TresSugar

Was This Banned Ad Too Naughty For TV?

GiggleSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:00:00 -0700

The following commercial for the Chrysler Concorde was banned from TV a few years ago. The Chrysler folks did away with the standard car-commercial spiel, amped up the sex appeal, and offended a few consumers in the process. While some didn't see the harm in a backseat sex joke, others found it completely inappropriate to use off-color humor to market a spacious family sedan. Four years later, with the rise of print ads like this and raunch reality all over TV, are we still offended by this kind of advertising ploy?

Flashback: Ricardo Montalban in Chrysler Cordoba Ad

GiggleSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:17:30 -0700

I could listen to Ricardo "Mr. Roarke" Montalban say "soft Corr-in-thian leather" over and over again in an endless loop. It's even better when you learn that there's no such thing as Corinthian leather. The leather in Chrysler's Cordoba was from New Jersey. (New Jersey?! Get a rope.)

Thanks, Neatorama!

Front Page: Nursing Home Gunman Kills 8, Faces Charges

CitizenSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:01:58 -0700

After a gunman in North Carolina killed eight people in a nursing home yesterday, police are investigating whether his estranged wife's employment there had something to do with it. The man faces eight counts of first-degree murder. - ABC News
The Obama administration pushed out GM's chairman yesterday, and urged Chrysler to form a partnership with Italian car maker Fiat if it wants more government aid. - New York Times
The stimulus package has lobbyists bustling with ample amount of work. - Washington Post
A spy network working mostly from government computers in China has been able to infiltrate over a thousand computers in 103 countries, including those at embassies and foreign ministries. - BBC News

Front Page: Venezuela Gets Rid of Presidential Term Limits

CitizenSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:07:40 -0800

Venezuelans voted Sunday to do away with presidential term limits, allowing Hugo Chavez to potentially rule for life. - Christian Science Monitor
American automakers GM and Chrysler have until tomorrow to present the federal government with a viable turnaround plan or else the government can recall their emergency loans. - CNN

Investigators are examining the cockpit tapes from flight 3407, which crashed in Buffalo last week. The plane was on autopilot until just before it went down. - AP
Today France's top judicial body recognized the French government's responsibility for deporting Jews during World War II. Thousands of Jews were deported from France to the Nazi death camps during the occupation. - AP

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Should Congress Bail Out the Automakers?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:32 -0800

If Michigan-bred Mitt Romney doesn't think Congress should bailout the auto industry, then the plan to save Detroit might need a set of jumper cables. Mitt wrote today:

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course - the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor, and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority, and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

But not everyone agrees with Mitt's persuasive case. In an attempt to persuade Congress that it must act, the big-three automakers may have given themselves a flat tire. Yesterday, the CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler flew into Washington on private jets (which cost about $36 million each) so they could make in-person appeals for $25 billion of taxpayer money. Looks like first-class wouldn't suit the first-class beggars.

For more on how much the companies spend on private jets, and for some arguments in support of a bailout, read more.

ABC News reports that a private jet trip from Detroit to Washington, DC costs about $20,000. Ford's CEO takes the company's private jet back from Detroit to Seattle each weekend, while making $28 million as his annual salary. Meanwhile, thousands of employees get laid off, and the companies are asking the public for billions.

Still, if the car companies fail average Americans, not just jet-setting CEOs, have much to lose. The automakers and their affiliates make up 2 percent of the American workforce, and nearly one million Americans participate in GM's pension program, which would cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars if it collapsed.

What do you think the US government should do?

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DEARSUGAR'S GUIDE TO PARIS: PART ONE - SIGHTS & MUSEUMS

DearSugar — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:06:05 -0700

Hey Everybody,
I just got back from a long birthday weekend in Paris. Wow, what a pretty city! Everything was tres fantastique! I thought I'd share my experience with my fabulous readers and put together a little must do itinerary for those of you thinking or planning any summertime travels. Since there is so much to cover, I've divided this subject into three separate posts.

Paris is divided into 20 different neighborhoods called arrondissements. These arrondissements are named according to their number and each neighborhood in Paris has its own special character.

SIGHTS:
Eiffel Tower -Talk about impressive! Built in 1889, Gustave Eiffel was way ahead of his time with this one. It was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930. It still remains the highest point in Paris.

Gardens - The Luxembourg, Palais and Tuileries are spectacularly beautiful, and a perfect place to rest your barking dogs after a long day of sightseeing au pied.

Latin Quarter - Home to The famous Sorbonne, this is one fun, young area to grab a snack. Hang out with the students in a local cafe and sip Bordeaux while munching on a delicious crepe.

Le Marais - Known both as the Jewish Quarter and the predominant gay community, this is the place to be on Sundays (the shops are open in this area). Here you can wander around the windy streets, shop, visit the Jewish synagogue, The Picasso Museum and see Victor Hugo’s home (#6, Vosges).

Notre Dame - Located in Il de Cite, Paris’s original old city, this gorgeous landmark church is open to the public for prayer, candle lighting or just observing and appreciating it’s gorgeous stained window arrangements.

St. Germaine de Pres - This is a great area to browse. There are tons of little shops, galleries and cafes all along the streets. You could get easily get lost in the culture here.

Seine River - Right in the middle of the city, among many thing, this river separates the right and left banks of Paris. One of my favorite things about the Seine being in the center of the city are the gorgeous bridges. I especially loved Pont Alexandre III. I encourage you to stroll it at sunset and watch the river boats go by while catching a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower light up. If there was ever any moment for a "french kiss" - this is it!

MUSEUMS:
Museums are ample in Paris and you can find any type of art that you are looking for. But for the majority of you who have taken art appreciation or art history 101 and know the really big names, you will be blown away by these three in particular:

The Musee D’Orsay’s - The 6th floor is all impressionist work carrying the works of: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Matisse and Van Gough, to name a few. Even it’s interior structure is impressive with it’s sunny balconies and enormous clocks.

Musee de L’Orangerie - is quaint and can not be missed. You can tour this museum in ½ hour if you like. The top floor consists of 8 stunning Monet water lilly murals. Downstairs you’ve got more to see including, Picasso, Matisse, Cezanne and more.

The Louvre - can take up to 5 days to see in it’s entirety. While outside, have a look at I.M. Pei’s glass pyramids and water pools. Right now there is a Divinci Code exploratory going on if you are interested in taking a group tour.

Paris Map courtesy of www.parisnet.com