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Tom Bihn brand backpack care tags include French language Bush insult
Ramblings' Journal
| 4.7.04
| Michael King
Posted on 04/07/2004 8:34:16 PM PDT by mhking
Backpack care tags include French language Presidential insult
The care instructios on the tags contained in Tom Bihn brand backpacks include both English and French language text, which is to be expected on products sold in many countries.
What is not expected is the text "NOUS SOMMES DESOLES QUE NOTRE PRESIDENT SOIT UN IDIOT. NOUS N'AVONS PAS VOTE POUR LUI." Or in English, "We are sorry that our president is an idiot. We didn't vote for him."
Tom Bihn, president of the Port Angeles, WA company which bears his name issued a statement.
"I am terribly sorry that this inside joke has been misconstrued to be a slur on any other president. The joke is on me, and I think it's funny."
Bihn's limp-writed explanation rings hollow with me and many others. The message board on Bihn's own website is loaded with scathing commentary from disgusted Americans who don't find the tag to be funny at all.On their "About Us" page, key employees are asked (among other things) to give their favorite website addresses.
Bihn's favorite? The website of noted British columnist and anti-American (and source of the blogosphere term "to fisk") Robert Fisk.
The company claims they plan to redesign the tags in order to remove the French language insult. However, the aims and intentions of the company are painfully clear to anyone with half a brain.
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: aidandcomfort; aintabouttom; antiamericanism; barfalert; boycott; boycottthiscommie; boycotttombihn; boycotttrager; bravosierra; bs; bushbashing; bushhasser; bushhater; culturewar; cyapolicy; deanieweenie; defundtheleft; french; howarddean; howarddeanforamerica; idiot; insult; lovedclintonswars; lyingliar; robertfisk; tombihn; trager; unamerican; wa; washington; washingtonstate; whataloadofcrap
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1
posted on
04/07/2004 8:34:18 PM PDT
by
mhking
To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
From my site (
http://mhking.blogspot.com/) this evening.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
2
posted on
04/07/2004 8:36:05 PM PDT
by
mhking
To: All
To: mhking
THIS from Tom Bihn's webpage......bet the Blackhawk pilot who sent it would like to retract it now....
Tom Bihn Bags in Iraq
Jim Hood sent us this note along with these cool pictures!
"My name is CW4 Jim Hood. I am a Blackhawk pilot in Baghdad, Iraq with the 1st Armored Division. I bought a Brain Bag with the Snake Charmer, Monolith 2 and Freudian Slip for my new Dell Inspiron 8500. I absolutely love this backpack! My wife is here with me (she's a Major in 1AD), and we drove down to the Coalition Provisional Authority(CPA) HQ's which is in the old presidential palace. Thought you would like this picture with Saddam's head in the background. The other picture is at the Al Rashid hotel down the street. The two soldiers with me are MPs guarding the entrance to the palace. I store my water and all my work plus my Dell in the bag. The back support is perfect for the long walks to places. Hope you enjoy the pics!!"
4
posted on
04/07/2004 8:38:41 PM PDT
by
goodnesswins
(Hey....Washingtonians (the State) ....DONATE to FR Monthly....it's easy, fast, and BEST.)
To: mhking
"I am terribly sorry that this inside joke has been misconstrued to be a slur on any other president. The joke is on me, and I think it's funny."
===
Somebody needs to go back and see when did they start to put those tags on with the insult to the president. Were these the same prior to Jan 20, 2001?
5
posted on
04/07/2004 8:38:57 PM PDT
by
FairOpinion
(If you are not voting for Bush, you are voting for the terrorists.)
To: FairOpinion
It's obviously pure CYA BS. It doesn't make sense except as a slur on President Bush -- unless the workers there regularly get to vote for the CEO of the company -- NOT!
6
posted on
04/07/2004 8:41:16 PM PDT
by
FreedomCalls
(It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
To: goodnesswins
a slur on any other president
Any OTHER President. Hello? Well, I am in need of a new backpack, and I live in Washington State. If I see this guy's name on anything, I WILL NOT buy it!
7
posted on
04/07/2004 8:43:27 PM PDT
by
Just Lori
(I used to be a democrat. Now, I'm an American!)
To: mhking
Maybe I looked at the forum on his website wrong, but it sure seems free of people complaining about his awful comment about the President (guess which one). Has it been cleaned of all the angry posters? My French is rusty, but with a little effort I could write "I wouldn't buy one of your products if it was the last backpack in the store. And I voted for GWB."
8
posted on
04/07/2004 8:46:39 PM PDT
by
Moonmad27
(Imagine our country under the "leadership" of a President Kerry. Scary, isn't it?! Vote W in 04!)
To: mhking
The Tom Bihn company is in Port Author, Washingtron, which is just across Puget Sound from British Colombia.
They evidently export some of their stuff to Canada, hence the French on the tag.
9
posted on
04/07/2004 8:47:03 PM PDT
by
quidnunc
(Omnis Gaul delenda est)
To: Moonmad27
OKAY....if you would so kindly... give us a "rough" sentence.....to give them in feedback!!!
10
posted on
04/07/2004 8:50:40 PM PDT
by
goodnesswins
(Hey....Washingtonians (the State) ....DONATE to FR Monthly....it's easy, fast, and BEST.)
To: mhking
" I would have gladly missed out on the $300 "tax cut" I got to know that our men and women in uniform were properly equipped. I hope and pray they all come home soon and in one piece. I could write more, but I have a factory to run!" Well....isn't that sweet....Mr. Bihn says (I got this from his site....) that he's give us his tax cut to know the military were "properly equipped." Well, if that were true he'd GIVE SOME BAGS to the MILITARY....wouldn't HE....but, then he'd miss out on some PROFITS!
11
posted on
04/07/2004 8:58:29 PM PDT
by
goodnesswins
(Hey....Washingtonians (the State) ....DONATE to FR Monthly....it's easy, fast, and BEST.)
To: goodnesswins
I just sent them a piece of my mind in the Queens English!
12
posted on
04/07/2004 8:58:51 PM PDT
by
hawker7
To: mhking
At this point, I am thinking that this guy is a jerk. This whole thing could very well be a way to try to draw attention to his Company and his product.
By the way, don't let his title and window dressing fool you....this is not some major manufacturing plant. I live in Port Angeles and have for over 30 years, and I have never heard of him. I will find out, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that he's working out of a garage. This is a rural County....it's population is about 60K and the population of Port Angeles is about 20K..it wont take long to get the word out on this Clown.
13
posted on
04/07/2004 9:15:58 PM PDT
by
Gator113
To: mhking
This was discussed
here earlier. Rough summary: they knew exactly what they were doing.
And so they go on my Permanent Boycott list. "Permanent Boycott" means action so egregious that I don't bother remembering how they got on the list, I just don't patronize them or buy their products. (To be fair, it's difficult to get on; the lie is what went over the top here.)
14
posted on
04/07/2004 9:18:53 PM PDT
by
Eala
(Sacrificing tagline fame for... TRAD ANGLICAN RESOURCE PAGE: http://eala.freeservers.com/anglican)
To: mhking; All
A couple clicks on the "Tom Bihn Bags" home page gets one to the most interesting "about us" employee profile page...besides the "Fisk alert", someone still has posted under "interests" a link to "Howard Dean for America"...!
Of course, it's the product itself, including the "idiot president" label, that's of interest, not really the company's various employees, although their political predilections tend to make one scoff in disbelief at the premise that the "president" referred to on the label is Mr. Bihn, president of the bag company!!
My question...what does the bag label say on the reverse side, right after the words "Made in..."??
I'll be the first to say, "knock me over with a feather, and profound apologies for my cynicism" if the answer is "USA"...
(and not that that would excuse their marketing label, but free enterprise, "caveat emptor", and all that...it might be forgivable if they're a bona fide U.S. manufacturer rather than "U.S. designers and distributors", but I wouldn't buy anything with that label on it...and how childish is that? A "secret slur" in French for the American consumers and non-French Canadians - like half of us couldn't "translate" that - and an "inside joke" at our expense for the liberal French Canadians?! Sheesh!! Too cute by half...)
15
posted on
04/07/2004 9:24:57 PM PDT
by
88keys
(what I think may or may not be of any consequence)
To: mhking
16
posted on
04/07/2004 9:31:53 PM PDT
by
FairOpinion
(If you are not voting for Bush, you are voting for the terrorists.)
To: goodnesswins
ADMIN
This post should be pulled it is a bad OPSEC breach!
thx
17
posted on
04/07/2004 9:34:09 PM PDT
by
ASOC
(National policy is set by the grunt on point, nobody else.)
To: Admin Moderator
Pull my post please.....thanks.
18
posted on
04/07/2004 9:40:09 PM PDT
by
goodnesswins
(Hey....Washingtonians (the State) ....DONATE to FR Monthly....it's easy, fast, and BEST.)
To: mhking
"I am terribly sorry that this inside joke has been misconstrued to be a slur on any other president. The joke is on me, and I think it's funny."This guy truly is an idiot. Any company president that alienates a large segment of the consumer market for his own personal yucks is a negligent, blithering idiot.
19
posted on
04/07/2004 9:46:39 PM PDT
by
randog
(Everything works great 'til the current flows.)
To: mhking
Typical Left Coast commie scum. If not a relo who came during the 1960s, then he's one who was indoctrinated by them.
20
posted on
04/07/2004 9:56:01 PM PDT
by
GOP_1900AD
(Un-PC even to "Conservatives!" - Right makes right)
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