there also needs to be a separation between government and journalism. Well, DUH!  If you think Fox News or CNN have serious fact-checking and no opinions, if you think people are not already shouting at each other, then please…what planet are you living on?  You can’t fix everything. Especially in an industry that tends to eat its young, that’s archaic, lacks innovation, and doesn’t do a thing to accommodate its customers. Objective, fact-based journalism died with Cronkite. And the delivery of information is changing at lightning speed.  You, sir,  have far more important things to worry about. 

Now, go fix healthcare … oh, and the Middle East. Good Luck with that one.

The dirty trick

When this commercial came on, we looked at each other and almost at the same time, said: “I don’t like that ad.”  There’s a series of them now, using children to make their point that being naive can cost you. They’re positioning themselves as the good bank, but the disgust I feel for the banker in the spot is so strong, it transcends to the advertiser. I was uncomfortable and associated that feeling with the bank.  I couldn’t even remember their name for awhile after I had seen the spot. Maybe it’s my general disdain for the banking industry. Maybe it’s just me. 

In the can

A Big Thank You to Frank my Camera Guru for this wonderful introduction to a product I would never have tried, but probably will now. (Why won’t our clients give us this latitude?)  Have a great weekend!

The Mad Men Summary

I’m one the few people in the world who has not seen Mad Men. I’d blame it on small town living, but we do get cable here.  No problem though, because after this, I think I’m caught up now.

Thanks to Addict for this.

Threats to the Chick-YIKES!

Wow.  My post about the People of Walmart struck a nerve:

You are a classist fuck for promoting this hatred toward the poor and uneducated in this country. I can assure you of this, you would not thisnk this was funny if it were you or you close family.  If I could find you I would beat you like the facist bitsh that you are.  Oly cruel classist pigs think this shit is funny.   Fuck YOU

I rest my case.

Ah, youth

I had a farewell drink with my summer intern and her friend the other night. I listened to these two 22-year old beauties chatter away when I realize just how much I really do know…and how much they still have yet to learn.

They both talked…a lot. Coming from wealthier families, they haven’t had to earn anything…yet.  And astoundingly, they admitted that.  Check Jake’s Take and his post about the Sense of Entitlement young ones have. As parents we don’t do our kids any favors by  helping them too much. 

My intern, a tall, funny, goofy, wonderful girl reminded me so much of me at that age. Insecure and enthusiastic.  The attention span of a gnat. I gave her a few good “pep talks”.  “You talk too much-SHUT UP and LISTEN! Take notes. Be on time. In the real world, you’ll get fired for that. Don’t rush through the project. Let people come to you.” You get the idea.

I have a daughter-an only child-and we’re not close. (If I say left, she’ll go right. Other moms of daughters tell me how common this is, yet it still breaks my heart.) But this intern of mine, we developed a special bond over the summer.  She respected me, listened to me (when she wasn’t talking!) and I loved having her, even if I did want to pull my hair out a couple of times. She left my office knowing more than when she started. What she does with it now is up to her.

They say advertising is a business for the young.  Fresh ideas, new perspective and all that. Maybe. But I take solace in my years of mistakes they have yet to make, mistakes that give you the wisdom and confidence to make a better choice and to trust your instincts.

That’s called experience.

Baby, the stuff you’ll learn!

We’re #37

Thank you to Miss Cellania at yesbutnobutyes for directing our attention to this. It has cooled my fire about the “We’re right and you’re wrong” attitudes in our country by reminding me we’re free to actually make and post songs like this.  So, for that, I’m happy to be living in good old #37.  

Now, can’t we all please TRY to reason together?   I didn’t think so.