Great Advertising: Rare, But Long Remembered

Once every year or so when I was a kid, my family traveled from our home in Connecticut to the Fort Myers area in Florida where my grandparents had a home. We’d visit for a couple of weeks, usually over Christmas or Spring vacation.

Sometimes we would make the trip by train – without doubt the origin of my love of train travel – but we also drove. This was before the interstate system and it was a grueling trip that took us right through the center of all the big cities along the way. As I recall, it took three-and-a-half days to cover the 1400 or so miles … a long tedious trip for us kids.

I do remember a few things we saw along the way. We crossed a magnificent bridge over Chesapeake Bay and drove within sight of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. (My Republican dad said the statue on top of the dome was FDR with a halo; my much more liberal mother glared at him and said that wasn’t so.) As we got farther south, there was a half-hearted contest to see who would spot the first coconut palm.

But mostly, and vividly, I remember signs promoting a shave cream called Burma Shave. We eagerly watched for them and, when they appeared, we would all read them out aloud.

For those too young to remember – meaning anyone under 60, I suppose – Burma Shave would erect a series a small signs along the road. They were spaced 50 or 60 feet apart and each included a brief phrase that was part of a longer message which usually (but not always) encouraged safe driving.

We were too young to shave in those days, but I’ll always have a warm spot for Burma Shave. Without seeing their signs every 40 or 50 miles, those long drives would really have been unbearable.

Oh … I also remember passing huge billboards for Eastern Airlines: a large photo of one of their planes over the caption, “You’d be there by now.” We were not amused.

Is The End in Sight for Amtrak's Western Trains?

There is growing concern about the future of Amtrak’s long distance train service in the western part of the country.

This includes all the trains using Superliner equipment, bi-level coaches and sleepers:

Coast Starlight, running daily between Seattle and Los Angeles;

Empire Builder, running daily between Chicago and Seattle/Portland;

California Zephyr, running daily between Chicago and the Bay Area;

Southwest Chief, running daily between Chicago and Los Angeles;

Texas Eagle, running daily between Chicago and San Antonio;

City of New Orleans, running daily between Chicago and New Orleans; and

Sunset Limited, running three days a week between Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Here’s the reality: These trains serve literally many hundreds of cities and towns scattered across 26 states.

Here’s the problem: Most of the Superliner cars are now about 35 years old. The life expectancy of a passenger rail car is about 50 years, even assuming regular and conscientious maintenance.

Here’s the concern: Amtrak apparently has no plans to order more Superliner equipment. And even if they did, it would be three or four years before a significant number of the new cars would begin entering service.

Here’s the solution: Get the political powers in those states – governors and legislatures, plus senators and representatives in Washington – to provide the money and mandate that Amtrak spend it on new equipment.

Here’s the benefit: Jobs, in the short term; more and better train service for another 50 years.

What’s not to like about that??

CORRECTION/ADDITION: Superliner equipment is also used on two eastern trains: the Capitol Limited (daily between Washington and Chicago) and the Auto Train (daily between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida). Obviously these trains would also be affected as Superliners wear out and if there are no new cars to replace them.

Three Rail Deaths in Three Days in the Bay Area

What are the odds?? This past Friday, Amtrak train number 535, running from Sacramento to San Jose, hit and killed two people … in separate accidents! The train -- like the one shown below -- struck a woman near Berkeley then, less than a half an hour after resuming its run, hit someone else at Oakland. Details are here.

You will note from the story that the train crew was replaced after the first accident. This is pretty much standard procedure and is the largely unreported aspect of these stories. News reports invariably focus on the victims, but these events often have a profound effect on the train crews, who see the accidents coming but are almost always powerless to avoid them. There is simply no way to stop a moving train in time.

Virtually 100 percent of these incidents are avoidable and, sadly, the people killed are almost always to blame one way or another. They aren’t paying attention; they don’t hear the train coming because they’re talking on a cell phone or have earphones on; they’re careless or reckless or stoned or drunk; or they’re suicidal.

And today (Sunday) comes news of yet another fatality, also in Oakland. A woman, apparently homeless, was struck and killed this morning by an Amtrak train shortly after it had left Jack London Square. The news report doesn’t say, but I’d guess train was the southbound Coast Starlight, which leaves that station at 8:50 a.m. on its way to Los Angeles.

How tragic. Let’s just remember to include the train crews among the victims.

Whither Goest Thou, Sarah? And Wherefore?

Well, Sarah Palin’s decision to step down as Governor of Alaska with 18 months remaining in her first – yes, her first – term, was certainly a surprise. I’ll give her that.

The question, of course, is why?

Let’s start by ruling out running for president in 2012. By resigning, she won’t even be able to claim one term as governor of a state with a population ranking that’s 47 out of 50. And accomplishments to campaign on? Fuggedaboudit.

Seems to me that leaves only two logical reasons for quitting her job, notwithstanding her penchant for doing and saying the illogical.

Door Number One: She’s going to cash in on her notoriety with a lucrative book contract and by making paid appearances, things she can't do while being governor at the same time; or …

Door Number Two: There is some kind of major scandal brewing, meaning serious political corruption or something personal and very, very messy.

Either way, Sarah Palin will surely be in the news for many months to come.

Oh, goody.

Niagara Falls: One of Our Great Natural Wonders

Sometimes well-known and popular tourist destinations become out-of-fashion … you know, for whatever reason it’s just not cool to go there anymore.

I can’t tell you why, but Niagara Falls was always in that category for me. I just pictured wall-to-wall honeymooners gawking and never could muster any interest in going there.

Until several years ago, when I attended a business conference nearby.

My first clue that this was really something was when I noticed a cloud of spray over the site from several miles away. Then, as we got closer, the noise … a constant roar from millions of gallons of water pouring over the edge of the falls. And when you first see it ... WOW!

You can walk right up to the edge, by the way.

I was reminded to mention this when I received a news release about VIA Rail running extra trains to the falls from Toronto this summer.

And Amtrak's Empire Service includes several trains daily to Niagara Falls coming up from New York City. It’s about a nine-hour trip but it’s through some wonderful countryside, especially in the Fall. And there are some major stops along the way: Albany, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse and Rochester among others.

At any rate, do consider a visit to Niagara Falls. It’s quite spectacular and well worth the time.

It Looks So Quiet and Peaceful ... NOT!!

As it happens, we had quite a beautiful sunrise yesterday morning and, since I was up early, I snapped a photo. That mountain just above the treeline is Maui's dormant volcano, Haleakala, which translates as "the house of the sun." Doesn't look it, but up there at the summit the elevation is 10,080 feet.

Last night, at 8:39 our time, somewhere about 10 miles in that same direction and down deep, Haleakala burped. There was a jolt and a thud and just outside in the pasture I could hear one of the horses snort and jog around for a few seconds.

The paper this morning reports it was indeed an earthquake, measuring a modest 3.5 on the Richter Scale. Barely worth mentioning ... unless, of course, you were here to feel it.

I've been through several earthquakes, thankfully none severe. Two in Los Angeles while passing through, the other three here in Hawaii. One that occurred a couple of years ago was centered on the Big Island and did something like $100 million in damage there. We were shaken for several seconds, but that was all.

Still, it leaves you with a feeling of unease ... aware that it can happen at any time, aware of the imense power that can be generated, and very much aware that there's really not a damn thing you can do about it.

About Wine from Oz, Lawn Mowers and Mac Nuts

During my trip to Australia in February, I toured a couple of wineries in the Hunter Valley, located two hours north of Sydney. The other day, in an article in the New York Times, comes a report that the Australian wine industry has fallen on tough times. As always, the reasons are varied and complicated, but one major factor is that a huge portion of the Aussie wines were being bought by a few large supermarket chains in Britain. After establishing themselves as 1000-pound gorillas, these supermarkets have repeatedly forced the wineries to keep lowering their prices. To maintain even a razor-thin profit margin, the wineries had to cut corners and reduce quality. Thus a vicious circle was begun.

That sad tale reminded me of a great story about the guy who runs the company that makes Snapper lawn equipment. Walmart wanted to carry his stuff, which would have meant the sale of hundreds of thousands of units. But, after a lot of soul-searching, he turned them down. Reason: He knew that Walmart would keep demanding lower and lower prices from him and, to keep making a profit, he would be forced to lower his quality standards. So he told Walmart to go fly a kite. And good for him!

And that reminds me of a former client of mine when I ran an advertising agency in Honolulu. They make and market a high-quality line of chocolate covered macadamia nuts. These nice folks approached Walmart about carrying their line of candy and nuts. The Walmart buyers agreed to put the goodies in several hundred of their stores and my client was so delighted, he told the Walmart people he would pop for some modest promotion in several of the larger markets where those stores were located. Instantly, the Walmart guy said, "Never mind the advertising. If you can afford to do that, then you can further reduce your price to us instead." That's hardball, Walmart-style.

At the moment here on Maui, there is a ordinance pending with the County government that would limit the size of any new retail stores wanting to do business here. Good! These guys – the Walmarts and the others of their ilk – squeeze their suppliers without mercy, and drive long-time Mom and Pop stores out of business. They are also notorious for low pay and working people half time so they don’t have to pay benefits.

For what it’s really like to work for Walmart, check out this terrific book. Then go pick up that new power drill you need at your local family-owned hardware store.