Thank you United Technologies and thank you AmericanUniversity.Your ads plastered over almost every square inch of metro station and train (respectively) have not only informed me of your products, services, and class offerings but also diverted my attention to the task at hand: sitting here trying to get home.
I fully appreciate all the advertisers on Metro because they do help to offset the cost of my trip.However the question I have is for Metro is, "Why, if you can have one advertiser pay to fill a whole station or train once every few months, why are there no ads the rest of the time? Perhaps you could offer the station advertising ala carte so that one company doesn't have to buy the whole thing. Additionally, how much money are you getting on these things? It doesn't appear enough to off set my $11 a day trip. As it turns out the nice folks at CBS Outdoor media are the ones who run the advertising on Metro and I am a bit more dismayed at the situation in light of that news.CBS Outdoor is a major-league billboard company and should have no problem attracting top flight advertisers like Denny's and Motel 6 to come on board (literally). Heck, now all I can think about is Tom Boddet eating his "Moon over my Hammy" and "leavin' the light on for me.". Thanks brain!
Without question I need to discuss the Super Bowl from last night. I won’t bore those of you who will be bored by “Xs and Os” but rather I want to touch on three items from last night.
1) Bill Belichick is a “Cheating Creep”
“That Cheating Creep” is how author and commentator Jeffery Toobin referred to Patriots coach Bill Belichick this morning on the Imus in the Morning program on ABC radio this morning.How correct you are Mr. Toobin.
In fact Coach Belichick is the personification of the “me first” society we are currently wrapped up in.Last night as the game was wrapping up, the coaches came to midfield to shake hands and navigate the end of game media circus that is ubiquitous at these games. The problem was that the game clock still had one second remaining and the officials had to clear the field to run the last play of the game. Instead of being the “adult” and model of leadership even in hard times and returning to the sidelines, Belichick retreated to the locker rooms along with some of his players. Now if that’s not cowardly and a sign of “crybaby-ship” then I don’t know what is!Here’s the video of the matter (courtesy of somebody’s home video, posted on AOL sports):
Ms. Blogger made her famous gridiron cake to bring with us to watch the game this year. We were in the kitchen yesterday afternoon decorating and she asked me what to write in the end zones using M&Ms.I stated to say “Giants” and “Pats” but quickly changed my mind on the latter and told her to write “18-1” instead of “Pats”. I have the photographic evidence too (coming later tonight once I upload the pics.)Looks like I should have issued my “triple layered lead pipe lock of the week” given free to the first 100 callers.
3) Best Super Bowl Ads
The Super Bowl is a unique event where we don’t actually get up during the commercial breaks for fear of missing something really creative. This was the first year that I wrote down all the commercials that aired so that I could remember which ones I really liked and which ones were so far off the mark that they should have aired at 3am in-between infomercials and reruns of Three’s Company. For a complete listing go to Spike.com’s 2008 Commercial Bowl
Stewie, Underdog and a bottle of Coke.It was charming, well thought out, and made a great point with the perennial looser, Charlie Brown winning in the end. Kind of like the Giants pulling this game out in the end. The ad was not “offensive” or in your face edgy. It was the kind of spot that could air at anytime during any kind of show. I like those the best.
Ok first things first: This car looks really cool. However the starting price is over $100k so it’s not quite in the wheelhouse of most viewers. With that said, if you understood the commercial from the opening seconds then you’ve both seen “The Godfather” and you have the intelligence to earn that kind of money. (Note: Your Wife may Divorce you if you come home in one of them however) This ad was also well through out and didn’t have to use some “star of the moment” to push a crappy product.
Again, well thought out and really funny approach to selling detergent. This is a product that doesn’t have built in sex appeal like a car and used actors who couldn’t even get into an American Idol tryout. Another nice aspect to it was that it made you think. For the first few seconds you just really don’t know what’s going on and then you can figure it out. Thanks for making me do a bit of thinking on a day when thinking really isn’t mandatory.
Finally I have one company who should just stop advertising: SalesGenie.com. Their two spots offended me and that’s hard to do. In one ad they used a stereotypical Indian (Asian) voice and in the other a Chinese voice. Both were poorly done and weren’t well planed, nor is the product any good to begin with either.
How is it possible that on my first election day as an eligible voter in the state of Maryland there's nothing to vote for? I don't mean that there's a bunch of unworthy and ungrateful candidates and a slew of ballot initiatives that are only going to add to my tax bill. I mean there are NO anything. I have no national elected races, no state races, not even an stinking local race for dog catcher (that would be a fun position to hold though!). I'm sitting here when I should be out at the polls because there is literally NOTHING to vote on today in my district. (A note here should be made wishing Ryan Spegal the best of luck in the Gaithersburg city council race tonight).
I should admit that this development isn't all bad. There are a slew of races (I used slew twice in once post...it's going to be a tag!) in Virginia that are bringing out all the slime that is associated with politics especially the campaign ads. The best one I saw (and I can't for the life of me remember this guy's name) was for a state Senate seat. The candidate is an older guy and they have him dressed in a circa 1973 sweat suit hitting a speed bag which is dusted in talc so every time he hits it, a puff of smoke comes off. The juxt of the ad is that he is "fighting" for his constituents, but the best part is the end when they show him running up the steps of the State House in Richmond as if he were Rocky Balboa. I swear he looked like he was going to keel over dead if they made him do it again. I have a special prize to the first person that can tell me who the candidate is and send me a link to the video!!!
On to going POSTAL, or rather using the US Postal Service to help me get revenge on the advertisers. Yesterday I posted (shame on you if you have to click the link because you didn't already read it!) about Andy Rooney's tips for getting back at telemarketers and junk mailers. Well today I got three in the mail and tomorrow I'm sending three out. Southwest's Visa card department is getting a coupon for a free gallon of milk if they buy any 4 varieties of General Mills cereals (conditions apply), Omaha Steaks is getting a free sample of Glide dental floss (now with the freshening power of Scope) and State Farm is getting a coupon of some sort from Popeye's chicken (frankly it was an hour ago and I don't remember what it's for). The bottom line is that I was feeling stressed and under the weather when I got home but now I feel great and it's all thanks to fat Andy Rooney.
Speaking of fat, I'm still waisting away. Down another 2.0 pounds this week for a total of 6.4 pounds. I've done away with the picture that accompanies this news because of various complaints that it looked like crap. You're right it did so now it's gone. If only getting rid of a certain blogger that you love to hate were that easy.
Thank you United Technologies and thank you 
