Author: ssw15

I may never fully understand the problems of campaign finance reform, but the NY Times had the quote of the day:

“We are under no illusion. Money, like water, will always find an outlet. What problems will arise, and how Congress will respond, are concerns for another day.”
– JUSTICES JOHN PAUL STEVENS and SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR, upholding new campaign finance rules.

Hmm. Money like water… Such a needed resource, and yet we can never get enough of it… I like the analogy. Then again, how willing am I to plow through a many-page-Supreme Court decision to find more of the analogies that the nine justices are so good at making?

Law.com directed me to this article about how California bar exam takers should take heart; failing the nation’s toughest bar exam isn’t so bad because lots of people fail it and it’s the toughest bar exam. Then, California gets to pat itself on the back for filtering out incompetents from practicing and yet, what’s so good about being the toughest when it means telling lots of people to either find another state to practice law or else be very realistic before applying to take that state’s bar exam or enter non-certified California law school. It once again highlights how the process can be such a mind game. Plus, there is something very disturbing about the points the article made – for instance, does it really make anyone feel better about not being able to practice law in California because it has the toughest bar exam? What does it say about the profession of law; that California is that progressive or that insightful and that protective of the consumers/clients?

Just a rant; it may not mean very much and I should really find other things in the news to peruse…

Check out the latest “Explainer” on Slate.com on a humorous look about to whom Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is NOT related.

The latest “Build-A-Bear” commercial, where this blonde kid’s singing an odd song before she goes to “Build-A-Bear” for a custom-made bear that has a microchip that replays a recording of said child’s own song: the kid’s singing voice reminded me of someone who thinks too well of her voice before Simon of “American Idol” cuts her down to the size of a teddy bear. It’s not something that’ll convince me to go to the store for the product (then again, I’m too old for it). Or to endorse the child’s continuing singing career. (pardon the harshness; I just saw the commercial, and it didn’t make me feel good anyway).

The latest Sprint commercials are interesting. Actually, what I’ve really loved is the crossover Sprint commercial with the Pillsbury Doughboy. Sprint Guy (the man in the trench coat with the mission to educate customers on the values of Sprint) is at a family dinner table listening to the woes of a family who should have used Sprint. The wife’s upset; Husband was supposed to pick up her uncle at the airport. Pillsbury Doughboy is walking sadly on their table; Husband says, “You said he’s short and wears a hat.” Husband apparently had picked up the Doughboy by mistake. (Query: why did Doughboy even go into the stranger’s car from the airport? Maybe Husband picked him up and there was no way for Doughboy to get out of the car.)

Wife says, “‘Uncle Pillsbury Doughboy?!” Doughboy, being a nice guy, waves to the little kid; little kid looks like she’s pretty sure she has no Uncle Doughboy. Sprint Guy then introduces the family to a camera cell phone, so that Husband will be able to identify the uncle appropriately. Sprint Guy then says to Doughboy, “Do you mind?” Doughboy sighs and says, “Everyone does it.” Sprint Guy pokes Doughboy’s tummy and Doughboy, of course, giggles. Great commercial. Stays on message (“yes, go get Sprint” and avoid picking up the Doughboy at the airport”) and is very entertaining.

The fraternity/sorority commercials aren’t so bad either (the ones where Sprint Guys tells the college kids about the new plan where Sprint counts evening from 7pm on and the kids are REALLY happy, shrieking at the top of their lungs at 7pm). But, those ads do seem a little on the dumb side (what do we expect, they’re just the kids of the Greek system, so they’re apt to react in a certain manner, even if they’re not that intellectually challenged).

Click here to view the commercials on-line…