RIP, Les Waas – the Man Behind the Mr. Softee Jingle

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You can hear it in your head already, can't you? The simple mention of Mr. Softee brings that perennial jingle to mind in an instant, without even having to think about it. (But just for fun, or in the very unusual case that you don't know it, you can listen to the jingle here.)

So I was sad to read in the NY Times earlier this year of the passing of Les Waas, the man behind that immensely catchy jingle.

My Bagel Shop

I wrote recently about my occasional bout of performance anxiety. No, not sexually. At the Starbucks counter. There's another place I frequent that should, but for some odd reason doesn’t, give me performance anxiety. It’s my little bagel shop in New Rochelle, H&R Bialy. Best. Damn. Bagels. Especially when they’re hot and fresh, which is like 90% of the time. (Sorry, can't link to them. They don't have a website. Don't need one.)

H & R Bialy, New Rochelle NY

To be honest, the shop is almost, not quite, but almost, a hole in the wall.

Performance Anxiety at Starbucks

For a number of years, I got my morning coffee on the street, from the coffee cart guy. The cart and the vendor changed sometimes, based on my office location or walking route, but the routine was pretty standard. And the coffee was damn good.

Rossini and the Wabbit; or, the Undeniable Impact of Looney Tunes on a Child’s Appreciation of Classical Music

To this day, I cannot listen to Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” without picturing Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

I know I’m not alone.

BuzzFeed & the Rise of Post-Literate Media

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Every now and then I read something that’s a little alarming, disheartening, or discouraging as a copywriter working in a digital world. I’ve seen provocative headlines in LinkedIn group posts and on blogs and other sites questioning the validity of the copywriter in this day and age (“Are Copywriters Going Extinct?” / “Are Copywriters Being Replaced by Algorithms?”). I often scan these pieces, sometimes laughing at the ideas, because I don’t truly think we will ever live in a marketing world that needs no words. Or will we?

Standing on the Sacred Ground of an Artistic Landmark

It was surreal and serene and incomprehensible and utterly delightful and a time-stands-still moment in my life that I shall never forget.

My milestone birthday trip to London and Paris with Rich was filled with countless memories and sheer moments of pleasure. I wasn’t prepared for a trip to a small island north of Paris to be one of those moments. In fact, I wasn’t even sure we would find the place. But Rich, more determined than I, as this was a sort of mission for him, charted the path and led the way as we continued our exploration of the Paris Metro and made our way up to the island of La Grande Jatte.

Go Ahead, Take a Stand

Up, down. Up, down.

Welcome to my work world, of late. No, we haven't started in-office exercising. You'll find no lunges going on here. Instead, I have one of those jazzy adjustable desktops (Varidesk) that allow you to sit or stand at your desk while you work. And I gotta say, two thumbs up.

The VARIDESK. No, not my desk. Please, who has a working desk that neat?