What's the world coming to? I see a reprise of a modest proposal happening soon enough.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
desperate times
What's the world coming to? I see a reprise of a modest proposal happening soon enough.
free bouncy rides will always cost you
Apparently this costumed figures is offering a free rides for all on the L train. It's awfully suspicious, if you ask me. Last time a hipster was offered a free ride ...
Red Light Artel
The Red A.i.R Artists in Residency program has chosen, perhaps, Amsterdam's most famous district for it's long and short term residents. Participating artist will reside in the former brothels of the Bergstraat and the Korsjesportsteeg, in an attempt to uncover and illustrate the relationship between art and location, transitory structures and temporary structures, and perhaps even examine the "artistic context" of their friendly neighbors. Check out the site for more details.
frying it up in a pan
Find more videos like this on AdGabber
The kitchen may be modern but the copy is bringing it back 50's style. After a long hard day of ironing and cleaning, all a woman wants to do is spend some time in front of hot stove,caressing a shiny pot. What a treat!
According to the Australian CEO behind Madison Avenue cookware with America's old school values, American women would adore this commercial. I mean what women doesn't wait around all day, just yearning to cook a lovely meal for her husband, a meal as beautiful as she is. Oh the anticipation.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
fun for word nerds
Have a favorite word. See it's many real world incarnations over at visual dictionary. There's over 7500 images of over 4,000 words.
the creative process is sketchy
Over at brain pickings, you can see a first look at a new book called Pure Process by creative academics and researchers Glenn Griffin, PhD and Deborah Morrison, the book is an investigation into the minds of the advertising industry’s greatest creative thinkers.
In it, the duo has studied creatives ranging from Alex Bogusky, David Kennedy, Luke Sullivan, Kevin Roddy, Nancy Rice, to David Baldwin. All of these creatives participated in experiments and exercises visualizing their creative process. Here's some of the "process drawings".
I'm glad that the creative process of others is as messy as mine. But really, why is the copywriter always a dude? Females copywriters can be bitter and jaded too. I promise.
In it, the duo has studied creatives ranging from Alex Bogusky, David Kennedy, Luke Sullivan, Kevin Roddy, Nancy Rice, to David Baldwin. All of these creatives participated in experiments and exercises visualizing their creative process. Here's some of the "process drawings".
I'm glad that the creative process of others is as messy as mine. But really, why is the copywriter always a dude? Females copywriters can be bitter and jaded too. I promise.
chalk art animation
Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.
I've always loved chalkboards. Before class I used to draw elaborate drawings, only to have them erased for classwork alas. But this video brings it all back.
oldie but goodie
I came upon this business card by Ji Lee, while scouring his site after last week's whitewashing of New York billboards. It's pretty cool. I wish I had an impressive enough google to pull it off.
Megan Fox has nothing on this lady
World, please put an end to this emaciated nonsense. If we're going to go all old school with beauty ideals, how about we go rubenesque. It might just be a time for a chubby comeback. This all makes me want some french fries.
World, please put an end to this emaciated nonsense. If we're going to go all old school with beauty ideals, how about we go rubenesque. It might just be a time for a chubby comeback. This all makes me want some french fries.
The dos and don'ts of female spokespeople
Saw these vintage ads over at copyranter. These rules may seem a little archaic in theory, but if you think back to the last election these public perceptions still seemed sadly applicable. Hillary spoke to aggressively. Sarah was too pretty. What we really needed was better casting. Perhaps an oversized hat to distract viewers from all that femaleness. Or a colorful beach ball?
Oh the wonders of T.V.
beer that gets to the point
Saw this over at prostituted thoughts. Created by a Russian designer of course. Those Russians are never very subtle with their beverage advertising.
I hate CAPTCHAS
I like to think I have good vision. In fact, I've been tested. I do have good vision. But for some reason, CAPTCHA features on websites make me dizzy. I almost always fill in the wrong letters and then have to redo the process, so often does that I give up. The blog I was going to leave a pithy comment on goes without a lol for days.Chris Wilson over at slate has a similar qualms with this menace to society. I know that these filters are supposed to weed out SPAM. But I'm not SPAM. And I'm sure I'm not the only one that can't make out the c's from the t's. I know this system is supposed to screw with the robots but as Chris Wilson says "Now, it's not at all uncommon for flesh-and-blood people to botch the tests, failing to convince the computer of their Homo sapiens credentials."
I'm human, I tell you CAPTCHA. I'm a real live being. Let me make a comment already.
the keeping of things
The above image is a piece called Sonja created by Stockholm based artist Anders Krisar. It's fabricated from the clothing of a woman who kept every garment from infancy to old age.At first instinct, the thought of keeping every piece of clothes seems akin to the cat lady mentality. Hoarding for the sake of hoarding. But, unlike the keeping of cats, who I see as horrid fur beasts that only bring forth allergy induced agony, the keeping of clothes is an impulse I understand. Clothes in many ways reflect our personal history, our stories line every disassembled stitch, every lost button.
So I don't throw things away. I live a life of perpetual clutter. I keep every book, every knick-knack, I have folders entirely made of postcards and tickets stubs. There's no attempt to organize any of these things. I let them amass, an endless girth that claims it's home in every corner of my room.
I'm particularly terrible with keeping clothes. Most of my clothes deserved to go, long ago. And I don't do much maintain the well being of said clothes. By nature, I am a complete klutz. All clothing is torn, spilled on, slightly worn from the first day on.
Rather then acknowledging that these garbs are no longer worthy of public perception, I've developed a habit of keeping many closets. Whatever the piece, I assume eventually I'll fit into it or it'll come back in style. I wore my Moms Russian commie boots for about five years before people began to mock my labored navigation of the holes in the lining.
It just seems that the older something is, the more mine it feels. Once something gets a little ugly for the wear, I become attached to it. My closet is full of some admittedly odd wonders, some dating back to junior high, others jagged remnants of their former selfs, but I just can't part with them. Often I won't wear the clothing, but parting with it seems too dramatic a gesture for once fond objects.
So yes, I understand Sonja. And all the Sonjas out there. In my old age, I hope to be one of those crazy ladies. In fact, I'm looking forward to it. I'll wear all my jewelry in one massive blob, put on sunglasses on rainy days, wear my hair in unreasonable ways and go for walks in unreasonable shoes. And have a house full of useless remnants of youth and vigor and god awful trendiness. And I'll be happy, because it'll all just seem to fit.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
the wonders of optimism
I've always been a fan of optimism. The alternative is depression and once you get in that rut, you just don't get out. So for the most part, I choose to think there are better things to come.
I wait impatiently for them, I wonder when these things will actually come. I am fairly neurotic with my anticipation of the next step. But in general, I assume that the next step will happen for a reason, and the reason will eventually present itself.
In the meanwhile, I try to enjoy things. Small things. Like the first bite of a cookie. Or an odd comment from a stranger. I try to laugh as much as possible and often end up snorting in the process. And trees. I really enjoy them. Walking through the never-ending, now flowering, trees that make up my neighborhood gives me a sense that something positive is waiting.
I'm therefore a big fan of the thinking behind the Optimist Conspectus site. Check it out for a little cheer and perhaps add a little something, something to the optimism cloud.
In the meanwhile, I try to enjoy things. Small things. Like the first bite of a cookie. Or an odd comment from a stranger. I try to laugh as much as possible and often end up snorting in the process. And trees. I really enjoy them. Walking through the never-ending, now flowering, trees that make up my neighborhood gives me a sense that something positive is waiting.
I'm therefore a big fan of the thinking behind the Optimist Conspectus site. Check it out for a little cheer and perhaps add a little something, something to the optimism cloud.
Monday, April 27, 2009
moon gardens coming soon
As part of the Google Lunar X Prize, Paragon Space Development Corporation has recently teamed with Odyssey Moon to develop a pressurized mini greenhouse to deploy on the surface of the moon, grow a plant from seed, and hopefully see it flower and seed itself. Moonplants by 2012. Aren't we getting all space-agey?For more nerdy info check out inhabitat.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
my favorite muppet has her own show
Daisy of Love premiered and it's already chock full of frantic hand gestures and rampant douchebaggery. Loves it.
The WhiteWashers
Equipped with paint, buckets, rollers and construction vests, people from all walks of Manhattan Life took to the streets this Saturday as a part of The Public Ad Campaign. An effort coordinated in part by the Department of Buildings, the teams sought to clear the city of illegal outdoor billboards. Several artists joined in and got creative with the whitewashing process.
It's an interesting attempt take back the streets from advertisers. But I give it a week before a new billboard goes up.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era
Some gems from Mcsweeneys pseudo syllabus for our generation:"Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era focuses on the creation of short-form prose that is not intended to be reproduced on pulp fibers.
Instant messaging. Twittering. Facebook updates. These 21st-century literary genres are defining a new "Lost Generation" of minimalists who would much rather watch Lost on their iPhones than toil over long-winded articles and short stories. Students will acquire the tools needed to make their tweets glimmer with a complete lack of forethought, their Facebook updates ring with self-importance, and their blog entries shimmer with literary pithiness. All without the restraints of writing in complete sentences. w00t! w00t! Throughout the course, a further paring down of the Hemingway/Stein school of minimalism will be emphasized, limiting the superfluous use of nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, gerunds, and other literary pitfalls."
Prerequisites include:
ENG: 102—Staring Blankly at Handheld Devices While Others Are Talking
Week 3:
Curling up with
a good book/newspaper
is dangerous
Students will explore the dangers of curling up by fires with books and newspapers. That paper could catch fire should an ember unexpectedly pop out. And all that curling is not good for people's backs. Especially since most readers of books, magazines, and newspapers are elderly and are thus already more likely to suffer from back ailments.
Some great stuff and perhaps not complete parody. Read the rest here.
a little more animation
The Seed from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo. If you haven't had enough video loving today, here's another sweet one.
blog bodies
I <3 my blog. But I don't love it as much as these people.
The last one is a good idea in theory. But to be legit, you'd have to update it every time you have a new reader. For more blog bodies click here
The last one is a good idea in theory. But to be legit, you'd have to update it every time you have a new reader. For more blog bodies click here
Thursday, April 23, 2009
fun for those who like fonts
Flipping typical lets you see any word spelled out in all the fonts you have loaded on your computer. It's fun. At least for the font nerds among us. Designers out there, please don't judge my fonts. I'm only a copywriter.
the storm is getting worser and worser
I can't wait for the gay rain army. It will be good. Good work funny or die. VIA prostituted thoughts
do not tweet gentle into that good night
Over at simon mainwaring's blog he recently posted about living on through your tweets.
People can now store there digital assets in a Legacy Locker, giving them immortality. Meanwhile, sites like MyDeathSpace.com seem to ensure that as you die, you live on as an internet entity. It's a strange thought: our social communications will live on past are actual bodies.
One of the appeals of being a writer or an artist was always that your work could live on past you and change the world, when you longer roamed the earth. Now with the internet we have a record of every word, rant, and vlog made by every joe schmoe out there. Indeed, some of these digital remains should live on. Others perhaps, are best left dead.
It's a nice thought. Digital immortality sort of makes you want to carve out as much digital space as possible before your untimely demise. Which is what spurred thoughts of an old Dylan Thomas poem in mind. I took a little license with it, and moderned it up a bit. You can read the far more profound original here. or you can read this:
Do not tweet gentle into that good night,
Old age should update and blog at close of day;
tweet, tweet against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
because their posts have spurred no comments,
Do not tweet gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
their frail flickr photos might have danced in a montage,
tweet, tweet against the dying of the light
Wild men whose myspace bands sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on a text,
Do not tweet gentle into that good night
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight that
crappy songs could blaze like meteors and be gay like cat videos,
tweet, tweet against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on your blackberry,
email me now with your fierce tears, I blog.
Do not tweet gentle into that good night.
Tweet, Tweet against the dying of the light.
so darn awkwardly adorable
Paper Heart is a documentary that starts with a simple premise. Youtube wondergirl, Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love. So she attempts to to get to the bottom of this love thing interviewing people from Vegas wedders to romantic comedy actors. Then something strange happens she meets actor Michael Cera of Arrested Development and sparks begin to fly. Michael Cera has to stop being so seductive, first he impregnated little Juno, and now Charlyne is all gooogoogaga over him.
So the movie becomes part her questioning love, part her falling in love. I'm not sure if this is a marketing ploy. But if not, it's kind of sweet. And lets us see how the making of, can turn on its head. Plus, I love that part where the kid says love is when someone takes you to Applebees and gets you hot wings. It works for me.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Switching it up
Hey all,
20something bloggers asked us all to play around a little and have a guest blogger in our space. So here's a post from the lovely Teresa. Check out her blog after, it's quite nice, far more pensive then my usual fare. I'm guesting at her place so click on the link for my post as well. Enjoy.
Bonjour you fine Daily Obsessional readers,
I'm Teresa, also known as professional blogger who does not get paid for blogging from A Chronicle of Things. I take my shit a bit seriously over on my blog a lot of the time, so when your lovely author, Mila came to me to do this blog switcheroo guest post, I jumped at the chance. Truthfully, we both belong to a social networking site aimed at bringing together 20-something bloggers. And this was their idea, but whatever. It makes Mila sound awesomely generous and me sound awesomely cool, so...there you go. There. You. Go.
I'd been a follower of Daily Obsessional for a while now, and have loved what I've read/watched thus far. The title of this blog got me thinking about what were my own favorite obsessional things. What can I not live without on a daily basis? Here's what I came up with...
Daily, I'm obsessed with these things:
1. Music Everyone loves it. I love it especially. Truthfully I live and breathe it. The funny thing is when I'm writing (which is another daily love), I cannot listen to music. It's a distraction for me. I so wish I could be one of those writer's whose favorite songs are as much a part of the development of their stories as the characters, but I'm not. It's silent around here when I'm tapping away on the keyboard. Daily, music pulses through my iPod earbuds and throughout the texture of my days. It's great. Anyway, right now, this is my favorite band - The Veils. Check 'em out here.
2. Books Oh yeah, books and I go waaay back. The first book I remember being obsessed with was Courtney Love's autobiography, properly titled "Courtney Love: The Real Story by" by, Poppy Z. Brite. Now, I'm not real sure what this says about me, but I truthfully remember devouring this book. It was like, '98. Grunge was deader than The Dead, but I was so immersed in the tragic and ridiculous story and I was so convinced that I wanted to make someone else feel the way Poppy Z. Brite had made me feel when reading the story. Hooked. I wanted to be someone's drug. Today the drug comes in a form you've heard about without a doubt. I'm on the last book of the Twilight saga, "Breaking Dawn". My days have been filled with romantic dialogue, impossibly good-looking vampires who just happen to live only on animal's blood and a clumsy,
damsel-in-distress who gets blissfully caught in the middle of it all. If you must, you can buy the entire saga here.
3. Writing Touched on this a bit earlier, but I've been writing since before I knew what it all meant. I called it journaling back then. I still do, but I do less of it in an actual journal and more of it on my laptop. I write something daily and I get frustrated and irritated and annoyed with it daily. And that's precisely why I will never give it up. I still buy journals though and I love these.
4. FOOD It's true, I'm a food snob. I can't even get into too much detail about why I love the art of cooking and the even finer art of sitting down to enjoy a meal. That story is too long and we just don't have the time, folks! I will just say this: my favorite memories ever all involve a kitchen, loved ones, aromas that stop you in your tracks, laughter and mass consumption. That last part sounds disturbing but, I make no apologies for my obsessions. Recently I discovered the beauty that is goat cheese and this is my favorite way to eat it.
5. Technology I can't live without, sadly. If given the choice between eliminating TVG or the my cell and the Internet from my life, I'd gladly go small-screen-less. Everything from Blackberry's to my Apple Macbook (drool), to my iPod, to my portable DVD player...I need it all. I wish this weren't the case, but who am I to fight against what my heart desires?? Okay, I'm pretty sure its' not my heart demanding these things and actually, last year there was a time when I went completely technology-less BY CHOICE, (I went nuts for a while last year) so I know that I CAN do it. I just don't want to. So, I don't. This is, by far, my favorite toy. You can purchase them refurbished (I know we're in a recession) here. If this thing were a dude, I'd be all over it.
6. Nature Good ol' Nature. The sun, the stars, the clouds, the trees, the oceans (not so much the lakes or the rivers, though I'm learning to be less prejudice) etc. I love it all & I need it all. There was a time that I lived in the desert and the veil between the living humans and all that encompasses Nature was so thin, I could see through it. I became dependent upon it. Not a day goes by that I don't take a walk in it, breathe it, smell it, love it, live it. Et cetera. It is my God and I truly have no problem with bowing down and absolutely worshipping it. Especially sunsets. Here's my own picture that I took last year.
Well folks, that's all for now. Thanks again to 20-Something Bloggers and the Daily Obsessional for making some e-space for me to share my thoughts and daily loves. Come and follow me! Unlike those sexy vampires, I can promise that I don't bite :)
Love,
Teresa
20something bloggers asked us all to play around a little and have a guest blogger in our space. So here's a post from the lovely Teresa. Check out her blog after, it's quite nice, far more pensive then my usual fare. I'm guesting at her place so click on the link for my post as well. Enjoy.
Bonjour you fine Daily Obsessional readers,
I'm Teresa, also known as professional blogger who does not get paid for blogging from A Chronicle of Things. I take my shit a bit seriously over on my blog a lot of the time, so when your lovely author, Mila came to me to do this blog switcheroo guest post, I jumped at the chance. Truthfully, we both belong to a social networking site aimed at bringing together 20-something bloggers. And this was their idea, but whatever. It makes Mila sound awesomely generous and me sound awesomely cool, so...there you go. There. You. Go.
I'd been a follower of Daily Obsessional for a while now, and have loved what I've read/watched thus far. The title of this blog got me thinking about what were my own favorite obsessional things. What can I not live without on a daily basis? Here's what I came up with...
Daily, I'm obsessed with these things:
1. Music Everyone loves it. I love it especially. Truthfully I live and breathe it. The funny thing is when I'm writing (which is another daily love), I cannot listen to music. It's a distraction for me. I so wish I could be one of those writer's whose favorite songs are as much a part of the development of their stories as the characters, but I'm not. It's silent around here when I'm tapping away on the keyboard. Daily, music pulses through my iPod earbuds and throughout the texture of my days. It's great. Anyway, right now, this is my favorite band - The Veils. Check 'em out here.
2. Books Oh yeah, books and I go waaay back. The first book I remember being obsessed with was Courtney Love's autobiography, properly titled "Courtney Love: The Real Story by" by, Poppy Z. Brite. Now, I'm not real sure what this says about me, but I truthfully remember devouring this book. It was like, '98. Grunge was deader than The Dead, but I was so immersed in the tragic and ridiculous story and I was so convinced that I wanted to make someone else feel the way Poppy Z. Brite had made me feel when reading the story. Hooked. I wanted to be someone's drug. Today the drug comes in a form you've heard about without a doubt. I'm on the last book of the Twilight saga, "Breaking Dawn". My days have been filled with romantic dialogue, impossibly good-looking vampires who just happen to live only on animal's blood and a clumsy,
damsel-in-distress who gets blissfully caught in the middle of it all. If you must, you can buy the entire saga here.
3. Writing Touched on this a bit earlier, but I've been writing since before I knew what it all meant. I called it journaling back then. I still do, but I do less of it in an actual journal and more of it on my laptop. I write something daily and I get frustrated and irritated and annoyed with it daily. And that's precisely why I will never give it up. I still buy journals though and I love these.
4. FOOD It's true, I'm a food snob. I can't even get into too much detail about why I love the art of cooking and the even finer art of sitting down to enjoy a meal. That story is too long and we just don't have the time, folks! I will just say this: my favorite memories ever all involve a kitchen, loved ones, aromas that stop you in your tracks, laughter and mass consumption. That last part sounds disturbing but, I make no apologies for my obsessions. Recently I discovered the beauty that is goat cheese and this is my favorite way to eat it.
5. Technology I can't live without, sadly. If given the choice between eliminating TVG or the my cell and the Internet from my life, I'd gladly go small-screen-less. Everything from Blackberry's to my Apple Macbook (drool), to my iPod, to my portable DVD player...I need it all. I wish this weren't the case, but who am I to fight against what my heart desires?? Okay, I'm pretty sure its' not my heart demanding these things and actually, last year there was a time when I went completely technology-less BY CHOICE, (I went nuts for a while last year) so I know that I CAN do it. I just don't want to. So, I don't. This is, by far, my favorite toy. You can purchase them refurbished (I know we're in a recession) here. If this thing were a dude, I'd be all over it.
6. Nature Good ol' Nature. The sun, the stars, the clouds, the trees, the oceans (not so much the lakes or the rivers, though I'm learning to be less prejudice) etc. I love it all & I need it all. There was a time that I lived in the desert and the veil between the living humans and all that encompasses Nature was so thin, I could see through it. I became dependent upon it. Not a day goes by that I don't take a walk in it, breathe it, smell it, love it, live it. Et cetera. It is my God and I truly have no problem with bowing down and absolutely worshipping it. Especially sunsets. Here's my own picture that I took last year.
Well folks, that's all for now. Thanks again to 20-Something Bloggers and the Daily Obsessional for making some e-space for me to share my thoughts and daily loves. Come and follow me! Unlike those sexy vampires, I can promise that I don't bite :)
Love,
Teresa
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