communication. community. cognition.
Quick thoughts
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Premium Problem
Apr 30th
I recently saw a billboard for a local State Farm agent. It had a tag line:
“Premium Service without Premium Price”
- Does that mean the insurance is free?
- Can I get the service without paying any premiums at all?
- Did someone in the marketing department just have a pun backfire?
[tags]Ike Pigott, Occam’s RazR, insurance, marketing, State Farm[/tags]
My Chuck Heston Story
Apr 11th
Charlton Heston at the 1963 Civil Rights March.
Charlton Heston died a few days ago. I never met him, but he did provide for one of the most memorable incidents at my last television station.
Several years ago, Heston was visiting Birmingham, waiting in our lobby for an interview appearance on our noon newscast. Our Managing Editor, Al Volker, was running a last-minute script update from the newsroom to the studio. As he rounded the corner at the reception desk, he spotted Heston — and without breaking stride — blurted out:
“OH JESUS! IT’S MOSES!“
We asked Al if he ever went back and talked with Heston, or got an autograph.
“Nah. It would have ruined my story.”
In hindsight, what would he have gained from knowing Heston’s reaction? Nothing. The story is better left unfinished.
[tags]Ike Pigott, Occam’s RazR, television, Charlton Heston, ABC 33/40[/tags]
Expectations
Feb 4th
“Most problems to be solved are really just a matter of expectations. The trick is knowing when to raise them, when to lower them, and when to change them completely.”
A Travesty of Time
Dec 19th
Time Magazine named Vladimir Putin its Person of the Year.
Just think… if he had a blog or ever uploaded a single video, he’d be the first back-to-back winner.
Back to the real news of the day…
Occam on TV!
Oct 26th
“Occam’s Razor” (the philosophical stance that the simpler of two competing explanations is probably correct) inserted itself into consecutive nights of my prime time viewing.
First, Ned from “Pushing Daisies” invoked Occam’s Razor, just a mere tens days after I wrote a critique of the series. (Coincidence? I think… well… according to Occam’s Razor, it probably is.)
Then Thursday night, Occam’s Razor was quoted in “Grey’s Anatomy” during the diagnosis of a patient.
Seriously – what are the odds that two shows on the same network would quote the philosophical leanings of a 14th-century Franciscan monk? On back-to-back nights?
[tags]Ike Pigott, Occam’s RazR, Occam’s Razor, Grey’s Anatomy, Pushing Daisies, ABC, philosophy[/tags]
The Value of Ideas
Sep 28th
“It’s human nature to place a higher value on one’s own ideas. That’s why someone will give you a penny for your thoughts, then give you their two cents worth.”
Law of the Playground
Sep 13th
“Ike’s Law of the Playground: If you build a reputation for doing the little things that lead to victory, you’ll always be picked for the winning team.”
