Check it out, peeps! Free tickets to THE shopping experience of the holiday season! We'll be there...will you?
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You may or may not be aware that MAN vs. GEORGE has a monthly newsletter. It features pretty pictures and entertaining stories of the latest graphic design projects around the studio. Here is a link to this month's edition:
George's Notebook - June 2010 - News from MAN vs. GEORGE DESIGNTo keep up with all the latest MvG news, images, and special offers, you can sign up for the newsletter here.
If you scroll down below the customer reviews on a given product on Amazon.com
Here are the first three discussion topics listed on a product page I just viewed:
The day you wear a white silk sweater to work is the day that the frozen entree you blindly grabbed on your way out the door in the morning is spaghetti.
I know, I know... I've been terribly remiss in updating the blog lately. We have been so busy actually *participating* in action-packed adventures that we haven't had time to write about them. If only George the Cat could type...
On the left (in the sidebar) is a list of stories I owe you. Vote on which one you want to hear next. Polls are open for two weeks. Cast your vote and shape the editorial future of this blog! I will write blog posts in descending order of popular vote. (That's right... no electoral college here, baby!) If you can think of a story I may have mentioned once in passing but forgot to add to the list, remind me about it in the Comments below.
This just in -- Ryan will be among the artists featured on Boundless Gallery's home page on Tuesday, February 10.
Boundless Gallery's Discover an Artist section features 50 artists per day, in rotations of 5. If you don't see Ryan's work when you land on the home page, you can either refresh your browser until you do, or click directly to his online gallery. (Note: Due to his desire not to be mistaken for the football player of the same name, his art is listed there under R. William instead of Ryan.)
This is a nice surprise to start off the week, and it gave us something fun to post on the Blog page of the brand new MAN vs. GEORGE DESIGN Web site.
Please take a look at both the Boundless Gallery page and the MAN vs. GEORGE site and let us know what you think in the comments!
If you need a little post-holiday pick-me-up, head on over to Cake Wrecks, where you will find an amazing selection of photos and commentary illustrating what happens "when professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong."
I especially enjoyed perusing the Missed Marks category, which features some great photo pairs depicting what the customer wanted versus what she got. To wit:
She wanted her cake to look like this Martha Stewart beauty:
...but this is what she got instead:
Or how about this?
What she wanted:
What she got:
Hours of entertainment, I'm telling ya!
During a recent phone conversation I asked my sister Aberdeen what she's been up to lately. Her list went on for minutes (!), which I wouldn't say was necessarily unexpected, given the number of home projects, community commitments, and family activities she typically has going on at any given moment. What struck me, though, was the last item on her list:
"Oh, yeah, and I'm trying to save the Riverside Arcade Building."
Oh yeah. That.
In addition to her numerous other projects and activities, which would sap the time and energy of any normal mortal, Aberdeen is spearheading a community effort to save a landmark historic building in the Village of Riverside, Illinois. The Riverside Arcade Building was abandoned in the midst of a rehabilitation project this summer when the owner was indicted by the SEC, and now the building stands unsecured, poorly covered, and exposed to the elements as winter approaches.
Now, Aberdeen is rallying people in her community and others around the world who support the preservation of historic landmarks to save the building. Check out Save Riverside Arcade for all the details.
Leave it to Twitter to spark a resurgence in haiku. By limiting status updates to 140 characters, Twitter forces the writer to be picky with words. Unfortunately, many Twitter users see this as an invitation to post rolling status messages:
We've all heard of the concept of a "victimless crime," but probably not a "crimeless victim." I humbly submit our back yard fence as an example.
Early yesterday evening as I was walking through my dining room, my attention was drawn to the back yard, where I heard some commotion through the open window. I saw a young man running at top speed through the yard, chased by an older man who was yelling, "Get the hell out of my neighborhood! Don't ever let me catch you in my neighborhood again!"
Frankly, I didn't recognize the older man, so I have no idea if he lives on my street or if he had been chasing the kid for many blocks, or if perhaps he was an escapee from the local mental hospital (and therefore had no right to be speaking on behalf of the neighborhood). But I had a high-speed foot chase to watch, so I didn't ask questions.
Now, anyone who's ever visited my house knows that you can't run very far in the yard without running into a fence. It runs perpendicular to the side of the house and separates the front yard from the back. Squirrels run under it or through the slats, deer jump over it, we walk through the little gate that has a very tricky childproof (and sometimes adultproof) latch. Everyone obeys the natural order of the fence.
Except for this fleeing kid. No sooner does the old guy shout, "If I ever see you back here, so help me...," than the running boy takes leap over the fence, catching his shoe on it and ripping off two of the pickets as he falls to the ground with an agonized scream. In the next instant he got up and kept on running, leaving the old guy shaking his head in disgust at a chase narrowly lost. (Stupid childproof latch!)
Because the previous owners of my house affixed a Neighborhood Watch sticker to our kitchen window and I'm too lazy to peel it off, I figured I'd do my part and ask the old guy what was going on.
I leaned out the back door and cautiosly called out, "Hello? Sir? Is everything OK?" Keep in mind, I watch my fair share of crime thrillers so I know that not everything is as it seems, and we *do* have that mental hospital nearby, so I was making no assumptions as to anyone's innocence, guilt, or mental status.
Turns out the man caught the kid trying to steal stuff from his garage. "It's okay," he said. "I caught him before he could take anything." The man thanked me for my concern and headed back to what I must assume is his home.
So no crime was committed. Yet there lay the ruins of my fence. Like I said, a crimeless victim.
Today we are attending Barack Obama's Rally for America's Workers in Milwaukee. It's a gorgeous day out, and we are looking forward to it! We'll let you know how it goes when we get home tonight.
Later that night...
Damn, the Obama campaign and the organizers of Labor Fest sure know how to run a rally. I was expecting chaos (I'm not quite sure why), but everything was very well put together. Most surprising of all, things ran according to the schedule printed on the ticket! I guess I'm more accustomed to rock shows, where headliners arrive on stage two-and-a-half hours after ticket time, drunk and/or coked out of their minds, and then proceed to insult the audience while stumbling half-heartedly through their latest album, refusing to play the hits from their earlier albums, and cursing the miserable Detroit winter weather. But I digress.
Suffice it to say, Senator Obama's Labor Day rally in Milwaukee was great fun! There were almost 20,000 people there, from the looks of it. The event was held at the Marcus Amphitheater, on the Summerfest grounds. The seats were packed with people young and old, of all races and ethnicities, and what appeared to be a wide range of income brackets. I don't mean to sound hokey, but it was great to see so many different kinds of people coming together, united and enthusiastic in their ideals. (On a side note, I can totally see the power of the mob mentality. Democrat or Republican, it doesn't matter. Get 20,000 of them in one place, all shouting the same slogan -- be it "Yes We Can!" or "Down With The Environment!" -- all cheering and clapping and getting caught up in the good-time adrenaline rush, pretty soon you're out tipping cars and lighting midgets on fire. Just sayin'. It's a fine line, people. Rally responsibly.)
Back to our narrative.
I was especially happy to see that so many parents brought their children to the event. And the kids were digging it! No matter which candidate you prefer (although clearly the right choice for America is Obama -- take that my closeted Republican friends!), it's so important to vote (for Obama). And the earlier kids learn that, the better. Not only can voting fill you with a sense of pride in taking part in our great democratic (small D) process, but it also gets you a little "I Voted!" sticker that you can use as a tardy pass to school or work. Look into it.
Remind me never to go to World Market during my lunch break, on an empty stomach. I end up walking out with things like Snack Salad-brand SnapeaCrisps (Original Flavor), a "delicate and tasty" baked snack distributed by Calbee America, Inc., of Torrance, California.
I was drawn to the lush illustration of snow pea pods on the front of the package. They appeared to be dehydrated, but they were so pretty and green (and baked, not fried!) that I figured it was a wholesome lunchtime alternative to a cart-ful of Ritter Sport bars and tiny bottles of champagne.
Wholesome, that is, until I read the back of the package when I got back to work.
The pea has played an important role in dietary life and culture since the dawn of recorded history, and because of its nutritional value it has great potential for our dietary lives in the future. We are expecting to see the continuing development of "Snapea Crisps" as a delicate and tasty product which has taken advantage of the pea's original goodness, and we propose this product as a new type of snack.
Never before has a description of a product by its own manufacturer made me feel simultaneously so grandiose (for playing such a great role in history), so bewildered (by the syntax of their logical proposition), and so dirty (for taking advantage of once-innocent peas).
But wait - there's more!
In searching for an image of the package, I visited the manufacturer's web site, where I was treated to some more musings about the wonders of this product.
SnapeaCrisps originate from high quality sun-dried peas. Using new and unique technology, we created the world's first easily graspable, snow pea-shaped crisp! [Ed. Note: I did not realize the world already offered snow pea-shaped crisps that were difficult to grasp, but I appreciate the refinement.]
We have come up with a product that is pleasing to the eye as well. In fact, although SnapeaCrisps are themselves peas [Ed. Note: They're peas. Check.], the product is innovative because it retains all the unique characteristics of the peas [Ed. Note: They're peas and they have the characteristics of peas. Check.] and, at the same time, removes the pet peeves traditionally associated with them. [Ed. Note: Pea-related pet peeves? Do tell!]
This product contains 17% vegetable protein and 8% fiber that comes mostly from the skin of the peas. What's more, SnapeaCrisps contain an abundance of vitamins, iron, and calcium. SnapeaCrisps deliver the pea's natural nutrients in their entirety. [Ed. Note: Is that one of the pet peeves?]
There are two types of flavors that can be chosen according to one's taste or the occasion. [Ed. Note: A girl loves her choices.] There is the Original, which has basic flavoring, and the Caesar that tastes like the popular salad. [Ed. Note: Not like the popular Roman leader.] Along with carrots and celery sticks, the Original will not only go great with your favorite dip, but the dip will actually enhance the flavor of the crisps. Please give it a try. [Ed. Note: Wait a second...the peas taste good with dip, and the dip tastes good with the peas? This is fascinating! But this only applies to Original flavor. I guess the editorial board axed the logical extension of that last part: "But Caesar tastes like ass with dip. Please avoid it."]
Peas have been an important part of the human diet for approximately 8,000 years. In fact, remains of snow peas dating back to the New Stone Age (or around 4500 B.C.) have been found around a lake in Switzerland...in an Egyptian grave around the time of the pharaohs...and even in the ancient ruins of Troy. Peas have also been widely cultivated along the Mediterranean coast as well as in the area of Mesopotamia, and they continue to be an important agricultural crop influencing different cultures and their eating habits. [Ed. Note: This last paragraph isn't nearly as funny, although I do wonder how the conversation went among the archaeologists when excavating the Egyptian grave-site. "Get a load of this golden sarcophagus..." "Watch it, you buffoon! You almost stepped on the remains of the peas!"]
Snacktime will never be the same again.
My friend the English professor (who asked to remain nameless, lest curious Googling students or college administrators discover her snarky side) received a most excellent email demand the other day.
It was from a student who got seriously ill and missed the final exam before summer break. My friend the English professor gave the student a take-home final, which the student took his sweet time completing. Fast forward a few weeks and this message was waiting in the English professor's inbox (and yes, I do keep repeating the phrase "my friend the ENGLISH PROFESSOR" for a reason):
Professor: It is impertinent that you grade my final right away.
We have CNN.com set as the default page that appears whenever we open a new Web browser window. Sometimes the stories featured "above the fold" in the Latest News list are legitimately headline-worthy, but there are often more than a few that leave us thinking we need to shop around for a news site that is more info, less -tainment.
Today, for example:
Our friends Cindy and Sergio are spending at least a year in Italy for work, and we love catching up on their latest photos and stories on their blog, gorditz!. They are living in Voghera, which is about halfway between Milan and Genova. Reading their stories makes me hungry, so it's probably good that the dollar is so weak -- otherwise I'd be on the first plane to Milan and I'd show up on their doorstep and follow them to every meal.
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Lately, the Mister and I have heard a number of people (and also politicians, pundits, and high-ranking business leaders) make statements that include something along the lines of "_____ is hoping to find a silver bullet in this situation."
Unless you are thirsty for a Coors Light or hunting vampires*, a silver bullet is not going to help your situation. It's a magic bullet, people.
*Editor's Note: Thanks for the comments from our faithful readers. I wish I could claim to have slid "vampires" in there instead of "werewolves" on purpose, to see how observant y'all are. However, I seem to have joined the ranks of the Malaprops who not only mistake silver bullets for magic bullets, but who occasionally go on national news programs and talk about offering rogue nations the "fig leaf of peace." And no, I am not making that up. But at least I got the Coors Light part right! ;-)
Don't eat oatmeal until it has cooled down to a temperature at least slightly lower than that of the Sun. Just sayin'.
