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Hightower Lowdown
"Speak the truth, but ride a fast horse." -- Old West Texas cowboy saying
In This Issue
Next come the battles for the changes we voted for
The many REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL after Election Day 2008
Also in this issue:
July's Lowdown
Big biz wants to own the information superhighway while We the People bump along the backroads
In the 1970s, Lily Tomlin developed an iconic comic character she named Ernestine--a telephone clerk who took perverse pleasure from hectoring customers. Her character was a perfect portrayal of the arrogance of AT&T, the monopolistic telephone giant of that day. In one skit on on the TV show, Laugh-In, Tomlin had Ernestine delivering a TV pitch for the corporation:
"A gracious hello," she cheerfully began, speaking directly into the camera. "Here at the Phone Company, we handle 84 billion calls a year. So, we realize that every so often, you can't get an operator, or for no apparent reason your phone goes out of order, or perhaps you get charged for a call you didn't make. We don't care!"
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DONT BE GLUM--GO SHOPPING!
Yes, these are tough economic times, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going...to Neiman Marcus, hot on the high heels of Sarah Palin.
Hoping to cut through all of the doom and gloom in today's economy, the luxury retailer has issued its annual Christmas Book. "I think we all need a break," says a perky Neiman execYes, these are tough economic times, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going...to Neiman Marcus, hot on the high heels of Sarah Palin.
Hoping to cut through all of the doom and gloom in today's economy, the luxury retailer has issued its annual Christmas Book. "I think we all need a break," says a perky Neiman executive, and what better break can you get than to buy something shiny and playful for someone on your gift list?
You might choose the ultra-shiny limited-edition 2009 BMW, for example. It's listed in Neiman's catalogue at $160,000. Or you could turn someone from gloomy to giddy with Neiman's delightful stack of hit records! You get the top 100 records from each of the past 35 years--that's 3,500 records for only $275,000.
Now here's a novel Christmas surprise: a dozen thoroughbred racehorses! They'll be stabled and trained by a top Kentucky horse farm, and you get it all for $10 million. That might seem a little pricey, what with Wall Street wobbling, but, as the head of the stable put it, "What better time to have a little levity and fantasy?"
Now, I'm sure there are spoilsports who'll complain that flaunting luxury in hard times is smug and insensitive. But hold your thoroughbreds right there. In recognition of financial realities, Neiman is sending out a special catalogue featuring gifts under $300 for "aspirational shoppers" --those looking for just a touch of luxury.
It's such thoughtfulness that makes Neiman's what it is.