“The South Financial Group, South Carolina’s largest bank, announced earlier this week that it had been approved to receive $347 million from the U.S. government. But the bank’s founder and longtime CEO Mack Whittle won’t be sticking around. He retired with an $18 million severance package in late October, two months earlier than had been expected. Because of the timing, he’s free from golden parachute limits (PDF) that come with accepting bailout money.
“It smells like he moved the retirement date up to avoid [those limits],” said Paul Hodgson of the Corporate Library, a corporate-governance research firm. And the government’s millions “make it a lot easier for the company to pay it out.”
”
They’re talking about what AMC calls, gratingly enough, Mad-vertising. At the start of each commercial break, instead of going straight to an ad, there’s a five-second title card displaying some fact about the advertiser — typically, a fact about its past or present advertising campaigns. Sample title cards: “Prescription drugs could not be advertised on television in the United States until 1997,” just before a drug ad. Or “Heineken was the first imported beer in America after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933,” just before (you guessed it) a Heineken ad.
It grabs you for an instant, just at the moment when you’re doing to get a drink or head to the bathroom. And it makes you pay at least a little attention to the ad. As an AMC exec told Variety, “That’s AMC’s ‘dirty little secret’…You’re not blowing through the commercial. You’re thinking, ‘What’s going on here?’ ”
(via ‘Mad Men’ ads keep you on your couch » Nieman Journalism Lab » Pushing to the Future of Journalism)
“If you got to deal with him, just make sure you don’t end up owing him. Because then you’re in his debt, which means you’re in his pocket and once you’re in that, you ain’t ever gettin’ out.”
— Turkish, Snatch. Related: Why the Democrats — and Obama — Forgave Lieberman (via nickdouglas)
“Couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.”
—
Rep. Gary Ackerman, to the CEOs of the Big Three automakers, who each took a separate private jet to Washington to ask for bailout money. (via spiegelman)
Want to save the auto industry?
Start by chopping from the top.
(via soupsoup)
All hail Raptor Jesus! ? topherchris
I’m Freaking Out Man! What the hell is this?
The video for “Triple Chrome Dipped” – a collaboration between Michna and Philly-based video artist System D-128: nostalgic footage of the artist’s New York coming-of-age in the early ’90s. It’s unconventional, but it works on the strengths of Michna and System D-128’s obvious artistic chemistry.
Filmed entirely on a Hi8 analog camcorder purchased in 1989, the footage shows flashes of Adrian Michna’s youth from 1989 to 1995: the local pizza shop; the Metro North from Westchester through the Bronx and into Manhattan; skateboarding through Brooklyn; Michna’s little brother staging toy-robot wars; band practice; doing donuts in high-school parking lots.
Yanira Castro + Company Dark Horse/Black Forest
Yanira Castro + Company’s newest work is an intensely performed love story presented in the most intimate of spaces: your bathroom. With no theatrical divisions — the performers’ emotional interactions are palpable and evolve right next to you throughout the performance. This boutique event is brought to you exclusively through P.S. 122.To reserve your own private performance please email darkhorse@ps122.org
The Runaways were Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Jackie Fox and Sandy Westvia
Lita Ford went on to become a rock goddess. Joan Jett, of course, went on to become one of the bad guys in Superman 2.
(via esandberg)
This never fails to make me happy.
one of the greatest scenes ever.
I was seriously listening to this on the way home & planning on posting it when I got here. How weird.
This song & movie are some of my favorites.
One of my absolute favorite movies. I used to watch it on TV *every* time it came on TV when I was a kid. And I would tape it and watch it over and over again. It’s influence on my understanding and appreciation of comedy is profound. It’s the closest Martin ever came to bringing his standup presence to the big screen.
And I really love this song. I don’t know that anybody could do a better version of this.
“Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It’s more like reviewing a unicorn. Should I primarily be blown away that it exists at all? Am I supposed to compare it to conventional horses? To a rhinoceros? Does its pre-existing mythology impact its actual value, or must it be examined inside a cultural vacuum, as if this creature is no more (or less) special than the remainder of the animal kingdom? I’ve been thinking about this record for 15 years; during that span, I’ve thought about this record more than I’ve thought about China, and maybe as much as I’ve thought about the principles of democracy.”
— Chuck Klosterman, in his review of Chinese Democracy. (via bg5000) (via jaimeleighfairbrother)(via bmichael) (via soupsoup) (via onefootinthegrave)
“Today’s report reveals that senior members of your administration are undermining your public commitment to ease the transition by reorganizing agencies at the eleventh hour and installing political appointees in key positions for which they may not be qualified. We respectfully urge you to stand by your public commitment to a smooth transition by directing executive agencies immediately to halt any conversions of political appointees to career positions.”
“GOP Senator Saxby Chambliss, who’s fighting a high-stakes runoff in Georgia against Democratic candidate Jim Martin, has unveiled a tough new ad strategy — he’s attacking Barack Obama in his latest spot”
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in a previous life he co-founded linkfilter, which is now a crumbling retirement community for OLFTs.
