Tag Archives: words

10 Horse In the 7th

Posted on April 29, 2008 by Rob| 4 Comments

Madeo runs in the 7th race Wednesday at Hollywood Park with Mike Smith taking the mount. You may recall Smith from a little race called the Kentucky Derby, where in 2005 he took 50-1 long shot Giacomo to the winner’s circle. Or his Preakness victory in 1993. Or those ten Breeder’s Cup wins. Oh, by the way: Smith is slated to ride Arkansas Derby winner Gayego in the big one Saturday at Churchill Downs.

I’ve said before that betting on names is for suckers, but how can you say no to this one? Marjorie Madeo, my French Facebook friend, tells me that the word madeo means cool in the Breton language, which is spoken in parts of Brittany. That settles it, wouldn’t you say?

Approximate post time 7:25 on the east coast, so hit OTB on the way home.

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Posted in News

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This Is The Week That Was

Posted on April 26, 2008 by Rob| 4 Comments

I write a lot of copy every week. Mostly it’s not worth $65,000 per word, but I was especially proud of this sentence: A NEW HOME FOR DOGS LIVING LIKE PIGS IN THE FILTHY HOUSE OF A NEGLECTFUL BREEDER. If dogs are living like pigs, you know things are really bad.

Now this from the amusing typo file: WHEN NEW YORK STATE BUILT THE THRUWAY, THEY PROMISED TO ELIMINATE TROLLS SOME DAY. That’s very good since there are so many bridges on the Thruway.

Here’s an especially absurd idea: SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT YOUR CAR MAKES A STATEMENT; COMING UP, THE STORY OF A CAR THAT DOESN’T JUST MAKE A STATEMENT, IT SHOUTS OUT A MESSAGE OF PEACE AND TOLERANCE. I wonder if that’s covered under the warranty?

Next, there’s something wrong here but I’m not sure what: HANSON-MANIA STRIKES THE CAPITAL REGION —AND WE FELT QUITE A SURGE OF IT RIGHT HERE AT CHANNEL 13 TODAY! OK, that’s what’s wrong: saying surge, mania, and Hanson in the same five seconds .

Finally, my favorite literary technique, good news/bad news: NICE WEATHER —BUT DANGEROUSLY DRY. LIVE AT ELEVEN.

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Posted in Work

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Word Up

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Rob| 4 Comments

We’re in the wrong business. Statmats, a company that specializes in marketing and advertising for higher education got paid $260,000 to pen this slogan for UAlbany: The World Within Reach. A UAlbany student wrote to the newspaper complaining that this prices out at $65,000 a word. He must be a math major.

I’ve come up with a slogan or two in my time. In fact, if you live near Albany you might recognize them. I was not paid $65,000 per word, but using that as a benchmark, my most lucrative single job (eight words) would have netted me $520,000. One of the words in that one was “there’s.” Believe me, if I were being paid by the word, I would never have used a contraction in that slogan. It would have been “there is” and I would have pocketed an extra sixty-five large. Ha.

It may sound like I’m being absurd to make a point, but I’m not. Some of the things I wrote were worth $65,000 per word if not many times more. Seriously. Think about it: how much do you think “Just Do It” was worth per word? Or “Mmm…Mmm…Good?” Mmm isn’t even a word, but its value to Campbell Soup is easily in the nine figure range.

If this UAlbany thing ends up another hollow phrase that means nothing, as many slogans do, then they’ve thrown the money away. If they embrace it and makes it part of their being -if they live it and breathe it and believe it- then they’ve made a great investment.

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Posted in Work

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The Friday File

Posted on April 18, 2008 by Rob| 5 Comments

The Pope I don’t get why the Pope’s going to Yankee Stadium. I always thought he was a Cardinal fan. Har har har.

Turf and Dirt Our horse Madeo worked at five furlongs this week. We’re keeping an eye out for a start so you can get down to OTB and put your money where my mouth is. Based his two outings, expect short odds.

Naming Rights Go help Stewart’s name their latest batch of new ice cream flavors. I suggested Client-9 for the “lemon flavored light ice cream with a whipped cream swirl.” I figure that when life gives you lemons, make lemon ice cream. As for the whipped cream…

On Language The only place where people mull any more is in newspaper headlines.

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Posted in News

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Respectfully Yours

Posted on April 11, 2008 by Rob| 2 Comments

“With all due respect” is the twenty-first century’s F-bomb. In the old days, when someone said with all due respect, it meant, “Yes, I hear you. Thank you for sharing your opinion. I appreciate the input, but I must respectfully disagree.” Today, it means, “Shut your big yap, because it’s my turn to talk.” Or, “With all due respect, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Maybe even, “With all due respect, I wish you would drop dead.”

As far as I can tell, in 2008 no respect is due any more, and if someone with all due respects you, they are doing it with supreme irony and contempt. It’s a declaration of war. And with all due respect, I suggest you treat it as such.

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Posted in Modern Living

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Altared States

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Rob| Leave a comment

At church today we were asked to “Pray for those who struggle with scrupulosity.” Ann elbowed me in the ribs and asked if I understood what that meant. I said, “I don’t know, but pray for me because I’m struggling with awakeosity.”

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Posted in Religion

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