Local Watering Hole

My ex used to say one of the things he loved about living in downtown Manhattan was his local watering hole. I used to think he was the only American ever to say "watering hole" in a social setting, but his love for the Paris Cafe was well deserved. It was a great place for dinner, drinks, or watching a game. It was the one thing I regretted giving up in our "divorce". Everyone has a local favorite. When I lived on the Upper East Side it was Trinity and Jasmine's Pahd See Yu. I still catch myself day dreaming about Chipati. Considering how many Umich alums live in NYC, I don't understand how no one has started a Pizza House franchise by now.

While living in Cobble Hill I frequented many "local joints" -- aside from the Starbucks on Wyckoff & Smith nothing really held my loyalty and passion. Many of our choices were driving by price, and whether Deborah's brother, Tim, was working. Not to say that Trout, Pacifico, Bueno and the pizza place aren't good. But it helps when the person serving you knows you.

So now I'm in my new hood, Clinton Hill, and I'm searching for the key places. Olea, is already in my heart. The General Greene is up on the list for Brunch and a nice, cozy, candle lit dinner. Red Bamboo - outdoor atmosphere A+, cuisine C (sorry, soy chicken just doesn't cut it). Tonight I tried Brooklyn Public House. Has the draw of a great place. Great look & feel. Nice staff, very attentive. Had the burger. Note to self: next time order a medium rare. The best part was the salad - included cranberries :) Bartender said fish & chips are the way to go. I will try again, but I sadly report...still searching.

Balloon Hoax

The other day all news media was focused on this helium Balloon hovering over Colorado carrying a 6 year old boy. A colleague was filling me in on the news (shocked that I had no idea) when I just started to laugh. He said I was being insensitive to the issue and that the boy probably fell out and died. I said..he's in the house hiding under his bed or something.

Sure enough...he was.

So what does a 6-year-old boy hiding in an attic for several hours do to occupy his time as his parents, the police and throngs of investigators are frantically searching for him?

Appearing on “Larry King Live” on Thursday night with his parents and brothers, Falcon Heene gave some indication.

“First I was playing in the attic,” he said, “then I stopped and went to bed in the attic.”

I don't know whether to keep laughing or just shake my head in despair that authorities had to be occupied with this and that our news media made this out to be a national crisis.

*** FYI, Zachary's suspension was overturned and he was allowed back at school this week.

It's a fork, It's a Spoon, It's a .... Weapon

I'm still not sure how I feel about the Spork. It seems just as dangerous as a fork, sharper than a plastic knife. And yet, cafeterias all across the United States are handing over these little plastic weapons to our children. So when a kid thinks he's got a better idea...what do we do...we suspend him for 45 days. Poor Zachary! That's 7 weeks that a child in the 1st is missing out on critical education - oh well! He'll probably learn more from his mother than at home.

Just Fun Stuff

So the deborah's are overwhelmed with school, life, fall, managing headaches, annoying children and trying to teach the world to sing. So I've decided I'm just going to post pictures and things I think are just fun.

Parenting

Bobby: I'm bored

Betsy: Go bang your head against the wall

Bobby: Mommmmmm

Betsy: Only boring people are bored

T Minus 180 Days

As the summer comes to a traditional end (mine goes 'til about Sept 28th) I was thinking about the goals I set forth. For once, I was a minimalist when it came to what I hoped to accomplish during my time off. Here is how it netted out.

Travel: After visiting 3 continents in the last year, I decided I just needed to stay "home" for awhile. I went to Colorado for <2 weeks. Mainly I went to enjoy the great mountain air and to see my friends Keri and Fred, who recently moved to a suburb of Boulder. It was a great trip and saw my first Cheyenne Rodeo.

Biking: I finally dusted off my bike, got a helmet and just went where the bike paths took me. I did a few laps around Prospect Park, a 20.6 mile run to Coney Island, over the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, up the Hudson River, and traveled on the ferry to Sandy Hook. Up next, Shore Road and the Tour de Bronx (Oct 18th).

Reading: It's been a long time since I actually read something and enjoyed it. I discovered the world of used books. The summer started with the Alchemist. Followed by the Namesake. Two books I highly recommend. Read the Space Between Us and Eleven Minutes. Four books..that's better than none. I'm getting something tomorrow to start the year off. Even if it's 10 minutes a day or just 10 pages...it's better than being consumed by you tube and gchat.

My summer was consumed with apartment hunting. Thanks to Michelle, I found myself a cute little abode. Still getting settled. (wait for the Ikea story).

Tomorrows agenda: decorate my classroom.

Frontier Days

Nothing beats a summer day out west like a trip to the rodeo. My friends, Keri and Fred, accompained me to my first Western Rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was the 113th Frontier Days, the world's largest rodeo and western celebration. Our afternoon began with a little bull riding followed by some steer roping and bareback riding. It was intense :) but we did enjoy some wild action by Cody, Chet, Troy and my favorite Buster Record Jr.

We drove around downtown Cheyenne, population 53,011. It was a sleeping Sunday in the state capital. Seems a little odd that the state capital is located in the most southern corner of the state...does anyone know what is going on up in Teton or Big Horn county. Guess everyone was at the rodeo :) Took some photos of these large boots displayed in town (see future blog). We also visited the Wrangler store...didn't know they still made Wranglers!

Got to catch the mountain sunset.

Please Don't Stare

It's America and we all know that our right as a home (apartment) owner (renter) is that we can decorate as we see fit. What we choose to display often reflects our core beliefs, political affiliation or latest craft project. We've all seen flags, pink flamingos, or "vote for" signs.
But have you ever seen a 5 foot Jesus in a cast iron box?What about a 4 foot Statue of Liberty standing on a window ledge?
Or a wood carving of the Brooklyn Bridge around a tree?

Can you believe some just left this beautiful work of art just sitting out by their fence?

Riding Side By Side with the B and D Trains

Here are a few photos from my bike journey through Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo and over the Manhattan Bridge. Enjoy!

Time is Neutral

I used to write whenever I traveled. From the time I was very small, I carried a notebook in the car and would scribble away while we drove across the country on a move or a family trip. I couldn't go anywhere without a pen and paper. I'm not sure when I stopped writing while traveling, or why. Maybe it's related to my discovery that NyQuil is an effective way to avoid flight anxiety, or when I realized that much of my writing done in the air or the car was only so much melodramatic scribbling. Regardless, I brought a journal on this trip to LA, and for the first time in many years, I wrote as the jet cut across the sky.

I realized as I wrote that I have spent years waiting for my life to start, as though there would be some magical age or event or accumulation of events that would mark my point of entry into the "real" world. So much time spent waiting, not acting, not realizing my own agency. I stumbled across the following in The Autobiography of Martin Luther King: "..time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively... We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right."

It's the most empowering thing I can imagine. All too often, I tend to wait for time to do something, when that isn't even possible. Changes only occur because they are effected by us; things only happen with humans, not with time. And while I thought that this might cause me to panic, feeling that there isn't enough time to do the things I want, it has instead made me feel that there is so much more space and time for everything I have to offer. Effectively, I feel that I am in control of time, because I can choose how to spend it.

That Was Some Really Spicy Salsa!

What goes through your mind when you see and upside down pig on a menu at a Mexican restaurant? I mean the pig as always been an iconic symbol thoughout life. There is an "oink oink here and oink oink there" every time you sing Old McDonald Had a Farm. There is of course our favorite pig Wilbur who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider named Charlotte in EB White's book Charlotte's Web....

There was also that pig Babe, Pooh's friend Piglet, Olivia, Miss Piggy....
and of course there is Porky The Pig.

But why the upside down pig? Did they want us the think of the demise of the pig? Or was the pig a metaphor for how we would feel after the meal? When I think of Mexican food pork isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Sure it makes sense that Fette Sau in Williamsburg has a pig on their business card. There is this store "Under the Pig Antiques and Collectibles" in Park Slope, Brooklyn who has a pig predominately displayed on their street sign. Surprisingly there are quite a few antique shops that have Pig in their name: Pink Pig Antiques, Spotted Pig Antiques, The Painted Pig Antiques. You get the idea.

So where does one get to see the upside down pig on the menu? Bonita (in Fort Greene) where they serve Comida Tipica Mexicana. Jess and I were in search of good Mexican with a touch of spicy. The look and feel of the menu does not correspond to the candlelight atmosphere and clean, crisp white walls and mirrors. The music gives this place a real hip modern feel rather than the hole in the wall Mexican joint the menu might suggest. 4 stars. But the upside down pig wasn't the only picture that had us puzzled. Can anyway tell us why the cow has a "T" branded in it?

Pedaling Through the City

While the fanfare of Summer of Deb* may be fading as we get older and seek adventures outside of the city or country, the concept will always remain close to heart. The motto has always been to pursue, explore, and participate in new adventures. With that in mind, my goal this year is to be more active, sporty, and be outside as much as possible. A few weeks ago I did some free kayaking in the Hudson River at Pier 96. Totally awesome. This weekend was the 4th of July. and my bike has finally come out of hiding. I took it out for its first of many excursions through Brooklyn and NYC. I rode from my humble abode to the Brooklyn Promenade over the Brooklyn Bridge, across Reade Street, over the West Side Highway, down to Battery Park over by the waters edge, up Broadway and back over the bridge. About 6 or 7 miles according to one of my friends. It was totally cool coming down off the bridge. I just need to buy a bell, since pedestrians don't know how to share the walkways. My butt still hurts, but it was super fun!

So what's next? Well riding the bike will be a focus this summer. I've been studying the NYC Bike Map and planning out the best routes to Prospect Park and Coney Island. Sailing in the Hudson has been on the list for a few years now, time to cross that off. Anyone know of where the closest batting cage is? Mini Golf? Outdoor Yoga? (you get the idea)

The Deborahs will be traveling throughout the summer, so we will keep you updated on our journey.

*Summer of Deb (circa 2001) was a self initiated program decided to start living life to its fullest by seeing and doing things in NYC. What was the point of living in NYC if you weren't taking advantage of all the cool things (even the touristy things). The first summer included all the basics: Bryant Park Movies, Cloisters, Concerts, etc) to some special events like the Brooklyn Cyclones' Ladies Clinic, Trapeze, Saratoga Racetrack, Governor Island, Fire Island... Gosh, I don't think I ever kept a list. Mainly the plan it get together with friends and have good times.

What Direction Are You?

Over drinks the other night my friend Jess was sharing different personality types as related to points on a compass. Always intrigued by lists I quickly got out my notebook and jotted these key elements for each personality type. To find out more...just google it.

North: direct, clear, able to make quick decisions, leader, not a listener

East: Intuitive, decisions made based on feeling not facts & figures, uses experiences to guide them.

South: emotion based, impulsive, decisions are made in the moment

West: asks questions ALL the time, can't take things at face value, I've been told that the western person likes to write things in composition notebooks ;)

Favorite 80's Tune

Nothing can compare to all the Michael Jackson songs that have swarmed the airways in the last week, but this song will always bring a smile to my face. Cruisin' in the car with my cousin Coryn, this song always played at full blast (on repeat). This fun YouTube video features a 1980s pop classic. The rock band Toto scored their biggest hit with Africa in 1982. The song is instantly recognizable. But it has been reinvented.

Perpetuum Jazzile is an a cappella jazz choir from Slovenia. It’s hard to think of something further from an ‘80s rock band. But their version of Africa may best the original. The group has amazing voices.

But the beginning of this video is really striking. Group members simulate an African thunderstorm with their hands.
It’s really something to see and hear.(Don't turn up your sound - the sound of raindrops begins really soft.)

Photos of Peeps

Purpose of this blog is to share, inspire, and inform. The first of many this summer will be photos capturing life's greatest memories. Peeps, those marshmallow treats sold during Easter, have never been my favorite until now. Featured in this grand display of art and humor one will just love Peeps! Enjoy.

It's worth it, right?

So Deborah and I went to our first boxing class. She had a mean right hook! It was fun, but now my legs hurt so much I'm not sure I'm going to make it off the couch. Yes, my legs. This guy, George, made us run, do jumping jacks, jump rope, squat, and push ups. Have you ever seen a girl with no strength do a push up...well it doesn't happen! But I liked it! So for everyone who has ever messed with me....watch out.

Thought of the Day

“	Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.	”
	— Muhammad, The Farewell Sermon

What Will They Think of Next?

Penguin Water Carbonator - isn't it so cute and adorable. I hear that pelegrino is $1 a bottle at costco. So this pays for itself it you drink more than 200 bottles in a year. Thats approximately 4 a week.

This eco-friendly soda charger quickly transforms ordinary tap water into fresh sparkling water. Enjoy it on its own or as the base for cocktails or homemade sodas. It’s fun and easy to use: Simply fill the reusable glass carafe with water, insert it into the Penguin and press the carbonating “beak.” You can customize carbonation so each batch has just the right amount of fizz. Freshly charged seltzer water is a green alternative to its store-bought counterparts. Conserving energy and resources, it eliminates the need for plastic bottles – along with the environmental impacts associated with shipping and shopping for bottled water – and no batteries or electricity are required. It’s made in Israel, a leading innovator in carbonation technology. Included are two dishwasher-safe 20-oz. glass carafes with fizz-preserving stoppers and two refillable CO2 cartridges (each carbonates up to 60 carafes). When depleted, the carbonator cartridges can be easily returned to Soda-Club USA for refilling. We regret that this item cannot be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states. 18" high

Contact Williams-Sonoma to purchase.

As Seen Through The Eyes of a NYer

I spotted this on the New York Times Website. Thought it was quit cute and creative. And who doesn't love legos!

Here are a few. Check out the site for more: http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/i-lego-ny/?em

A Moment of Silence is Needed

One of the many things I thank my dad for is introducing me to world of professional sports. He never taught me how to play catch but he did teach me how the game was played, even if I was rooting for the opposing team.

I don't remember the first time he took me to see the Mets, but it was probably 1985. His company had field level seats right by third base behind the press box and next to the visiting team's dug out. I instantly became a Lenny Dykstra Fan! He was scruffy and scrappy! Then there was Roger McDowell the cutest relief pitcher. Over the next 4 years my dad took us to about 10 games. My brother went to Game 6 of the 1986 world series (I'm still jealous!). Then the Mets began to fall and the Yankees were on the rise. We were getting older so my dad started taking us to the Bronx. The shift gave me a new appreciation for the game of baseball but always in my heart I will be a Mets Fan!

Yesterday Mets' fans said goodbye to the old Shea Stadium. It's bitter sweet, but well deserved. It's been overshadowed by our crosstown rivals, who are so insecure that they had to build a new stadium too, even though theirs is classic. I'm looking forward to seeing the new SHEA. Sorry Citibank, but given these trouble economic times, I'm not sure that a bank should be having these privileged naming rights.

71 Days to the Home Opener: April 13th

Project Good Morning

I was staring at my Starbucks coffee cup this morning and I noticed the following saying printed on the back of the cup:

"I used to feel so alone in the city. All those gazillions of people and then me, on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stumped by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say, "Hi." They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word. " -- Augusten Burroughs Author of Running With Scissors

Deep down I often wish we lived in a time where men wore hats and greeted everyone on the street. It saddens me how most of us don't know our neighbors or have someone to get our mail and water our plants when we travel. I figured if suddenly everyone is bringing their own bag to the supermarket, then maybe I could get everyone just to say "good Morning". And not just the guy down the block who thinks I'm cute. But everyone, from the man who walks his chihuahua to the woman with the baby carriage, or the old lady who throws out the garbage in her robe and slippers every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. People will look at you crazy and most won't say anything back (they probably won't hear you with their ipods on) but it's still worth the effort. If not for them, but for you. I guarantee you'll feel happier.

So, Good Morning and Have a Nice Day!

Choosy Folks Choose Glasser

I've been sick as hell for three weeks with bronchitis, a flu, a sinus infection, and pneumonia. Before that, I was all whiny and lethargic or stressed out and panicky for what feels like months. Most of it's explained easily by random events in my personal and professional life, but I'm--quite frankly--getting sick and tired of being sick and tired.

A few weeks back, I came across a book at Barnes & Nobel by William Glasser. He'd written another book that pretty much saved my sanity when I first started teaching (it's called, oh-so-cheesily, "Every Student Can Suceed"). The basis of his whole psychological theory is that almost every mental and physical disorder: illness, migraines, depression, academic or professional failure, etc., can be explained by behavioral choices you make. He talks about something called "total behavior" which is made up of four components: thinking, acting, feeling (emotion), and physiology. The idea is that you can control the first two components, and thereby influence the latter two.

What I like about Glasser's idea is that you have almost total control over your emotional state, because you act/think according to the emotion you think you are or should be feeling. This means that instead of saying "I'm depressed" you teach yourself to say "I'm acting depressed". Then you figure out what you would do/think when you aren't depressed, and do/think those things. Soon enough, you aren't depressed. It sounds simple to the point of impossibility, but really, I think it works.

For the past weeks, I have been in a HORRIBLE funk. I hate my job, I don't want to do anything. I don't want to deal with anything. Conversations on the phone exhaust me. All I've really done in the new year is watch Wife Swap and sleep. Oh, and drink hydrocodin like it's water. That stuff is amazing.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to stop acting depressed. I went for a walk after work. I did laundry. I cleaned the whole apartment. I finally finished unpacking the last box (which I NEVER do when I move. I swear it's the same box I've been moving around for years. For the record, most of it ended up in the trash.) I made a dinner of light snacky things I like. I had a lovely loooong phone conversation with my darling Deborah. I made plans. I read a book. I also watched Wife Swap--but I actually got up during the commercial breaks and cleaned, so I feel like it wasn't the same thought/action pattern. And you know what? By bedtime, I felt pretty damned good. I woke up this morning without the pressure in my chest I've felt for months. Things feel manageable again.

So, not to get all infomercially or anything. But since January tends to be a little doldrumy for most folks, I suggest you check out Glasser's Choice Theory. And I promise my next post will be more fun and less preachy. Honest.

Party Time!

I'm lucky that most of my friends don't need an excuse to go to bar and get toasted. But when there is a party going on it just makes everything better. Thanks JP!

I was thinking about my need for celebrating. Maybe it's just that I need an excuse to eat cake. Maybe it's just a way to get all my friends together. But maybe it's just that a party puts everyone in a good mood.

The good news is that I have a few friends celebrating birthdays this month. And in order to have some attention go my way, I was thinking of having a happy hour/ half birthday party. But if birthdays aren't your style. There are plenty of things you can celebrate. Here is a list of a few events you can raise a glass too. Some have past (but doesn't everyone want to pay tribute to their favorite bird?).

1. New Year´s- Resolution time.
2. Trivia Day (Jan. 4)
3. National Bird Day (Jan. 5)
4. Poetry Break Day (Jan. 13)
5. Martin Luther King Jr.´s Birthday (Jan. 15)
6. National Kazoo Day (Jan. 28)
7. Popcorn day- Third Monday in January.
8. Cheese Day- Third Tuesday in January.
9. National Handwriting Day- Third Friday in January.
10. National Puzzle Day- Fourth Thursday in January.

Mathematicians vs. Lumberjacks

In the left corner, 5' 2'', spectacle wearing, college nerd with a calculator, protractor and slide rule. In the right hand corner 6'0'', buff, flannel shirt wearing man with an ax. Who will win? According the the Jobsrated.com recent study of the best and worst jobs, life is far better for the mathematician. To compile this year's report, researchers relied on five criteria to compare jobs as different as librarian and sheet metal worker. Those criteria: stress, physical demands, hiring outlook, compensation and work environment. When I was slaving away at my office job in late night hours or during beautiful spring afternoons I yearned to be outside. Landscaping, park ranger, even picking up trash with the spear seemed ideal. Turns out some of the outdoor jobs are ranked the lowest: environmental hazards.

The Best and Worst Jobs

Of 200 Jobs studied, these came out on top -- and at the bottom:

The Best	The Worst
1. Mathematician	200. Lumberjack
2. Actuary	199. Dairy Farmer
3. Statistician	198. Taxi Driver
4. Biologist	197. Seaman
5. Software Engineer	196. EMT
6. Computer Systems Analyst	195. Roofer
7. Historian	194. Garbage Collector
8. Sociologist	193. Welder
9. Industrial Designer	192. Roustabout
10. Accountant	191. Ironworker
11. Economist	190. Construction Worker
12. Philosopher	189. Mail Carrier
13. Physicist	188. Sheet Metal Worker
14. Parole Officer	187. Auto Mechanic
15. Meteorologist	186. Butcher
16. Medical Laboratory Technician	185. Nuclear Decontamination Tech
17. Paralegal Assistant	184. Nurse (LN)
18. Computer Programmer	183. Painter
19. Motion Picture Editor	182. Child Care Worker
20. Astronomer	181. Firefighter

I guess Pythagoras was on to something. High School Math Teacher isn't really up there on the list. Too much stress on test performance, but all in all it's nice to know that all those nights using my Little Professor paid off. I have no recollection on how I obtained the Little Professor - a small toy similar to a calculator that provided randomized math problems. You could choose various levels. The "Professor" gave instant feedback after every 10 questions. I loved this thing. I used to play with it at night and I had to memorize where all the keys were. Every child should have this!!!! Texas Instruments if you are reading this...bring it back, bring it back! I know kids have more technology in their hands than ever before, but they don't know how to use it to their advantage. Even Regentsprep.org has a section for math where you can answer questions online and receive instant feedback and often see solutions.

Who Invents These Things?

So I decided one of my new years resolutions is to contribute to the iamdeborahdotcom blog more regularly. I'm not the best writer and I doubt anyone is really reading this, but I think it's a good creative outlet. Many of my friends are seeking ways to be creative this holiday season or maybe just something more enjoyable during these harsh times. One of my good friends is interested in creating a guide to enjoying life during these recession times from BYOB restaurants, to cheap deals on face lotion. Another friend is interested in reviewing those fabulous products that we see advertised in the wee small hours of the night. Lately DR (direct response) companies must think we have nothing better to do than spend money from our sofas. I'll admit I've always been tempted buy the music compilations of the 80's, or the smart mop, what about just buffing your way to better skin. Most of these ideas are practical and there is always a bonus if you "act now". But I almost fell down laughing when I saw the ad for the Snuggie blanket. I was so confused and scared. Technically it's a robe you wear backwards. A floor length robe!! (Check out the commercial on You Tube). There is a scene with an entire family wearing the Snuggie! It looks more like a cult. Never fear, it comes in fashion colors so you and your kids can all match in the latest shade of burgundy. Does this guy look like the kind of a guy you would want to snuggle up on the couch with? He looks like a priest. It's the ultimate blanket with sleeves. But what about the hands and feet? Sitting here typing away I had to get up and go get my thick socks. Here is the best part - $19.95 plus $7.95 shipping and handling! Act NOW!!!

Nothing says 2009 like Nivea!

In this hard economic time it is nice to see that the business model of maximizing the number of impressions among Adults 18-54 continues to be a focus for beauty companies. Are we that vain? Is blue the color of the New Year? Does Nivea mean Happy New Year in German? Okay I'll admit that if you are introducing a new lip care product and you are looking to steal shares away from Bistex and Chapstick, then partnering with an event or holiday that says "kiss" is a smart marketing idea. But did anyone watching the Jonas Brothers' on New Years Eve with Carson Daly know that Nivea had a new lip balm?? Doubt it.
Cute idea. I'll admit. But I could have done with all those blue hates. You know they say that chapstick has an ingredient in it that makes it addicting. For some reason my lips always get more chapped after applying lip baum.
I also think that Nivea sort of stole Dentyne's new theme of make face time. The focus is to go back to a time when we didn't have cell phones, voicemail, email, texting, etc and just spend time with those you love. I think it's absolutely fabulous. Doesn't really make me go out and start buying dentyne, but I think it's a great campaign.

Since i'm on my rant about the best ad, i'll share the worst marketing decision of 2008. Many of you probably haven't noticed this yet, and I haven't had a chance to write a letter to the company, but Tropicana has decided to repackage their orange juice beverages. They took more than the tropic out of the brand, they took everything premium, fresh, orange, Florida or thirst quenching and replaced it with generic, plan, boring, simple. What they are going for is to get middle America comfortable with spending $5.00 for a half gallon of orange juice. Luckily I've discovered Trader Joe's organic orange juice for less than $5.00. God I can't believe how important this brand is and how just lowered themselves. Now, I'm all for generic. Generic brands are fine, but aside from my No Ad suntan lotion, looks do matter and consumers choose products based on looks, shelf positioning and price. Quality still counts even if I have no money. I can't believe I used to yell at my mom when she came home with Minute Maid instead of Tropicana. Oh, the arguments ..."it was on sale" she would say. "i don't care". Luckily my tastebuds have improved with age. Oh, and how are the old people going to understand that purple means High Pulp. Can anyone even READ that??The only product worth spending money on is Maker's Mark Bourbon! Did anyone catch a glimpse of their times square billboard next to the stage during the Jonas Brother's performance last night. Classic grassroots advertising!!!! Let the pouring begin.

Happy New Year.