“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” – Edmund Burke

Three years ago, my little marketing firm was growing like a weed, taking on new employees and new clients at a blinding pace. We were selective on the jobs that we took on and work just didn’t seem like work. It was a good time. Then one afternoon, I had a conversation with a colleague, who advised that we may not be in business by the end of the ...

I’m not a huge football fan. Not because I’m against competition fueled by excessive testosterone, but because I just don’t have the time to keep up with it. Honestly, my butt goes numb after about an hour and a half of any type of television viewing and I’d rather do a thousand other things with my weekends. That said, I do set aside time each year to enjoy the Super Bowl. I go all out – nachos, pizza, beer – ...

In my free time, I like to produce my own music. Part of that hobby is frequenting Radio Shack – of course, until Walmart swallows them whole. I mean, where else can you find a 1/8″ Plug to 2 RCA Plugs Y-Adapter in a pinch? Exactly.

When that time comes, I expect the “Radio Shack Experience” – walls lined with over-priced cell phones, ...

My wife needs the television on in order to get to sleep. Not sure why, but I’ve just gotten used to it. On occasion, my sleep is interrupted in the middle of the night by the sweaty underarm of the advertising world, better known as the infomercial. Now, I understand the selling power of a 30-minute onslaught of unbelievable claims, bad acting, terrible graphics and louder-than-necessary voiceovers, but three particular peddlers fascinate me with their ability to get anyone to give anything to them.

Just to ...

On my way to the office this morning, I noticed that the amount of fuel in my tank would probably leave me stranded short of my destination, which warranted my immediate attention and a nearby fuel pump. While waiting in line to pay at the station, I glanced at the magazines resting by the register. Expectedly overwhelmed by the number of Michael Jacksons staring back at me,  I was relieved that every news outlet has been broadcasting this event non-stop . Had I just recovered ...

Google, circa 1999. Click the image to revisit the site as it was a decade ago.

A week or so ago, I wrote a bit about Bing and its lousy attempt to de-throne Google. A few people didn’t agree that Microsoft had brought a Super Soaker to a ...

To the writers of today’s TV commercials:

First of all, I thought we were friends. I thought that if we treated each other with the same level of respect, then I wouldn’t see some of the mind-numbing poop that keeps my hand firmly wrapped around the remote. We had a good run with non sequitur (such as this), and I was fine with ads that were less captivating than watching grass grow (such as ...

Starbucks has finally fired back against the blows that fast-food competitors like McDonald’s have dealt at the ubiquitous giant and rightfully so. But how did they choose to set themselves apart from their rivals? A large, big-money ad campaign! You can read about the campaign anywhere, so I won’t waste your time with recycled news. Instead, I’d like to express what I feel has brought us to this point.

A long, long time ago, ...