Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Totally Looks Like




If you never been to I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER or Totally Looks Like, give it a shot for some humor...

http://totallylookslike.icanhascheezburger.com/




Rossini Google Doodle

Happy birthday, Gioachino Rossini. The Italian composer would have turned 220 on Wednesday. Rossini's work plays an enormous role in movie and TV culture – from Seinfeld and Family Guy to Looney Tunes and the Lone Ranger.


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Will Something For Food

Will Something For Food
Designs We've Seen (a lot) Series


My buddy wanted some dough for CiCi's pizza buffet, and the dog just wanted treats. There have been so many spoofs of signs like these...



Friday, February 24, 2012

Festival Signs

Looks simple and painless enough, but each sign was plotted out from vectors of two colors of vinyl, weeded, taped and adhered to the signage. Old school method (that's why the corners act as guides). Quite a process.


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Amphibian Afterlives

posted by: Annette Heist


[VIEW ARTICLE]
Susan Classen-Sullivan “Love You More Than Life” (corpse series), an installation of five human-sized ceramic frogs.


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Monday, February 20, 2012

3-D Printing

More design hobbyists, entrepreneurs use 3-D printing


This technology is amazing. Seems so futuristic, but it's been around for a while.

Check out video
Read Article
Rajeev Kulkarni, vice president and general manager consumer solutions at 3D Systems Corporation, works at his desk while surrounded by objects created on a 3-D home printer.

Interesting Vehicle Designs

View Gallery
From Yahoo




Planters Nutmobile:
In 2011 Planters kicked off their "Naturally Remarkable" tour,
which espoused the ideals of conservationism to Americans across
the country. Mr. Peanut embarked on this nationwide road trip in
the Planters Nutmobile, which is made of environmentally-conscious
materials and runs on biofuel. 

Photo from: Facebook/Mr. Peanut


Boston Lobster Feast Car: 
Orlando's Boston Lobster Feast Car serves as an apt reminder of
the classic Simpson's episode when Homer adopted Pinchy the lobster
as a pet, accidentally boiled him in the bathtub, and ate him without
sharing, because "he would have wanted it that way." Tough, but fair. 

Photo by: Yelp/CobraK

Friday, February 17, 2012

Interesting Products (Giant Fortune Cookies)

I've been on a fortune cookie kick lately.

Two days ago I was thinking it would be nice to have a larger cookie because I go through them so quickly. Last night my wife asked me why I wasn't eating fortune cookies anymore because there was a full box in the cupboard. I told her I was still eating them -- I bought three additional boxes she didn't know about.

Today, a box arrives from my wife with a giant fortune cookie, and an equally large fortune.


Interesting Product Design (Crystal Head)

The vodka was co-founded by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander. The vodka was co-founded by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander.



Realistic South Park Characters

I mentioned how I enjoyed realistic images / illustrations / renditions of cartoon characters in my post If Disney Princesses Were Real and Life-like Beavis and Butt Head.

Here's another...

Thnaks Mom


I've been meaning to post this newspaper clipping for a while...


Back in May 2011 I posted the following:
I am usually pretty aware of my surroundings, but I was a little tired this morning. However, I thought I saw a billboard on River Road that said "Thnaks Mom!" It was just a quick glance so I may be the one messed up (I’ve been typing similarly lately), or it could have been part of a joke that the rest of the billboard explained.
I am a nerd when it comes to finding grammatical errors, extra spaces, or misspellings in professionally printed pieces. Everybody says, “Yeah, that’s great.”
So apparently I just couldn't read the small type to get the joke, and I highlighted a "non-error" in an award-winning campaign. Shamed. Sorry DCI!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Kellogg to buy Pringles; P&G, Diamond end deal


Kellogg to buy Pringles for $2.7B offer after Diamond, P&G end their deal
[READ ARTICLE]


I Saw A Deer Today

They are overpopulated, hunted, and roadkill. However, we are still fascinated with our encounters with deer. Or at least I seem to be.

If I saw a few deer in my backyard I would probably try to get a photo like it is some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I quietly sneak up on a group of deer grazing in a field, I would probably share this exciting news with people.

When I die, I am getting mounted to a deer to put out in the backyard. My loved ones will be able to point out the window, and say "There's old Will grazing in the yard." As long as a hunter doesn't catch sight of me...

On that note... hunting doesn't impress me, unless you're using the meat as a source of food or you hand-crafted the weapons out of nature in order to complete the hunt. Otherwise, it all reminds me of an episode of King of the Hill, where Hank takes Bobby to a hunting range. The deer are overpopulated in a fenced area, and come within a couple of feet of Bobby's gun because there are feeders all around them. Too simplified, but I guess it helps keep the deer population under control.



When I worked at a pony keg, we were a check-in station, and would tag deer for hunters. My goodness, they couldn't have been any more proud of their "accomplishment." They would ramble on-and-on, but all I thought of was the awful smell in the back of their truck, cutting a slit through the deer's leg or ear to tag it, and hosing the blood off the parking lot.





Monday, February 13, 2012

Poor Guy Photo Shoot

This must have been an interesting photo shoot...

"Jerry, get down on the floor and hold your head like you're dying!"


Friday, February 10, 2012

Motivational Posters

After a hiatus, I'm resurrecting Designs We've Seen (a lot) Series for what seems to be a popular trend on my Facebook these days--people posting spoof inspirational posters. They have always been lame, and that's the attraction. How much do they help you or your company?

wdsiemer ii

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Microsoft Windows 8

Designing the Start screenSteven Sinofsky
Microsoft Corporation

[View Article]

Say Goodbye to the Start Button

Charles Dickens Google Doodle

A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self.
Charles Dickens

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Best Super Bowl Commercials

You know this is Yahoo's front page news story tomorrow along with special articles in newspapers. Here is my vote for best commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ozVMxzNAA


Friday, February 3, 2012

Mona Lisa

I posted a while back that it seems like every week a new discovery is made about historically significant pieces of art, whether it be restoring, x-rays, or under coverings. Mona Lisa gets a new perspective...

Cows and Pigs

An amusing little image search. Where's Waldo (the pig).

Vt. prison inmate who makes license plates adds pig image on state police cruiser decals.

The Vermont State Police emblem is pictured in this undated handout photo received by Reuters on February 2, 2012 from the Vermont State Police. REUTERS/Vermont State Police/Handout

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Michael Jackson Animation

Plexus dancing man animation
by Colin Rozee plus

"Here's a little animation experiment I've knocked up using After Effects and the Plexus plug-in.."


http://vimeo.com/34724636

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Newt "The Newt" Gingrich

Newt "The Newt" Gingrich


Chemicals You Eat

I knew someone who worked at a flavoring company and he had all kinds of interesting stories to tell me about the chemicals in food and coloring.


Ammonium Hydroxide, image from KSDK TV
More on this later...

The International Business Times lists some other questionable chemicals showing up in our foods:


Ammonium Hydroxide: MSNBC reports that the chemical, used in fertilizers, household cleaners and even homemade explosives, was also used to prepare McDonalds' hamburger meat that would otherwise be inedible.

Propylene glycol:
This chemical is very similar to ethylene glycol, a dangerous anti-freeze. This less-toxic cousin  prevents products from becoming too solid. Some ice creams have this  ingredient; otherwise you'd be eating ice.

Carmine: Commonly found in red food coloring, this chemical comes from crushed cochineal, small red beetles that burrow into cacti. Husks of the beetle are ground up and forms the basis for red coloring found in foods ranging from cranberry juice to M&Ms.

Shellac: Yes, this chemical used to finish wood products also gives some candies their sheen. It comes from the female Lac beetle.

L-cycsteine:
This common dough enhancer comes from hair, feathers, hooves and bristles.

Lanolin (gum base): Next time you chew on gum, remember this. The goopiness of gum comes from lanolin, oils from sheep's wool that is also used  for vitamin D3 supplements.

Silicon dioxide: Nothing weird about eating sand, right? This anti-caking agent is found in many foods including shredded cheese and fast food chili.