02.03.21 | Shop Talk shares one-star Amazon Reviews from Fran Lebowitz via an article from the New Yorker. Then, Super Bowl advertising is already sold out. At $5.5 million for 30-second spot it is amazing that this event still is the ultimate advertising powerhouse. Also, the auto industry is poised to lose $61 billion in 2021 due to a computer chip shortage brought on by the “event.” Andrew Conru, creator of Adult Friend Finder, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at two stories where the male anatomy, or depiction of such, takes center stage.

02.02.21 | One of the most comprehensive studies on death finds that when you die, you die. Once your body starts to shut down the chances of coming back to life are unlikely according to the study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Then, PETA wants to tackle speciesism by removing terms from our vocabulary and is asking dictionaries to do the same. So, calling someone rat because they snitched on you is not acceptable based on PETA’s latest cause. Finally, Harriet Tubman may be coming back to the $20 bill now that Biden has assumed Office.

01.27.21 | Shop Talk looks at The Serendipity Mindset, or luck, in business and career. Then, can you guess the most corrupt state in America? Calvin Schenkel, album cover designer, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the new logo that GM unveiled last week, LEGO flowers, postal service delays, and the closing of Godiva stores.

01.26.21 | Cadbury Eggs is running a campaign in the UK that shows two men getting intimate with the ubiquitous gooey Cadbury Egg. Though the commercial will not air on networks, the LGBTQ hate group, One Million Moms is, all upset about the depiction of two men in love. Dr. Fauci says he was forbidden by the former administration to go on the Rachel Maddow Show because of the “way she handled things.” The truth and science? Finally, we all delighted in the Bernie Sander’s memes and we meet the lesbian who knitted the mittens.

01-20-21 | Shop Talk explores 10 British slang terms we should adopt when we travel to the UK or want to use here at home. Julia Morgan, a pioneering architect, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye wonders how a man in Japan swallowed a toothpick. Hint—things did not come out well. Also, Bernard Spain, the holder of the copyright for the smiley face died in Philly last week.

01.19.21 | Golfer Justin Thomas is caught on live TV calling himself a gay slur when his misses a short putt. He apologized, but Ralph Lauren has dropped their sponsorship. A $20 bank note with a Del Monte sticker on it is poised to go for over 50K at an auction this month, and a Danish children’s cartoon about a man with a huge member has us wondering if such a show could air in the USA.

01.13.21 | Shop Talk explores the roles of makers and managers within an organization and how we can respect one another’s time. Alfred Fuller, of Fuller Brush Fame, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the confusion of a Capitol rioter photo tagged Via Getty and the movie Grease does not hold up well with a new generation.

01.12.21 | The Home of the Whopper is heading back to the archives to create an updated new logo, packaging, uniform, and store design. How about fixing the menu? Amazon takes flight and Patagonia stays true by selecting causes and issues that are clear and direct to their company’s brand mission.

01.06.21 | Shop Talk summarizes a recent podcast from Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, that helps us start 2021 off right. Learn why goals don’t work without this key element. Anthony Scaramucci is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the popularity of Trump piñatas and Four Seasons Total Landscaping is holding an ALS Surf and Turf Gala this Spring.