This is who I will become. Mwahahahahaha.
It's funny because it is true.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Cartoon of the Week - No. 1
The first cartoon of the week is from Dilbert and concerns PhD people, and in particular Management/Engineering PhDs. With facial hair.
This is who I will become. Mwahahahahaha.
It's funny because it is true.
This is who I will become. Mwahahahahaha.
It's funny because it is true.
Comics
Although it may be hard for some people to believe, when I was younger I was a little bit nerdy - geeky, if you will. I look back on some episodes in my life with a certain level of embarrassment and, in some cases, I find I have blanked them out completely. (Fellow experiencers of geeky episodes may find solice here. And everyone else can laugh at their patheticism.)
During a rambling conversation whilst on a recent trip to Cambridge with Helen (my wife) to visit our friend Catherine, a long forgotten memory concerning public renditions of (very) dubious 90's dance tunes was uncovered. Painful. Even those who know me best know only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and that's the way it must remain.
Over the past decade, that side of me has been surpressed and today I try to keep my nerding to a minimum. However, a lapse a few years ago did result in an X-factor style competition involving a number of daily cartoon strips. I'm not proud of it, and there is no way I will divulge the details - let's just say Excel was involved.
As a result of this procrastination, I ended up with a number of cartoons that I follow daily. From these I have chosen some of my favorites to kind of get a "Cartoon of the Week", which I will try to update regularly. The first is in the following post.
Now let us never speak of the geeking again...
During a rambling conversation whilst on a recent trip to Cambridge with Helen (my wife) to visit our friend Catherine, a long forgotten memory concerning public renditions of (very) dubious 90's dance tunes was uncovered. Painful. Even those who know me best know only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and that's the way it must remain.
Over the past decade, that side of me has been surpressed and today I try to keep my nerding to a minimum. However, a lapse a few years ago did result in an X-factor style competition involving a number of daily cartoon strips. I'm not proud of it, and there is no way I will divulge the details - let's just say Excel was involved.
As a result of this procrastination, I ended up with a number of cartoons that I follow daily. From these I have chosen some of my favorites to kind of get a "Cartoon of the Week", which I will try to update regularly. The first is in the following post.
Now let us never speak of the geeking again...
Falling Out of Love
This weekend brought the final realisation that one of the longest relationships I've had has come to an end. The break-up has been protracted - I've known for a number of years that I just didn't feel the same way as I used to, but I continued to go through the motions. Sure, there were still times of excitement and I convinced myself I still cared, but this weekend I knew it was over.
I no longer loved football, and more specifically, Manchester United.
Since 1987 I had been a United supporter. I followed them from the lows of the late 80s, through the giddy climb to the treble winning season of 1999. It wasn't always easy. United, more than any other team, generate irrational derision from the supporters of other teams. When I was at secondary school I would have to endure Monday mornings knowing that the defeat of the weekend would be scrawled over the form room blackboard. (A coca-cola cup defeat to York was the worst.)
But I didn't care - I was obsessed. My teenage walls were covered by the ugly mugs of Pallister, Bruce, Hughes and Irwin. My wardrobe was largely red and black. Relations looking for presents had a large array of sure-winning books and videos to choose from.
However, this weekend I realised that I was no longer bothered. Utd lost 4-1 to Middlesborough. It's not the result that matters, but rather that I didn't care about it.
Football has often been compared to religion, and I guess in some ways it is analogous. Football, like all sport, doesn't matter - what happens on the pitch has no direct effect on the vast majority of people's lives. To be a football fan you just have to believe in your team - it's not rational. There was no reason why I supported a team from a city I have no connection to, but I did - for maybe 7 years they were a really important aspect of my life.
But now, like a Christian who realises they just don't believe, I find that acting as a fan is just a futile charade. Sure, I still enjoy the odd game, and I'm really looking forward to the World Cup, but I'm no longer a football fan.
I no longer loved football, and more specifically, Manchester United.
Since 1987 I had been a United supporter. I followed them from the lows of the late 80s, through the giddy climb to the treble winning season of 1999. It wasn't always easy. United, more than any other team, generate irrational derision from the supporters of other teams. When I was at secondary school I would have to endure Monday mornings knowing that the defeat of the weekend would be scrawled over the form room blackboard. (A coca-cola cup defeat to York was the worst.)
But I didn't care - I was obsessed. My teenage walls were covered by the ugly mugs of Pallister, Bruce, Hughes and Irwin. My wardrobe was largely red and black. Relations looking for presents had a large array of sure-winning books and videos to choose from.
However, this weekend I realised that I was no longer bothered. Utd lost 4-1 to Middlesborough. It's not the result that matters, but rather that I didn't care about it.
Football has often been compared to religion, and I guess in some ways it is analogous. Football, like all sport, doesn't matter - what happens on the pitch has no direct effect on the vast majority of people's lives. To be a football fan you just have to believe in your team - it's not rational. There was no reason why I supported a team from a city I have no connection to, but I did - for maybe 7 years they were a really important aspect of my life.
But now, like a Christian who realises they just don't believe, I find that acting as a fan is just a futile charade. Sure, I still enjoy the odd game, and I'm really looking forward to the World Cup, but I'm no longer a football fan.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Head and Shoulders
Some adverts seem to use a stock advertising clip and then apply their own twist to it. Invariably this results in a particularly lame - and sometimes infuriating - advertising campaign.
Head and Shoulders (H&S) are the latest company to use this trick.
Cue a frollicking, attractive couple, waltzing in each others arms on a beach. If you were to pause this advert and ask what it was advertising, it could be anything - clothing, perfume (although maybe not "out-there" enough"), holidays, Durex, etc.
H&S make shampoo, and in particular for dandruffed University lecturers and librarians. They therefore need to somehow turn this off-the-shelf clip into a reference to hair. But how to do it?
Easy. H&S set a poser, a question, a fiendish riddle to really get the greatest philosophical minds working.
"Would you put dandruff in this picture?"
WHAT? It's meant to be rhetorical, I guess, so I the consumer should laugh and say "Of course not, that would be terrible. Good job we have H&S to save us from that ignomy."
However, it doesn't work. I, like most right-minded people, dislike the impossibly beautiful. Therefore anything that might upset them - like finding their scalp off-loading into their perfect hair - would bring a little ray of sunshine into my life.
H&S should stop pretending gorgeous people have dandruff - of course they don't - and return to advertising by getting a dark haired IT services geek to allow his head to be shot close-up, before and after the application of the pureed Smurf.
Head and Shoulders (H&S) are the latest company to use this trick.
Cue a frollicking, attractive couple, waltzing in each others arms on a beach. If you were to pause this advert and ask what it was advertising, it could be anything - clothing, perfume (although maybe not "out-there" enough"), holidays, Durex, etc.
H&S make shampoo, and in particular for dandruffed University lecturers and librarians. They therefore need to somehow turn this off-the-shelf clip into a reference to hair. But how to do it?
Easy. H&S set a poser, a question, a fiendish riddle to really get the greatest philosophical minds working.
"Would you put dandruff in this picture?"
WHAT? It's meant to be rhetorical, I guess, so I the consumer should laugh and say "Of course not, that would be terrible. Good job we have H&S to save us from that ignomy."
However, it doesn't work. I, like most right-minded people, dislike the impossibly beautiful. Therefore anything that might upset them - like finding their scalp off-loading into their perfect hair - would bring a little ray of sunshine into my life.
H&S should stop pretending gorgeous people have dandruff - of course they don't - and return to advertising by getting a dark haired IT services geek to allow his head to be shot close-up, before and after the application of the pureed Smurf.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Internet Radio
Today, after a few weeks of listening solely to some new albums I recently purchased, I returned to internet radio. In the three years of my PhD I have found three stations that have withstood the test of time (and I've tried a load). Personally, I like stations that are going to play a high percentage of stuff I like (duh) and thankfully there are a couple that will (almost) do exactly that.
The first is Accuradio, and in particular the Listening Post station. This station lists all of the artists they play and enables you to stop those that you're not keen on (due to copyrighting or somesuch, this is limited to 5). Plus you can skip through a track, which is also great. At the moment they're playing tracks from, among others, the new Wolf Parade, Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah, Sufjan Stevens, Fountains of Wayne and New Pornographers albums. However, beware - James Blunt's there too.
For a bit more variety, head over to Yahoo's LaunchCast. LaunchCast allows you to rate the songs it plays. From your ratings, it plays "similar" artists, which you can then rate, thus building up a picture of your musical tastes. However, it sometimes goes a bit crazy and will play some GnR, or even worse the Barney song, causing you to scream "WTF?!?". However, once you've calmed down, you can skip the track and instruct LaunchCast to never darken your sonic doorstep with it again.
Finally, is the more traditional radio station 6music and in particular, the excellent Gideon Coe. He has great features (like the previously mentioned Johnny Dee and Hit the Decks) plus plays a nice indie mix of music. Plus 6music is pretty easy to win prizes from, if you need to win stuff to exciten your little life. I've won 6 times.
The first is Accuradio, and in particular the Listening Post station. This station lists all of the artists they play and enables you to stop those that you're not keen on (due to copyrighting or somesuch, this is limited to 5). Plus you can skip through a track, which is also great. At the moment they're playing tracks from, among others, the new Wolf Parade, Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah, Sufjan Stevens, Fountains of Wayne and New Pornographers albums. However, beware - James Blunt's there too.
For a bit more variety, head over to Yahoo's LaunchCast. LaunchCast allows you to rate the songs it plays. From your ratings, it plays "similar" artists, which you can then rate, thus building up a picture of your musical tastes. However, it sometimes goes a bit crazy and will play some GnR, or even worse the Barney song, causing you to scream "WTF?!?". However, once you've calmed down, you can skip the track and instruct LaunchCast to never darken your sonic doorstep with it again.
Finally, is the more traditional radio station 6music and in particular, the excellent Gideon Coe. He has great features (like the previously mentioned Johnny Dee and Hit the Decks) plus plays a nice indie mix of music. Plus 6music is pretty easy to win prizes from, if you need to win stuff to exciten your little life. I've won 6 times.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Cillit Bang
I was going to do a post about Cillit Bang, then decided it was not worth it - the internet is already full of ramblings about the whole campaign - some of which are quite good.
I have nothing to add, except to say to Barry "I'm a big fake" Scott (and to quote Jimbo Jones from the Simpson's) - "You let me down, man. Now I don't believe in nothing no more. I'm going to law school."
I have nothing to add, except to say to Barry "I'm a big fake" Scott (and to quote Jimbo Jones from the Simpson's) - "You let me down, man. Now I don't believe in nothing no more. I'm going to law school."
Army and Navy
I have never seen or heard an advert for the services that has made me think "Hmmm, a career in killing people, that's an option".
On the local radio station I occasionaly listen to, both the army and navy are pushing for recruitment. All of their adverts - bar none - have made me realise that although I'm not 100% happy doing what I'm doing, it could be incalculably worst.
The adverts basically take on the form of a challenge. You're weak. You're a maggot. There's no way you could do this. They involve a monologue, setting a scene like an excerpt from an Andy McNabb novel.
Some examples:
- For the Navy.
"Can you fry an egg? How about on a ship? In a force 10-gale? Whilst under FIRE? With 170 HUNGRY SAILORS who need that EGG to remain operational? WELL, COULD YOU?"
No. No I couldn't. Nor would I want to. It would be like cooking for Gordon Ramsey, if Gordon was a sexually repressed killer who had been at sea for 3-months and would be showering with me later. That's the kind of pressure I can't handle.
- For the Army.
"You've been street fighting for 3-days. You've had nothing to eat for 48 hours. You come to the last house in the town. You know behind the door lie enemy soldiers. You don't want to go in there, but you know you have to.
We at the army will train you so that you can overcome the pain and fear and equip you with the skills required to overcome whatever lies behind that door".
So basically what the army is saying is that you will go through hell. It's terrible - it is humanly impossible for anyone to be able to cope. But don't worry, by that point we will have wiped out any trace of humanity from you and leave a souless killing shell. Hoorah!
It worries me the type of person who would be enticed by these adverts. I think that those who are, are the last people who should be given training in how to kill people.
On the local radio station I occasionaly listen to, both the army and navy are pushing for recruitment. All of their adverts - bar none - have made me realise that although I'm not 100% happy doing what I'm doing, it could be incalculably worst.
The adverts basically take on the form of a challenge. You're weak. You're a maggot. There's no way you could do this. They involve a monologue, setting a scene like an excerpt from an Andy McNabb novel.
Some examples:
- For the Navy.
"Can you fry an egg? How about on a ship? In a force 10-gale? Whilst under FIRE? With 170 HUNGRY SAILORS who need that EGG to remain operational? WELL, COULD YOU?"
No. No I couldn't. Nor would I want to. It would be like cooking for Gordon Ramsey, if Gordon was a sexually repressed killer who had been at sea for 3-months and would be showering with me later. That's the kind of pressure I can't handle.
- For the Army.
"You've been street fighting for 3-days. You've had nothing to eat for 48 hours. You come to the last house in the town. You know behind the door lie enemy soldiers. You don't want to go in there, but you know you have to.
We at the army will train you so that you can overcome the pain and fear and equip you with the skills required to overcome whatever lies behind that door".
So basically what the army is saying is that you will go through hell. It's terrible - it is humanly impossible for anyone to be able to cope. But don't worry, by that point we will have wiped out any trace of humanity from you and leave a souless killing shell. Hoorah!
It worries me the type of person who would be enticed by these adverts. I think that those who are, are the last people who should be given training in how to kill people.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Naked Gun
Ok, nothing to do with adverts, but I was thinking of this quote from the Naked Gun movie and it makes me laugh.
Mayor: Now Drebin, I don't want any trouble like you had on the South Side like last year, that's my policy.
Frank: Well, when I see five weirdos dressed in togas, stabbing a man in the middle of the park in front of a full view of 100 people, I shoot the bastards, that's my policy.
Mayor: That was a Shakesphere In The Park Production of Julius Caesar, you moron! You killed five actors! Good ones!
Mayor: Now Drebin, I don't want any trouble like you had on the South Side like last year, that's my policy.
Frank: Well, when I see five weirdos dressed in togas, stabbing a man in the middle of the park in front of a full view of 100 people, I shoot the bastards, that's my policy.
Mayor: That was a Shakesphere In The Park Production of Julius Caesar, you moron! You killed five actors! Good ones!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Wolf Parade
The music scene seems to be coming up Gary at the moment.
Latest band Wolf Parade are described as a cross between Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse (considering Issac Brock produced their debut, I guess that's unsuprising). Combining the sounds of my favorite album of this year and my favorite of last year has gotta be a good thing.
Listening to four mp3s I've found on the web (follow the above link) I am getting pretty damn excited about this group - but I'm going to have to wait a couple of weeks until their album is released.
Latest band Wolf Parade are described as a cross between Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse (considering Issac Brock produced their debut, I guess that's unsuprising). Combining the sounds of my favorite album of this year and my favorite of last year has gotta be a good thing.
Listening to four mp3s I've found on the web (follow the above link) I am getting pretty damn excited about this group - but I'm going to have to wait a couple of weeks until their album is released.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Citreon
Advert Overview: Characters from the Happy Days t.v. show appear with the new Citreon car.
Now obviously the guys at Citreon (or their advertising company) have got some nice new CGI kit - and boy are they going to use it. First we have the dancing car. Basically a Transformer at a nightclub. That ad was ok - too many people liked it too much, but it was passable, if a bit obvious.
I'd have preferred it if the car was getting pissed with Optimus Prime and then drunkenly brawling with Soundwave before boogying away to Kraftwerk - but perhaps that isn't the image Citreon were going for.
Anyhow, the new ad is just lame. Firstly, it's a rip-off of the superb Weezer video for "Buddy Holly". Basically, that was how it should be done and if this advert has ruined that song for me, I will not be amused. One bit.
Secondly, the advert looks weird. Really weird. I can't put my finger on it, but it is definitely a case of "When CGI Goes Bad". It's definitely to do with faces superimposed on actors - a bit like Liza Minelli's husband, David Gest.
So like many of the new animation films, Citreon have fallen into the trap of using style over substance. You might say "But it's an advert. Adverts Do Not have Substance". Well what about the Rimmel ads with Kate Moss - a whole load of substance going on there.
Case Rested.
Now obviously the guys at Citreon (or their advertising company) have got some nice new CGI kit - and boy are they going to use it. First we have the dancing car. Basically a Transformer at a nightclub. That ad was ok - too many people liked it too much, but it was passable, if a bit obvious.
I'd have preferred it if the car was getting pissed with Optimus Prime and then drunkenly brawling with Soundwave before boogying away to Kraftwerk - but perhaps that isn't the image Citreon were going for.
Anyhow, the new ad is just lame. Firstly, it's a rip-off of the superb Weezer video for "Buddy Holly". Basically, that was how it should be done and if this advert has ruined that song for me, I will not be amused. One bit.
Secondly, the advert looks weird. Really weird. I can't put my finger on it, but it is definitely a case of "When CGI Goes Bad". It's definitely to do with faces superimposed on actors - a bit like Liza Minelli's husband, David Gest.
So like many of the new animation films, Citreon have fallen into the trap of using style over substance. You might say "But it's an advert. Adverts Do Not have Substance". Well what about the Rimmel ads with Kate Moss - a whole load of substance going on there.
Case Rested.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
The Guardian's Hard Sell
The Guardian's Hard Sell - latest edition here - is a small weekly article from the Guardian's Saturday entertainment magazine. An article after this blog's own heart (despite the fact it's been going for a lot longer), it is a comical look at different television adverts.
This week the excellent Johnny Dee - catch his "Website Wasteland" on BBC Radio 6 music @ 10:45 every Thursday - takes a look at mobile phone company 3's new advert.
Now the whole 3 campaign treads a narrow line between incomprehensible, pretensious twaddle (see any perfume advert ever) and genius psychedlia. Anyone who tells you they Got what those Mexicans were up to with that jellyfish (or any 3 advert in fact) is:
1) a liar,
2) an ad man, or
3) weird.
Typically, they'll be all three.
This week the excellent Johnny Dee - catch his "Website Wasteland" on BBC Radio 6 music @ 10:45 every Thursday - takes a look at mobile phone company 3's new advert.
Now the whole 3 campaign treads a narrow line between incomprehensible, pretensious twaddle (see any perfume advert ever) and genius psychedlia. Anyone who tells you they Got what those Mexicans were up to with that jellyfish (or any 3 advert in fact) is:
1) a liar,
2) an ad man, or
3) weird.
Typically, they'll be all three.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Phones 4 U
Another ad campaign I'm fond of is the Phones 4 U one.
It's kind of random: the characters are ugly and unattractive, and most of the ads make little, if any, sense. The lighting is dull, and the whole thing appears to jar slightly with the traditional ads.
To my eyes these are not bad things.
However, most importantly it has a kind of hand-jive thing going on. It's Ted Rogers's 3-2-1 hand signal, except this one incorporates the "ROCK" hand sign. Perhaps since Ted's death, Phones-4-U have picked up the mantle and will make sure the tri-gesture will not die with him.
These guys are already picking up on it.
Amongst one group of friends - the kind who still quote Fast Show phrases - this little hand maneuvre has started to become popular. Now, whenever someone mentions the Phones 4 U company, my hand automatically wants to do the tri-signal.
Adman genius.
It's kind of random: the characters are ugly and unattractive, and most of the ads make little, if any, sense. The lighting is dull, and the whole thing appears to jar slightly with the traditional ads.
To my eyes these are not bad things.
However, most importantly it has a kind of hand-jive thing going on. It's Ted Rogers's 3-2-1 hand signal, except this one incorporates the "ROCK" hand sign. Perhaps since Ted's death, Phones-4-U have picked up the mantle and will make sure the tri-gesture will not die with him.
These guys are already picking up on it.
Amongst one group of friends - the kind who still quote Fast Show phrases - this little hand maneuvre has started to become popular. Now, whenever someone mentions the Phones 4 U company, my hand automatically wants to do the tri-signal.
Adman genius.
Arcade Fire & the BBC
So what adverts do I like at the moment?
Well the first one that springs to mind is the BBC's autumn season showcase. Not for the scenes, but for the music. Arcade Fire - Wake Up. My favorite song from the greatest album of the year. I love the way it goes Dum-Dum-Dum-DiDi-Dum-Dum. Please, if you have not heard it, buy it here or wherever you get your music from. If you don't like it then you are both wrong and maybe don't have a soul.
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what the Beeb are going to be showing, but that doesn't matter cos through the use of Wake Up they have gone up in my estimation. God, I love that band.
Well the first one that springs to mind is the BBC's autumn season showcase. Not for the scenes, but for the music. Arcade Fire - Wake Up. My favorite song from the greatest album of the year. I love the way it goes Dum-Dum-Dum-DiDi-Dum-Dum. Please, if you have not heard it, buy it here or wherever you get your music from. If you don't like it then you are both wrong and maybe don't have a soul.
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what the Beeb are going to be showing, but that doesn't matter cos through the use of Wake Up they have gone up in my estimation. God, I love that band.
Introduction
Introduction
Every so often I think to myself “Hmmm, I should do a blog”. So this is my next attempt. I’ve decided to start it with a theme.
The theme?
Television Adverts.
I love the television advert. And when I’m not loving them, I love hating them. For some people, all they can see are the bad adverts, and tar the whole field with the same brush. Not me though. I want to celebrate and berate. Those adverts I hope will appear, and then they do. Those that I think are in a sea of hopeless banality, but surprise me over time.
Adverts – television wouldn’t be the same without you.
Every so often I think to myself “Hmmm, I should do a blog”. So this is my next attempt. I’ve decided to start it with a theme.
The theme?
Television Adverts.
I love the television advert. And when I’m not loving them, I love hating them. For some people, all they can see are the bad adverts, and tar the whole field with the same brush. Not me though. I want to celebrate and berate. Those adverts I hope will appear, and then they do. Those that I think are in a sea of hopeless banality, but surprise me over time.
Adverts – television wouldn’t be the same without you.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Directed Ramblings
Posts with a theme that defies pigeon-holing. I'm pretty rubbish on personal or critically insightful posts, so don't expect anything too deep and you won't be disappointed.
Posts on TV and Movies
General observations on television and movies. Warning - this could get nostalgic...
Cartoon of the Week
Cartoon of the week - a selection of my favorite strips from the last three years of my PhDing.
Posts on Music
Music is my number one interest - both playing and listening. Here are pages with a musical kinda content. And I demand that you comment with groups you think I might/should be interested in.
Posts on Adverts
The original concept for this blog was to write about adverts. I don't know why, I'm not THAT into adverts, but it seemed to be something that would provide an ever changing source of inspiration.
Listed here are the blogs I've done on adverts:
Listed here are the blogs I've done on adverts:
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