McDonald’s, McRibs and McIndigestion: Why we eat crap in a bun
by Jeffery Racheff
There are only a handful of American traditions that people will dare to truly question: Why should I have to pay taxes? Is everything really bigger in Texas? How can you be too old for American Idol? Yet the question …
Lost in translation — why having a pronounceable and spell-able name matters less than you think
by Brook Barman
Everyone wants the perfect name. They want it to be edgy, imaginative, and inimitable, but only so long as it’s also easy to spell, easy to say, and impossible to forget. The only trouble being, easy and evocative are natural enemies. And nothing is …
Tiny woman trapped in iPhone sues local man
by Jeffery Racheff
Attorneys representing a woman who lives in a local man’s iPhone 4S have filed a lawsuit against him, claiming he keeps her trapped in his smart phone, expects her to instantly know how to get to places she’s never heard …
I’ll bet you’re a marketing genius
by Danny Altman
Marketing is a good idea. Except for the way most of the world does it. Most marketing starts with the premise that people are total idiots so you need to pound stuff into their heads with a 2×4. They still …
Flattening the Like Button: why Facebook’s omnipresent thumb sticks in the eye
by Jeffery Racheff
Welcome to the age of the Like. Whether it’s the way in which we, like, speak to each other or the currently fashionable post-Siskel approach to film review — “Did you like Real Steel? I liked it, because, you know, …
Return of the Return of the Return of the Jedi: George Lucas abuses The Force again
by Jeffery Racheff
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas decided he was going to milk the Star Wars franchise for everything it had. What used to be pop culture’s sacred cow, a cinematic fantasy that nourished the …
Pandas, giraffes and magic dragons: animal names for those OTHER San Francisco Giants
by Jeffery Racheff
The San Francisco Giants need help. Falling fast in the National League West and trailing in the Wild Card race, the 2010 World Series Champions could use a serious boost if they want to make the playoffs this year. That’s …
Abercrombie & Fitch snubs ‘Jersey Shore,’ forgets who wears Abercrombie & Fitch
by Jeffery Racheff
While the world waits for the cast members of Jersey Shore to learn how to dress themselves, Abercrombie & Fitch is asking them to do the complete opposite. The ostentatious outfitter is apparently so tired of seeing Mike ‘The Situation’ …
Why your brand sucks
by Brook Barman
Brands are pretty hard to build. And while some heroic efforts have yielded brands that really do make the world a more interesting, beautiful place, let’s face it, the vast majority of the brands out there suck. If you …
Burning Man: The 10 million dollar anti-brand
by Brook Barman
Three days from now, 40,000+ people will leave their homes, families, and rational identities behind to join a city of their own making in which all normal societal rules are cast aside: Burning Man. And despite what sounds like a …