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Leslie's avatar

Caroline, I absolutely loved this! Great read at the end of a long day. And, I agree with Megan - I really thought that was you lying in the human dog bed!

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And I'm starting to wonder if I could moonlight as a pet bed model...the best of all worlds! A side gig AND time spent in a human dog bed.

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Leslie's avatar

Can’t think of anything better! 🤣

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EBeth's avatar

This made me lol: "Who, pray tell, needs a chainmail mask? And moreover, who needs it urgently? (But if that person is you, it has very good reviews.)" 🤣🤣 It's great that your algorithms send you these doozies! My ads are full of navy sweaters - which are my favorite - but not as exciting as a corn stool...

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

To be fair, the weird items are generally peppered in between lots of boring running shoes. So I'm only half bonkers!

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EBeth's avatar

That will be my new motto, "I'm only half bonkers" 😂

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Samantha Chesler's avatar

Thank you for the chuckle, Caroline. Apparently, I am in desperate need of a Dachshund, preferably blond. My phone also tells me I need to get myself to Italy for a vacation pronto. I am not in disagreement with either of these choices! ( I have, however, little desire for the 'wall pilates.') 😆

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Oh!! The blond dachshunds haunt me, too! Don’t get me wrong, they’re cute and all, but when did they take over the world? And I couldn’t agree more about wall Pilates!

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Julie Falatko's avatar

That human dog bed is my DOG'S dream, for sure. And the chicken purse reminded me of a time, long ago, when a coworker had a baby, and a bunch of us were going to visit her, and I, barely 22 years old, had no idea what to bring when someone has a baby, so I got a chicken stuffed animal. I thought it was perfect. Wouldn't every kid want a stuffed chicken? Plus I was pretty sure she didn't already have one. Everyone else thought it was really weird. The new mom could barely muster enthusiasm to say a "thank you" that sounded sincere. Although later she told me that her older kids loved it. I knew someone would want that chicken.

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

I love this story. I am, without a doubt, still the stuffed-chicken-buying friend. (What’s that? Newborns don’t have an appetite for irreverence?) But I have no doubt JellyCat made/makes/will make a fancy stuffed chicken and has elevated it to a chic, limited edition gift. You were ahead of your time!

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Maddie Burton's avatar

Chicken purse #sponcon hitting at the same time as New York Fashion Week—coincidence? I think not.

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Since I've posted this, the amount of suggested chicken-themed purse content has skyrocketed. Today I was served a video of a person making a DIY chicken bag — take a rubber chicken, cut a slit in the back, attach a zipper, voila! They will never leave me alone now.

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Alaina's avatar

This is hilarious!! It's great to know that I am not the only one with random (and dare I say insulting?) targeted ads. A few of note in my feed: a life size taxidermied cow (perhaps I need to further lean into my midwestern roots?), a glass figurine of a frog's butt, and a full sized solid wood and stained glass detailed bar counter (for which my small one bedroom Chicago apartment could not possibly hold but nonetheless I'm flattered algie thinks I'm rich enough for that piece and the space to house it).

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Oh my goodness, this list made me laugh out loud. A glass figurine of a frog’s butt?? Amazing.

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Meg Wardle's avatar

Oh Algie! 😂

My husband and I have a business insta account which isn’t currently active, however, we both log in from time to time to just cruise around and see what’s happening on the interwebs. Never have I met a more confused algorithm than that insta’s discover page. It’s trying to blend our interests and our search histories to intriguing results. Only there can you get your inspirational quotes mixed in with cute animal videos mixed in with CNC routers, add a dash of large scale manufacturing machinery and some interior DIYs to boot. It is absolutely bonkers but we’re both here for it.

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Hahaha, the blended algorithms are the best. Or when people with the same IP address get ads clearly inspired by the other person's interests. One of the best ads I've seen was one presented to Teddy for this snack eating contraption... so one could eat Cheetos without getting the orange dust on their hands. They were really just chopsticks, being sold as a new invention.

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Meg Wardle's avatar

I mean, they’re not wrong! Cheeto dust is super pesky! I have also been ad-served small sticks of salami with idea that you use them as a stylus for your phone... a finger replacement, if you will? 🤔

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Jane Ratcliffe's avatar

I so needed this newsletter! You had me laughing out loud! A half-eaten corn on the cob stool. What?? But, yeah, the human dog bed. Let's get matching ones! Super cool on the virtual sessions. A girl can dream....

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Nicole Christie's avatar

I also thought it was you in the human dog bed! And then...oh wait, damn, no. I love the chicken purse though. I cannot stop laughing. 😂 Such a great issue - much-needed levity and intrigue. 👏

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Thank you!! ❤️

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Joyce Ragard's avatar

My Instagram is solely ads for toddler toys, fancy cat litter, and bras made specifically for women with small boobs. 😅 All I want is the algorithm to have the decency to pretend that I have a social life. I am jealous of your algorithm 😂😂

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

😆 Fwiw, my algorithm doesn’t pretend I have a social life either. At least not beyond food-and-animal inspired products. It clearly gave up on the idea of my dressing up for anything long, long ago.

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Megan's avatar

This was hilarious. Thank you for making me laugh out loud so many times. Xoxoxox.

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Megan's avatar

I also totally thought that was you in the dog bed picture and then I clicked on it to see the price and was like “I don’t think she would go that far…”. 🤷‍♀️

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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Ha! Teddy said the same thing when he saw the photo. And I was like, the only thing more surprising than me ordering an expensive human pet bed would be inviting someone over to photograph me pretend sleeping in it!

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Megan's avatar

I thought maybe he did it. The resemblance is kind of freaky. Maybe you should go that far…

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Sep 15, 2023
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Caroline Cala Donofrio's avatar

Thank you!!

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