The Focus Group

Shop Talk looks at the importance of archiving LP’s and physical media that have an uncertain future. New York based ARC—Archiving of Contemporary Music—keeps and maintains the largest popular music collection in the world. Caught My Eye warns visitors in Las Vegas not to stop on pedestrian bridges for photo ops for fear of a $1,000 Pedestrian Flow Zone ticket. Also, a woman in California has a po...

A man in Salem, Ohio preserved his dead wife for over six years in their RV until he died, so they could be buried together. But first, John Deere Company has made the decision to team with electric battery company EGO to produce a full complement of battery powered lawn equipment. Finally, a Catholic Priest in Poland gets in trouble for having a Viagra fueled PNP gay sex romp in which one man col...

Shop Talk looks at 15 brands that were boycotted in 2023 mostly for inclusive advertising to LGBTQ consumers. Were the boycotts successful? Caught My Eye focuses on the decision by Hertz to reduce its electric car fleet by a third, or 20,000 vehicles, based on depreciation and cost of repairs. Also, a couple of queer facts from Disney are revealed. George Sperti, inventor of Preparation H, is our...

After 54 years, Fruit Stripe gum will be no more. The brand, owned by Ferrara Candy Co., will no longer be available. So, if you are a fan of Fruit Stripe, grab it while you can. But first, Gucci ignores a MAGA boycott and Jodie Foster says working with Gen Z can be a challenge. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1 iHeart Radio: bit.ly/2n0Z7H1 Tunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMb Google Po...

Shop Talk discusses the popularity of gift cards and how companies expect breakage to help their bottom line. Caught My Eye shares a story about a Burger King employee that received little recognition upon his 27-year tenure. Also, a United Airlines New Years’ Time Travel Flight was a bust. Thierry Hermes, founder of leather and luxury goods brand Hermes, is our Business Birthday.  We’re all busin...

North Carolina and Montana are the latest states to ban adult websites like PornHub unless users provide a government issued ID for age verification, joining a list of others who have enacted similar restrictions. Then, toy maker Fisher-Price created a “Like a Boss” office activity center that sent one Mom off. Her complaint went viral on social media when she referred to the toy as “baby’s First...

Shop Talk shares tails of Holiday/Christmas parties gone wrong. Caught My Eye alerts us to the “new” spice of 2024 according to McCormick’s and a house is moved in Halifax using 700 bars of Ivory Soap. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, former CEO of LEGO, is our Business Birthday. Happy 76th to Kjeld! We’re all business. Except when we’re not. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1 iHear...

Tennessee and Florida have both proposed legislation to ban all flags other than the Stars and Stripes and state flags. It is a way to ban the Pride and Trans flags without saying it, but we all know what’s going on. Then, Wrigley Extra Gum came under fire from a few consumers for showing a commercial that showed two women kissing. Finally, people who have grown tired of their pet goldfish have le...

Shop Talk shares two new taglines that Connecticut will be using to rebrand itself away from being preppy and stuffy—wait until you hear what they picked! Caught My Eye covers an employee from Hooters suing the restaurant for false representation. She thought she had won a Toyota for selling the most beer, but… Also, Delta Airlines is trying to shed plastic cups after 70 years. Elsie de Wolfe, cre...

Cher tells Kelly Clarkson that even if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame offered her a million dollars, she would not accept induction into the body. Cher is the only female and solo artist to have had a number one charting song in each of the last 7 decades. Then, right-wing pundit Michael Knowles, believes that adult site Porn Hub is secretly serving up content that is making straight men gay or tran...

Shop Talk looks at the correlation between the first letter of your name and your career. Caught My Eye finds an Ohio attorney who poops in Pringles cans and a license plate redo for Kansas. John Henry Patterson, founder of National Cash Register, is our Business Birthday. Patterson was also the first to provide social programs for factory workers, set-up the world’s first sales training programs,...

The Family Feud game show, hosted by infamous kisser Richard Dawson, required contestants take a herpes test according to a new book, “Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.” But first, Martina Navratilova proclaims that trans women are not lesbians. Then, the romance of being a nomad and camping under the stars brings reality home when this traveler spent many nights in Cracker Ba...

Shop Talk shares thoughts from Apple’s Tim Cook about what it takes to get hired and succeed as an Apple employee. Caught My Eye alerts us to a youth hostel housed on the top floor of a Vienna IKEA. Also, Snoop Dog “giving up the smoke” is one of this year’s best marketing plays. Irv Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins is our Business Birthday. We’re all business. Except when we’re not. Apple Po...

The website, Ashley Madison, tells us that Florida and the Midwest are the places to be if you are looking to have an affair on the side. Then, the conservative right is going crazy—and threatening a boycott—over Christmas merchandise at Target that includes a Prideful Nutcracker and a black Santa in a wheelchair. Then, we share the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve known as Jol...

Shop Talk explains the difference between a “hard pull” and a “soft pull” as it relates to your credit score. It’s also important to check and make sure that your information is correct, as both Tim and John have had experiences with wrong information that negatively affected their scores. Caught My Eye shares information about an Iowa man pleasing himself at the Kum & Go Convenience store. Also,...

A cruise line that promised a 3-year trip around the world never set sail. Many passengers sold homes, sub-let properties, and otherwise planned to be away for three years when Life at Sea cruise lines failed to secure a ship for the journey. Also, Tennessee is now the most anti-LGBTQ state with 19 bills enacted against the community since 2015. Finally, a Spanish marketing agency has created an A...

Shop Talk covers a trend at some of America’s largest employers who are no longer requiring resumes or advanced degrees, but are more interested in your skill set. Caught My Eye lets us know that people will just drop trou in line at Disney and take a poop rather than getting out of line and finding a restroom. Also, retailer Sephora is the latest to put products under lock and key due to theft. A...

The LGB Alliance of the UK stirs up controversy related to the use of “queer,” “LGBTQ+,” and other iterations claiming that all the labels confuse sexual preference with gender identity. Then, One Million Moms is calling for a boycott of this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, labeling it a “non-binary and transgendered extravaganza.” Finally, Thanksgiving dinner this year will cost you less t...

Shop Talk shares results from a recent Gen Z retirement study. Many have shrugged off the idea of retirement and would rather live in the moment feeling they may never retire. (Tim and John would encourage everyone to save whatever they can as soon as they can.) Caught My Eye informs us that North Korea is closing at least a quarter of their embassies and missions around the world—China and Russia...

Accidental activist, Dan Leveille, created a website that tracks global LGTQ+ laws called Equaldex. The site is used by the United Nations and corporations to help navigate the latest LGBTQ+ laws that can affect travel and work globally. Then, The Sphere in Las Vegas appears to be in the red as the cost of $2.3 Billion to build and will take time to see a profit. Finally, McDonald’s fans have take...

Shop Talk shares a study from Yale that says brain activity drops on Zoom calls, as they do not allow us to properly get visual cues like you would in person. Caught My Eye finds the long-lost Star Trek Enterprise model. Also, a couple is suing a San Francisco Ritz Carlton claiming a tainted water bottle. Milton Bradley, creator of the board game industry and the toy company Milton Bradley, is our...

People were apparently not wearing deodorant during lockdown. Unilever and P&G are both reporting a surge in deodorant sales now that people are heading back to the workplace outside the home. But first, a woman in Atlanta comes home from vacation to find a home she owns demolished. The contractor had the wrong address. Then, Panera Bread is being sued for not labeling their “Charged Lemonade” pro...

Shop Talk shares what it was like for “older gays” to go out and meet people before apps. “You had to meet out and do things,” as many of you know. Caught My Eye looks at a $700 a month sleeping pod commune in San Francisco that some believe is a bargain. Also, a Utah homeowner is asked to remove his pole dancing skeleton Halloween display. George Safford Parker, innovator of the ink pen and found...

Spirit Halloween, the pop-up shop housed in defunct mall stores, has a viral hit on its hands with a “Gay Guy” costume. The only hitch is the costume is a fake! But first, Dollar General goes too far with pre-employment medical screening and is now in legal trouble. Finally, Utah leads the pack with Google searches about sexual orientation. Since 2004 Google searches asking how to know if you are...

Shop Talk shares lessons learned from a bank teller who says you can tell a lot about someone based on their banking habits and visual cues. Caught My Eye looks at a recent auction where a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter production model recently sold for over $3 million. Also, a funeral home employee is smitten with a deceased man’s sex doll and ends up losing his job over it. John Francis Dodge of Dodg...