11:50 AM -- Life's a pitch, then you die.
As a world-renowned journalist, I get lots of pitches -- mass mailings, actually -- from folks I've never heard of seeking publicity for things I don't usually write about. These folks are usually touting some expertise they have that will "help" me in my reporting. Of course, more often than not, they come off sounding like David Brent.
Here's one pitch from this morning's mail:
HOWARD GIVNER, CEO of PAINT THE TOWN RED, says businesses need to spice up their meetings: 'Whether it be wearing a bling-bling dollar sign necklace to show new business success or strapping on the old fire-engine red bra to imply you need support on a particular project, companies need to take dramatic measures to spice up meetings... Creativity allows people to succeed and thrive in the office environment, and companies need to do more to get reactions from employees as well as to entertain and excite them in the most extreme to dull circumstances.'
Now that's good management. Or, as the great Mr. Brent once said: "When people say to me: 'Would you rather be thought of as a funny man or a great boss?' My answer's always the same: To me, they're not mutually exclusive."
— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading
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