(photo by The Washington Examiner) bait-and-switch noun the action (generally illegal) of advertising goods that are an apparent bargain, with the intention of substituting inferior or more expensive goods. “a bait-and-switch scheme” The term was first used in 1962, to describe an ascending advertising strategy. Ad folks also coined the term “Mad Men,” one of …
Among the nosy and intrusive questions I like to ask strangers (and there are many — questions) is: “What’s your favorite guilty pleasure TV?” Granted, it’s a stupid question, as the answer itself requests stupidity. But the answer is usually fascinating. TV is nothing if not an expensive mirror, at least of our subconscious. …
I accidentally deleted all my email this weekend. I think I know what happened. I’m such a goddamned minimalist that the lifestyle caught up with me. And when I say lifestyle, I mean neurosis. Anything that sits in my garage for six month without being used is unnecessary, I reason. Same with my closets: …
And the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” — Genesis 6:7
If complaining is an art, I am Picasso. If it’s bullshittery, I am Ferdinand. So please excuse my latest deposit, whatever its contents. I can’t help myself. But why the oxygen-depleted approach to Hurricane Harvey when it comes to a connection with global warming? Has this somehow become a political issue, too? Last night, …
Don’t take this the wrong way (Don’t you love sentences that start that way? They state something that’s already pre-ordained: “Don’t take this the wrong way” means “You’re about to take this the wrong way;” “Nothing personal” means “You are about to hear something personal;” “No offense” means “You are about to be offended;” …
Arf: Dogs poop in alignment with Earth’s magnetic field. The world’s oldest lived to 29. Humans and dogs first became best friends 30,000 years ago. Every dog’s mitochondrial DNA is 99.9% the same as a gray wolf. In English-speaking countries, the most popular names for dogs are Max and Molly. Dogs and cats only sweat from their foot pads and nose. Dogs have 13 blood types, horses have 8, cows have 9 while humans only have 4. Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle audible only to dogs at …
I’ve resigned myself to some things I will never fully fathom: the electoral college; women; Pokemon GO (a videogame that requires you to go outside and walk? That’s the opposite purpose of itself. That’s like a treadmill-powered Twinkie dispenser.). But I’m having real trouble with this concept, which I guess is more a question: …
The Hollywood Bowles 