President’s Day Advertising
In the words of Adam Sandler from SNL, "Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one?"
Why is it every year, around this time, we get dancing George Washingtons telling me to buy new furniture for my home, or a rapping Abraham Lincoln informing me it's time for a new car? These are usually locally produced advertisements found on television. I have no problems with the actual sale. I don't mind saving money. I groan every year around this time when a likeness of one our former presidents is dancing and singing their way to new furniture deals. I don't think this was the intention of President's Day. Keep the sale, but rethink the advertising strategy!
Fred!
LikeA big game looms for Oswegonians
Division III sports don't always get a fair shake in so far as buzz. Maybe, that's what makes D-III games a little more special. These are games that fly under the mainstream college sports radar. It's not something you will find on ESPN or Fox Sports. Further to the point, hockey isn't always the banner sport for sports coverage, even in snowy and cold Central New York.
Then again, there is this weekend. Oswego plays host to the Plattsburgh Cardinals. This contest brings together two teams in the top 10 in D-III hockey nationwide, and the top two teams in SUNYAC play. There is also the history. Forget about most of the history where Plattsburgh leads the overall record between the two teams. Lets focus on the record at Oswego's newer arena, the Campus Center. Simply put, Plattsburgh OWNS Oswego. 4 years ago, Oswego moved into the state of the art facility, and there is only one opponent who continuously eludes them in the win column. In the first year Oswego played at the Campus Center, they won the NCAA D-III championship. They won the trophy despite loosing to Plattsburgh in conference play. Oswego proved they could win it all, but still couldn't defeat Plattsburgh.
Will this year be any different? It's anyone's guess. Earlier in the season, Oswego defeated Plattsburgh on their own turf. Meanwhile, Oswego has been tops on the national rankings for weeks. This Saturday, while most of the sports world will be engulfed in day 6 of pre Super Bowl coverage, myself and close to 2,000 other fans will enjoy an exciting college hockey match up.
Update: Games will be available online with streaming audio and streaming video from the campus media stations. Also, the traditional methods of 88.9FM or Cable 96 if you're in the greater Oswego area. I believe the game is sold out.
Fred!
Homer Helps GPS Users
NPR's Morning Edition had a cute little piece at the end of their show today on a GPS system that allows you download Homer as your GPS voice. I have never been interested in a GPS unit. I'm often made fun of because of my interest in maps (my sister has designated me "an old coot" for not recognizing the usefulness of GPS.)
Maps are not that hard to understand. With a little planning, they're just as good as some fancy pants GPS unit. Who needs a silly computer to tell you which wrong way to go anyway? I'm perfectly capable of making that mistake myself without technology. I suppose, if I had the option of Homer telling me the way, I might be more interested in trying one out.
Listen: Homer Helps GPS Users Avoid Unwanted Odysseys
Fred!
Spring!
Spring has arrived with a bit chilly air, but it's here nonetheless. It's a shame after the barrage of snow we got from the end of October to mid January that we couldn't get one or two more storms to break a record. We had such consistent snow fall for so long, but some time in January Winter just fizzled. Now, this winter will go down as just a little above average. Sheesh! All those early mornings shoveling, all the layers of clothes, all that hard work for nothing. I didn't even get a chance to ski! I want a refund!!
Fred!
Summer on my mind…
I love winter, I love snow, I love to ski, and even shoveling isn't so bad because it's a good form of exercise. I'm sitting here writing this while listening to the weather forecast on WRVO. Kevin Williams is calling for a gradual trend upward in temperatures, with 50s by Saturday. That sounds nice since we have had single digits and teens for temperatures since about Saturday. The 50s will feel nice if indeed it makes it to that point.
For as much as I love winter, it eventually gets old. Now that we're into March, this is where I start to loose interest in the cold. I'm getting impatient. I'm tired of the cold. I look forward to the day where I can get up and not have to bundle up just to get my morning newspaper.
Warmer weather must be on the way soon. Baseball teams have already begun their spring training, a sure sign that summer is coming around the corner.
I look forward to the day being in the sun on a nice warm beach. That will be fun. I was skimming through my photos on iPhoto from last summer. This picture is from a wedding Michele and I attended at Cape May. We look warm! I can't wait to be back in warmer weather.
Fred!
Digital Conversion
There is so much confusion over the Television Digital Conversion that the radio station I work for has been getting calls from concerned listeners wondering if they will be able to get the same radio stations without any problem.
I blame TV! They had at least 3 years to inform users of their medium on what is supposed to happen on February 17th.
Fred!
Tweets from @fredvigeant
- @4sqCNY That is pretty good. I haven't seen anything like that around here.
- @tanyaott1 unfortunately I will be missing this year's PRPD conference.
- Amazon free music sampler of who's next: http://amzn.to/c7eJQV
- A helpful tool if you're curious what NFL game is on in your market this Sunday http://bit.ly/bau89K
- @stationinfo Thanks for the heads up!
Top Liked Posts
Music
my delicious bookmarks
Family
- Ben – Astounding Essays
- Fred and Michele: The Blog
- Gina – Life in a Nutshell
- Margoid and Family
- Pete – GreenGhoulie
Friends
- Brooke
- Cat Lady – Allcats
- Colin – Hyped by Design
Jackie – Dry the Rain- Janice – luvs88
- Jen – Mrs. Watermelon’s Recipes
- Tim – Timshead