Can I Get Those 30 Seconds Of My Life Back?

{?} I'm confused about this commercial Sally Field is doing for Boniva. The point of the commercial, as I understand it, is to promote the fact that you take the medication once per month. What I'm failing to grasp is Sally Field saying her friend has to set aside time every month to take her osteoporosis medication. Is there something involved in taking this medication other than swallowing a pill that I don't know about?

{?} I believe that pharmaceutical companies are required to divulge side effects that maybe associated with medications. I certainly can't believe they do it voluntarily. It seems, though, that all too often when they slide in the side effects at the end of the commercial, usually at a whisper compared with the selling portion, that the potential problems you may experience are as bad if not worse than the condition you are taking the medication for. Am I the only one that thinks that?

{?} Is it Citi that is running the campaign with the guy who has the Borat like accent? I can't figure out what the benefit is of using a somewhat disheveled guy speaking broken English with a heavy accent. And then there's his lackey setting him up to drive home one point after another of the sales pitch. If it is Citi, I for one won't be applying for one of your credit cards because I don't want you to think this series of commercials has sold me.

{?} There's a new television series being heavily advertised called The Knights of Prosperity. What I can't help to wonder is whether the series is going to last as long as the ad campaign to promote it. And why in the world has Mick Jagger agreed to be involved; he can't possibly need the money. Can he?

{?} Have you stayed around long enough to see the promotional photo at the end of the commercials for The View? Rosie O'Donnell is standing out front - she has her hands on her hips with her elbows sticking out - with Barbara Walters pushed off to the side? I don't have any issue with Rosie being gay, being butch or even promoting a gay agenda. What confuses me is whether she is delusional enough to believe this show is about her. Moreso, why is Barbara Waltes allowing it?

{?} I'm not sure, but I think the Travelocity gnome is a better "spokesperson" than William Shatner is for Priceline.com In any case, I believe Travelocity's commercials are more straightforward about what they do. Priceline.com promotes expanding the options offered to save money. But some commercials focus on the old business model. It seems they need to pick a road they want to travel. You can't be all things to all people.

{?} The cable company runs a commercial promoting not only getting cable tv, but to add high speed internet and then to round out the package to transition from the telephone company to getting a digital phone. The funny thing about this is that they're talking about how much better cable is than a satellite...meanwhile the television picture is pixelating or the video freezes while the audio continues. And when there was a problem with the high speed internet the person at the helpdesk said Great! when I told them we didn't have digital phone. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

{?} Finally, there's Donald Rumsfeld. He's been on what some newscasters are calling his farewell tour {sic}. Last week he went to Iraq without the press corps that normally follows him around so he could have personal time with the troops - those who are in the midst of a living hell due to his shameful mismanagement of The Department of Defense. Ol' Rummy seemed, to me, to be doing a commercial for the war. Why did he go "without the press corps" when he knew there were going to be reporters covering his every move? He's making speeches talking about the importance of {Do we call it The Iraq War??}, justifying the number of soldiers on the ground and talking about how going home before the job is done would have such grave consequences. It sounds like the same drum he has been beating since W took us into this seemingly never ending mess. Why was he allowed to do this; I don't understand. Maybe once Robert Gates steps into his old position Rumsfeld will start doing commercials for the war; that wouldn't be all so different from what he's been doing since the thing started.