I am moving away from my usual BLOG to write about something that bothers me a great deal. I guess it is because I spent high school years working for a newspaper. My best friend was in advertising for that newspaper. He worked his way through college at a newspaper. "Truth in advertising" was important. It still ought to be, but isn't. There are all sorts of gimmicks today to get us to purchase things. Case in point:
Today's Caller Times has a one page ad written like a news article complete with headlines: "Texans Scramble To Get Exclusive State $2 Bills". How can they be scrambling
when they haven't seen the ad until this morning? "Just 48 Hours Left For Local Residents To Get The Only Existing Texas State $2 Bills". Forty-eight hours from when? Who is keeping the stopwatch?
These are legitimate $2. bills, but the ad says you can't get them at local banks, credit unions, or even the Federal Reserve. Why not? The company selling this money is World Reserve Monetary Exchange. Sounds impressive doesn't it. In this case they are selling $8 worth of $2. bills for $12. plus shipping and handling. Sounds like they have learned from banks how to sell us our own money. Anyway, BEFORE you get into a big buy I would suggest you let your computer tell you what some unhappy former clients have to say. Some of their words are not too nice.
If that wasn't enough there is another full-page ad on how you can sell your scrap jewelry, dental gold, sterling silverware, silver tea sets, silver dollars, industrial scrap, and all forms of platinum. Seller beware. These folks are not here on a good-will mission. Nuff about that.
Not through yet. A word to City Council in Corpus: Demolish the old eyesore coliseum. Take the residue and grind it. Mix in tar and asphalt and spread it on those horrendous city streets with potholes that shake our cars apart. If there is not enough material, then take another look at the crumbling old courthouse. Brick streets last forever.
I'm going back to bed.
