Patience
to enhance consumer knowledge and create greater value for you and the products you sell. No, our position hasn’t changed one iota. The problem is there is nothing really to write about. While there have been numerous published stories about the concept, in truth, there’s been nothing tangible to report. Plenty of opinion and ideas
Dead Letter Office
Well, we can retire the letters "I", "T" and "E" from the industry alphabet. Don’t need ‘em because there is no ITE anymore. The announcement that the tire industry’s lone annual convention and trade show has passed into history ®“ more a whisper than a scream, actually ®“ really wasn’t a surprise. Dylan said, "You
Left Handed Complications
In the course of a week, I lost my right arm and I lost my right arm. Figuratively and literally. First, Craig Gifford, our managing editor and a member of the TR team for five years, left to join a large auto part maker. It was a tremendous opportunity for him, and while we were
Another Twisted Tale
We Americans love to twist the words we think we hear to suit our sensibilities. Politicians understand this, which is why they speak in sound bites. American media does its part by clouding the facts of the news with buzzwords and hype, scaring instead of informing, stretching reality to suit what sells. "Must see" news
In the Face of Reason
We know they aren’t very bright, and many of their ideas prove that if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. But still we elect these people. And re-elect them. With TV cameras and microphones in their faces, these officials are the picture of vast knowledge and heartfelt concern for
Show Me the Money!
Why do they always say, "It’s not about the money?" Pro athletes (and now colleges) jump ship for bigger paychecks, and think we’re gullible enough to buy their sing-song "It’s not about the money" routine. It’s always, always, always about the money. Especially for faux-altruistic lawyers like Joe Lisoni. Joe and his wife, Gail, have
My Kingdom for $100
We’ve all played those "If I Won The Lottery" and "If I Were King" games in our heads. Come on, admit it. You’ve all day-dreamed up more than one list of "laws" you’d enact and stuff you’d buy. My Mega Lotto fantasy involves a gym bag stuffed with $100,000 in small bills, a scraggly beard,
Fix It, Man
Tony can fix anything. Stereos, VCRs, refrigerators ®€ƒ heck, Tony’s even sorted out my lawnmower a few times. Doesn’t matter what make or model, he finds the parts and gets things fixed. So I asked his opinion of the whole Right to Repair issue, especially about the backroom deal struck last fall by the Automotive
April Foolishness
The problem with having a regular column is that people expect you to write some- thing profound. To wax philosophic on the state of things or a subject of import. And to use big words like "philosophic." Truth is, it’s hard to organize 800 perfectly chosen words into coherent thought. After the last few months,
Habit-Changing Agents
When I was in the advertising biz, the best piece of advice I ever got was this: It’s easy to write beautiful copy. It’s damn hard to get someone to spend $1 million on a machine they don’t need. It is equally true is that it’s damn hard to get people to change their ways.
The Teeter-Totter
The earth stopped rotating on its axis Jan. 22. Time stood still. Sub-zero Ohio went sub-tropical. Animals spoke. Athletes rejected gazillion dollar contracts. Tiremakers turned away mass merchants. In an unbelievably lucid legal moment, a judge threw out a frivolous lawsuit that claimed McDonald’s food caused health problems in two well-overweight New York girls. U.S.
Odds and Sods
Time once again to deal with all the sticky notes clinging to my desk: • It was great seeing a lot of old friends and finally meeting a few I’d only corresponded with. And it was gratifying to hear so many positive comments about the magazine. Thank you! Still, it wasn’t the same without seeing