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
TIA Has a Solid Plan
Throughout history, humans have turned tragedy into triumph. We mourn and move forward, learning from our missteps and finding better, safer results. The Hindenberg disaster gave us safer air travel and a new industry – airlines. Titanic’s fate gave us safety procedures employed on cruise ships to this day. 9/11 has tightened travel security. Yes,
Fins To The Left…
Sharks, as that nautical wheeler Jimmy Buffet reminds, are everywhere. And so this horror story of lawyers gone wild should be a lesson to all. California is renowned for its misdirected concerns – where else can 14 million people all drive at the same time, yet everyone worry about smoking in bars? – and goofy
TIA Looks Ahead: Merger Complete; Consumer Education, Technician Training Now The Priorities
Merger Complete; Consumer Education, Technician Training Now The Priorities
Generation Next?
Generationally speaking, we are at a crossroads. And whether we look left, right or straight ahead, the view is rather dim. "The strength of the independent tire dealer is the owner-operator, the guy who unlocks the door every day," Dick Johnson, president and CEO of American Tire Distributors (nee Heafner Tire Group), told me recently.