Friday, September 26, 2008
Amazing 2008 Apple Festival in Sweden
Apple creative author - Helge Lundstrom. Showing all this was at apple festival in the city Kivik, which is located in Sweden. Each picture went 4 tons of apples, and that about 75,000 pieces. Short, but as beautiful.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
12 Vintage Cigarette Ads They Would Never Get Away with Now
Cigarette's aren't bad for you, in fact they make you happier, sexier, more popular and quite possibly richer. Not true? Then take a look at these vintage ads and see what the "Mad Men" of the time tried to get away with - and did.
Before the days of ‘Fatal Attraction' and bunny boiling, men were encouraged to believe that women would succumb to the allure of the scent of a good cigarette. These were marketed here solely on the basis that if you blow the smoke in a woman's face she will become instantly besotted, strip off to her undergarments (OK might be an evening gown!) ad stare in to your eyes. However, even then it was a little past its sell by date as a marketing technique. Is the woman about to jump him or rip his head off? That look could mean anything!
We all love the enduring classics but if you were to see a billboard today with a woman, blackened eye and smoking, you might just think it was an advert against domestic violence. Or, if the above should be taken literally, domestic violence in a lesbian partnership caused by a disagreement over which brand belongs in the house. The two lipstick lovelies look mighty smug. It can only be hoped they had health insurance (for the cigarettes and the constant battering they obviously received). The lesbian motif is surprisingly twenty-first century. The violence and the ciggies are not.
Oh, baby! Despite the WTF expression on the baby's face, this advert would be banned in three, two, one, if any of those ‘Mad Men' chose to hoist it upon the public now. You and your baby son needed never to feel ‘over-smoked' with this particular brand. No, there's always an oxygen tent for the poor little mite, after all.
Most people are aware now that in the bad old days cigarettes were tested on dogs, and this was certainly no big secret way back then. It is surprising that even then the canine companion was the choice of mammal for this cigarette advertiser. It rather looks as if they may be escaping en masse from a laboratory where they have been cruelly experimented upon. One more jump, lads, and it's freedom!
Of course the time came in the seventies when people knew that cigarettes were bad for you. So, of course, the health warnings were plastered all over the adverts of beautiful people enjoying their ciggies, staring at you with apparent longing and showing that tempting piece of cleavage. There is an underlying message here too that smoking is sophisticated and goes hand in hand with an opulent lifestyle. As for the brand! Salem? We can only wonder what this lady's ‘lot' was to be. Pass the mask! And breathe slowly!
Way back in 1951, Ronald ‘Ronnie' Reagan was a struggling Hollywood actor and endorsing a brand of cigarettes was a way to line his pockets without feeling guilty about it, especially at Christmas time when, if we are to believe this, Mr. President-To-Be would gleefully send all his buddies out a large pack of cancer sticks. Naughty, naughty. Some prezzie from the Prezzie!
Oh, but it gets worse! Not content with selling death at Christmas via the endorsement of B-listers, these guys just had to take the fun out of the festive season altogether by giving Santa Claus a strike and a light! Plus they made the present giver look like Will Geer out of The Waltons which is just unforgivable. No doubt the makers of this ad are on a spit somewhere in the depths for their wrong doing! One wonders if they debated whether to portray Jesus and the Disciples having a postprandial cigarette after a certain supper. The rotter's.
Back in 1890, Oscar may well have been at and people were going ‘wilde' for the brand above. However, certain words were yet to change their meaning and this ad might not get widespread approval these days, from any section of the community. On a lighter note, many Americans have been puzzled in to muteness (a strange and unusual thing!) when their British friends have exhorted that they are "dying for a fag"! Ah, two nations, one language, divisions.
Less than sixty years ago, racial stereotyping was considered just fine and dandy for some cigarette manufacturers. One can argue that times - and attitudes -were different, but there is little or nothing that would attract the modern consumer to this caricature.
Female emancipation and cigarettes? Well, yes, why not! You've come a long way, baby, boasts this advertisement to the modern woman of the seventies. Strange how it still manages to get the patronizing ‘baby' in at the end.
What better person to advertize cigarettes than an athlete! It is highly unlikely that you will get Michael Phelps advertising this particular product on a billboard near you soon!
One for the road? Yes, you had better switch cigarette, this advert implies, to one which will not irritate your throat. The less gullible consumers of today might well read in to this that the little tickle in this gentleman's throat is in fact lung cancer! Never to be seen again!
Before the days of ‘Fatal Attraction' and bunny boiling, men were encouraged to believe that women would succumb to the allure of the scent of a good cigarette. These were marketed here solely on the basis that if you blow the smoke in a woman's face she will become instantly besotted, strip off to her undergarments (OK might be an evening gown!) ad stare in to your eyes. However, even then it was a little past its sell by date as a marketing technique. Is the woman about to jump him or rip his head off? That look could mean anything!
We all love the enduring classics but if you were to see a billboard today with a woman, blackened eye and smoking, you might just think it was an advert against domestic violence. Or, if the above should be taken literally, domestic violence in a lesbian partnership caused by a disagreement over which brand belongs in the house. The two lipstick lovelies look mighty smug. It can only be hoped they had health insurance (for the cigarettes and the constant battering they obviously received). The lesbian motif is surprisingly twenty-first century. The violence and the ciggies are not.
Oh, baby! Despite the WTF expression on the baby's face, this advert would be banned in three, two, one, if any of those ‘Mad Men' chose to hoist it upon the public now. You and your baby son needed never to feel ‘over-smoked' with this particular brand. No, there's always an oxygen tent for the poor little mite, after all.
Most people are aware now that in the bad old days cigarettes were tested on dogs, and this was certainly no big secret way back then. It is surprising that even then the canine companion was the choice of mammal for this cigarette advertiser. It rather looks as if they may be escaping en masse from a laboratory where they have been cruelly experimented upon. One more jump, lads, and it's freedom!
Of course the time came in the seventies when people knew that cigarettes were bad for you. So, of course, the health warnings were plastered all over the adverts of beautiful people enjoying their ciggies, staring at you with apparent longing and showing that tempting piece of cleavage. There is an underlying message here too that smoking is sophisticated and goes hand in hand with an opulent lifestyle. As for the brand! Salem? We can only wonder what this lady's ‘lot' was to be. Pass the mask! And breathe slowly!
Way back in 1951, Ronald ‘Ronnie' Reagan was a struggling Hollywood actor and endorsing a brand of cigarettes was a way to line his pockets without feeling guilty about it, especially at Christmas time when, if we are to believe this, Mr. President-To-Be would gleefully send all his buddies out a large pack of cancer sticks. Naughty, naughty. Some prezzie from the Prezzie!
Oh, but it gets worse! Not content with selling death at Christmas via the endorsement of B-listers, these guys just had to take the fun out of the festive season altogether by giving Santa Claus a strike and a light! Plus they made the present giver look like Will Geer out of The Waltons which is just unforgivable. No doubt the makers of this ad are on a spit somewhere in the depths for their wrong doing! One wonders if they debated whether to portray Jesus and the Disciples having a postprandial cigarette after a certain supper. The rotter's.
Back in 1890, Oscar may well have been at and people were going ‘wilde' for the brand above. However, certain words were yet to change their meaning and this ad might not get widespread approval these days, from any section of the community. On a lighter note, many Americans have been puzzled in to muteness (a strange and unusual thing!) when their British friends have exhorted that they are "dying for a fag"! Ah, two nations, one language, divisions.
Less than sixty years ago, racial stereotyping was considered just fine and dandy for some cigarette manufacturers. One can argue that times - and attitudes -were different, but there is little or nothing that would attract the modern consumer to this caricature.
Female emancipation and cigarettes? Well, yes, why not! You've come a long way, baby, boasts this advertisement to the modern woman of the seventies. Strange how it still manages to get the patronizing ‘baby' in at the end.
What better person to advertize cigarettes than an athlete! It is highly unlikely that you will get Michael Phelps advertising this particular product on a billboard near you soon!
One for the road? Yes, you had better switch cigarette, this advert implies, to one which will not irritate your throat. The less gullible consumers of today might well read in to this that the little tickle in this gentleman's throat is in fact lung cancer! Never to be seen again!
Curious Cats
How unique is your cat? Did you know that all tabby cats have the letter "M" on their foreheads? What about these other curious cats?
Most owners like to think their cat is unique in some way. In fact there are several traits that are common in different breeds, some are really unusual. For instance did you know every tabby colored cat has the letter "M" on their forehead? Here are some other features you may not know about in every day domestic cats.
Known as Heterochromia, this cat has two different colored eyes. This can be genetic or the result of an injury. What is interesting is that this cat is white. It is not uncommon for blue eyed, white cats, to be deaf. In the case of cats with one blue eye, sometimes they are deaf in one ear.
Cats can be born without a tail or with a tail shorter than usual. Cats can be born like this, or may also lose a portion of their tail if it gets caught in a door or from frost bite. The Manx breed is especially known for having shorter tails or none at all. Since this does occur in other cats, it does not mean the cat is a manx.
Oh my, what big feet you have. This is a Polydactyl Cat, if you are unfamiliar with this term, one glance at the cat should tell you what it means. The cat has extra toes. This can occur on one or more of the cats paws, and is often considered to be good luck.
This photo was taken by Marc Averette of one of the cats at Ernest Hemmingway House.
Now this is a normal house cat, in fact he is one of my own cats, left behind by his old owner when they moved away. He is a terrific mouser on our farm but is also very friendly. He is here to demonstrate what often happens when you photograph a cat. Note his pupils in his eyes have turned yellow. This is a common trait in nocturnal animals, and is called Eye shine.
What is special about this cat? Nothing really, other than that she is cool looking. How did I know the cat is female? Well typically all calico cats are female. A calico is a cat who is white, black, and orange. She may also be white, gray, and peach (this would be referred to as a dilute calico). The same is true about Tortoiseshell cats, which are black and orange, or gray and peach. They are all generally female. A male cat of either coloration would is extremely rare, and often sterile.
A very striking calico cat, from Wikimedia.
I want to add, you may have recently heard about a cat named "Yoda" who has four ears, and may be wondering why he is not mentioned here. That is because his abnormality is limited to under five cats world wide, and I am mentioning occurrences here that may be rare, but you are still likely to encounter given the large number of cats in the world.
Most owners like to think their cat is unique in some way. In fact there are several traits that are common in different breeds, some are really unusual. For instance did you know every tabby colored cat has the letter "M" on their forehead? Here are some other features you may not know about in every day domestic cats.
Known as Heterochromia, this cat has two different colored eyes. This can be genetic or the result of an injury. What is interesting is that this cat is white. It is not uncommon for blue eyed, white cats, to be deaf. In the case of cats with one blue eye, sometimes they are deaf in one ear.
Cats can be born without a tail or with a tail shorter than usual. Cats can be born like this, or may also lose a portion of their tail if it gets caught in a door or from frost bite. The Manx breed is especially known for having shorter tails or none at all. Since this does occur in other cats, it does not mean the cat is a manx.
Oh my, what big feet you have. This is a Polydactyl Cat, if you are unfamiliar with this term, one glance at the cat should tell you what it means. The cat has extra toes. This can occur on one or more of the cats paws, and is often considered to be good luck.
This photo was taken by Marc Averette of one of the cats at Ernest Hemmingway House.
Now this is a normal house cat, in fact he is one of my own cats, left behind by his old owner when they moved away. He is a terrific mouser on our farm but is also very friendly. He is here to demonstrate what often happens when you photograph a cat. Note his pupils in his eyes have turned yellow. This is a common trait in nocturnal animals, and is called Eye shine.
What is special about this cat? Nothing really, other than that she is cool looking. How did I know the cat is female? Well typically all calico cats are female. A calico is a cat who is white, black, and orange. She may also be white, gray, and peach (this would be referred to as a dilute calico). The same is true about Tortoiseshell cats, which are black and orange, or gray and peach. They are all generally female. A male cat of either coloration would is extremely rare, and often sterile.
A very striking calico cat, from Wikimedia.
I want to add, you may have recently heard about a cat named "Yoda" who has four ears, and may be wondering why he is not mentioned here. That is because his abnormality is limited to under five cats world wide, and I am mentioning occurrences here that may be rare, but you are still likely to encounter given the large number of cats in the world.
Road Art or Graffiti?
Let's take a look at art displayed on public property.
Artist Peter Gibson ( Roadsworth,) painted these pictures on the streets of Montreal in the darkness of night. He started in 2001 and remained anonymous for almost 3 years. In the beginning, he painting bicycles and bicycle symbols to show his discontent with the cities bicycle path system , but soon it grew into stenciling different and more complex designs. He would stencil zippers, power switches, etc. He attributed 9/11 as the catalyst that made him feel he had nothing to loose by painting on public property.
Many questioned whether the (anonymous at the time) painter was destroying public property, using it to make a political point, or just an artist trying to use the scenery in self expression. Roadsworth admits that the stenciling turned into an art project over time.
In 2004 the authorities finally caught Roadsworth in the act of painting a Christmas ribbon at an intersection and took him into custody. He was facing over 200 thousand dollars in fines, criminal court, and serious jail time. The court was lenient and only charged him a $250.00 fine with 40 hours of community service. There was a large amount of public support for the artist and he was very lucky not to have a criminal record from his street art. He had been charged with 53 counts of mischief, but the large amount of public support swayed the court.
After his run in with the authorities, Roadsworth has been continuing his artistic flare and is trying to make a name for himself as an artist….legally of course. He has since received many invitations to create art on the sidewalks of businesses and has even got several commission and permits from city hall to create street art (as part of his community service.) That seemed rather odd to me that he was given a commission to do street art as public service time for creating street art?
What I take away from his road and sidewalk art is the exploration between what is art and what is graffiti? This seems to be a very interesting question for many people. You can see a documentary here that follows Roadsworth.
He has added stenciling in words to some of his commissions. One of his commissions featured the words"Défense d'Afficher", which means "No Postering". So he has not lost his desire to question who owns public space. At least, that is my interpretation.
Paul Curtis “Moose“, a British artist, scrubs dirty or dilapidated city properties like -tunnels or sidewalks. Words and images are formed by cleaning some parts and leaving some parts dirty. The artist calls it “refacing,” but many call it defacing. Most of the messages created are his own, but sometimes he takes contributions to display someone else's message. Authorities and city officials have been searching for a way to prosecute, but what are they going to do charge him with illegally cleaning? The above picture is one of his “refacing” art pieces.
It seems that some cities (including some here in the US) have looked at the effect of Roadsworth's art from a positive perspective . For example: In Cambridge, Massachusetts the city paid local artist Wen-ti Tsen $10,000 to paint an abstract design to tackle the problem of speeding cars. Wen-ti painted a mural that looked like a traffic circle in the middle of a busy intersection. When you approach it, you inevitably slow down because it appears that there is a hole in the road. Then you drive over it and realize that it is flat. Although, in June of this year, the city announced plans to redo the intersection because they claim the painting did not slow traffic down.
I will leave you with a few more Roadsworth pictures and you decide if this is art , destroying public property, free speech, or graffiti. What do you call it?
This is one of the Roadsworth commissioned works.
Artist Peter Gibson ( Roadsworth,) painted these pictures on the streets of Montreal in the darkness of night. He started in 2001 and remained anonymous for almost 3 years. In the beginning, he painting bicycles and bicycle symbols to show his discontent with the cities bicycle path system , but soon it grew into stenciling different and more complex designs. He would stencil zippers, power switches, etc. He attributed 9/11 as the catalyst that made him feel he had nothing to loose by painting on public property.
Many questioned whether the (anonymous at the time) painter was destroying public property, using it to make a political point, or just an artist trying to use the scenery in self expression. Roadsworth admits that the stenciling turned into an art project over time.
In 2004 the authorities finally caught Roadsworth in the act of painting a Christmas ribbon at an intersection and took him into custody. He was facing over 200 thousand dollars in fines, criminal court, and serious jail time. The court was lenient and only charged him a $250.00 fine with 40 hours of community service. There was a large amount of public support for the artist and he was very lucky not to have a criminal record from his street art. He had been charged with 53 counts of mischief, but the large amount of public support swayed the court.
After his run in with the authorities, Roadsworth has been continuing his artistic flare and is trying to make a name for himself as an artist….legally of course. He has since received many invitations to create art on the sidewalks of businesses and has even got several commission and permits from city hall to create street art (as part of his community service.) That seemed rather odd to me that he was given a commission to do street art as public service time for creating street art?
What I take away from his road and sidewalk art is the exploration between what is art and what is graffiti? This seems to be a very interesting question for many people. You can see a documentary here that follows Roadsworth.
He has added stenciling in words to some of his commissions. One of his commissions featured the words"Défense d'Afficher", which means "No Postering". So he has not lost his desire to question who owns public space. At least, that is my interpretation.
Paul Curtis “Moose“, a British artist, scrubs dirty or dilapidated city properties like -tunnels or sidewalks. Words and images are formed by cleaning some parts and leaving some parts dirty. The artist calls it “refacing,” but many call it defacing. Most of the messages created are his own, but sometimes he takes contributions to display someone else's message. Authorities and city officials have been searching for a way to prosecute, but what are they going to do charge him with illegally cleaning? The above picture is one of his “refacing” art pieces.
It seems that some cities (including some here in the US) have looked at the effect of Roadsworth's art from a positive perspective . For example: In Cambridge, Massachusetts the city paid local artist Wen-ti Tsen $10,000 to paint an abstract design to tackle the problem of speeding cars. Wen-ti painted a mural that looked like a traffic circle in the middle of a busy intersection. When you approach it, you inevitably slow down because it appears that there is a hole in the road. Then you drive over it and realize that it is flat. Although, in June of this year, the city announced plans to redo the intersection because they claim the painting did not slow traffic down.
I will leave you with a few more Roadsworth pictures and you decide if this is art , destroying public property, free speech, or graffiti. What do you call it?
This is one of the Roadsworth commissioned works.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Top Ten Strategic Office Skills
Unsure if you can make it to the top of the corporate ladder? Worry no more, give yourself a break.
Guilty of being a procrastinator? Sometimes, we can't help but procrastinate from time to time. In fact, a lot of people who are in denial would just go ahead and practice these so-called "strategic office skills" to get ahead of being a procrastinator, but, what's the difference?
Always Carry a Document
They say that people carrying out documents as they walk around the office premise looks like they're into something big -- important meetings, conferences, etc. Above it all, carrying loads of stuff as you go home makes the impression that you work longer hours than you do.
Use Computer to Act and Look Busy
Technology is everywhere. Due to it's abundance, often times, it's being abused. In fact, in this strategy, using a computer looks like "work" to the casual observer. But the matter of fact is, you're actually using it when sending and receiving personal e-mails, chatting, surfing non-work-related stuff and building social networks. Warning: when caught by your boss, you can tell him you're teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training expenses!
Keep a Messy Desk
Keeping a messy desk makes the impression that there's too much to do. To the observer, last year's works looks like the same as today's work: it's volume that counts -- pile them high and wide!
Screen Incoming Calls with a Voice Mail
People don't just call because they want to give you something for nothing -- they call because they want you to do work for them! If somebody leaves a voice mail message and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour. That way, it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious, when in fact, you're being a devious weasel.
Look Impatient and Annoyed
Looking impatient and annoyed always leaves the impression that you're under pressure and very busy, thus making it look that you're doing a lot of work.
Leave the Office Late
Guilty of this one? Me too -- always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. This makes a "good impression" that you're preparing the stuff you'll be doing for the next day, when in fact, you're just making the draft of the article you'll be submitting to Triond. On your way out, make sure you walk past the boss' room.
Create Sighing for Effect
Sighing sometimes make the impression that you are under extreme pressure. Extreme pressure equates to loads of work, thus making you look like a very hardworking person.
Stacking Strategy
Stacking a lot of working documents and files around your wokring area, not to mention, thick manuals and books, makes the "good impression" that you're not just a very hardworking employee, but also the type of employee who gives more that a hundred percent of himself.
Build Your Vocabulary
Read and learn from different sources like computer magazines and pick out all the jargons and what's new. You can use these words or phrases freely when in conversation with bosses. You don't have to understand the technicalities of the words, but using them gives you the impression of an intelligent person.
Have Two Jackets
Having two jackets comes along very handy if you work in a big, open office. Always leave a spare jacket draped over the back of your chair -- this gives the impression that you are still on the premises. You can then wear the second jacket while swanning around elsewhere.
Believe it or not, but in my past experiences with certian offices, I've practiced 7/10 (seven out of ten) of these strategic office skills. How about you?
Guilty of being a procrastinator? Sometimes, we can't help but procrastinate from time to time. In fact, a lot of people who are in denial would just go ahead and practice these so-called "strategic office skills" to get ahead of being a procrastinator, but, what's the difference?
Always Carry a Document
They say that people carrying out documents as they walk around the office premise looks like they're into something big -- important meetings, conferences, etc. Above it all, carrying loads of stuff as you go home makes the impression that you work longer hours than you do.
Use Computer to Act and Look Busy
Technology is everywhere. Due to it's abundance, often times, it's being abused. In fact, in this strategy, using a computer looks like "work" to the casual observer. But the matter of fact is, you're actually using it when sending and receiving personal e-mails, chatting, surfing non-work-related stuff and building social networks. Warning: when caught by your boss, you can tell him you're teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training expenses!
Keep a Messy Desk
Keeping a messy desk makes the impression that there's too much to do. To the observer, last year's works looks like the same as today's work: it's volume that counts -- pile them high and wide!
Screen Incoming Calls with a Voice Mail
People don't just call because they want to give you something for nothing -- they call because they want you to do work for them! If somebody leaves a voice mail message and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour. That way, it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious, when in fact, you're being a devious weasel.
Look Impatient and Annoyed
Looking impatient and annoyed always leaves the impression that you're under pressure and very busy, thus making it look that you're doing a lot of work.
Leave the Office Late
Guilty of this one? Me too -- always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. This makes a "good impression" that you're preparing the stuff you'll be doing for the next day, when in fact, you're just making the draft of the article you'll be submitting to Triond. On your way out, make sure you walk past the boss' room.
Create Sighing for Effect
Sighing sometimes make the impression that you are under extreme pressure. Extreme pressure equates to loads of work, thus making you look like a very hardworking person.
Stacking Strategy
Stacking a lot of working documents and files around your wokring area, not to mention, thick manuals and books, makes the "good impression" that you're not just a very hardworking employee, but also the type of employee who gives more that a hundred percent of himself.
Build Your Vocabulary
Read and learn from different sources like computer magazines and pick out all the jargons and what's new. You can use these words or phrases freely when in conversation with bosses. You don't have to understand the technicalities of the words, but using them gives you the impression of an intelligent person.
Have Two Jackets
Having two jackets comes along very handy if you work in a big, open office. Always leave a spare jacket draped over the back of your chair -- this gives the impression that you are still on the premises. You can then wear the second jacket while swanning around elsewhere.
Believe it or not, but in my past experiences with certian offices, I've practiced 7/10 (seven out of ten) of these strategic office skills. How about you?
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