All That's Left Are the Memories

.. and kippahs! I've amassed a sizable amount of kippahs over the past few months, thanks to all the weddings I've attended. For those of you who don't know, these are called kippahs. Only the goyim call them yarmuckles.



WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THESE?? Can I throw them away? Bury them? No. I make a blog post with cute pictures of Lilah wearing "Daddy's hats."




I'm guessing this is what Brian and I looked like when we were kids. Lilah may not have to wear a cippah when she grows up (girls are required), but she's getting strong dose of Judaism this week. It's her first Hanukkah where she knows what presents are. And boy does she like them! One is never enough.

Note to the family: a "special treat" is not the same thing as a "present." In all situations, "presents" are preferred over "special treats."

P.S. Does anyone else remember the episode of Diff'rent Strokes (correct spelling) where Arnold Jackson wanted to become a Jew after going to services? And he wanted to wear a "yarmuckle," and his white friend (Robbie) told him he went to a special school 6 days a week? I may have only been 9, but that episode reeked of inauthenticity.

I Can't Believe It's a Real Magazine

While the newspaper industry suffers decline, with many papers going out of business, expect to see more and more niche magazines come up. Cases in point:

Glutes - the classier ass mag for the discerning pervert


American Cheerleader - when kiddie porn just isn't enough


Heeb - for all your kosher cravings

New ZenSoy Packaging

They changed our preferred soymilk brand from this:


to this:


I wasn't sure this was the same brand at first. The change from tan to blue is a big deal, I think a little too drastic. But I love that the panda is more prominent, now a more prominent key visual for the brand. The design looks really good, especially the move from the quarts in paper cartons to the tetrapak (that's what they are called).

The New Tropicana

This was redesigned after just a few years on shelf. My company's design is the old one on the right.


We all hate the the new one, and so does the blogosphere. It's too much text, no appetite appeal, and walks away form the strong equity they had in the orange.

Awesome Blog Alert

ePromos: Everybody Loves Free Stuff

Not sure what the deal is, but it's all about packaging and branding. Some of you will like this, some of you can suck it.

The Death Metal Logo Category


The Seasonal NYC Logo

Hi There

Sorry it's been a while since I've written. The end of semester is always a rough time for me. I have my final papers due, which is hard to accomplish on my busy work schedule. Harley has a lot more hours to work as her students go into final exams. That means I have to watch Lilah more, which means even less time for my own school work. It's not fun.

Hopefully, this will all be done by this time next week. But for now, the blog must give. Here's a list of some blog topics I'd love to write but likely never will:

- why I only like the red skittles
- how becoming a father has made me less fearful of authority in general
- the deliciousness of fried foods (especially seafood)
- why short plane rides are worse than longer ones
- my winter coat is too warm for this weather
- brands started in the Civil War period, when it become necessary for goods to be shipped in smaller containers. Before that, everything was sent to grocers in barrels and displayed in store with no additional information besides what the grocer chose to display
- countries will eventually brand themselves not for tourism, but for influence on the world stage
- why I'd rather work for a small company than a big one
- why I need a new guitar

The Power of Rhetoric

Saturday Night Musings

- I only like the red skittles. All the others are gross. I have no qualms about rummaging through the bag with my grubby hands, picking out the red ones, putting the rest back and giving them to some one else. DO NOT ACCEPT SKITTLES FROM ME.
- Have mentioned how much I love the television in my bedroom? I do.
- The cable box in the bedroom causes a problem. When I watch something in 4:3 resolution, the bars on left and right side are gray. This is very distracting, but there is no way to change it. All DVRs from Time Warner have gray as a fixed color (so they tell me). Grrr...
- I have been sick. It has sucked. My throat has been sore and clogged. My nose has been stuffed and my sinuses too sore to blow. I'm starting to feel better in time for Eagles vs. Giants tomorrow.
- I recently bought a bag of caramel creams. I loves me some caramel creams.
- Apples have replaced bananas as my favorite fruit. I prefer Fuji, though Harley likes Macoun. If anyone knows the whereabouts of some Mutsus, please let us know.
- I love my new toaster oven the same way I loved my new lazer tag kit when I was 12.
- Lilah's newest phrases: "I crying!" (when she needs attention or is upset) and "No hair wet" before the bath. Both phrases are sadly ignored by Mommy and Daddy.
- Had a bad meeting at work on Friday afternoon and now it's all I can think about. Supposed to be on vacation on Monday but now have to go in to deal with it. It's times like these I must remember that I always have stress about something and must try to deal with it. Maybe that's why I like weed.
- I've been wondering, am I a good parent? I think so, but who knows? Am I doing this right? Do I let my kid watch too much TV? Do I read to her enough? I'm pretty sure I'm doing alright. She's happy and healthy. But it makes me wonder if my parents asked the same questions. I'm guessing yes. This whole thing is a guessing game. It's nice to have some sense of connect with what my parents must have gone through. Now I understand why my dad had a panic attack when he heard he was having twins.
- I loved the last few posts on Mary's blog. They seem to be having some similar thoughts as my above comment.
- I handed in my first draft of my final paper. It's about how television is making oral communication more powerful, as it was before TV and Print. For instance, ancient Greeks communicated primarily through orality. Politics, news, everything had to be oral because there was little writing and no electronic media. Writing came and changed how people perceive the world, more analytical and objective. Today, TV is instantaneous and everywhere. The spoken word is once again the powerful medium it used to be. This still needs work.
- I spellchecked but did NOT proofread this blog. Let it be, let it be.

Why I Love "The West Wing"

Here are 2 clips from the season 2 finale, "The Two Catherdals." The president's secratary, Mrs. Landingham, recently died in a car crash (caused by a drunk driver).

Here is a scene with a young President Bartlett:


Here is the last scene of that episode:

Is This Picture Offensive?

50-Rules For My Unborn Son

A link that Harley sent me. It's as cute and nostalgic as you think it would be, but still very touching. As the birth of our second child gets closer, expect me to get sappier and sappier. I don't like it either.

50-Rules For My Unborn Son

My Favorites:
8. Never side against your brother in a fight.
14. When in doubt, wear a tie.
22. If you get yourself arrested, call me. You get one free pass.
24. Order the local specialty.
28. When singing karaoke, choose a song within your range.
40. If you make a mistake, forgive yourself and move on.