I'm Giving Away $25,000!
One thing about the Pondering Pig. He is not a pig of swiftness. While others are scrambling to remedy the continuing rampant population growth announced yesterday , the Pondering Pig is still thinking about that imam in Pakistan who last week announced a $25,000 prize to the first person who shoots the evil Danish cartoonist. And then manages to get to Peshawar, Pakistan to claim his prize.
In the imam's honor, I have decided to hold my own contest. Yesterday afternoon I added four words to my post about the fox. The first person who finds all four will win $25,000 - plus "a car". Not only that, but my local jeweler's association is so excited that they are putting up a MILLION dollars for the first person who get all four words.
You all know me - I'm the pig who lives in the ramshackle pigsty out at the edge of town. Why shouldn't you believe me? Maybe I really do have the money and I'm hiding it in a bucket.
Or maybe I'm just trying to get some publicity. Build up my fan base.
I've just been doing some Google research. I can't find a single news story that quotes any spokesman for any jeweler's association, or even gives it a name. Here's a pretty good example from ABC News. This story calls them "the association of the jewelers bazaar", and that's the best I've come up with. The name of the man who is putting up most of the bounty money is also the name of the mosque in Peshawar, the imam's city out in the sticks of Pakistan. Maybe people over in Pakistan are named after their mosques. Or maybe the reporter has his facts wrong.
I'm not saying the story isn't true - I'm just saying...how come if I hold a press conference about my big contest, a reporter is probably going to want to check if I actually have the money, and maybe talk to a representative of the jeweler's association. Hey - a million dollars? These guys must really care! But if a story is coming out of Pakistan, all rules of journalism seem to go right out the window, a new shocking story is served up for our breakfast titillation and we readers are all quite ready to sop it up and be shocked once again by the evil extremists. I have not seen a single story that asks, "Hey, is this guy for real?"
Sometimes the Pondering Pig is quite a skeptical pig.
In the imam's honor, I have decided to hold my own contest. Yesterday afternoon I added four words to my post about the fox. The first person who finds all four will win $25,000 - plus "a car". Not only that, but my local jeweler's association is so excited that they are putting up a MILLION dollars for the first person who get all four words.
You all know me - I'm the pig who lives in the ramshackle pigsty out at the edge of town. Why shouldn't you believe me? Maybe I really do have the money and I'm hiding it in a bucket.
Or maybe I'm just trying to get some publicity. Build up my fan base.
I've just been doing some Google research. I can't find a single news story that quotes any spokesman for any jeweler's association, or even gives it a name. Here's a pretty good example from ABC News. This story calls them "the association of the jewelers bazaar", and that's the best I've come up with. The name of the man who is putting up most of the bounty money is also the name of the mosque in Peshawar, the imam's city out in the sticks of Pakistan. Maybe people over in Pakistan are named after their mosques. Or maybe the reporter has his facts wrong.
I'm not saying the story isn't true - I'm just saying...how come if I hold a press conference about my big contest, a reporter is probably going to want to check if I actually have the money, and maybe talk to a representative of the jeweler's association. Hey - a million dollars? These guys must really care! But if a story is coming out of Pakistan, all rules of journalism seem to go right out the window, a new shocking story is served up for our breakfast titillation and we readers are all quite ready to sop it up and be shocked once again by the evil extremists. I have not seen a single story that asks, "Hey, is this guy for real?"
Sometimes the Pondering Pig is quite a skeptical pig.
Labels: Just For Grins
posted by Christopher Newton at 5:30 AM
7 Comments:
Let's see... you added the words
1. Except
2. a
3. for
4. it's
OK, maybe a random guess on all four, but sometimes the quick pick on the lottery pays out.
Can I guess again?
1. except
2. Marin
3. County
4. Spring
Close, but you have to actually hit the target in order to apply for your $25,000 plus "a car".
$25000? It's been downgraded? The headline I saw last week said one million! I guess they really can't get their facts straight. Good point you have on journalists not researching their news. Hey, and where is the fine print on your giveaway- you have to have fine print or it's not a real contest. Better add that in quick lest you get hit by some schmuck with a lawyer in some obscure place, who doesn't understand satire- a common problem these days I've noticed- claiming he made an entry that must have gotten lost, but he knows he won, and he'll sue you if you don't pay up right now!
OK. I know Marin County Spring are right. You probably added a "to" or an "and" or added an apostrophe somewhere to hose us up.
Incidentally, I took a law class once and, no, I won't sue. I expect we'll settle out of court.
I just need the car, you can keep the $$$.
Hiding your hoard in a bucket? I thought your treasure was still under a statue in Golden Gate Park, where you found it, and you just took what you needed from time to time. ~ Gary
The key word here is "maybe" I have it in a bucket. Maybe I don't. That's why its a good idea for reporters to ask around a little before they post stories about million dollar rewards from certain jeweler's associations.
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