Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… April 30, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Advertising, Observation.add a comment
They say that to imitate someone is to pay the person a genuine compliment. They may be right. My right and left hemispheres are however split on the subject.
On the one hemishpere a good idea is a good idea and should, one could argue, be used to the fullest, tweaked, re-worked and improved wherever possible and necessary. The work is an homage to the original creator.
On the other side of the brain it is success from someone else’s hard work and creativity. It is quick, cheap, and dirty, where efficiency rather than originality is paramount.
Take a look at this recent Webby award nominee, and compare it to the pic below taken from this week’s Economist, and let me know which of your hemispheres wins out.
Golf anyone? April 25, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Observation, Sport.add a comment
Another interesting article in last week’s Economist talked about the game of golf and what the CEO of golfing product manufacturer Calloway was looking at in order to attempt to reverse the downward financial trends suffered by the company in recent years.
His thinking is to focus on the middle man, looking at his (and hers) plight rather than that of the professional players, so far removed in skill and ability than the rest of us. And actually, if you’ve ever had cause to play what can be at times one of the most frustrating (and sublime) experiences in life, then you’ll almost certainly be right behind him.
But of course his solution is only half of the problem, and actually the only half of the problem that he can realistically control.
The other half concerns the game itself, its institutions, strange foibles, attitude, and minimum 4-hour (for professional players) 18-hole play time. I’ll list some of my strange experiences and see if they strike a chord with anyone.
- Green fees – all courses I’ve played at in the UK can only be paid for in cash. No credit cards allowed. In one, I even had to write a cheque, and post it through a slot in the male changing rooms. Very strange.
- Golf clubs – on one occasion my set of golf clubs was deemed inadequate to play, on another, my partner was verbally abused by another female player on-course for sharing my clubs.
- Gameplay time – 18 holes take so long to play in a world where time is becoming one of the most precious of commodities that we’ve actually relegated ourselves to only ever playing 9-hole courses. We just can’t manage the time investment to do otherwise.
There are more issues with the stuffiness and unwelcoming nature of clubs (unless of course you are Prince of a small island), their overinflated costs, the attitude of many players, and I could go on. Other people I’m sure will have many more experiences in line with the above. So perhaps the CEO of Calloway has his work cut out, but at least things are headed in the right direction, and if their increase in sales is anything to go by, he seems to be starting to strike a few chords amongst the crusty entrenched.
Weird signs… April 24, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Observation.add a comment
On my stroll around Cromer on my sunny weekend of birth, my eyes were drawn to the following couple of signs for two very different reasons.
This first I just thought was lovely; simple, elegant, and with a lovely font, nestled between two distinctly unremarkable buildings.
This second I was drawn to with a feeling that something just wasn’t right. Can you spot all three problems? How about the professionals hired to hang them? Or perhaps the owner who looks at it every day? Funny how something so small suddenly becomes so obvious. And actually particularly niggling the more one stares at it…
Quote of the day April 23, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Observation.add a comment
This article lambasts our seemingly declining grasp of our national languages as txt’ing and digital authoring turn to more utilitarian use of communication, and away from cast-in-stone laws and precedences, favouring speed over form, functionality over flair. Whether good or bad is down to the reader, however what’s fair to fall back on in such circumstances is that the only constant is change, and staying still means never moving forward, risking never learning anything new.
So perhaps it is time to bid the Apostrophe Rest in Peace – we misused you time and time again, and you, in turn, frustrated us to the end of our English lessons. We will hold your dear in our hearts but move forward with a confident and unflinching stride.
Au revoir Apostrophe, au revoir.
Birthday Weekend April 22, 2008
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I had a fantastic birthday weekend. I’m sliding slowly towards my 40’s, but not yet down or out. A couple of days spent around London, visiting family, and hitting the Norfolk coast, will all go down as a distinctly good time. Thanks to everyone who contributed to it. All very special.
One of the places visited was The Crown pub at Sheringham, overlooking the promenade and the sea; my dad played guitar at the pub a couple of times, and the visit brought back some fond memories. One of their signs brought a chuckle to my loins too.
The question is, who would actually spend £50 to park here? Instead of, oh I don’t know, buying a packet of crisps? A £1.30 cup of coffee? Ah well, a sense of humour had by all I’m sure.
Official day of Laughter April 17, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Humor.add a comment
(in my household anyway)
Actually it’s set to be the last day of decent weather for a while here in the south of England, so before all the outdoor fun and frolics abates, something to tide us over. Oh, and because everyone should laugh more.
Would you like help with your packing…? April 17, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Observation.add a comment
I do try not to be a smart-arse, but sometimes I just can’t help myself. Picture the scene; I’m in my local supermarket, I’ve unpacked all my shopping onto the conveyor belt, and it’s my turn. The cashier turns to me and politely asks “Would you like a hand with your packing?”. I have three possible answers;
- No, I’ll be fine thanks.
- Yes please.
- It depends…
1 pits me as a packing gladiator, locked in a grueling duel to the death between the cashier’s scanning speed and my ability to open carrier bags and stuff them with things being shot at me by the conveyor belt.
2 has me as a lazy bloke with too much time on his hands.
And 3, well there’s the smart-arse comment. If you get an eager beaver, with a wry look in his eye, and a penchant for some customer one-upmanship, the scanning speed can overwhelm even a fit gazelle in 10 seconds flat. Conversely, if one gets a nice old lady, doing the job for a bit of customer-centricity and chats about the weather, everyone gets along just fine.
So perhaps my smart-arse comment is the right answer for every occasion? And it may even render the question completely pointless; if I’m stood around, bag in hand, looking like I might fall asleep, by all means give it some gas. If I’m buried in tins of beans and sweet corn and all you can see is two hands poking out of the rubble still trying to open a carrier bag, it’s a fair bet ya could do with slowing down a fraction…
The Starbucks Taste Test April 16, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Satire.add a comment
Starbucks have decided to change their logo back from the modern green logo to their old, apparently “discerning” brown logo. Customers were asked to judge the quality and flavour of their coffee from the branding on their cups:
The response was overwhelming. 83% of testers preferred the coffee on the right, until they were told that it would cost them $50 million a cup.
-satire ends-
Billy Bragg’s A New England April 16, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Entertainment.add a comment
It’s one of my all-time favourite songs, it’s been around for many many years, and yet I can’t help but listen to it over and over.
Billy Bragg’s A New England is efficient – one voice, one guitar – and yet effective with it’s harsh punk mood and sharp lyrics. I could go on, but fortunately there are people much better endowed in the literary department that have done it for me.
Thanks for reminding me what a great track it is. Over to you Mental Floss.
Connections April 14, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Books, Observation.add a comment
I’m reading a book at the moment called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. I’ve only read a couple of dozen pages, but already it has me hooked, as it did many of its reviewers.
I’m partway through the chapter on people that Malcolm calls “Connectors”, people who simply know and connect with a lot of people. Seth Godin calls them “Sneezers”. In both cases they are the people with the charisma and energy to interact with many different people and pass on thoughts and ideas that have the potential to then spread like viruses, at times causing considerable changes to occur.
It got me thinking about my own situation. I’m one of these people that doesn’t collect friends. Not because I’m a horrible person, actually I think and hope quite the contrary. My last position at work kept me in contact with a close knit group of people that I very much enjoyed the company of whilst in post. But would I keep in touch with them all now that I’ve left? Perhaps one or two, but certainly not all. I am most certainly not a Connector.
And realizing this has actually left me feeling a little inadequate. Not that I should do of course; I love the company of the special few I have close to me and get (and hopefully provide) enjoyment out of most encounters. But I simply see myself and my own time and activities (many of which are solitary or at most 2-way affairs) as paramount, and am left feeling slightly off colour about it all.
Personally I’m trying to believe that there is no right or wrong (as long as I stop reading anything that states that a man is measured by the number of friends he has), but it does seem to have some serious implications on some of the broader areas of life – work prospects, mental state, potential for new experiences, hobbies, interests. I shall throw around some ideas and do some investigation and see what else I can find on the subject.
