Before there were "Selfies..."

According to Wikipedia, the card game Solitaire dates back to the German-speaking regions of Central Europe in the late 18th century.  So this whole "stuff you can do when you have no friends that doesn't involve reading" thing is actually pretty old.

But this is maybe the saddest toy I've ever seen- a jump rope for people who simply can't manage to round up even two people to play with.  Maybe I was too old by the time it came out (apparently it was popular for a few minutes in the mid-80s) or maybe it just wasn't a big-time fad on the campus of the Catholic University of America, but I really don't remember this at all.  I do agree with the Nostalgia Critic's take on it, though- it probably should have been called "Trip It," and maybe it vanished off the toy shelves when the class action lawsuits filed by people who had lost teeth falling to the sidewalk began to build up.

Or maybe it was just ahead of it's time and should be reintroduced in 2015, when being a socially isolated loser whose Friends are just names and photos on Facebook and where owning a stick that lets you take photos of yourself is Just Fine No Really You Are Perfectly Normal.

Two ways of looking at this stupid AT&T Ad

1.  Let's go with the "this is Billionaire Mark Cuban appearing in an AT&T commercial for some reason" take:  We are supposed to believe that Cuban is concerned that he's going to be paying for data that his family won't be using because they'll be "on vacation?"  Holy crap, what's next- does Cuban put a hold on his newspaper delivery and demand a rebate on unread copies while he's not at home, too?  The guy made more money while I was typing this than I'll make in a year- he actually took the time to head over to his local AT&T store to negotiate a few bucks on this phone bill?

2.  Let's go with the "this is just an average idiot dad who is not Billionaire Mark Cuban" take:  He's about to take his family on vacation- and his theory is that he and his kids will be using less data because they are on vacation?  What planet is this idiot living on?  Maybe his intentions are good and he expects to be using his phone a lot less than usual because he's not actually going to be working.  But if he thinks his kids are going to be taking a break from texting, tweeting, yakking and downloading just because Mom and Dad are around (and have dropped some serious money to give them a new place to text, tweet, yak and download from) he is seriously niave.   I'd feel sorry for him if he hadn't already shown himself to be a total twat by getting those kids hooked on their phones with a massive data plan to begin with.  Bed, Made, Lie, buddy.

Oh, this can get a LOT more American, Denny's

Sure, blueberry pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream is a good start, but it's certainly not as "American as it gets!"

First, throw in a pound or two of bacon and five slices of white toast on the side.  Add a steak omelette fried in rich creamery butter.  And don't forget the bottomless coffee cup.  Stick a tiny flag made in China on top of the pile.  And when you make a commercial featuring this REAL American breakfast, I want to see every damn customer staring at their cellphones while shoveling this crap down their cake holes.  Instead of this guy muttering "what does that taste like?" I want to see him asking Siri.

See? MUCH more American than red, white and blue pancakes.  You're welcome.

Where you see People, Charles Schwab sees Money

And so it goes in a world absolutely corroded by the mad pursuit of money.  Except for maintaining his three-day growth, there is absolutely nothing more important to this guy than adding just a little more to his already enormous pile of wealth.  So when he sees a lot of wireless headphones cropping up everywhere, he's the first to go to WirelessHeadphonesINC to buy stock and get in on the boom.

What I don't get is, why is he being so damned smug about it?  Wouldn't this commercial make more sense if it showed him reading an article about a new Wireless Headphone Startup, investing in that Startup, and then gazing in satisfaction at the witless drones spending money they don't have on $5 headphones that cost $400 because they don't have any wires?  (Oh, and if we could thought-bubble that "aren't I awesome" look on that smug face, we'd probably write something like "thank god for suckers with credit.")

Instead, this guy seems to be jumping on a bandwagon that is already pretty full, happy to be coming in on the 19th instead of ground floor.  I don't see how that gets you the huge office with the awesome view, but I'm no money expert.  Maybe the smug just comes free with the stupid facial hair?

Nowadays they have the added distraction of texting and watching recorded television on their DVRs

The kids in this ad are probably not glued to the latest version of Call of Duty.  But THEIR kids might be.

Oh frightened lady, you couldn't know that your husband and kids obsessing over blinking lights and beeps while fiddling with a joystick was only the beginning of a long road to Nothing.  I think you were better off.   The answer to your question is an unqualified "yes."

It seemed so innocent at the time....

I don't really remember how I felt when I saw this commercial waaaaay back in 1987.  Was it that this was just a stupid, expensive toy that some sucker who thought he had money to burn went to Radio Shack and bought just before the stock market crashed later that year?  Or was it that this was just a stupid, expensive toy that was SO expensive (I can't believe that Radio Shack calls it "affordable"- even in the high-flying 80s there's really nothing "affordable" about it- $2499 for a phone in 1987?  You could buy a brand-new Toyota for less than $10Gs that year.

Or maybe I just sighed and thought "oh look, another pampered, overprivileged upper middle-class white family with money to toss around on LookAtMeStuff."  I have to assume that the guy dressed as a construction worker is actually the owner of the building going up, or at least the foreman.  Because I know that the 80s were a mirage of prosperity, but I still don't recall construction workers having $4000+ to toss away at the local Radio Shack for totally unnecessary, clunky Walkie-Talkies with slightly better connectivity.

(BTW, what the heck is a "Radio Shack," anyway?

Just because it seemed so absurd.....

Your wireless bill is ready online!

Dear JOHN JAMELE, Your monthly wireless bill for canceled account (----------)  is now available online and is due04/13/2015. Note: Your online access is restricted and will be made available only for a limited time. Please log in and make your payment today. If you are enrolled in AutoPay, no further action is required. I know what you'e thinking- what are the benefits of a cancelled account?  Well, there really aren't any- but I just couldn't resist the awesome offer the woman at the AT&T store made if I Signed Up Right Now! Sure it includes no talk, no texting and no data plan- but you would not BELIEVE the price, and it only required a one-year committment!