Listen for a Change

This 30-second commercial, has been fascinating me for months.

I see it when I do my Duolingo Spanish lessons. I am such a nerd for this app. I do Duolingo every day, and while I am far, far, far from understanding Spanish, every once in a while, someone will say something and I will understand a word or two!

I am also a total sucker for this app’s tricks. Currently, I have186 crowns and 3,765 gems and I am on an 8-day unbroken streak. I feel a pang when I miss a day and mess up a streak but I don’t, though the app always tells me I could, spend a dollar or two to reinstate my streak.

But the commercial.

For Audible, the audio book company.

It’s just so well done.

I see it often because I am a cheapie and use the free Duolingo version, which requires me to watch ads. I always even agree to watch more ads to get more gems just because gems must be good, right?

Pretty slick that I am using Duolingo to learn Spanish and I get the commercial where a trucker is using Audible to learn Spanish.

But there’s this whole other story going on. The cute-as-a-button trucker is learning Spanish because he has a crush on an equally adorable waitress at a diner he apparently stops at a lot, and she on him. The commercial starts with his Audible book explaining that “para” is used "when you are talking about something for someone.” He goes into the diner and nervously asks her, in Spanish, for a table for dinner. She, beaming at him, says his attempt is “pretty good.” The ad finishes, as they walk away together, by asking, “Could Audible inspire you to start something new?”

Aww. Love it.

Crushes

[Wow, so this super-duper didn't age well. Avenatti was just sentenced to 14 years in prison (12/5/22) for embezzling millions of dollars from clients and Elon Musk has clearly lost his freaking mind.]
 

 [O.K., so this clearly didn't age well. Michael Avenatti, how could you?]

I know a woman who told her husband that she'd never cheat, except if Bruce Springsteen were a possibility, then all bets were off.

Who you have a crush on, like any all-time favorites list you might have, says something about you, I think.

My crushes, for example, make it pretty clear I’m liberal. Also, I like the good guys. And I like them smart. Also, fearless. And funny.

They are currently:

Michael Avenatti. I know, I know, he'd make a terrible boyfriend. I don't think he can turn that testosterone-fueled aggression and competitiveness off. Still, he and Stormy Daniels just might save the country.

Elon Musk. Yes, he's probably super-odd. Musk once asked a reporter how much time he should pencil in for a girlfriend: “How much time does a woman want a week? Maybe 10 hours?" Maybe it’s because I’m not that girlfriend, but I find that cluelessness in an otherwise super-genius kind of endearing.

And no, no crush of mine is about money. I’m not that practical; also, I’m not Melania Trump. (And I don't think even she likes Trump.)

It's just that Musk just might save the human race.

Jon Stewart. Nope, he's not on The Daily Show anymore, though many of his protégés continue what he started: Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Trevor Noah. Maybe it's a matter of me imprinting like a baby duck on the first because it’s Jon Stewart who I have a crush on. And he is still around and kicking. Yay!

How about you? :)