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Advertising Death Too Early To Call

Upon reading newspaper reports of his demise, a still-breathing Mark Twain said, "The report of my death has been grossly exaggerated."

Similarly advertising is not, as has been claimed by some colleagues, 'dying' and 'kaput.'

It's still among us, just evolving.

Darwin's theory of evolution is often misquoted is 'survival of the fittest.' It is, as you know, 'survival of those most adaptable to change.'

Thus, commercials on TV will be replaced by downloading shows with two fee models: Watch an ad first, then watch your favorite show for free. Or, don't watch an ad and pay $1.99.

If the ads are of Superbowl quality then folks won't mind watching them.

Hence, great advertising will be in demand once more.

I think.

Bad News For Good Photographers

Royalty-free for a buck?

I understand 'The Long Tail,' but can any snapper be making money on that?

Electric Superbike

The Vectrix Superbike features state-of-the-art clean technology––a motor and batteries instead of an engine and fuel tank.

It celebrates its zero-emission electric power by pushing the aesthetic boundaries of a  “green” vehicle--which has always been the biggest barrier to trial for consumers looking for more intelligent, conscientious personal transportation: green cars don't look cool.

Looks like that barrier just fell.

Robrady

Peg 'O The Day : Chipmunk Foetus

Now there's two words you don't often see together.

Stunning photography from inside the Mommy chipmunk's womb.

The Changing Face Of Women In Film

A fascinating montage of female movie icons over the years.

Film buffs can check their total recall here:

Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Norma Shearer, Ruth Chatterton, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Carole Lombard, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Vivien Leigh, Greer Garson, Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Loretta Young, Deborah Kerr, Judy Garland, Anne Baxter, Lauren Bacall, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Audrey Hepburn, Dorothy Dandridge, Shirley MacLaine, Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Janet Leigh, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Ann Margret, Julie Andrews, Raquel Welch, Tuesday Weld, Jane Fonda, Julie Christie, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve, Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver, Kathleen Turner, Holly Hunter, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Diane Lane, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry.

Women In Film

Shackleton Advertisment

The source of this advertisment has never been conclusively identified, but it's said to have been placed by Ernest Shackleton (1874––1922) during the planning of his Nimrod expedition.





Copywriting was never so honest, or prophetic.

Peg 'O The Day : Crystal Cave

Buried a thousand feet beneath Naica mountain in Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert this cave was discovered by two miners excavating a new tunnel for a zinc mining company.

It contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet long and weighing up to 55 tons.

For scale, see the geologist in the bottom right corner.

Cueva de los Cristales 

Quote 'O The Day : Trillions

A million seconds is about 11 1/2 days.

A billion seconds is about 32 years.

A trillion seconds is about 32,000 years.

(That might put the stimulus package into perspective for you.)

Beanz Meanz Heinz

Heinz is resurrecting its Beanz Meanz Heinz slogan more than 40 years after it was first broadcast, and I for one couldn't be happier––I sang along to it as a kid.

The classic branded slogan, originally penned in a London pub in '67, became one of the best known phrases of the day:

                "A million housewives every day,
                pick up a tin of Beans and say,
                Beanz Meanz Heinz."

Creator Maurice Drake said: 'After weeks of searching for a new campaign theme the answer came in a London pub. I still find it incredible that, over 40 years later, the seemingly timeless Beanz Meanz Heinz slogan continues to have relevance and brand power, still appealing to different generations in an ever-changing world."

I'll have beans with that.

World's First Digital Image

This picture was scanned from a photograph on an NBS mechanical drum scanner, processed by a SEAC computer, and displayed on an oscilloscope.

Brand 'O The Week : Smittens

Just in time for Valentine's, 'Smittens' allow couples to hold hands inside one glove.

(The loveless may stop reading now.)

As you're still reading you obviously wish to hear Mrs. Wendy Feller describe her eureka moment:

"I created the idea of Smittens while on a romantic walk with my husband. We were trying to hold hands through our bulky mittens when it dawned on me to create a mitten that was large enough for both our hands. That way, I thought, we could truly hold hands."

Hubby and budding naming whiz came up with the moniker.

I can see the Hallmark product placement now.

Smittens

The New Yorker Digital Version

The New Yorker has gone digital; henceforth subscribers can get the issue online before it hits either the newsstand or their mailbox.

So now you can catch up on all those unread back issues you really aren't going to get any work done at the office.

New Yorker Sign Up

Peg 'O The Day : Kingfisher

These remarkable pictures were taken at a pristine river in Land Hessen, central Germany.

Kingfishers are notoriously difficult to photograph because of their speed; they can reach 60mph in a dive.

Rubic Cube Record

And to think some of us have never solved it.

Rubic Magic

Flying-Cam Secrets Revealed

Curse of the Golden Flower was the first feature in China to use Flying-Cam. Directed by Zhang Yimou, Curse portrays rebellion inside the imperial palace during the Tang Dynasty.

Enlisted for battle scenes, pilot and company founder Emmanuel Previnaire faced numerous challenges; namely flying a remote chopper over hundreds of extras, in the rain, and at night.

Flying-Cam II was equipped with a 18mm Zeiss Lens High Speed T 1:3 to capture the night beauty of the Forbidden City.

Curse Trailer

Fly-Cam Demo

Best Superbowl Spot

The freshest copy we've heard in quite some time:

'It May Be Time' : '60

It can be hard to know when you need a new job.

As a rule if you hate going to work every day it may be time.

If you hate going to work and your coworkers don't respect you, it may be time.

"Hey Dummy."

If you hate going to work, your coworkers don't respect you, and you always wish you were somewhere else, it may be time.

"Whoo-hoo!"

If you hate going to work, your coworkers don't respect you, you wish you were somewhere else, and you cry constantly, it may be time.

"Aaargh."

If you hate going to work, your coworkers don't respect you, you wish you were somewhere else, you cry constantly, and you daydream of punching small animals, it may be time.

"Oh dear."

If you hate going to work, no-one respects you, you wish you were somewhere else, you cry constantly, you daydream of punching small animals, and you sit next to this guy, it may be time.

"Hahahaha."

If you make loads of money, it may not be time.

"It's gold."

But if you make loads of money, you hate going to work, no-one respects you, you wish you were somewhere else, you cry constantly, you daydream of punching small animals, and you sit next to this guy, it's probably time.

As a rule.

It May Be Time

Lego Camera For Grown-Ups

This Lego digital camera will be available for purchase from the Lego website later this year, along with a working Lego MP3 player.

What next? Lego TV?

Site 'O The Week : BookCrossing

BookCrossing lets you recycle your favorite novel by leaving it on a park bench, a coffee shop, or at a hotel on vacation––anywhere your thumbed copy might find a new reader.

You then post the title and location online...what happens next is up to fate. You can even track the book's odessey as it passes from person to person.

750,000 people in over 130 countries have already shared their passion for books.

Give your book a happy ending.

BookCrossing.com

Peg 'O The Day : Apocalyptic Clouds

If you're an unlucky witness to the end of days it might look not unlike this apocalyptic cloud coloring formed over Inglefield Bay, about 800 miles from the North Pole.

Site 'O The Week : Cake Wrecks

Hilarity ensues when cake decorators misinterpret the customer's instructions.

No problem.

When professional cakes go horribly wrong