Category Archives: General

The Overst0ck.Com Television Ad

…has to be one of the most effective ones in history, in terms of watchability and effectiveness in selling the product. At least if you’re a (heterosexual) male.

There are a lot of ads that are interesting, entertaining, but ineffective in terms of making the viewer (or listener–there are many that have only music as the audio, which provides no cue or clue as to what the product is to those who only listen to the television while doing other things, and aren’t watching it) aware of the product and interested in purchasing it. But this one compels healthy males to watch, and hammers the product into their reptilian brains.

[Wednesday update]

I’m curious to know how effective this ad is for women. I suspect that it might be, though not for the same reasons. I’d be interested in the opinion of any female readers who’ve seen it.

Still Getting It Wrong

The incompetence of reporting continues to amaze me. This story says in its headline that one of Kerry’s crewmates is upset about the Swift Boat ads, but when one reads the story, it turns out to be about Rassman, the Green Beret that Kerry pulled out of the water (hint, reporter Robynn Tysver, Kerry’s “crewmates” were in the Navy).

It’s a minor thing, but it’s just another example of reportorial sloppiness (and sloppiness that somehow always, always, redounds to the benefit of Kerry).

[Update a few minutes later]

Whoops, spoke a little too soon. The dam may really be starting to break. Newsweek has a piece on the Kerry’s Bronze. It’s the first investigative piece that I’ve seen that actually discusses what happened, instead of who is making the charges. In fact, they refreshingly point this out themselves:

Obscured by all the political maneuvering is the truth of what really happened 35 years ago.

Yes, heaven forbid anyone actually dig into that.

As Ed Morrissey points out, this story is problematic for Kerry’s narrative, because his helmsman is now admitting that he can’t remember whether there was fire from the shore when they pulled Rassman out of the water. The Swift Boat Vets all claim that there was not. This is a key element on which the award of the medal was based. Ed also points out other inconsistencies with the Kerry version about boat damage, and says that Kerry and Edwards are hypocritically squealing like schoolgirls over this.

The Storm With No Name

Well, I guess that this post was a little premature. While it’s possible that it could regain strength, Earl has been downgraded to a nameless tropical wave. If it restrengthens to become a storm again, does it get a new name, or does it get to be called Earl again?