Not to call the late George Carlin on his math, but there are a lot more than seven words that are unacceptable in polite company. I’m not talking about “cusswords.” No, those are fine on pay TV, and most have made their way into the lexicon of free TV and the networks. No, I’m talking about those Words That Shall Not Be Uttered. Some of these words are so inflamatory that even uttering them is taboo. Take the “N” word, for instance. (Of course, the “N” word is only verbotten if you’re a WASP. It’s apparently perfectly acceptable to use if you’re black.) Or the “F” word – again, it’s apparently okay in a movie, but not okay on basic cable. Then there’s another class of words – words that have become weapons. These are words that have become marginalized, with meanings that are narrowly-defined…words that are used to label opponents, verbally tar and feather them, within an inch of their (public) lives.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you “Discrimination.” [Read more…] about The “D” word.
College Students and alcohol have historically gone together like mac ‘n cheese, Abbot and Costello, and livers and cirrhosis. Stories about binge drinking seem to imply that this is something new. Nonsense. In the 20’s it was bathtub gin and speakeasies. Back when I was in school (late 70’s, for the record) it was beer by the pitcher at our local pizza parlour, or the infamous Jungle parties at the KA house. Drinking is nothing new. Neither are its effects. Recently, a number of college presidents have opined that lowering the drinking age (back) down to 18 would cut down on drinking. I have a few thoughts about that. 
I was all set to write about all the exciting things going on in the world of politics today. And then…suddenly…nothing happened. (But it happened suddenly!) It must be difficult to be the news editor at one of th 24-hour news networks on a day like today. Most days in fact, I suspect the news biz is a lot like what they say (“they” being the Van Patten family) about pilots – long stretches of boredom, punctuated by a few moments of sheer exhileration and terror. Trouble is, the newsies still have time to fill – and fill it they do, mostly with low-cal filler, tripe, trumped up stories, and navel gazing. Even my personal fave, FoxNews, does far too many breathless stories on the fate of ___________ (insert the latest tragic dissapearance, murder, or sensational trial). Currently, it’s the missing toddler, Caylee Anthony. Like most of the rest of the country, I suspect she’s no longer alive, and that her mom had something (if not everything) to do with it. Still, we live in a country where you’re presumed innocent, so we must let the justice system take it’s own course. Not the news media, of course. They’ve got time to fill, and just because they have no real news upon which to report, they’ll just find a way to stretch what they’ve got to fill the time available. 
As a part of my agency, we own a teleprompter. Teleprompters are marvelous devices – even someone who can’t memorize their own name can look into the camera lens and read a script. It’s a great invention, but what it can do is to make someone who can act – but can’t think on their feet – seem as though they are something they are not. That’s why debates and interviews can be so revealing. And so it was at the Saddleback Church event. We’ve already learned that Senator Obama can give a great speech. We knew that at the last DNC convention, where he first emerged on the national stage. But giving speeches might help get you elected, but they won’t do much for you when you are being judged on your ability to make decisions that can affect the future of the world. 
My wife thinks she’s Wonder Woman. Not the cartoon character. Not the Lynda Carter TV icon. But she does think she’s invulnerable, super-strong, and impervious to pain. And she’s not alone. A lot of women that came of age in the 70’s and 80’s bought into that superheroine myth.
Branding. It’s the single most important thing about marketing. A brand communicates how a company wants to be perceived – or how it wants you to think about its products. Branding is a combination of one part image, one part slogan, and 98 parts repitition. Great brands are not created overnight. They are built slowly, one message at a time, until the brand becomes etched in your conciousness. Brands are expensive to build. But their worth their weight in gold. Which makes it all the more interesting – and madning – when I see a company kill a brand that resonates with the public. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at three brands that have been killed-off by their corporate masters, and examine the who, what, and why they died (and perhaps why killing them was a dumb idea).