What Were They Thinking?

In the past I have done articles on Friday about the less-than-mainstream news. My theory that people slack off a bit on Friday at work and need some fluff to talk about while waiting for the clock to give them  permission to get the weekend started.  Frankly now that we have our IPads loaded with Words With Friends and Angry Birds, we have our Facebook and Twitter accounts to stay on top of and can watch our favorite TV shows on our smart phones, I am not sure that anyone would actually need some time wasters. Truly the Internet is the SUPREME time suck if ever there was one.  Every day is loaded with time wasters.   No one will ever convince me that all this technology was created to make us MORE productive.  (Sorry, I had to stop for a second and look at Facebook...oh yeah, I am in the thick of wasting time along with the rest of the masses)


So, today, I was cruising around on the information highway (remember when it was called that?? If you are too young to recall that, just go with the fact that I am old) and came across a few items that had me wondering:


                      What the Hell, were they thinking?????


First out of the box is the story out of Atlanta about the school that had "questionable" questions on a THIRD GRADE math test.  Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Gwinnett County put word problems in a test such as these:

Seems the math test has taken word problems to a level that are less than politically correct, to say the least.  School official said the questions were meant to mix social studies with mathematics.  (REALLY??? Are you even trying to defend this?)

After outraged parents weighed in, the one teacher resigned and three others are under investigation.


The next story that hit me as a WTHWYT was the new advertisement out of North Dakota to promote tourism.  

North Dakota is trying to encourage people to visit their state so they have Odney Advertising doing some ads promoting reasons to come visit their state.   There are certainly reasons to visit North Dakota.  They have beautiful parks and topography.  Maybe they should capitalize on Yellowstone National Park. Just a thought.

And if that isn't pretty enough to entice you, you could go see the largest historical quilt in the nation, the longest straight highway, or see W'eel the huge turtle made out of hubcaps. All kinds of attractions are worth the trip for sure.   (check it out on  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/location/nd)

Still with all of that going for them this is the ad they think is what is going to have you driving to ND.

 

Well, well, LEAVE A LEGEND???? Really, aren't we full of ourselves?  These guys/gals don't look like they will be legends.  A hook up is a hook up.  I think there are 49 other states that you can accomplish this.  Why drive to ND?

Pat Finken, president of Odney Advertising that did the ad, was surprised at some negative responses to the ad.  It was supposed to be "a little fun and a little flirty" according to Pat.

North Dakota's director of ND tourism division, Sara Otte Coleman said they were surprised by the negative reaction to the ad as well.  Sara went on to say she didn't think the ad was in any way in poor taste.  Still the ad was yanked.


This last one is also, a WTHWTT but in a less sleazy and more comical way. 

In Cleveland a high profile court case concerning corruption is unfolding but the local courts are not allowing cameras into the courtroom.  So not wanting to leave the public uninformed (god forbid) station WOIO is broadcasting nightly a puppet show with a reenactment of the days trial events.   Yes, you read that correctly...puppets.   





There are just no upper limits to quality news programming?