a classic New York City statement

found, not unexpectedly, in this quote from overheard in new york:

Nor the Commissions That Run Them

Small girl: Mama, can we take off our shoes when we get to the park?
Mother: Absolutely not! I don't trust parks.

Overheard in New York, Sep 13, 2007

warning, unauthorized product placement ahead!

So I am the owner of a savings account with ING Direct. Today I got an e-mail from them, wishing me a happy birthday! What kind of bank is this?

And it gave me a coupon to buy stuff in its store! ING sells t-shirts in its store! And yoga mats and tents for you outdoorsy types, and an air compressor, if that's your bag.

It also has cafes in cities near you (especially if you live within the I-95 corridor) where you can buy coffee, attend financial seminars and host events.

Crazy talk.

the ultimate parking fantasy

You've all seen that Mentos commercial where the young woman, upon finding her Citroen suddenly blocked by another car employs several burly Eastern Bloc construction workers to extricate it from its parking space.

I've often wished I could perform the same trick, but in reverse --- calling upon legions of stronger people to shift other cars so I could squeeze my car into a space --- but not after reading this tale of car-moving gone wrong.

What country are those Mentos commercials from, anyway? The Netherlands, apparently (no thanks to the company's official website! In America, we like to know the history of our candies!)