March 30, 2004
AN ASSOCIATION THEY DON'T RELISH:
Heinz Seeks to Disavow Kerry Connection (CHARLES SHEEHAN, 3/30/04, AP)
H.J. Heinz Co. has launched an election-year campaign of its own, this one to distance the ketchup maker from what is shaping up to be an acrimonious presidential race.If you've waited this long, why not file online? Get a move on with E-filing tips and tax site comparisons.
The company has sent nearly 50 letters to radio and television talk shows nationwide to tamp down chatter on the airwaves and Internet suggesting revenue from ketchup sales will benefit the campaign of pending Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
My, they are in a pickle. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 30, 2004 8:47 PM
E-Filing? Huh?
Posted by: pchuck at March 30, 2004 9:29 PMmaybe oj's selling advertising. If you see George Foreman's grill mentioned in the middle of a discussion of how the Scottish Enlightenment was related to Calvinism, be suspicious.
Posted by: pj at March 30, 2004 9:39 PMThe other possibility is, given Kerry's voting record, the H.J. Heinz people are branching out into the electronic tax filing business, since if he was to be elected, the tax code would get more complicated and force people to see outside preparation help, while angry taxpayers would drive the core business down by buying Hunt's and Del Monte brand ketchup in droves...
Posted by: John at March 30, 2004 11:09 PMIf Kerry raises taxes, I'll be forced to switch to my grocery's house brand of condiments...
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at March 30, 2004 11:31 PMWouldn't Heinz get a windfall from Kerry's tax plan, allowing lower taxes on "repatriated" funds for a year?
Posted by: Al at March 31, 2004 2:30 AM57 ways to leave your lover?
Posted by: Barry Meislin at March 31, 2004 4:15 AMRaoul:
The "dirty little secret" of "house brands" is that they're often exactly the same thing as the major-brand items, without the fancy names, at a much lower price, so you're not really suffering any downgrade in quality. Matter of fact, I like some "house brands" better than big-name stuff.
Posted by: Joe at March 31, 2004 5:34 AMNot always quite the same Joe. They're not stupid. However, that doesn't mean the house brands aren't a good bargain.
Raoul, Join me in avoiding French wines. As some Italians say: "Wine travels best in the stomach" in any case.
Posted by: genecis at March 31, 2004 10:07 AMre: house brands--
Long, long ago I worked a summer job at a pickle cannery in northern Indiana, where they shipped out dozens of different brands whose only differences were the labels and shape of the jars.
(An interesting experience for a high schooler-- learned how to pick up a dime with a fork lift, for example. And you don't want to know about what went into the relish vats. )
Orrin, you should be ashamed of yourself for those awful jokes. That kind of cheap gag just won't cut the mustard in this day and age...
Posted by: Will Collier at March 31, 2004 3:41 PM