11:57 a.m.,
May. 25, 2003
Yesterday, I went to Milwaukee to for my brother's college graduation. My brother, who was hungover, graduated with honors. Way to go, Kyle.
After everyone got their diplomas*, the CEO of Harley Davidson received an honorary doctorate and spoke about how the graduates could use the "core principles of the Harley Davidson brand" to live their lives. Those principles were Freedom, Adventure and Individual Expression.
He spoke them as if they were capitalized.
I wanted to ask him if he realized what a twit he sounded like, trying to brand principles like Freedom, Adventure and Individual Expression, but I didn't get the chance.
On the drive up, I discovered that there is one sure-fire way to tell that you've crossed the border from Illinois to Wisconsin. Only Wisconsin has giant statues of mice eating hamburgers on top of their roadside hamburger stands.
Oh, and giant signs advertising that the gas stations sell cheese.
Gas-station operators on this side of the border are simply too embarrassed by the quality of the cheese to advertise it.
*By "diploma" I mean "empty red envelope to hold a diploma when it arrives in five weeks."