some time ago i was sitting at a vegas 6d bj game counting cards with a fellow ap, named “tim”. Our act dictated that we were co-workers and buddies in town for a convention of advertising executives. We even had authentic looking name badges from the convention hall. All was going well and we were making a killing at the tables until we got the tap from the casino shift manager (sm). He was flanked on both sides by two behemoth security guards and had the director of security behind him glaring over his shoulder. He asked us to come with him to a room where we could speak in private. Being young and fairly new to ap, tim and i unwisely obliged.
Once in the back room the inquisition began as to what we were doing in vegas, at his casino and specifically at his bj tables. Tim and i stuck with our story that we were everyday ad execs in town for the convention and that we were simply having some fun gambling between seminars. Our massive winnings were sheer luck and we protested at his accusations that we were anything other than what we had presented.
The sm was not buying our story and he asked us if we could prove that we were ad execs as we portrayed. “what proof do you need?” tim asked. “well if you are, in fact, ad executives then i would think you would be effective at coming up with slogans and rhyming jingles fairly quickly.” the sm continued, “you do these things daily, do you not?”
i was trying not to commit ourselves to anything so as not to be found out to be fakes but before i could protest tim jumped in with…..”of course we do. What do you have in mind?” the sm said he would give us each a chance to create a rhyme using a word that he provided and if we pulled it off he would believe our story and let us go. I was really not comfortable with this arrangement but tim quickly agreed and before i knew it we were committed to the test.
The sm immediately told us….”you must create a rhyme using the word ‘timbuktu.” the sm went on to say, “since you are both highly successful ad executives you should have no problem with such a challenging word to use in the rhyme; but if you cannot do it, you are most certainly frauds.”
tim stood up rather quickly and said, “i’ll go first.” staying true to our act he added, “this is fairly easy for me, since i write copy all day long in my job at the firm. Here is my rhyme.”
“as i walked across the desert sand, i saw a camel caravan;
as they traveled two by two, on their way to timbuktu.”
the sm seemed impressed enough and then looked at me. “well? You’re turn sir.” i could feel the sweat dripping off my brow and the dryness in my parched throat as i sat under that hot overhead light swinging from the ceiling. But i felt confident enough with this one so i rose to my feet and quickly blurted out:
“tim and i a camping went. Three young ladies passed by our tent.
As they were three and we were two; i bucked one and tim bucked too!”
before i knew it, we were promptly tossed out the front door onto the strip and not even allowed to cash in our chips. I guess he didn't like “camping” rhymes.
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