The debut of Mad Men’s latest season makes one nostalgic for old ads.  I had completely forgotten that Sugar Pops embraced an early western theme, but then again, it was the primary sponsor of the radio show, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock, when the cereal debuted in 1951.

Back in 1972, when this commercial ran on TV, Sugar Pops and every other sugar laced cereal was unceremoniously banned from the Sockol household by my mother in response to my truly frightening dental bill.  It seems that our pediatric dentist, Dr. Casper, detected more than a half a dozen cavities, and that meant the end of Sugar Pops, Sugar Smacks, Fruit Loops, and Lucky Charms.   She didn’t even let us finish off the boxes left in our house.

After that, the closest we got to sugar cereals was Raisin Bran.

The other day, while shopping at a local supermarket, my son pulled out a box of Corn Pops, the new PC name of this villainous cereal.  Imagine my surprise when I glanced at the new packaging and saw that it now touts itself as a good source of fiber (at least 10 percent of your daily requirement.)

The advertising was so audacious that I broke down and bought a box.  What the heck.  I have dental insurance now.

Had my money
I tell you what I’d do
I would go downtown
Buy a Mercury or two
Cause I’m crazy ’bout a Mercury
–Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller better move fast.  Media reports over the last few days have strongly suggested that Mercury’s days are over, the victim of muddled branding, poor sales and a general sense of irrelevancy.  The idea that Mercury represented “entry level luxury” ended years ago, and it seems to make sense for Ford as it consolidates its resources.

Mercury is the last survivor of a marketing concept born roughly a hundred years ago by GM chairman Alfred Sloan, who came up with the “ladder of success.”  In Sloan’s mind, he could get American buyers to stay with GM throughout their lives if he marketed specific car brands to represent specific stages in their lives–from the entry level Chevrolet for those starting out to the Cadillac to those who reached the professional pinnacle.  It worked, and quickly put Ford and its Model Ts  into second place.  Edsel Ford finally established a bridge between Ford and Lincoln in 1939 with the Mercury.

But a funny thing happened over the years.  America buyers don’t like to be thought as being in the middle of anything.  We’re an impatient lot, and we aren’t willing to climb a “ladder of success” if we can jump a rung or two.  In addition, GM, Chrysler, and Ford eventually sought to cut costs by re-badging all of their models, so there was very little difference between them.  Oldsmobile, Plymouth, and now Mercury all fell victim to this syndrome.

Styling is the ultimate trump card, and Mercury did have a few winners over the years.  I think the 1967 Cougar is a pretty cool car, partly because it’s based on another pretty cool car, the Ford Mustang.  The Mercury Marauder is every thing the name suggests–menacing, mysterious, and mammoth.  All black and secretive, these behemoths turned a few heads as they cruised down the highway in the middle part of the decade.  Not bad for what was essentially a souped up stodgy Gran Marquis.  The last Edsel model in development before Ford pulled the plug on this brand failure actually became a Mercury, and a pretty successful one, too.   The Mercury Comet hung around for more than a decade and a half.

I never owned a Mercury, but have a lasting painful memory of one.  One of my college era adventures involved selling books door-to-door in Oregon.  To get there, I hitched a ride with three guys and a 1973 Mercury Capri.  I spent more than 50 hours crammed in the back seat of that car and could barely walk when we finally arrived in Portland. 

Mercury spent the last few years pleading customers to put them on their list.  It appears their bosses at Ford are doing just that.

The Andersons. Can a cup of Maxwell House be far away?

When I was a boy, there were only one type of coffee and two true ways to drink it–black or light (which was shorthand for cream and sugar at any nearby Dunkin Donuts shop).  My Dad, who drank more coffee than I thought humanly possible, liked his cup extra light.  In most restaurants, it cost about a dime, and it was a very utilitarian.  Essentially,  you drank it for one of two reasons–to keep warm or to keep awake.

But then came Starbucks, and it found a way to inject greater value into this humble drink.  It created different “beverages” and developed demand around coffee beans from new exotic locales.  It institutionalized its own coffeehouse experience as a place to meet and socialize.  It encouraged its customers to indulge themselves from time to time.

Now people expect a little more from their coffee.  Recently, I bought my wife for Mother’s Day a “K-cup” coffee machine , which produces high quality, single cups of java.  When Jim and Margaret Anderson drank their freshly brewed cups of Maxwell House every morning on the original Father Knows Best radio show, they only spent pennies per drink.   It doesn’t matter that K-cups are about fifty times more expensive; the quality, variety, and convenience they offer my wife trumps my natural sense of frugality.

Once we establish excellence in even the most basic of commodities, it can be very difficult to avoid the price tag that comes along with it.  And ironically, the cost difference between what we might perceive to be great and what we consider ordinary quickly shrinks.  After all, how many diners still sell coffee for a dime?  Why settle for cream and sugar when a gingerbread double latte beckons instead.

Life is often about placing value into the things that truly matter and gladly becoming captive to the standards we set for ourselves.

Over the last few days, the school district has posted more details about the proposed budget and the staffing cuts that will take place, even if the budget passes.   According to district’s newsletter, 16 positions will be eliminated, including one administrator, 6 teachers, and 9 non-certified staff members.  The Board has also asked all staff members to accept a salary freeze. 

The school district’s home page has more details, including a Q&A document and a “user-friendly” budget.    Check out the top of page 2 of the budget document, and you’ll notice that the proposed operating budget for next year will be slightly less than the current operating budget. 

Polls will be open between 2 and 9.  Voters who have previously used the Fire House to cast their ballots (district 4 and 9) should note that their polling places have moved.  District 4 voters will now vote at the senior center and District 9 voters will go to the Village School.

The last few weeks have been quite a whirlwind for me, and my gratitude goes out to all the people who have been kind enough to contribute to my campaign, put signs on their lawns, write letters to the local papers or simply offer words of encouragement and support.  

Lisa and I are so lucky to have so many good friends.  Thank you.  And don’t forget to vote!