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I have on my desk the latest copy of Communication Arts and the book, Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel. I am far more interested in the data analysis book than the pretty picture book (I should mention I do graphic design professionally). What the hell is wrong with me?

By the way - Frequency Tables Rock!

When I saw the story headline Give Away Giveaways, I thought yes. Let’s get rid of all that cheap crap. It’s not really effective is it? It can’t be. But, the story is just wrong on so many levels.

Not long ago, I was sitting in a cafe when I noticed the ring tone on another patron’s cell phone. The tone played a simple but well-known melody: “Always Coca-Cola.” […] Now that’s digital branding. Not only will the phone’s owner hear the Coke jingle several times a day, so will everyone around him. That brand’s signature tune is a highly effective piece of merchandising.

Well, sure, but how many millions of dollars did Coke have to spend to create so much brand affinity that somebody would consider (even just to be kitsch or ironic) putting Coke’s jingle on their phone? This isn’t something that Paul’s Print Palace down the street is going to be able to manage. The idea that you can drop giveaways, not because they suck, but because you can replace them with cheap digital products is insane.

The Tivo keeps grabbing this show, So Graham Norton. I hate the fact that I just can’t get enough of this thing. It is just the basest, most crass, tee hee hee he’s talking about sex kind of program. But, there are times when I find it unbelievably funny.

Take for instance tonight when his guests were Dolph Lungren, Loretta Swit and Matthew Modine. This was the funniest hour of television I’ve seen in about a year. There were like 10 I can’t believe how funny that is moments. Granted, some of them were just because I so enjoy watching a train wreck, and this show has train wrecks like you would not believe. The interview with Modine was so stilted, and he was trying so hard to figure out what the deal was you can actually see time stop as the horror of it washes over his face. Brilliant! Just, Brilliant. Totally rivals the night when they had some belly dancer or something on shooting darts out of her … well, I said it was crass right?

Plus the girl who brought him the wax statue was just smokin’ hot. Who would have thought all the hot young ladies would be over whooping it up in England?