12.26.23 | Tennessee and Florida have both proposed legislation to ban all flags other than the Stars and Stripes and state flags. It is a way to ban the Pride and Trans flags without saying it, but we all know what’s going on. Then, Wrigley Extra Gum came under fire from a few consumers for showing a commercial that showed two women kissing. Finally, people who have grown tired of their pet goldfish have let them loose in the wild. The Great Lakes has perhaps thousands and they are upsetting the eco-system. The goldfish can live 25 years and grow to the size of a football!

12.20.23 | Shop Talk shares two new taglines that Connecticut will be using to rebrand itself away from being preppy and stuffy—wait until you hear what they picked! Caught My Eye covers an employee from Hooters suing the restaurant for false representation. She thought she had won a Toyota for selling the most beer, but… Also, Delta Airlines is trying to shed plastic cups after 70 years. Elsie de Wolfe, credited with creating the Interior Design profession, is our Business Birthday.

12.19.23 | Cher tells Kelly Clarkson that even if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame offered her a million dollars, she would not accept induction into the body. Cher is the only female and solo artist to have had a number one charting song in each of the last 7 decades. Then, right-wing pundit Michael Knowles, believes that adult site Porn Hub is secretly serving up content that is making straight men gay or trans. Finally, LGBTQ+ support from fellow Americans is taking a hit due to the culture wars around drag queens, trans people, and book bans.

12.13.23 | Shop Talk looks at the correlation between the first letter of your name and your career. Caught My Eye finds an Ohio attorney who poops in Pringles cans and a license plate redo for Kansas. John Henry Patterson, founder of National Cash Register, is our Business Birthday. Patterson was also the first to provide social programs for factory workers, set-up the world’s first sales training programs, and “invented” direct mail.

12.12.23 | The Family Feud game show, hosted by infamous kisser Richard Dawson, required contestants take a herpes test according to a new book, “Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.” But first, Martina Navratilova proclaims that trans women are not lesbians. Then, the romance of being a nomad and camping under the stars brings reality home when this traveler spent many nights in Cracker Barrel and Walmart parking lots to save money.

12.06.23 | Shop Talk shares thoughts from Apple’s Tim Cook about what it takes to get hired and succeed as an Apple employee. Caught My Eye alerts us to a youth hostel housed on the top floor of a Vienna IKEA. Also, Snoop Dog “giving up the smoke” is one of this year’s best marketing plays. Irv Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins is our Business Birthday.

12.05.23 | The website, Ashley Madison, tells us that Florida and the Midwest are the places to be if you are looking to have an affair on the side. Then, the conservative right is going crazy—and threatening a boycott—over Christmas merchandise at Target that includes a Prideful Nutcracker and a black Santa in a wheelchair. Then, we share the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve known as Jolabokaflod, or in English, The Christmas Book Flood.

11.29.23 | Shop Talk explains the difference between a “hard pull” and a “soft pull” as it relates to your credit score. It’s also important to check and make sure that your information is correct, as both Tim and John have had experiences with wrong information that negatively affected their scores. Caught My Eye shares information about an Iowa man pleasing himself at the Kum & Go Convenience store. Also, Marty Krofft, creator of H.R. Pufnstuf and other entertainment properties has died. Eugene Polley, inventor of the TV wireless remote control is our Business Birthday.

11.28.23 | A cruise line that promised a 3-year trip around the world never set sail. Many passengers sold homes, sub-let properties, and otherwise planned to be away for three years when Life at Sea cruise lines failed to secure a ship for the journey. Also, Tennessee is now the most anti-LGBTQ state with 19 bills enacted against the community since 2015. Finally, a Spanish marketing agency has created an AI influencer bot to address unreliable human influencers.