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I was delighted too when I heard about the Nobel Prize, thinking as you did that my bongo playing was at last recognised. Imagine my chagrin when I realised that there had been some mistake – they cited some marks I made on paper some 15 years ago- and not one word about percussion technique. I know you share in my disappointment.

– Richard Feynman

Just found this hilariously ironic marketing gaffe on Jim Hill Media

Particularly troubling to many WDFA (Walt Disney Feature Animation) staffers was Disney’s decision not to press McDonalds into offering a “Home on the Range” themed Happy Meal during the film’s domestic release. Which — these days — is absolutely crucial if you want to get the word out among parents and kids alike that you have a brand new movie out in theaters that you’d like them to see.

Of course, to be fair, I should mention that — when I pointed this out to someone in Disney’s marketing department earlier this week — their response was:

Jim:

“Home on the Range” is a motion picture that stars heroic cows. Hamburger, as you know, is made up of ground beef. Which — of course — comes from cattle. Both male cattle (bull) and female cattle (cow).

McDonalds nixed our idea of doing “Home on the Range” Happy Meals because they were concerned that kids — as they were playing with their Maggie the Cow toy — might suddenly realize that beef comes from cows, and then refuse to eat their hamburgers.

Yes, it was a disappointment when they opted not to do HOTR Happy Meals. And — as for why we didn’t approach any other fast food chain to do a “Home on the Range” promotion — we have a long term, exclusive deal with McDonalds that prevents us from approaching any other restaurant chains.

Read on to find out how they dealt with the difficulties facing Finding Nemo and the Filet O’ Fish!

Every time the US preznit visits another country, he gets to meet journalists asking real questions.

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“The U.S. considers all of Iraq a combat zone,�? says the report, which was wrapped up at the end of April, three months after the elections that were supposed to have turned the tide in this conflict. “From July 2004 to late March 2005,�? says the document, “there were 15,527 attacks against Coalition Forces throughout Iraq.�? Then comes one of several paragraphs marked S//NF (secret, not for distribution to foreign nationals): “From 1 November 2004 to 12 March 2005 there were 3306 attacks in the Baghdad area. Of these, 2400 were directed against Coalition Forces.�?

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are [a] few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”

- President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 11/8/54