Archive for October, 2009
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
Not for storing data.
Many golfers are real fanatics. If they can’t play, they want to hit balls at the range. Inside at the home or office, you’ll find them putting wherever there’s carpeting. Thanks to The Floppy Indoor Practice Golf Ball, golfers will now annoy us even more by bringing the whole bag of clubs indoors. The Floppy is designed to provide the feel of hitting a real ball without fear of shattering windows, glassware, fine china or marriages. Golf nuts will be swinging at The Floppy every free moment, ignoring chores, personal hygiene and human interaction. Perfect gift for any golfer.
Posted in Golf, New Products, Video | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
The Transformer of Countertop Grills
If you’re a fan of Transformers, you’ll love the Big Boss Grill. This grill has interchangeable cooking plates that let you transform it into a grill, a griddle, waffle maker, panini smasher, omelet maker and uranium enrichment chamber. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. The other uses are all true, but the Big Boss Grill does not have any nuclear capability. Still, it is one versatile countertop appliance.
Posted in Food, New Products, Video | No Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Here’s the complete text of a press release issued today by Deborah Mays, widow of pitchman Billy Mays:
TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Billy’s family and I have never agreed with the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s conclusion that cocaine use contributed to Billy’s death. We found this to be so upsetting that we asked for review by an independent medical examiner.
This review, conducted by Dr. William L. Manion, states that the autopsy results do not support the conclusion that cocaine was a contributory cause of Billy’s death. In fact, one of the few areas of agreement between the two reports is that it was a “natural” death. Dr. Manion goes on to say that if cocaine had been considered a significant contributing factor, the manner of death would be classified as “accidental” and not “natural.”
Dr. Manion’s report also says:
“…chronic cocaine use was not demonstrated by the autopsy findings of Mr. William Mays. In addition, there is nothing in his medical, social or professional history to suggest chronic cocaine use. Therefore, I do not believe cocaine played a significant contributing factor in the death of Mr. Mays as the autopsy specimens and findings are not consistent with the cardiac conditions normally observed in a person chronically using cocaine.”
Dr. Manion, M.D., Ph.D, J.D., is consultant medical examiner for Burlington and Ocean Counties, New Jersey and Chief of Pathology for Virtua Health in New Jersey. He is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Forensic Pathology, and is a nationally recognized and respected expert in the field of pathology.
We believed at the time — and believe even more now based on Dr. Manion’s report — that the conclusions drawn by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner were not supported by the findings of the autopsy, nor by Billy’s medical history. And, although we cannot undo the damage that has already been done to Billy’s reputation, we are hopeful that this information will assist in clearing the name of a good husband, father and friend.
This has been a very difficult period for our family and we appreciate the continued support that Billy’s many fans have extended. We again thank these fans and the members of the media who have respected our family’s privacy. We are also grateful to Dr. Manion for his thoughtful and objective review of Billy’s autopsy information and the medical literature to make sense of Billy’s untimely death.
It should be noted that this press release does not refute the the original autopsy finding that Mr. Mays used cocaine in the days prior to his death. It only states there was no evidence of chronic use. Not that it matters to us or affects our high opinion of Billy Mays, Jr., the greatest pitchman of our time.
Posted in Billy Mays, Pitchmen | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
The Man Without a Team
If you’ve been watching the Yankees in the post-season baseball playoffs, it’s likely you’ve seen this spot for the officially licensed Derek Jeter New York Team Captain Coin. Look at the images in the infomercial and on the commemorative coin. Listen to the audio and read all the text on the official website. What’s missing is any reference to the team Derek Jeter so ably captains. No Yankees logo on his uniform. No visual or audio reference to the Yankees anywhere on the product or in the offer. This is still a cool collectible for Derek Jeter fans. I just wanted to highlight the complexities involved in sport licensing. Licensing a player’s name and likeness does not extend to his or her team. That obviously costs extra.
Posted in Celebrity Endorsements, Sports, Video | No Comments »
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
Great article and video from tampabay.com profiling Pitchmen Anthony Sullivan and Billy Mays III, who keep on pitching even after the death of master pitchman Billy Mays, Jr.
Show goes on for pitchman Billy Mays left behind
Posted in Anthony Sullivan, Billy Mays, Billy Mays III, Video | No Comments »
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Don’t watch if you’re not a fan of South Park’s gross-out humor, but here’s a clip from the season premiere of South Park. The boys watch Billy Mays pitch a laundry product that solves a very specific washday dilemma.
Posted in Billy Mays, Video | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
I am severely impressed by the DIY spirit displayed in this video for Streak-Free Microfiber Cleaning Cloth. One look at the Streak-Free corporate website will give you a feel for the homegrown nature of this operation. I don’t have any inside information about the production of this infomercial, but it seems like a fairly low-budget operation. Pitchman Tommy Dee doesn’t have the high-voltage delivery of Billy Mays, and his dress shirt sports the Ralph Lauren Polo logo above the breast pocket, not that of Streak-Free. The spot appears to have been shot in and around someone’s home without sets or professional models. Still, it hits all the right notes, with good pacing and editing. I’m assuming that the audio glitches in this version are the result of later editing by the seller of the product. Streak-Free might not be the next ShamWow, but it wowed me anyway.
Posted in Cleaning, New Products, Video | No Comments »
