Archive for November 2002

Will Ferrell + Santa Suit + Apple Switch Ad = Hilarity

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 25th, 2002 No Comments

If these two commercials don’t sell computers and iPods, nothing will.

BMW Design Chief Sees Art on Wheels; Some Just See Ugly

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 25th, 2002 2 Comments

“Since the 1960’s, BMW has pried open the wallets of the affluent by producing handsome, conservative cars known for handling, performance, luxury and, most of all, status.

But now, even as BMW threatens to overtake Toyota’s Lexus as the best-selling luxury brand in the United States, a 46-year-old American executive from Wisconsin is not satisfied. He is trying to make the yuppie dream car as idiosyncratic as it once was predictable. And a lot of longtime BMW lovers hate him for it.

Mr. Bangle has much of the deep-thinking artistic soul in him. He is supremely intense. At a dinner at the Detroit Institute of Arts he briefly grew teary when describing the frustrations of a profession that has him telling his artists, all at various points, that projects of years in duration will never see the light of day. Such is the car business.” (nytimes.com)

I love the precise engineering, the performance, and the attention to design detail that you see in all BMWs. But over the years they’ve become less daring and more constrained in terms of design form.

I applaud Mr. Bangle for taking this stand and putting himself on the line to produce something daring and ground breaking. The new Z4 is proof of his committment to innovation and lasting value in the design world. As a designer who’s in his mid-20’s there are few cars on the road today that hold my attention more than the new Z4 and 7 series (released last year by BMW).

But above all, this quote by Bangle illustrates what his guiding rational is:

“We don’t make automobiles, which are utilitarian machines you use to get from Point A to Point B. We make cars, moving works of art.”(nytimes.com)

I feel like I’m the only one not criticizing the “Bangle Blunder” — am I off base here?

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog…the Album

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 22nd, 2002 No Comments

Anyone who’s caught the infamous Star Wars Fan segment on Conan knows how insanely funny this bit is. For those who don’t watch Conan O’Brien Triumph is a sock puppet dog that wears a bow-tie, smokes a cigar and makes fun of people. Oh… and he also tends to end many of his sentences with the comment “for me to poop on”. His MTV Video Music Award performance alone was a thing of beauty.

Now comes the rumor of a full length album featuring the sock puppet. So for anyone who might have missed the Triumph craze this should get you caught up.

insultcomicdog.com

Who Wants a Smart Phone?

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 22nd, 2002 No Comments

In short, the once-separate worlds of computing and mobile telephony are now colliding, and the giants of each industry—Microsoft and Nokia, respectively—are squaring up for a fight for pre-eminence (see article). Both camps are betting that some kind of pocket communicator, or “smartphone”, will be the next big thing after the PC, which has dominated the technology industry ever since it overthrew the mainframe 20 years ago.

Admittedly, the two camps have different ideas about how such devices should be built. The computer industry believes in squeezing a general-purpose computer into a small casing; the mobile-phone industry takes a more gentle, gradualist approach of adding new features as consumers get used to existing ones. But are the two sides right about the future of computing in the first place?(Economist.com)

With the advance of flexible/foldable screens that will come to market in the next 5-10 years we’ll see an explosion is small portable devices that can do it all and remain pocket-sized.

But in the mean time will the average consumer want or need a phone that can watch video or take pictures? If they have one will they actually use the technology? Remember these same type of questions were asked 20 years ago when people were debating the need for pesonal computers.

The two devices that I think have the best chance at becoming cultural icons (like the iPod has become) are the SonyEricsson P800and the Nokia 3650. It will be interesting to see how they fare over the next year in the market.

Would Jesus Drive an SUV?

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 20th, 2002 9 Comments

“A coalition of religious and environmental groups is launching a “What Would Jesus Drive?” campaign Wednesday, hoping to get people to switch to more fuel-efficient cars.

The move comes as the Bush administration reportedly considers a proposal to increase fuel efficiency standards for SUVs and light trucks. According to the Wall Street Journal, the proposal, currently at an early draft stage, is likely to draw intense opposition from car manufacturers.” (cnnfn.com)

I’m all for this. All you have to do is listen to the Ken Brasher interview on my site here to understand the immense evils that SUVs bring to our roads and culture.


I was a little concerned at first about the use of a religous figure in this compaign but in the markets it will be targeting this may prove to be a wise move

I just hope that the current administration has the backbone to stand up to the Big Three this time and back tougher emissions requirements for the SUVs. When you consider our average consumption of gas hasn’t really gone down at all over the past 20 years you realize that things must change. Of course this isn’t even referring to the vast array of safety issues they pose to themselves and other motorists.

On Sale at Old Navy: Cool clothes for Identical Zombies!

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 19th, 2002 8 Comments

Old Navy and other cheap but tasteful retailers provide perfect fodder for Thomas Frank’s critique. Their low prices and hip-but-wholesome branding strategy are supposed to present a healthy alternative to the conspicuous consumption of a Calvin Klein. But critics like Frank and Naomi Klein, author of “No Logo,” argue that the formula is really nothing more than the wolf of materialism wrapped in cheaper sheep’s clothing.

Consumers are being scammed, says Klein, arguing that stores like Old Navy and Ikea are duping millions, inspiring mass conformity while pretending to deliver high culture to the masses. “It’s this whole idea of creating a carnival for the most homogeneous fashions and furniture,” says Klein. “It’s mass cloning that’s being masked in a carnival of diversity. You don’t notice that you’re conforming because everything is so colorful.”(Salon.com)

As consumers what are we suppose to do for a stylish, well designed, yet inexpensive jacket? Buy vintage? Create huge crdit card debt and all buy Don Sherman? Is conformity such a bad thing if it’s giving the consumer a stylish jacket for less because it’s mass produced? Don’t get me wrong I fully appreciate a a well made pair of Italian shoes or a great vintage find tucked away in the closet of an estate sale. But in the end I think I’ll keep rummaging through the ever accessible sale racks of Jcrew and Banana Republic.

Bad News For Decaf Fans

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 19th, 2002 No Comments

Coffee drinkers take note. In a new study , swiss researchers found that systolic blood pressure rose markedly within an hour of drinking coffee - regardless of whether it was caffeinated or not.

“There was also an increase in the activation of their sympathetic nervous system which controls heartbeat and breathing, again independent of the caffeine content of the drink. Among the regular coffee drinkers, nervous system activation increased but blood pressure remained stable when they drank either form of coffee, said lead researcher Roberto Corti, a cardiologist from the University Hospital in Zurich. This implied the body could learn to tolerate and compensate for the effect of coffee on blood pressure, Dr Corti said. It also suggested that the effect was due not to caffeine but to some other, so far unidentified, ingredient.” (www.smh.com.au)

Look for Starbucks to introduce the quadruple shot latte next month.

Rear Foglights Anyone?

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 19th, 2002 2 Comments

Why are we one of the only countries in the world to not have rear foglights on our cars? Pile-ups like the one in Wisconsin and Georgia this year stand a decent chance being prevented with the devices.

Rear foglights work to make your car or truck more visable to the person following it in hard to see situations. They are generally about as bright as brake lights. US automakers aren’t the only ones at fault though. They used to be standard on almost all European cars in the US but most Euro automakers have axed the devices citing cost savings and an uneducated driving public in the states (ie people driving with them on unknowingly). The new MINI Cooper has them even installed and ready to go but is missing a switch and a wire.

The Cone of Silence When Buying a Computer

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 19th, 2002 2 Comments

Al Fasoldt writes about the Cone of silence over the alternative computer choice: I find this odd. Apple’s computers have enough advantages to fill a DVD….We would all think it strange if no one talked about BMWs just because most consumers drove Toyotas and Fords. We’d wonder what was going on if we went to a fancy restaurant and found that steak had been removed from the menu — had been placed in a cone of silence — because most of the people who go there prefer hamburgers.” (from Technofile)

There are many reasons why Micro$oft and PC makers have 90% of the personal computer market. True innovation and strength of product isn’t one of them. This is article paints a rather simplistic view of Mac vs. Windoze war but it’s a good starting point for people considering a new personal computer.

Irish Wise

Sections: Uncategorized Nov 1st, 2002 3 Comments

Notre Dame is officially a premier college football program again and much of the credit should go to new coach Tyrone Willingham.

When a mostly white, conservative school like Notre Dame has a black coach, the statement resonates beyond the field, the polls and the college football landscape. As Ty likes to say, “I believe in the greater good.” And in this case, the greater good is that not just the team but the entire Notre Dame student body gets to see a dignified authority figure who just happens to be a black man. Sarah Tynan, a junior, is a student manager. She told me about a recent victory dinner. “I’ve never seen anyone command as much respect as he does,” she says. “When he stands up, all these really large guys just stop chewing. It’s amazing.” (ESPN The Magazine).

How can you not be extremely impressed with this guy. He’s almost Lou Holtz like in his character and approach to the game yet implements an offense that’s much more progressive. Why he wasn’t chosen initially last November as their new coach is beyond me.