Random musings on politics, society, and pop culture from the Internet's marketing curmudgeon.
Wow. When McCain sewed up the GOP nomination, I was resigned to hoping that he’d make a really great VP pick – somebody who would embody REAL Conservative values and principles. Sadly, none of the frontrunners really rang my bell. Jindal refused to be considered. Thompson wasn’t even in the running. Romney looked like a lock, but lost a lot of cred in the primaries, with unexplained “changes of heart” on core-values issues.
Then McCain surprised us all. [Read more…] about A Light Dawns.
Tomorrow is the first day of school for thousands of kids across Amarillo, my daughter included. While the exact day children go back to school may vary from district to district, there is one undeniable fact – the school year is longer than it was when I was a kid.
When I went to school (you know…back in the dark ages, when St. George slew the dragon…a time before cell phones, instant messaging, and satellite TV), school NEVER started before Labor Day, and never lasted beyond Memorial Day. Those two holidays were the bookends to the freedom days of my youth. Today, it is vastly different, with state legislatures regularly extending the required number of days in the school calendar every time they consider the matter. My question is “why”? [Read more…] about School Daze.
When I was a kid, things in politics seemed much more simple. Republicans were the party of small government and low taxes. Democrats were the party of big government and big taxes. If you were for personal responsibility, you voted GOP. If you thought government had all the answers, you voted Democrat. Today, it’s not that easy. The GOP has been largely taken over by the RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), where conservative ideals and big government (and big government spending) have learned to peacefully co-exist. The Dems have been bushwacked by the lunatic left, with the George Sorros/MoveOn.org/DailyKos/Huffington Post crowd holding it hostage. [Read more…] about Six of one…
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. [Read more…] about CAUTION: Student Drunk Crossing.
You can tell Jesse Jackson’s in the news again by looking at his shoes. You know. The ones with the teeth marks on them. From putting his foot in his mouth. Again. But this time, it’s a (presumably) friendly fire incident with Mr. Rainbow Connection fragging his party’s/constituency’s/race’s nominee for President. The question is, why? [Read more…] about The Rainbow Competition.
What is this all about? Simple. I’m a marketing guy/graphic designer/copywriter/animator/whatever. As you might expect with all those “/” in my vocations, I have a lot of opinions on a lot of things. Mostly marketing and advertising, but we may wander ocasionally. Check back here for random thoughts on the state of marketing, advertising, politics, pop culture, and (un)common sense.