January 23, 2009
Should President Obama reconsider closing Guantanamo prison? He might need room there for Wall Street crooks such as ex-Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain. Bank of America purchased the debt-burdened disaster of an investment bank, led by Thain, last fall with Federal TARP bailout funds. Since then “the Merrill compensation committee accelerated $3-$4 billion in bonus payments by a month to make sure they were paid out before the BofA deal closed,” according to news first broken by The Financial Times. In other words, Merrill execs got their billions in bonuses before BofA could stop it (and while millions of people are losing their jobs partly because of these banks’ financial meltdowns.) Next it came to light that Thain used $1.22 million to refurbish his private office suite. That includes a $87,784 area rug and $25,713 mahogany pedestal table. Read More
January 23, 2009
For years it seemed Anheuser-Busch and its Bud Light brand would forever rule the world of beer advertising. From “Bud Light Daredevil Ted Ferguson“ and the “Man-fishing aliens” to the rarely aired “Swear Jar” spot and “Real Men of Genius” radio campaign, it seemed that the King of Beers’ low-carb cousin was a full keg compared to the competition’s red Pixie cups. But the tides of advertising beer pong seem to be shifting (perhaps it’s all the corporate shenanigans). In a sneak peak of its upcoming Super Bowl spots, MillerCoors’ Miller High Life is upping the ante with a series of – yes, you’re reading this correctly – one second ads. Read More
January 22, 2009
Real estate market woes getting you down? If times require some serious scaling-down, Swiss company The Wall AG may have the solution. Introducing the Universal World House made of…………paper.
Originally developed as a temporary home to provide shelter in global disaster areas and refugee camps, these homes consist of cellulose from recycled paper and cardboard specially soaked in resin. Its special honeycomb shaped walls secure structural stability (it’s even earthquake-proof for particularly hard-hit Californians) and ensure insulation. Read More
January 22, 2009
Mother Nature Network is a new green site launched this month out of Atlanta. MNN was co-founded by Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones. The site, mnn.com, aims to be a dependable and comprehensive source of environmental news written for the average reader – a sort of WebMD for green topics, according to a story by the Associated Press. Read More
January 20, 2009
Just in time for President Barack Obama’s “National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation,” this Hot Sheet reporter recently toured the Smithsonian’s renovated National Museum of American History. After two years of upgrades, the reopened venue is now combination of sleek airport waiting room and modern-corporate style, including: high ceilings, an airy, second-story mezzanine, and a gigantic metal American flag sculpture. Read More
January 20, 2009
With one of the most historical and monumental occasions for America taking place in the middle of a workday, it’s no wonder two of the largest media forces – CNN.com and Facebook -collaborated to deliver one of the largest, and most social, live events in web history – the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Read More
January 19, 2009
In the face of brutal current economic realities, business owners understandably feel compelled to act quickly in order to keep their doors open and their heads above water. Unfortunately, the seemingly obvious immediate reaction to cut “extras” such as marketing and public relations can and often does result in plunging their businesses further below the surface. Read More
January 16, 2009
This week, Forbes magazine came out with its list of the 10 most boring cities in the U.S. On the list was the San Diego-area town of Chula Vista, known for, well, nothing really.
However, in a story about the list, Michael Schudson, an adjunct professor of sociology at UC San Diego, suggested that someone use the designation as a marketing tool – “Don’t you wish you were this boring?” – to highlight the city’s best attributes. Read More
January 16, 2009
In addition to saving 155 lives, Thursday’s “Miracle on the Hudson” was extraordinary for another reason: it became one of the first events to pre-empt news coverage of our fledgling economy. From CNN to ESPN, headlines raved about pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger’s heroic maneuvering over Manhattan. And – at least for one short evening – we were spared from startling reports of another bank-gone-bust, rising unemployment figures or other catastrophic meltdowns.
Of course, their absence from media reports does not mean these unfortunate trends stopped, but it was certainly nice to feel – even in a false sense – that yesterday was a day unlike so many others… a good one.
To keep the good mojo afloat (no pun intended), The Hot Sheet has scoured the globe for the top five most positive – or just plain fun – stories of the week. Enjoy… Read More
January 12, 2009
Hot Sheet editor Jack Skelley, who moonlights as a poet and musician, recently teamed-up with his longtime collaborator, performance artist The Dark Bob. Together they wrote a happy little holiday song and recorded it with their old pal D.J. Bonebrake (drummer for legendary L.A. punk band “X” no less!!). It’s called “Ha Ha Ha Ha Happy New Year.” We hope everyone gets a lift out of it. Here is the low-def, high-energy video.
