All of the cars downtown come to a synchronized stop. Doors swing open, drivers emerge and people scramble to get into a different car. It’s like a game of musical chairs taking place on busy city streets.

That’s the scene from a new car commercial that boasts something along the lines of, “We want you to love the car you have.” The ad grabs your attention and does a nice job conveying a message about car ownership.

But I do have a serious issue with this ad, and just about every other ad that involves a real-life breathing human being. More →

It could be the greatest comeback of all time. A “Where Are They Now” 80’s star grabs headlines by vanishing into thin air on Valentine’s Day.

While the Olympics-spotlight shines down on Vancouver, former Growing Pains cast member Andrew Koenig, aka “Boner,” has found a way to snag some of the North American headlines.

If Boner is alive and kicking, he could once again become a household name. His face has been plastered all over the press. Toss in the mystery of why his parents walked off Larry King Live last night, and the plot thickens.

Stories of an anti-depressant-use stoppage and a frighteningly sparse IMDB page for the new century, and you can’t help but think the worst. Apparently Andrew cleared out the contents of his apartment and left a brand new pair of running shoes on the front doorstep with a note that read, “These will make a world of difference.”

We’re either going to be terribly sad when this dude turns up stiff or pretty ticked off that he was filming a solo reality show that puts him back on the celebrity map. Let’s hope it’s the latter. And if it is, he should be saluted – not chastised.

Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene took the heat for wasting law enforcement’s time, but isn’t there something commendable about duping the modern media? For a society that gets off on prison breaks and mafia TV shows, we sure get self-righteous when it comes to a real-life con. Perhaps it’s because we become emotionally vested and get angry that we were duped.

Here’s hoping that Boner returns.

UPDATE: Andrew Koenig has been found dead. What a shame.

We live in a noisy world, and it’s getting louder by the day. In an attempt to cut through the clutter, we are surrounded by society’s increasing reliance on icons. Adored by Website creators, television Chyron producers and newspaper editors, these graphical representations are designed to catch the eye and quickly help us file information into categories.

I know you’re busy. I’m busy! But have we really become so time-challenged that the majority of information out there must be represented by penny-sized images? More →

I’ve always loved fireplaces. There’s something about the smell of burning wood permeating the cold winter air. A plume of smoke ascends towards the bright white stars and cozy visions of warmth heat our hearts.

When looking to buy a house, a fireplace was one of the intangibles that went into the decision-making process. My dream was recognized when I proudly lit my own fireplace (after several failed attempts). That was last year. Do you know how many times I’ve used my fireplace in 2010? More →

I feel no pride when my country wins an Olympic medal. In fact, it makes me kind of sad. For every gold medal you show me, I’ll show you some kid who was bullied by his parents to practice a ridiculous sport rather than do something productive for society.

If I were from Estonia I might feel differently. But being a spoiled brat from America, ‘big victories’ come along along with big marketing campaigns. People who were formerly unknown, will become tomorrow’s pitchmen and reality show has-beens. They will be forced down our throats until we can’t take any more. And if they’re good looking too? Fugheddabouit! Total media saturation. More →

Ever meet someone with the same name and get that warm fuzzy feeling? That doesn’t happen to me. In fact, I have the opposite reaction: I get pissed. More →

The iPad. No, it’s not an absorbent digital tampon that whisks away menstrual cycles via Wi-Fi. Rather it’s another page in the exorbitant chapter of an era that heralds electronic gadgets over basic humanity.

Ripe for the “tiny hands” campaign from Burger King, the iPad looks like an iPhone on HGH. Starting at $499, I’m constantly amazed that people have the money for secondary and tertiary electronics. We all have computers. We all have cell phones. And many of us have laptops. We’re spoiled to begin with! Do we really need to introduce more clutter into our lives? More →

Beyond all of the usual modern techno-marvels that we’ve become accustomed to when watching the nightly news, the more recent advent of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have revolutionized the electronic media. Because rather than use these as tools to help provide better coverage, the media moguls at the major cable stations have chosen instead to use these instant audience inputs as a vehicle by which to superficially tailor their coverage, and the behavior of their reporters. So instead of richer content and context, we get what could almost pass for a soap opera. More →

Who opens all of this junk e-mail? Not the messages from a Nigerian prince or your mother, but from companies trying to sell you something?

I’ve spent the last few weeks better educating myself on e-mail marketing. And despite the abundance of data and advice floating around the Web, I keep coming back to one central question that has me baffled: Why are people opening these e-mails? More →

Some people want a hug, I just want a link.

Many major media organizations are stingy when it comes to link love. I’ve had the good fortune of getting several of my blogs mentioned in the mainstream press. However, it is a rare day when they actually link to my Website. And boy does that piss me off. More →