Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Eddie Izzard - Advertising



So anyway, advertising! Yes, that’s what I brought you here to talk about! Yes, advertising… Because I’ve been looking at it, and I’ve realized that certain people in the advertising area are being paid huge wads of cash in brown bags in order to subtly adjust our minds. Because, in the old days, before the ‘50s, I don’t know, it was much more blatant, adverts were more like, “Come on, there it is! (pointing) Come on! Haven’t got all day, there it is!” And as consumers, we were, “Oh, okay, I didn’t realize! Sorry! Don’t hit me!“ (running towards the product)

Nowadays we have choice, don’t we? We’re much more choosy, and we’re much more aware of what we can buy, so adverts are more subtle, they’re the soft sell, much more like… (humming a tune and pointing discreetly at product) “Oh, look at that! Those two people like it, and they’re shagging…” That’s what happens, isn’t it? Shagging sells everything! That’s it, there’s an advert for coffee- You come around, “Cup of coffee?” “Ooh, let’s shag!” Yes! Adverts for chocolate bars, two bits of chocolate bar, one eats one, one eats the other, “Oh, let’s have a shag!” That stuff for cleaning the floor, clean the floor clean, and then you shag on the floor… Dog food, dog eats dog food… anyway… So… not sure what happens there, but…

Now, the washing area- the washing powder, washing clothes, laundry- all that kind of stuff is a very advertising-laid area, with a huge amount of adverts saying, “Wash your clothes! Wash your clothes! Oh, no, I’m gonna shag you…!” And I think if it wasn’t for the advertising, we’d probably just spray our clothes, and (smells it), “Oh, that smells okay now that I’ve sprayed it…”

Sunday, April 22, 2012

What on Earth!

This animated short proposes what many earthlings have long feared – that the automobile has inherited the planet. When life on Earth is portrayed as one long, unending conga-line of cars, a crew of extra-terrestrial visitors understandably assume they are the dominant race. While humans, on the other hand, are merely parasites. An Oscar® nominee, this film serves as an entertaining case study.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Robin Gibb - Don't cry alone (Titanic Requiem)


LYRICS
If your heart is breaking 
I’m yours whatever 
I will not forsake you ever 
Don’t cry alone 
Through the autumn rainfalls 
I will be your shoulder 
If the winds of love grow colder 
Don’t cry alone
Surely as the sun sets 
New suns are rising 
As winter heralds spring’s horizon 
Don’t cry alone 
Don’t you ever doubt me 
You lead I will follow 
Sweep away all pain and sorrow 
Don’t cry alone 
No, don’t cry alone 
No, don’t you ever doubt me 
I’ll be there for you forever 
Don’t you ever cry 
I’ll sweep away your tears and sorrow 
And I’ll be with you close tomorrow 
I’ll be with you 
Don’t cry alone 
I’m yours 
Don’t cry alone

100th Anniversary of the Titanic Disaster

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

How To Decorate Easter Eggs



Make your Easter eggs little oval works of art.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Eggs
A saucepan
Newspapers
Old clothes
Large paper cups
Vinegar
Dye tablets or food coloring
Wax crayon
Tape or rubber bands
Stickers or rubber cement
An egg dipper, slotted spoon, or tongs
Empty egg cartons
Fruits and vegetables for natural dyes
Vegetable oil

Step 1: Hard-boil the eggs

Put eggs in a saucepan, add water until they're covered, and gently bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from the heat completely and add very cold water to stop the cooking process.

Step 2: Cover up

Put newspapers over your table or workspace so you don't get dye on it, and change into something you won't mind getting stained. Decorating Easter eggs can get messy!

Step 3: Ready the dye

Fill some large paper cups halfway with hot water. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar and the dye tablets, which will dissolve. Don't have dye tablets? Add one teaspoon of food coloring into each cup of water and vinegar.

Tip: Try natural dyes. In a pan, arrange the eggs in a single layer and cover them with water. For red, add fresh beets; blue, canned blueberries; yellow, ground turmeric; green, fresh spinach. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes.

Step 4: Make your mark

Write or draw something on the egg with a white wax crayon before putting it into the cup. The wax resists the dye, so once the egg is colored, you'll clearly see what you wrote.

Step 5: Add stripes

Put electrical tape around the egg, or simply put a rubber band—or several—around it before placing in the cups. When it's dyed, remove the tape or rubber bands and you'll have fun stripes!

Step 6: Make patterns

Add some stickers or brush some rubber cement onto the egg before you place it in the dye. When you remove the egg, simply peel off the stickers or hardened rubber cement and you'll get interesting, creative patterns.

Step 7: Dye it

Place an egg into each cup. Leave it in for five to 20 minutes or as long as it takes to achieve your desired look. The longer it soaks, the darker it will be.

Tip: Add a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil into some of the cups of dye. The oil prevents the dye from sticking to certain spots on the egg, so when you remove it you get interesting designs and patterns.

Step 8: Remove

Using an egg dipper, slotted spoon, or tongs, take the eggs out of the cups and place them in an empty egg carton to dry.

Step 9: Enjoy

Hide your eggs for an egg hunt, put them in baskets, or simply peel your new creations and enjoy!

Easter celebrations around the world