CheapThrills

Questions. Answers. Fetishes.

Finally, proof that my kind of humor has a place in this world.

New HBO series Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of an aspiring band from New Zealand trying to make it in the big city.

Two clips – The Humans are Dead is their “music video” from the pilot episode (filmed on a camera phone), and Inner City Pressure is from the second episode when things are starting to get rough. Have fun.

Ryan's Wish List: May 2007

April showers bring Mayflowers, and with any luck also some of these happy little treats:

1. An extremely cute brown Mini Rex bunny rabbit that also fits into the new breed “POOPLESS.”
2. And if poopless bunnies aren’t currently available, I need to get over my very vocal aversion to punt-able small dogs and admit to the world that I actually find Puggles adorable. Then I want a Puggle that costs less than $1,500 to keep me company when I’m lonely and to disappear when I’m on vacation or watching America’s Next Top Model.
3. An excuse to laugh so hard that I can barely breathe.
4. Cheap lobsters, 3.
5. A way of permanently erasing the memory of the "Bush Dancing with the Africans” clip while simultaneously punching him in the face.
6. A wireless chip for my iPod so that I can sync it to iTunes without plugging it in to my computer. Moreover, this chip would enable download of content straight from the source to the iPod. So, for example, someone I know loves NPR podcasts – I want him to be able to subscribe to the NPR feed directly from his iPod and cut out the middleman. I’m sure someone out there can tell me if/when I can find something like this… yes?
7. The ability to stop biting this one, sorry nail – my ring finger on my left hand. It’s gotten ridiculous. Only really happens when I concentrate on something, so maybe I should just stop concentrating.
8. A hottie little black dress for my friend’s wedding in July – where should I look?
9. A real reason to go on Facebook. It’s so boring right now… every time I login to my account I take deep sigh of regret for the 30 seconds I’ve wasted. Sometimes my mouth goes numb and I start drooling a little as well (it’s weird).
10. Private, one-person bathrooms at work with background muzak and Charmin’ toilet paper.

Hopefully I’ll be able to check off some of these items by the end of the month. Feel free to contact with any suggestions on how to do so.

This ad concept must have blossomed from weeks and weeks of brainstorming...

My career goal in advertising: to be the founder of this guy's personal advertising agency. Ryan Barrett & Fools, Inc.

Death to Office Lingo

Office lingo happens to us all.  I was looking through some old work emails and noticed that I quite literally stamped "it would be greatly appreciated" at the end of almost 70% of them.  The phrase should be added to my signature.  I hate it, but now I can't stop! 

I've decided to keep a running list of this strange plague-like vernacular - here are my first 15 -, and please feel free to add on as you like.

1. "Please feel free to..."
2. "Quick question..."
3. "We emailed back and forth"
4. Pagination
5. "Massage" a piece of writing
6. Get to the "underbelly"
7. Flesh out
8. Hone in
9. Drill down
10. Decision maker, as in "who is the key decision maker"? 
11. Instrumental
12. To "own" a project
13. Champion the effort
14. Team player
15. Firedrill (the very worst)