Shoe Hurled at Bush Flies Off Turkish Maker’s Shelves (300,000 orders)

[babylonsister]

:wow:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=auI050ptHyPg

Shoe Hurled at Bush Flies Off Turkish Maker’s Shelves (Update1)


By Mark Bentley

Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The shoe hurled at President George W. Bush has sent sales soaring at the Turkish maker as orders pour in from Iraq, the U.S. and Iran.

The brown, thick-soled “Model 271” may soon be renamed “The Bush Shoe” or “Bye-Bye Bush,” Ramazan Baydan, who owns the Istanbul-based producer Baydan Ayakkabicilik San. & Tic., said in a telephone interview today.

“We’ve been selling these shoes for years but, thanks to Bush, orders are flying in like crazy,” he said. “We’ve even hired an agency to look at television advertising.”

Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi hurled a pair at Bush at a news conference in Baghdad on Dec. 14. Both shoes missed the president after he ducked. The journalist was jailed and is seeking a pardon from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Baydan has received orders for 300,000 pairs of the shoes since the attack, more than four times the number his company sold each year since the model was introduced in 1999. The company plans to employ 100 more staff to meet demand, he said.

“Model 271” is exported to markets including Iraq, Iran, Syria and Egypt. Customers in Iraq ordered 120,000 pairs this week and some Iraqis offered to set up distribution companies for the shoe, Baydan said.

Baydan has received a request for 4,000 pairs from a company called Davidson, based in Maryland. He declined to provide further details.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Bentley at

[yy4me]

1. Do they come in Women's sizes? Wish I had a better look.

I could wear them with my 1/20/2009 shirt.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. From an Iraqi blogger and her mother.

http://livesstrong.blogspot.com/

On 14/12 (Sunday), I was studying biology at night, and mama told me "do you know that an Iraqi journalist hit Bush with his shoe?" I thought she was joking, and finished my homework..
Next day I went to school and found everyone talking about this event, and my friend showed me a video in her mobile, I kept laughing, just then I realized my mom was serious!
Muntathar al Zaidi, is 28 years old Iraqi living in Baghdad, he is the brave journalist who throw his shoes with his heart set on fire and said "this is the good bye kiss this is the revenge of all Iraqis"
Muntathar became a national hero, he didn't fear to speak up his mind, he expressed not only his anger but the anger and frustrated feeling for all of all Iraqis.
I pray he'll be released, and no one will hurt him anymore..
I don't find what he did strange thing after all horrible events he witnessed as a journalist, after seeing the injured and killed innocents in streets, or after he met the Iraqis who lost their houses or families and other tragic stories ..
When Bush said "it represent his only opinion, but I am sure it don't represent all Iraqis' feelings" all Iraqis proved the opposite by gathering in the streets carrying big signs, saying poems, and supporting Muntathar in every way they can .

http://youngmammy.blogspot.com/

I returned home depressed with bad headache and immediately had a long nap to escape from the reality. I did not leave my bed till noon time to prepare dinner .TV was on, when I read the subtitle news about the Iraqi journalist that throw Bush during his conference with his shoes. But I didn't see the video. During dinner I told my daughter, but she didn't comment. While I was talking with her, BD the Iraqi blogger sent me an SMS telling me that Bush was humiliated in an unbelievable way, and telling me that he was looking for the video in the internet and TV channels. In fact I did not have time to look for the video as I had to wash the dishes and watch my favorite series (gray's anatomy).next day at work every body was talking about bush and the brave Iraqi journalist, telling jokes and poems, there I saw the video in my mate cell phone, my daughters came back home with funny jokes and stories. And we kept seeing the video over and over.

"Asia cell" the company of cell phone services made large profits during the last few days because large no. of Iraqis were exchanging SMS jokes about Bush.

Mama

[acmavm]

6. The guy DID NOT become a 'national hero'. He's a hero to the world.

[Kip Humphrey]

3. Best stimulus strategy yet! Throw stuff at Bush.

[FreakinDJ]

4. What - Do they have "Gun Sights" on the shoe?

just sayin...

[peekaloo]

5. "smart chip" in the sole

avoids big piles of shite...even if you throw it at one.

[lpbk2713]

7. Now the RWers will be calling Boosh a great stimulus to the economy

.... even if it is the Turkish economy.

:sarcasm: