NEVER LET THE TRUTH GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY

"NEVER LET THE TRUTH GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY" I told Richard in a comment on my last post.

This has been a mantra of mine for many years and I say it when The Old Girl catches me out in a lie or, as I prefer to see it, an embellishment.

The original saying is attributable to Mark Twain that irascible old tale teller but has been used by many people including my dad who I first heard it from. Thanks dad.

As I said, I've used it as long as I've known The Old Girl which is 32 years (the anniversary of our first meeting is next week) and even longer given that it's been a staple of my marketing, sales and promotional career. It has also come in handy when putting together financial documents, creating budgets and strategic plans and writing reports, employee assessments and other business type things in my general management career. Thanks Sam (Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain).

Richard, I'm certain has used the principle in his working career, musical history and personal life even if he has been unaware of the saying or its origin. I know that many of his blog posts have a bit of blarney in them.

Robert, Mr Holier Than Thou would of course never admit to ever making use of the principle even though his absurd religious beliefs are based entirely on it.

I mentioned that I used it in marketing. Marketing wine and other alcoholic products to be precise. Proof of this can be seen in any back label of a wine, beer or cider product where the marketers basically 'take the piss' out of the consumers with the garbage they write.

'AVING A LAUGH

While I was good at marketing and there have been a lot of bloody good marketers over the last century (watch the series Mad Men) I and everyone else have been totally left in the dust by religions especially Catholicism. Has any other religion or any product manufacturing company, political state, philosophy, fashion trend or other popular movement including music come anywhere near what Catholicism has done?

Normally marketing and advertising is applied to a created or existing product and the trick is to polish up and embellish the message. Catholicism doesn't even bother with starting from a product. It just makes things up from the start and keeps making things up as it goes along. The most brilliant ploy it uses, if things look a bit sticky, is to say "if you don't have faith you can't believe' and other circular, non-sensical 'arguments'.

Brilliant!

NEVER LET THE TRUTH GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY