Longtime readers of this blog may have noticed that I’ve added a search bar. Note that this search indexes everything including the sidebars so to get the best use from it avoid common words.
Searching for words like candle or chocolate will bring up every page on the blog in the search results because these appear in the link section on every page.
If you just want to browse in a subject, using the category links in the left sidebar may be more convenient.
The update is complete - I hope you like the new look. The blog is now easier to read and has a search function. I don’t think I have missed any of the old features, but comments and criticism of this new format are welcome.
I may even get around to putting my photo in the about section.
These free project instructions show how to make sunflower suckers with an embedded vanilla wafer. Illustrated step by step instructions show how to combine these two popular items - cookie embeds and lollipops.
See: Cookie Embed Sunflower Lolly Project
It has been a while since I wrote about absurdities, so lets try this one. Is there no one in the automotive industry that can recognize a bad ad when they see it? I won’t mention any names here because I refuse to give any publicity to companies that seem to be in the business of annoying me.
The past month or so has seen TV viewers bombarded with car ads suggesting they make great Holiday gifts. I have never noticed this in previous holiday seasons so I assume it is a new trend. I have never received or given such a lavish gift, and I’m pretty sure such giving is well beyond the means of the vast majority of U.S. residents (including me). So I asked myself what would make several automotive companies push their high priced products as Christmas presents? Are they trying to make us feel cheap or Inadequate? Are they trying to rub our nose in the fact we can’t afford such lavish gifts? I certainly don’t have a good answer for this, but find these ads rather offensive and really don’t understand how this type of ad can possibly sell more cars.
The absurdities of car ads doesn’t end there though. Over the past year or so, I have seen many car ads that try to entice folks to buy because they have a free satellite radio. Now maybe I have a distorted perspective, but are there many folks stupid enough to buy a $40,000 vehicle because it comes with a “free” satellite radio package worth $200? How generous - a whopping 1/2% discount!
Then there is the German car maker whose ads are plainly intended to be funny. A few of them actually are (very few), but most are about as funny as a toothache and just as annoying. The worst part is, they run the funny ads infrequently for a few weeks but run the annoying ads constantly for months. They obviously have a big advertising budget, so why not hire an ad agency that can get their message out without irritating the entire population?
What happened to the good old days when they used attractive men and women to sell cars? The advertising crowd seems to have lost sight of this basic motivation - folks plucking down a year or two’s pay want to think it will make them more attractive, macho, virile, etc… even if it isn’t true. The folks selling small trucks seem to have the concept, why not for cars?
Now couple that with comedy and you will have ads that folks talk about in a positive way.
After a very pleasant Christmas morning with my family, I was very disappointed to find that Santa’s reindeer had left a little surprise under the tree behind the presents.
My Grandmother’s rolled sugar cookie recipe. My all time favorite cookie.
This simple project article shows how to make air fresheners using candle scents and gelatin. Sometimes called Jelly jar room fresheners.
See: Gel Air Fresheners
I have just started a second blog dedicated to picky eaters and those who cook for them. This blog will explore recipes and cooking tips, discuss cooking shows and more.
Visit: Hold The Fungus
Bob Sherman is the author of several candle making books as well as hundreds of articles and projects on candle making, chocolate making, leather carving, plaster craft, and soap making.
