Blame It On the Rain

With gas prices on track to hitting $7/gallon within the next four years (gas prices are hovering around $120/barrel; estimates show $200/barrel by 2012), I thought I'd give a little (totally personal, and totally independent from my job) analysis of what's going on.

OPEC controls only half of the world's supply of oil. So if prices are skyrocketing over there, then theoretically, the world's non-cartel suppliers should step up to fill the void. But this isn't happening. Why? Who's to blame?

The average consumer will blame Big Oil immediately. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Big Oil is getting tax breaks while they post record profits for 1Q 2008? I'm going to boycott them by not filling up for an entire day at ________ (enter most hated gas station here.)" The fact is, that's just stupid thinking.

Yes, Big Oil is rolling in the profits. Yes, they're getting more tax breaks (with the initial intent to actually promote exploration and alternative energy sources, which isn't immediately realized by the average American consumer.) However, profit margins for Big Oil are only slightly higher than the average for the S&P 500. These companies are pumping back their profits in the way of dividends, capital spending, employment, etc. They're worthy of getting a hit or two from us, but unfortunately, they aren't entirely to blame.

Speculators seem to be the highest source for media and consumer-driven panic right now. Did you know that the first day of trading 2008, some jackass on Wall Street decided - hey, I'm going to go down in the books as being the first person to close trading on a barrel of oil at $100+? That said, ultimately, the traders get burned faster than the consumers.

As I mentioned before, OPEC only controls 50% of the supply in the world. When oil prices go up, other countries with oil supply (England, Norway, Russia, Canada, etc.) open up to take advantage of these high prices. This, economically, should decrease price. But disruptions in supply in all of those countries (by as much as 65%) makes me think that maybe speculators have a reason to . . . well, panic.

Basic economics says that China and India might have something to do with skyrocketing prices. After all, as the middle class grows in these countries, they buy cars. Cars require fuel. Demand sharply increases, supply remains the same (or goes down), and market equilibrium shoots way, way up. That said, China and India's demand for oil is steady. It doesn't explain why, in 2004, we were paying $1.20 for a gallon of gas, and 4 years later we're paying $4.00. The increase in demand and price surge doesn't correlate.

The falling of the value of the dollar is a legitimate potential reason. Oil is priced in USD. Interest rates have been low in recent years, so of course the value of the dollar is low. When the value of the dollar is low, it takes more on our part to buy high-priced oil. We should be more concerned about the credit/mortgage crisis than the oil crisis, because once that's resolved, I anticipate some alleviation to the crunch our budgets are feeling right now.

So, my general conclusion: blame it on the rain. Yeah, yeah.

-10-key princess

2008 - The Year of the Vegemite Riots

Australians are sure to be upset about the Chinese ban on foreign food for the 2008 Olympics. Containers en route to Beijing are about to be rejected by customs officials.

Hey, if I had the power to turn away a shipload of Vegemite, I'd do the same thing too. This stuff looks like axle grease, tastes like plain yeast (but certainly not like beer), smells like rotten beef that's been sitting in a moldy, humid, shady Chicago alley for 3 months . . . I just can't describe it.

That said, it's probably how the Aussies view Cheese Whiz, Spam, eggnog, and chili cheese Fritos. Yum.

-10-key princess

Now THIS is creative

So my last post poked a little fun at a new KFC ad campaign that I thought was not terribly creative, but rather boring and gimmicky.

Well this morning, during my daily routine of seeing what's going on in the land of pop culture, I came across something that I think is absolutely brilliant. And hilarious. And innovative. And fresh.

Joshua Allen Harris, an artist in New York City, has tied bags to NYC subway grates so that when the trains roll by, the bags come to life from the rush of air. Check it out below, beginning with a story from the AP on the concept, followed by video capturing some of the art he's created.









When I was in school, one of my teachers said something to me after seeing an ad I had done that he really liked. It's really simple. He said that you know when an idea is a really good, creative idea because when you see it, you think to yourself, "Man, I wish I had thought of that."

Man, I wish I had thought of that.

-JT

That Colonel Sanders is one clever fellow

A few years ago, KFC made ad news when they ran a commercial that, when watched on on DVR framb-by-frame, revealed a hidden message that entitled viewers who caught it to get a coupon for a free chicken sandwich. Read an article about it here, and view the TV commercial in the article's inset.

Frankly, I thought it was a dumb idea. But that's just me.

Anyway, that wily Colonel is up to his old tricks again. As part of a new campaign for their $0.99 Chicken Snacker, they are running ads in magazines, in-store and on TV with a hidden image. If viewers find that hidden image, they can go to the KFC site and redeem their find for a free coupon for said sandwich. See if you can find the image in the ad below that's running in restaurants:


Again, I think it's a dumb idea. It's too gimmicky. But it didn't stop me from searching to try and find the image. And I couldn't find it. So I showed my (non-gay) partner at work, who plays the art director (pictures) to my role as a copywriter (words), and he found it in about 4 seconds. Of course he did.

Leave it to the good Colonel to make me look bad.

-JT

Creepy Stuff You Find on Craigslist

So, I was perusing Craigslist tonight and came across this post:

************

urn/ashes optional (mt prospect)

---

Reply to: sale-644079100@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-04-16, 12:06AM CDT

I am looking for an urn to use as a unit on death for school. If they have ashes I would like to have a pic of the person that is in there and a brief history of that person
************

Just a few things I'd like to comment on:
1. Please, please use correct grammar. Put a period after "person." Please.
2. Why did this person feel compelled to post at 12:06 a.m.?
3. "A unit on death for school." WHAT?
4. Are you really interested in the "person that is in there" enough to sit through a lengthy narrative?
5. If you need to ask the general Craigslist-viewing public for an urn with ashes, do you honestly think they're going to trust a complete stranger with the remains of their loved one?
6. Seriously, this is so creepy, I can't go on.

-10-key princess

Another Reason to Love Facebook

Someone posted this on my Facebook fun wall tonight:

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

And JT says that Facebook won't improve his quality of life.
-SM

A 5.2? And That's News?

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake "rocked" southern Illinois today (102 years to the day since the Great San Francisco Quake) and made headline news.

California born and raised, I guess I just find that funny. I was around when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the Bay Area - the quake that interrupted the Battle of the Bay World Series, caused the Bay Bridge to collapse, and made overpasses crumble into pieces. I grew up having an earthquake drill every other week, knowing how to duck and cover, hold onto the desk with one hand, and cover my head/neck with the other. I still never hang a heavy mirror or picture frame above the bed. We have a flashlight and spare shoes by the bed in case windows start to break and we have to make a quick escape. I learned at age 10 how to turn off the gas and water supply lines to our house.

That said - with all of these practical skills, I still don't know what to do when a tornado siren goes off. Anyone?

-SM

He's alive!

Ever since his mysterious disappearance during my childhood, I just assumed Frankenberry was gone forever. It turns out he's just been in his basement hanging out and throwing down a few beers with the Trix Rabbit, Count Chocula, Cap'n Crunch and Tony The Tiger.


I hope he's happy.

-JT

Ordering a pizza in 2010

This video about what it will be like to order a pizza in 2010 is funny and creepy. And probably more likely to be true in 2030.

-JT

Help JT Decide!

JT's buying some new shoes. I told him the top pair (yellow/brown) look like toilet shoes. But which do you prefer?

-10-key princess

Who Needs a Truck?

-10-key princess

The backlash has begun

It's about time.



I've managed to keep myself from joining the 'book, much to the dismay of everyone out there who's been dying to poke, super-poke or bite me. And my quality of life hasn't even suffered.

-JT

What Bra Sizes Really Mean - *100th understandbetter Post*

From an e-mail I got from a mom in our playgroup:

Have you ever wondered why A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, G, and H are the letters used to define bra sizes? If you have wondered why, but couldn't figure out what the letters stood for, it is about time you became informed!

(A} Almost Boobs...
{B} Barely There...
{C} Can't Complain!...
{D} Dang!...
{DD} Double Dang!...
{E} Enormous!...
{F} Fake...
{G} Get a Reduction...
{H} Help me, I've fallen and I can't get up!...

-SM

Finally a valid reason why models obsess about their weight

Poor girl - as if the fashion industry wasn't enough to make a model become anorexic.

-JT

Kansas didn't win; Memphis lost

It's taken me a day to recover, but now that I'm good, I thought I'd share. I'll start by saying that I love March Madness. Best sporting event of the year.

And every year, for about the 10 years, I've joined an NCAA Tournament pool that's run by a doctor that works with my mom at a hospital in the Chicago suburbs. This pool isn't your typical $5 entry fee, $100 payout. This is serious business. The guy gets over 200 entries, each at $20 a bracket (plus $10 if you buy insurance, which I won't get into). There are payouts for the leaders at the end of the 1st weekend ($200), at the end of the 2nd weekend ($400) and then for 1st through 5th place once the tournament is over. The breakdown is as follows:

1st place - $1800
2nd place - $900
3rd place - $650
4th place - $425
5th place - $350
last place - they get their money back

Well, going into Monday night's championship game between Memphis and Kansas, yours truly was in first place by 1 point. If Memphis wins the game, I take the $1800. But if they lose, I drop out of the top 5 (to somewhere like 16th place) and win nothing. Needless to say, I was a little amped at work on Monday.

I thought it would be entertaining for my friends to see me hang on every single play as it unfolded, so I invited a bunch of them to come watch the game with me at a neighborhood bar. And believe me, they were entertained. Just like the game, I was up and down - elated one minute, head in my hands the next.

Memphis was up nine with two minutes to go, and it was looking good. But from that point on, they played tentatively when they could have been aggressive and finished off the Jayhawks. And Kansas came back, forced OT, and Memphis lost. Which meant I lost too.

I was bummed. And then my mom, lovely lady that she is, calls me the next morning to talk about the game, which had to have been the first basketball game that I didn't play in that she watched from start to finish. We're talking, she's sharing in my pain, and then she drops this on me - the person who ended up winning was an 8 year-old girl who plays on the same basketball team as the son of the doctor who runs the pool. A freaking 8 year-old girl!

I just started laughing. "Of course she was," I said. My mom's retort, "Well, Jon (the doctor) says she's a hoops nut and that she picked all the games herself."

Wonderful - that makes me feel a whole lot better. Maybe I should consult little Miss Olivia next year before filling out my brackets.

-JT

Lick Those Lips, David Archuleta

Another amazing David Archuleta performance on Idol tonight. I think I love him a little bit more every week.

I fished around youtube and found a performance he did of the same song - Angels - pre-American Idol.

His performance starts around 1:10. Enjoy. Over and over and over.
-SM

Science Saturday - The Ruthless Gene is discovered

Some world leaders might have something in common.

A side of pandas rarely seen...

An awkward moment between mother and son

In keeping with the advertising theme, there's a new commercial that's out for m&m's that I just love. I've probably watched it about 15 times in the last few days, and each time I laugh as if I were watching it for the first time. Yeah, I know...I'm really cool.

Anyway, take a look:



-JT

Gotta love YesButNoButYes

Not sure how many of you have seen the Canadian Club Whiskey ads that have been out for a while now, but they're pretty good. They were done by an agency in Chicago and have a late 70s/early 80s style to them, both in the way the copy was written and with the visuals. I heard that the photographs used were actual pictures from employees' photo albums, which help give the ads their authenticity. Here's an example of one:


To build off of the campaign, Canadian Club is allowing you to upload your own pictures to their layouts to make your own personal ads. Pretty smart. The funny guys and girls at YesButNoButYes decided to take liberties with the site, using pop culture as their guide. Take a look here.

So funny. And so appropriate.

-JT