Logo water bottles

Never underestimate the power of a good ad specialty. I have been working in the advertising industry in one form or another for a long time now, and I've found that people never tire of things like logo pens, logo water bottles, coffee mugs, baseball caps, etc. Folks flock to this stuff now more than ever, in fact. Why? Because we love little items we can tout around. But, mostly because it's free. If you own a business, putting your logo on stuff and giving it away is a great way to promote yourself. Think about it--how many logo pens do you have right now? How many logo magnets are on your refrigerator door at this very moment? We live for this stuff!

Man, I hate getting old...

This morning I stumbled into the bathroom and for an instant, caught my reflection in the chrome bathroom faucet. I looked like Barney Fife, but older and much more wasted looking. As we age, our facial muscles start to gimp out, our cheeks begin to sag and the rest of the head limps right along behind them. Pushing aside my dismay at being 50, I marveled at the beautiful bathroom faucet for a moment (available through http://www.faucet.com/, by the way) and I thought wow-isn't life strange. I never thought something like a bathroom faucet would even interest me. But, today they do.

Poster Child for Background Checks

Okay, here's the scenario. You're looking for a new CEO for your mega-million corporation. You're only interviewing top people; the cream of the crop; the top of the heap; the kings of the hill. Well, after an arduous 3-month search, you've found the best candidate for the job. He's got a resume that would rival Bill Gates, Steve Forbes and Larry Ellison COMBINED. He is articulate, super-skilled, highly intuitive and loaded with leadership qualities. If you had run a background check on him, however, you'd find out that his resume is fiction and his qualifications are bogus. In fact, his name isn't even his. The guy in this photo is Henry Hill, former Mafiosi and the main character of the film Good Fellas. Get the point? If you're renting a house or apartment to someone; hiring somebody or maybe just thinking about dating them, do a background check first!

Keep Cat Burglars Away

We have some cat burglars here in the neighborhood. We know because all of our dogs' toys are mysteriously missing. Certain kibbles are not to be found. We had some nice comfortable pillows and blankets in the closet--now gone. Milk is constantly missing from the refrigerator, and the other day I was looking for a can of tuna fish in our pantry--gone as well. Well, this larcenous little feline has committed a felony for the very last time. We're in the process of looking for one of the many excellent home alarm systems on the market today. Beware, pussies--you will not steal from us again.

Outer Banks Has a Ton of Foreclosures!

If you have read this blog in the past, then you know I have a dream spot where I want to live in at some point in my life. And the name of it is Outer Banks. It's a beautiful little coastal town in North Carolina that I love for a plethora of reasons--including the people, the climate, the ocean and the lovely homes. Well, there are a ton of foreclosures going on in Outer Banks. And it's sad. Families are having to sell their vacation homes due to this recession. So, as I have always said--when one door closes for some poor schmuck, well--a doors might just open for me. So, take a long, strong and serious look at some Outer Banks foreclosures. It's my dream spot, and who knows? It might just end up being yours too!

If Chris Had Only Known!

I am currently reading the biography about Chris Farley, the former comic actor on Saturday Night Live who also did a series of very forgettable films, and it is so sad because he had so many demons surrounding his problems with booze, drugs and food. If he had only had access to many of the great weight loss supplement products that are on the market today--well, he might still be here, making us laugh and laugh and laugh! Healthy, carefully designed and researched diet supplements are all the rage right now, and many people are getting great results from them. Check them out today, with the advice of your family doctor, of course.

Mesothelioma is a Serious Thing

A good friend's mother has mesothelioma. She's had it for quite some time. You know, you hear the name of any disease and even though you may not know exactly what it is; it gives you pause. So, I lloked it up. The National Cancer Institute states that: "Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium)." If it's something that's in your life one way or another, you need to educate yourself about mesothelioma.

Don't Ever Get Lost Again

I am going to be switching vehicles soon, and I am seriously considering the purchase of a Garmin GPS. I have been using a built-in GPS for the past three plus years now, and I am stuck on the technology. I used to get lost all the time, but a GPS has spoiled me. I never get lost now and it's really a godsend. I recently looked at a bunch of different GPS systems, and Garmin makes the best. When you're looking for the very best, why not forget the rest? Get a Garmin today!

Bring on the Vegas Good Times, Baby!

I am going to Vegas to see the man himself--that's right--you guessed it--DON RICKLES! Rickles has always been one of my favorite comics ever. One of my very first performances was an improv thing I did during some hazing activities that I had to go through as a Pledge at Theta Chi, the Animal House-like fraternity I joined in 1978 while attending San Jose State. We had to play a character, so I did Rickles and improvised big-time, just off the top of my head. It was a big hit and made me realize that I could probably one day make a living as a standup comic, which never really happened, but it's a nice story, isn't it? Anyway I am going to Vegas, baby--and taking advantage of some great deals on Las Vegas hotels

I Want to Travel!

I want to be the purist tourist. As my travels are about to unravel as I put down the gavel and judge for myself the best travel deals out there on the market today, all I can say is that maybe I will go to Chile or possibly Philly, or to Rome...or I'll hit the unknown. I could go to Spain, but then it might rain. Or I could visit Europe and be the ultimate tourist. Whatever I do, both me and my honey, we're going to get a travel deal and save us some money. Italy? Antarctica? Norway? Taipei? Where will we go? We don't even know!! (stay tuned)