"I’m concerned about higher gasoline prices. The government has the responsibility to make sure that we watch very carefully and investigate possible price-gouging, and we will do just that." — George W. Bush, 4/17/2006 Congress is vowing to take actions that it believes will reverse runaway crude and gasoline prices. Oil rose above $136 a [...]
Archive for April, 2011
Obama goes back to Bush playbook and declares war on “price gouging” oil companies
Posted: April 26, 2011 in congress, Gas, gas prices, George W. Bush, Marketing, Marketing blunders, Marketing Mistakes, Obama, oil companies, price gougingTags: advertising, advertising mistakes, gas prices, george bush, humor, Irony, Marketing, Marketing blunders, marketing mistake, Marketing mistakes, Obama, price gouging, Prices
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WikiLeaks is at the cutting edge of irony
Posted: April 25, 2011 in Hypocrisy, Irony, Julian Assange, Marketing, Marketing blunders, Marketing Mistakes, Penguins of irony, WikiLeaksTags: Hypocrisy, Irony, Julian Assange, Marketing blunder, Marketing blunders, marketing mistake, Marketing mistakes, WikiLeaks
From Glenn Greenwald’s piece in Salon: WikiLeaks suggested the “other source” was Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a former WikiLeaks associate who WikiLeaks claims took, without authorization, many WikiLeaks files when he left. I am a fan of what WikiLeaks does but not so much of Julian Assange. I’m sure he’s very upset about this.
Two personal anecdotes to mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War
Posted: April 12, 2011 in Civil War, General ShermanTags: Fort Sumter, General Sherman, Joshua Chamberlain, Shelby Foote, The Civil War
1) About 25 years ago I’m sitting in my living room reading Shelby Foote’s The Civil War: A Narrative, when my roommate Gil walks in. He asks what I’m reading. “A three volume history of the Civil War. It’s much better than the six volume one I read last year.” “What, did the ending change?” [...]
Why I don’t go to major league baseball games
Posted: April 11, 2011 in Baseball, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Major League Baseball, minor league baseball, MLB, PawSox, Pawtucket Red Sox, PricesTags: Baseball, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Chicago, Chicago Cubs, minor league baseball, MLB, Pawtucket, Pawtucket Red Sox, San Diego, San Diego Padres
My wife will tell you that it’s not so much that I love baseball as much as it is part of my DNA. The soundtrack in my car from late March to late October because is whatever baseball game I can find on the radio. On May 20th, 21st and 22nd The Chicago Cubs – [...]
Transocean cites safety record in doling out bonuses despite 11 deaths and totally screwing up the Gulf
Posted: April 4, 2011 in Bankruptcy, Banks, BP, Executive compensation, Financial follies, gulf oil spill, Marketing, Marketing blunders, Marketing Mistakes, oil companies, Penguins of ironyTags: advertising, advertising mistakes, Banking, Executive compensation, Fiasco, Finance, humor, Irony, Marketing, Marketing blunders, marketing mistake, Marketing mistakes, Transocean
Never, ever, let it be said that mere facts will come between an executive and his or her bonus. Transocean which – along with BP – is responsible for 11 deaths while creating the worst environmental disaster in US history, used its safety record as the reason for giving out exec bonuses. According to the [...]
