MAGA Official Slammed for Clobbering the Living Christmas Lights Out of AI Santa Claus; The Daily Beast, December 28, 2025

 Will Neal, The Daily Beast; MAGA Official Slammed for Clobbering the Living Christmas Lights Out of AI Santa Claus

[Kip Currier: I was curious about Indiana State Sen. Chris Garten's values and background when I saw this story. So it's eye-opening to see his own descriptor of himself on his Facebook page:

"My name is Chris Garten. I am a Christian, husband, father, Marine Corps veteran..."

https://www.facebook.com/GartenforSenate/

Though Garten's military service is commendable, nowhere in the Bible would the Christian Jesus condone the kinds of actions that Garten portrays himself performing in these AI-generated images of himself brutalizing Santa Claus. How do such images advance one of Jesus's greatest Commandments to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31)?

How does a person who self-identifies as a Christian justify such depictions to others, as well as when he prays? Especially when Jesus stands for helping the "least among us" (Matthew 25:40) and says that "the last shall be first" (Matthew 20:16).

Even in jest, do these images convey a sense of good judgment or an elected official who is a positive role model in a free and democratic society?]

[Excerpt]

"A MAGA official has branded his critics “snowflakes” after marking this year’s holiday season by sharing his apparent fantasy of whaling on a defenseless Saint Nick on the steps of Indiana’s State Capitol building.

State Senator Chris Garten shared the AI-generated images on X on Christmas Day. One of the four pictures features the two-term Republican state senator, decked in a sleeveless suit à la WWE, kicking a bewildered Santa Claus squarely on the chin to send the beloved, age-old children’s folk character sailing backwards through the air.

A second shows the MAGA official launching himself forward with the apparent intention of following up with a flying punch to the jaw. A third shows him further brutalizing the trembling, mythic gift-giver as he writhes in agony on the floor...

“Lots of intolerance, swearing, and outrage on display over a few AI pics I had a blast designing with my kids,” he wrote in a subsequent post. “Some of you clowns are just insufferable. Hopefully your negativity stays in the comments and not directed at your families.” 

“Merry Christmas, snowflakes,” Garten added, accompanied by another AI-generated photo of himself in a Santa suit, pointing at an oversized snowflake."

Law firm Morgan & Morgan drops Disney lawsuit over Mickey Mouse ad; Reuters, November 12, 2025

 Blake Brittain, Reuters ; Law firm Morgan & Morgan drops Disney lawsuit over Mickey Mouse ad

"Personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan on Wednesday voluntarily dismissed a lawsuit against Disney that sought to proactively defend its use of the early Mickey Mouse film "Steamboat Willie" in an advertisement.

Morgan & Morgan asked a Florida federal court to dismiss its case without prejudice, which means it can be refiled. Spokespeople for the firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment or for more information, including whether the parties settled."

Cornhusker copyright? Getting the facts on the name of Nebraska's new ICE detention facility; KETV, August 20, 2025

  

Waverle Monroe, KETV; Cornhusker copyright? Getting the facts on the name of Nebraska's new ICE detention facility

[Kip Currier: How crass and unnecessarily demeaning it is for ICE to use the name Cornhusker Clink to refer to a detention facility. This administration, unsurprisingly given its past actions, continues to be more focused on alliterative branding and merchandising opportunities (recall Alligator Alcatraz) than modeling professionalism in the ways it communicates a commitment to treating all detainees with dignity and respect.]

[Excerpt]

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security dubbed the new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility as the "Cornhusker Clink." 

You can't hear the word Cornhusker without thinking of the University of Nebraska.

Many on social media questioned the legality of using the name Cornhusker for the facility. Now KETV is helping you get the facts."

Welcome to the UC Berkeley Library! Here’s what you need to know.; UC Berkeley Library, July 28, 2025

 Library Communications, UC Berkeley Library; Welcome to the UC Berkeley Library! Here’s what you need to know.

"For an incoming student, life can be a whirlwind — a flurry of new people, new classes, and new ideas.

But through it all, the UC Berkeley Library is here for you.

To help support your experience as a new student, we’ve gathered answers to some of the questions you might have, all in one place."

BPL IS YOUR LIBRARY; Virginia Theological Seminary, July 30, 2025

Virginia Theological Seminary; BPL IS YOUR LIBRARY

"That’s right! The library is for you.

For students and faculty, we offer an inviting context for theological exploration. Our collection, both digital and print, contains over a million expertly curated resources, and empowers users to engage with the church’s heritage and contemporary witness. In partnership with our main vendors, we have just released a new, more intuitive, interface for our main OneSearch catalog. Please give it a try and let us know what you think: https://library.vts.edu. Our physical spaces are designed to suit a variety of learning styles, facilitate group work, and host engaging programming. Librarians are always ready and eager to assist student or faculty research, whatever the topic, or however soon the deadline!

For staff, the library offers a collection to inspire professional development, from books on leadership or organizational management, to more practical matters like giving talks or being an effective steward of your time. All VTS staff automatically have full library privileges.

For everyone, we are a quiet, comfortable, air-conditioned (thanks facilities!) place to gather or reflect. Library staff will never judge your reading interests or skills in navigating the library, whether it’s your first or one-hundredth time here. There are nine friendly staff members with whom you can converse, vent, or discuss any issue under the sun. We are all constantly at work to improve your experience of using the library.

As you walk into the library, there is a sign at the circulation desk. It simply reads: “Please interrupt me, I am here to help.” Come and see us soon!

Vincent Williams, MAR, MPhil, MLIS
User Services Librarian"

How to get the most out of your library; NPR, Life Kit, October 16, 2023

NPR, Life Kit; How to get the most out of your library

"Baking pans, legal help, language classes and more — libraries can provide so much more than books. We'll talk about how to get a library card, navigate the online hold system and discover all the cool things your library has to offer."

Burrowed in Books; American Libraries, January 31, 2020

Terra Dankowski, American Libraries; Burrowed in Books

World-famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil lives at the library when he’s waiting for his special day

[Kip Currier: Happy Groundhog Day 2022! Western Pennsylvania's famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning and predicts 6 more weeks of winter.

In terms of management and leadership, this 2020 article that the American Library Association's American Libraries magazine reposted on its website is a great example of ways that leaders, like Punxsutawney Memorial Library Director Jessica Church, can market services that they offer and communicate their missions and visions with existing and potential users/patrons/customers. Below is a photo I took on February 2, 2020, showing cleverly designed reading-promoting Punxsutawney Memorial Library T-Shirts for sale at the library--where Phil and his groundhog wife Phyllis live. And yes--I did buy several T-Shirts and talked with the friendly library staff who were on hand to answer questions of all kinds for hundreds of visitors.]

"American Libraries talked with Jessica Church, director of Punxsutawney (Pennsylvania) Memorial Library, about Phil’s free time, what his renown means for the small town, and the mainstay marmot questions the library gets asked...

What does Phil mean to the community? How many years has he been living at the library, and has his celebrity helped raise its profile?

Phil means a lot to many different people in Punxsutawney. He means pride, tradition, local history, and community. [He’s] a symbol for western Pennsylvania. He’s been here at this address since the 1970s.

We get people year-round, from all over the world, who come to see Phil. It’s on their bucket list, so they’ll come and talk to us about what Phil means to them. One was a woman from the South, and she came with her father. They host Groundhog Day parties because everyone has Christmas parties, everyone has Super Bowl parties, so they host the groundhog party every year. After 15 years she finally had a chance to make it up here and meet Phil, so it was an awesome conversation to have.

[People] not only come to look at Phil, but because we’re a library, people like to see what we have to offer. We’re located next to what is called Barclay Square [at the center of town], so our library gets a lot of foot traffic."

Baseball teams put ads everywhere. One summer league team is ditching them entirely.; The Washington Post, February 26, 2020

Jacob Bogage , The Washington Post; Baseball teams put ads everywhere. One summer league team is ditching them entirely.

"“The current model [in minor league baseball] is put ads everywhere. Ballparks have turned into the Yellow Pages. What we’ve seen is that’s outdated. People aren’t choosing to do business with people just because of the relationship they have with their favorite sports team. They choose to do business with people based on who offers the best experiences, and that’s what we want to go all in on.”

Minor league and summer league teams can rarely market individual players to fans, and it isn’t easy to convince many of those fans to hold a rooting interest in the local team. The players move on to other clubs too quickly to gain name recognition, and fans already follow major league clubs, making it hard to get them hooked on lower tiers of the game. So to fill the stands, minor league and summer league franchises turn to promotions, fun merchandise, eclectic concessions and other chicanery.

The Bananas, who play in the Coastal Plain League, call that method of marketing, “fans first.” They’re so invested in the approach that the team offers workshops to business leaders under the banner “Fans First University.” The front office pays less attention to winning games and more attention to making sure spectators have a good time."

The Scouts Teach Us All a Lesson About Trademark Law; Forbes, February 12, 2019

Tony Marks, Forbes; The Scouts Teach Us All a Lesson About Trademark Law

"David Harford, an attorney with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, contributed to this post."...

"Ultimately, the Girl Scout’s suit against the Boy Scouts demonstrates the caution that should be exercised regarding the use of intellectual property in connection with the alteration and expansion of services.  This is a message that all franchisors should take to heart as they rebrand or brand products and services.  The Boy Scouts likely devoted a lot of resources to determine how they should let everyone know that they were offering new services.  Instead of just reaping the benefits of that work, they are now fighting a lawsuit that may result in their inability to take advantage of their new marketing strategy."

Why Protecting Recipes Under Intellectual Property Law May Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth; Above The Law, August 27, 2018

Tom Kulik, Above The Law; Why Protecting Recipes Under Intellectual Property Law May Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth

[Kip Currier: Interesting and useful information--in case you're thinking about monetizing your own BBQ rub...or marketing Grandma's secret recipe for fill-in-the-blank.] 

"What may be pleasing to the palate, however, is not always acceptable under intellectual property law."

Letter to the Editor: "Get the Facts on Readers", Emailed to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Kip Currier, September 1, 2018

[Kip Currier: I'm copying below a Letter to the Editor--titled "Get the Facts on Readers"--that I emailed today (September 1, 2018) to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. For additional background, see this story.]

Get the Facts on Readers

Dear Editor,

The Post-Gazette is running a multi-platform ad campaign that weaponizes variations of the line “I will never go digital” to make fun of older readers, depicted as fuddy-duddy Luddites. In one particularly offensive TV spot, a digitally-savvy granddaughter openly mocks her grandmother who prefers print.

Research refutes the ageist “messages” in the P-G’s divisive marketing campaign. Many adult U.S. readers—of all ages—are hybrid readers who want the choice of information in both print and digital formats.

As evidence, take a look at some of the key findings from a Jan. 3-10, 2018 national survey of 2,002 U.S. adults, reported by the well-respected, non-partisan Pew Research Center:

Despite some growth in certain digital formats, it remains the case that relatively few Americans consume digital books (which include audiobooks and e-books) to the exclusion of print. Some 39% of Americans say they read only print books, while 29% read in these digital formats and also read print books.

And the coup de grace to the P-G’s graceless stereotyping:

Some demographic groups are more likely than others to be digital-only book readers, but in general this behavior is relatively rare across a wide range of demographics. For example, 10% of 18- to 29-year-olds only read books in digital formats, compared with 5% of those ages 50-64 and 4% of those 65 and older.

The P-G’s preening effort to digitally divide users borders on farce, given that P-G writers and staff repeatedly concede the deplorable state of the newspaper’s digital search and archival features. 

The P-G’s tagline is “One of America’s Great Newspapers”. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, that tagline is not supported by facts. So, here’s a “message” for P-G ownership:

Hire some of the Pittsburgh region’s highly educated information professionals to help the P-G become a bona fide leader in print and digital content, search, and delivery. Give the Pittsburgh region a truly great newspaper that inclusively serves and respects all of its readers and residents.

James “Kip” Currier

Mt. Lebanon

Dunkin’ Donuts wants to leave a doughnut-sized hole in its name; Washington Post, August 4, 2017

Andrew deGrandpre, Washington Post; Dunkin’ Donuts wants to leave a doughnut-sized hole in its name

"Today, Dunkin’ Donuts is locked in a nationwide popularity contest with Starbucks and independent coffeehouses, aggressively competing for the loyalty of an increasingly calorie-conscious customer base concerned with staying fit, not just caffeinated. Doughnuts — while delicious — connote neither.

To that end, the Massachusetts-based chain is deploying a new marketing strategy. Its first vestiges appeared this week in Pasadena, Calif., where a new Dunkin’ Donuts storefront emerged bearing a new name and slogan:

Dunkin’. Coffee and more.

Eighty-six the doughnuts! (Or, rather, “Donuts.”)

The branding experiment in Pasadena marks the start of a trial period during which the company will gauge customer response and evaluate whether to take the new name nationwide. The review is expected to stretch well into next year, the company said."

Remarks by Director Michelle K. Lee to Commemorate World IP Day 2017; U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, April 26, 2017

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office; Remarks by Director Michelle K. Lee to Commemorate World IP Day 2017

"Remarks by Director Michelle K. Lee to Commemorate World IP Day 2017

For more than two centuries, the United States of America has promoted and protected intellectual property rights. In the process, we have made revolutionary advances in science and technology. We have become a global leader in innovation, and we have helped create a strong IP system throughout the world. The USPTO is committed to continue working with the IP offices of the world to ensure that all of our IP systems continue to foster innovation.

The theme of this year’s World IP Day—improving lives through innovation—could not be more relevant. We have seen the profound impact that good ideas, protected through a world-class IP system, can have on humanity. From new and powerful technology that we can wear on our wrists and carry in our pockets, to new methods of diagnosing and treating disease, intellectual property can not only improve lives, it can save lives. It can also create new jobs and grow our economy, which is why we must always ensure that our IP system supports small businesses, startups, and individual inventors. Rewarding new ideas with IP rights guarantees that new improvements keep coming. In fact one of you may hold the next idea that could shape our lives for years to come.

So, please, get out there and invent and create. And don’t forget to protect your great ideas. Thank you for being a part of World IP Day!"

The Chainsmokers' 'Don't Let Me Down' Turns Tearjerker in New State Farm Commercial: Watch; Billboard, March 14, 2017

Kat Bein, Billboard; 

The Chainsmokers' 'Don't Let Me Down' Turns Tearjerker in New State Farm Commercial: Watch

[Kip Currier: Usually, I assiduously avoid watching ads. (No ads are marketed on my blogs either.) But the first 2-3 seconds of this ad grabbed my attention and snared me (darn you--cute little scruffy white dog!).

A very effective mix of imagery and music to deliver State Farm's message about "doing some good".]

"If you thought that Humane Society commercial with the Sarah Mclachlan song was tough, wait 'til you get a load of this new State Farm commercial.

The Chainsmokers' hit “Don't Let Me Down” gets the ultra-ballad treatment as a musical means to motivate you to do some good. State Farm captures that guilty feeling we all get throughout the day as we're constantly and rightly reminded how hard life is for others. We could all do more to help our veterans, our troubled youth, our elderly, our homeless, even the neglected animals of the world.

You may often say to yourself, “I don't have the cash to spare to charity right now,” but what's even better to give is time. State Farm wants to make donating your time easier than ever. Just head over to neighborhoodofgood.com, enter your zip code, and see what organizations can benefit from your energies whenever works for your schedule."

Mastering Marketing; Library Journal, March 9, 2017

Laurie Russo, Library Journal; 

Mastering Marketing 

"Levy explained that traditional PR is dependent on traditional media. A company, or an institution like a library, makes a story pitch to a magazine or newspaper, but, ultimately, the publication’s editors decide whether a story will run. Social media has changed this dynamic, enabling companies to engage with their customers directly. But maintaining engagement requires quality content.

“If you can build your own audience on social media, that’s great,” she said. “But in order to get your audience to consume your content and want to share it, it has to be of substance, it has to be meaningful, it has to [have] editorial quality.” Libraries need to define which demographic is their top marketing priority and what content would be most relevant to that audience, Levy said, and then can use a “story brief” worksheet and outline to create effective content. She also shared techniques for presenting content to customers and amplifying a brand message across channels, emphasizing the importance of including details in stories to make them memorable, and encouraging attendees not to be afraid of showing some personality on a library’s social media accounts. Having a unique voice provides “an opportunity to amplify your brand across channels. When you have a bifurcated and very disparate sense of media—there’s no longer one local paper that people read: there’s online papers, there’s social media, there’s a mom’s Facebook group—there are all kinds of places for you to reach your patrons. If you can come up with a distinctive voice and be bold enough to put a twist on your library, you can make a mark in the community and have your community think about your library in a refreshing way.”"

Michael James Delligatti, Creator of the Big Mac, Dies at 98; New York Times, 11/30/16

Kevin Rawlinson, New York Times; Michael James Delligatti, Creator of the Big Mac, Dies at 98:

"Most memorable was the ad campaign, begun in 1974, in which actual customers tried to recite the ingredients in a Big Mac, with comic results, before a chorus jumped in and smoothly sang the now-famous jingle.

“It wasn’t like discovering the light bulb,” Mr. Delligatti told John F. Love, the author of “McDonald’s: Behind the Arches” (1986). “The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket.”...

...[T]he sales remain huge, leading many to believe that Mr. Delligatti, as its inventor, must have reaped a windfall worth billions.

Not so. “All I got was a plaque,” he told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2007."

Milton Glaser Still Hearts New York; New York Times, 7/29/16

John Leland, New York Times; Milton Glaser Still Hearts New York:

"The original scrap of paper is now in the Museum of Modern Art. The logo, for which he received a $2,000 fee — less than the cost of producing the mock-ups, he said — now generates more that $1 million annually for the state in licensing fees, and keeps a bevy of state lawyers busy writing cease-and-desist letters for its unlicensed use...

Mr. Glaser’s touch has not always been so golden. When he tried to recapture the magic for the State of Rhode Island this year with the slogan “Warmer and Cooler,” people complained that the design was trite and overreaching, ultimately forcing the state’s chief marketing officer to resign.

“There was an explosion of negativity on the internet,” Mr. Glaser said, still marveling at the depth of the rancor."

McDonald's Wants to Trademark a 'Simple' New Slogan; Fortune, 3/25/16

Phil Wahba, Fortune; McDonald's Wants to Trademark a 'Simple' New Slogan:

"The hamburger chain, whose U.S. sales are recovering after years of declines, has filed to register a trademark for the slogan “The Simpler the Better,” a phrase that would echo its recent efforts to streamline its menu to speed up service—long a problem for the company—and tame its bureaucracy.

McDonald’s submitted the application to the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office earlier this month.

The filing doesn’t mean the burger chain will actually use the slogan. A company spokesperson told BurgerBusiness.com, which first reported on this filing, “We routinely file intent-to-use trademark applications as part of our regular course of business. We can’t share details at this time as to how this trademark may or may not be used.” (McDonald’s has trademarked terms such as “McBrunch” without ever using them.)

Regardless of its fate, the slogan embodies CEO Steve Easterbrook’s philosophy for the company since taking the reins in 2014 as he looks to make McDonald’s a “modern, progressive company.”"

Oh, Those Clever Librarians and Their #Bookface; New York Times, 5/1/15

Rachel Kramer Bussel, New York Times; Oh, Those Clever Librarians and Their #Bookface:

"Yes, even libraries are thinking about rebranding in the digital age.

“When you think about the library, you think about written text, but what we’ve shown here is that we have a vibrant visual side,” said Johannes Neuer, the director of digital engagement at the New York Public Library.

Social media’s plays on book covers are, in part, a marketing gambit, library employees said.

It’s “a fabulous way to show how fun we are,” said Liana Flumiani, a library technician at the public library in Brantford, Ontario. That perception matters, she said, because too many people do not use libraries because they still think of them as places where people are welcome only to read and be quiet.

“We want you to ask us questions,” Ms. Flumiani said. “We’re not cranky and doing more important things. It’s not our space, it’s everyone’s space.”"