Happy Birthday El Jefe!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday President Obama. Happy Birthday to you.

Obama was born in Hawaii, two years AFTER STATEHOOD, on the island of OAHU, in KAPIOLANI hospital. His birth announcement was published in the paper as was then the custom...hospital gives names to paper, paper publishes.

Now birth notices have been replaced by litigation listings.

Barack is a Metal Ox, according to Chinese astrology, making him the perfect President for our times.

Imua, Barack. Hauoli La Hanau.

Steaking Out Your Market Position

As Wal-Mart pursues the reshaping of its image, it is running a commercial promoting its new meat section. A married woman snarkily unloads her groceries while voicing over in her head that she will let her husband suffer a little more trying to figure out what the special occasion is.

Is it our anniversary? Our birthday? thinks the poor schmuck as he pats the calendar on the refrigerator...NO! It is that with steaks this cheap, we don't need a special occasion.

Then the guy barbecues all four GENUINE STEAKHOUSE steaks and two fat brats ... to get back at her for thinking ill of him? To prove that the steaks are so cheap you can afford to throw two out?

Did anybody think about this before shooting the commercial? There's just TWO people in it!!!

Sound(less) Identity

Find it annoying that when the television switches from the show to commercials the volume increases?

Well, astute tv watcher Ian Garvey noted that commercials for hearing aids actually lower the volume.

(then there's bluetooth look alike spy on your neighbors device ...)

Actuary Buys Prius

Actually, this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows an actuary. The person I am referring to is my brother, a parnter at Towers Perin, who became an actuary after the age of 35 when he realized that the television series NUMBERS wouldn't be out for several years. Prior to that, he was a marketing guy for DEC, Intel, IBM and Xerox. Then he found out he didn't like people all that much.

At any rate, Prius has captured that rare brand appeal: to early adopters to people who want to show their beliefs and to actuaries who can count the numbers while driving. Actually the third generation Prius is perfect for an actuary, who waited to see how well the car would perform without jumping in right away. He even got the photovolataic roof.

Are these cars going to top Honda Civics on the most stolen list or do greenies not steal? According to my brother, who likes a little calculated risk in his driving, it does not have the get up and go of his ancient, qualified as a clunker, J30.

Riddle Me This

Why is the Sheraton Waikiki sponsoring Beauty & the Beast on Ice performed by Russian skaters at Blaisdell? Or is it at the Ice Rink?

I don't know ... but if ice is thing the, I would recommend putting Tihati or Tavana on ice and taking it around the U.S. in the depths of winter.