These are Beautiful

What beautiful execution of a fantastical, far-fetched idea.  Modern art is being (one might say "has been") co-opted by graphic design, which itself has been co-opted by advertising.

Via Boing Boing.

The Banco Sabadell "Flashmob"

This is Incredible

Advice on Use of Veet for Men

While I rarely go to Amazon for health and beauty advice (but then, how much do I need?), the comments for Veet for Men are quite helpful. For example, Andrew says:

DO NOT PUT ON KNOB AND BOLLOCKS

Being a loose cannon who does not play by the rules the first thing I did was ignore the warning and smear this all over my knob and bollocks. The bollocks I knew and loved are gone now. In their place is a maroon coloured bag of agony which sends stabs of pain up my body every time it grazes against my thigh or an article of clothing. I am suffering so that you don't have to. Heed my lesson. DO NOT PUT ON KNOB AND BOLLOCKS.

(I am giving this product a 5 because despite the fact that I think my bollocks might fall off, they are now completely hairless.)

There are 602 other reviews (as of the time of this post), all offering similar good advice, and a little poetry. I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that none of them strongly urge you not to put it on the shelf next to the jock itch cream. Also, don't substitute your boss's jock itch cream with Veet if you should happen to run into him at the gym, hypothetically, of course.

"The Billionaire Shop"

People often say to me, they say, "Galileo, where do you shop?" (Actually, no one has said that to me, ever, but just bear with me, okay?) Well, if I had one place I could choose to regularly shop, it would be The Billionaire Shop. Oh, yes, you might say, "The Billionaire Shop is just a cynical attempt by an online casino to draw traffic and drive desire for the supposed 'easy money' that comes from gambling." And, well, you'd be right. But, still, I applaud its hubris; indeed, it pretty much defines hubris. Via Neatorama.

2012: Best-of Lists

I promised to post 2012 best of/wrap-up lists before the end of 2012, which just goes to show you how good my promises are. Well, I am finally doing it, below the break, but let me note, first, that Miss Cellania has a bunch of really good collections of lists from around the internet -- you know, if you really needed these you could have gone there:

• Music wrap-up lists
• Books wrap-up lists
• Movie year end lists
• Sports wrap-up lists
• TV wrap-up lists
• Science wrap-up lists
• Advertising wrap-up lists
• Tech and games wrap-up lists
• People oriented wrap-up lists
• Internet news/events/video wrap-up lists
• Photograph best-of lists
• Blog wrap-up lists
• News wrap-up lists
• Miscellaneous wrap-up lists 

That's a lot to go through (as if one really needs to go through every best-of list), so here's the best ones, in my view (as if one really needs to go through any best-of lists):

Galileo Feynman's New Sponsor: Tho-Radia, for the Best in Radium Based Beauty Products

Just kidding. Galileo Feynman remains as always 100% income free. We are brushing our remaining teeth, though, with Doramad Radioactive Toothpaste. I don't know why I keep loosing teeth.

A full set of images of Tho-Radia's ads can be found at Retronaut. Oh, ehem, yes, also, "Doctuer Alfred Curie" of Tho-Radia was apparently no relation to Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie. 

Popsicle Advertisement

It's been a while since I've posted anything upbeat, and, since I am a "tool for the Man" or something, here's an upbeat ad:

Popsicle - Sweeten Your Life from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

How to Write With Style (and other insights into writing and reading)

In 1982 or so the International Paper Company published essays about the arts of reading and writing and written by luminaries in the area or popular figures like Kurt Vonnegut, George Plimpton, John Irving, James Dickey, Jane Bryant Quinn, Steve Allen, James Michener, Tony Randall, Malcomb Forbes, and Bill Cosby. Trust me: these were all luminaries or popular figures in 1982 or so.

How to Spot Deceptive Internet Reviews?

Image from the New York Times

Fake online reviews make relying on online reviews sort of dicey, to say the least. An article at the New York Times points out that positive and negative reviews are often bought (they go for $5 to $10 a pop), and points to work of Cornell researchers analyzing how to tell the difference.

I've looked over both articles -- the one in the New York Times and the one by the Cornell Team, as has my wife and children -- and we were not very impressed! :( I still can't tell what reviews are real!

Zombie Head Bowling Balls

Zombie Head Bowling Balls. That is all.

Dr. Seuss: Pitchman

Theodore Geisel did a lot of things as Dr. Seuss besides write children's books. (Warning: that last link could cause brain damage.) Among other things, he famously produced reams of political cartoons and advertisements. Perhaps his largest client was Standard Oil (now Exxon), and his largets client there was their bug spray, Flit.  Flit was no doubt a fine and effective product: it combined mineral oil and DDT.

BTW, a small point that can only get you in trouble if you know it: "Seuss" was Geisel's mother's maiden name (he took it when he was banned from publishing in the Dartmouth newspaper because he was caught drinking gin), and the correct pronounciation of "Seuss" is like "soyce" not like "soos." Just thought you should know.

The World is Just Awesome

Security Cameras (Coca Cola Ad)