Once in a while, a grown-up will ask me, “Tell me a little about yourself.” The first thing I think is, Oh boy, here we go! When I start talking, it’s like a rocket blasting off—there’s no stopping it. But I’ll try to make this short. A Brief Tour Through My Early Years I grew up in the 1950s, and it was kinda like black-and-white TV: simple, but still cool. I was just a kid, climbing trees and making mud pies, but also totally unique, like a taco with extra cheese. Back then, I didn’t have the foggiest clue what I wanted to do with my life. Like, zero. Zilch.…
-
-
Swanson’s Swan Song Getting Even with the Culinary Crimes of the 1950s
Back in the 1950s, when product reviews were limited to the disgruntled rantings of family gatherings, there was no way to share your feedback with other consumers about popular convenience foods. There was no social media, and certainly no Martha Stewart to save you from risking your money and your health on culinary disasters that roamed the depths of your supermarket. In other words, you were on your own when deciding what to buy for your family. Fast forward to today, with the power of the Internet at my fingertips, I decided to finally get even for all my pain and suffering by penning a series of helpful, constructive reviews…
-
Four Scores and Countless Metaphors Abraham Lincoln’s New Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln wrote and delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. The speech was intended to honor the soldiers who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg and to reaffirm the principles of liberty and equality that the United States was founded upon. Lincoln is known to have drafted the speech himself. And therein lay the problems. Lincoln’s Original Gettysburg Address “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we…
-
Riddles and Enigmas Deciphering the World of Job Interview Questions
“If you were a tree, what kind would you be?” – Anonymous question from “The Dating Game” The air is thick with the scent of Old Spice and cigarette smoke. Yet, there I am, decked out in my polyester best, ready to embark on the most bewildering challenge of my life – my first job interview. In the late 1960s, job interviews were less a professional screening process and more like an episode of “The Dating Game.” Most interviewers had no idea who or what they were looking for, how to find them, and what they’d do if they did. It was an era when a candidate’s ability to answer…
-
Recycled Slogans The New Frontier in Advertising
In the realm of advertising, a powerful slogan is timeless. From Finger-Lickin’ Good to Just Do It, catchy phrases have not only defined brands but also embedded themselves in our cultural fabric. Many of the original patents for beloved product slogans have recently expired leaving thousands of them “up for grabs.” This presents a problem for some and a new opportunity for others to scoop up these catchphrases, giving new meaning to the question, “Where do you want to go today?” Let’s take a look… Here’s a list of some of the more well-known and beloved slogans from the past and the companies that spawned them: “Think Outside the Bun”…