PotW--3/28/12

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Have you been watching the NCAA basketball games?  Have you noticed the names of the arenas where they are being held?  Places with names like the "US Airways Center", the "KFC Yum! Center", the "Edward Jones Dome", and the "Mercedes-Benz Superdome".  Have you noticed the scrolling advertisements along the front of the announcer's table that is visually prominent as the players travel (which is never called anymore) from one end of the court to the other?   From the logos on the players' uniforms, to the "Gatorade" drink dispenser court-side, to the swoosh on the sneakers, to the halftime show sponsored by "Mayhem", the All-State Insurance mascot du jour, modern-day Mad Men are part of what puts the "mad" in March Madness for me.

We are bombarded with advertisements each and every day.  Some are easy to ignore-(the ads that appear on the right-hand side of Facebook, for example).  Some are impossible to ignore-(the ads that come with the apps you download, free or paid!).  Some are subtle-(the car or drink that the hero in that new movie just happens to be using).  Some are entertaining so we look forward to them (Superbowl ads).  Some we dread seeing or hearing ("Head-on.  Apply directly to the forehead..." or "Mattresses and mattresses and mattresses and mattresses...") Some advertisements we actually participate in (carrying that cup of Starbucks or the designer hand-bag with the recognizable pattern).  Advertising is as ubiquitous as oxygen.

How long has this been going on??

Other than that which appeared as the logo of the product on the actual product, early advertising efforts centered largely on outdoor displays.  Examples of outdoor advertising appeared in England as early as the 18th century.  Soon thereafter, the practice emigrated to New England, where announcements for lotteries could be found posted on trees and fences.  By the early 19th century, circuses, patent medicine makers and clothing manufacturers were large-scale users of outdoor advertising, painting product logos and information on large boulders, fences, and the sides of buildings.   In 1830, the first traveling advertisement was created when a delivery wagon in New York City was painted with the logo of the product it was carrying.  Look at any old photo of any major city, and you will see advertisements plastered on lamp-posts, buildings, and vehicles of all sizes and shapes.  You may even find a human-being wearing a 'sandwich board'.

By 1850, cities were so over-run with outdoor advertisements that many newspapers began to condemn the practice.  (Possibly because these 'free' advertising spots were costing them ad revenue?).  In an effort to avoid the clutter of inner-city advertisements, the savvy businessman P.T. Barnum began to paint brightly colored ads for his traveling circus outside of city limits, sometimes as far as 50 miles away.  Taking advantage of large cliffs, boulders, the sides of barns, etc.  these ads, for which the farmer or land-owner might be reimbursed with tickets to an event or a sample of the product being featured, were the pre-cursor to the modern billboard.

During the Civil War years, federal and state governments were one of the most prominent outdoor advertisers with their use of military recruitment posters.

In 1870, the first 'national painting service' was created, and it quickly gained a reputation for being able to paint signs on rocks and other places that most people considered inaccessible.  An ad for St. Jacob's Oil which appeared on a rock at Niagara Falls, and an ad for Drake's Plantation Bitters that appeared on the rocks of New Hampshire's White Mountains proved to be the final straw, causing public out-cry that could not be ignored.  

SO... on this day in history, March 28th, 1865, the state of New York passed legislation to prohibit "painting on stones, rocks and trees."   New Hampshire and other states followed suit.

Yet, as of today, only 4 states prohibit outdoor billboards:  Maine, Vermont, Alaska and Hawaii!  (A few states are currently considering legislation to regulate "electronic" billboards whose images change every few seconds, but only due to concerns over traffic safety.)  Billboards are one of the first things I notice when I travel outside of Maine.  After suffering the visual assault of billboards in other states, I am always more appreciative of the monotonous view of pine-trees between exits on I-95.   

Thankfully, "outdoor life" is still less tainted by advertising than "indoor life".  It's good to know that when you get tired of pop-ups, telemarketers calling, political ads, junk mail, etc., you can just head outside and find some natural beauty.  (Sponsored by God)

As I conclude this week's message, (my own little form of advertising), I invite you to check out the new Piece of the Week.  Wear these and the only thing you'll be advertising is your own excellent taste!  http://www.twowillowsjewelry.com

Until next week--

Kim

PS---As of this month, I am accepting VISA, Mastercard and Discover!  Checks and cash are still preferred since I don't get hit with a transaction fee and want to be able to keep my prices low, but if a credit or debit card is more convenient for you, feel free to use it!!

PotW 3/21/12

Hi Everyone!

Once again.....It's time for March Madness!!!
 
At my house that means there will be a LOT of basketball on the television.  There will be excitement over who has bragging rights in this or that pool.  There will be shouting at the tv and arguing over ref calls. There will be enthusiastic cheering.  Hours of sleep will be forfeited in order to watch the late games.  
 
Not by me, of course.  I really don't give a free throw about the NCAA tournaments until the final four, and then I manage to muster only half-hearted interest.  Mostly because by that point I'm starting to feel estranged from my family and have devoured every decent unread book in the house.  What can I say...college hoops just aren't my thing.
 
But hoops you can wear are something else altogether...  So in the spirit of March Madness, I present to you "Hoopla-Palooza": Custom-made, forward-facing hoops, available in silver, copper or 14k gold-filled wire. Earrings will be hammered for texture/sheen and shape retention.  Earwires will be sterling, non-allergenic niobium, or 14kt gold-filled, of course.

You pick the metal, tell me how big you want them to be, and I'll hammer 'em out for you before the final buzzer. This particular style of hoop works well in any size from a nickle to 2" in diameter.  Prices will be between $14 and $24, depending on size and metal selected.  Be as subtle or as bold as you want. 
I have materials on hand and will be really happy to have something to work on while the guys are watching the games.  So make your pick and shoot me an order!  Unlike money spent on pools if you don't win, with Hoopla-Palooza, you're guaranteed to have something to show for your money!
 
Until next week--it's your ball, out-of-bounds!
Kim 
PS--A photo is posted on the website: http://www.twowillowsjewelry.com  Check it out!


PPS--I am kicking Andrew's butt in the bracket pool.  Haven't watched a game yet, don't know who is still in or out, but I picked 'em!  haha.
 

PotW 14 March 2012

Hi Everyone!

St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday, and I have no doubt that at some point in the celebrating of all things wonderful and Irish (sorry, that's redundant, isn't it?), I will overhear someone order a drink that will make the hairs on the back of me neck stand up and my Irish blood boil.  

What's that?, you ask?  Well, it's a common-enough thing called a "Black and Tan".  Seems innocent, right?  It's a beer drink made half of Guinness and half of Bass, layered in a pint glass.  So, "black".... and "tan".  What's my objection?  

Let me tell you:

In 1919, the British government in London posted an advertisement looking for men who were willing to "face a rough and dangerous task".  If selected, these men would be sent to Ireland to 'assist' the Royal Irish Constabulary in policing towns and cities across the country.  The British government deemed it necessary to send these mercenaries to Ireland because of a fall-off of recruitment of new officers into the RIC---(which was due to an effective and intimidating campaign of attacks on RIC barracks by local IRA cells across the country--especially in southern Ireland)

The men who applied and were selected were mostly British Army soldiers who had returned from service in WWI and had been unable to find skilled employment back at home.  The job in Ireland was seen as 'easy money'--paying 10 shillings per day, including 3 months of paid training before being sent to Ireland.  

The first unit arrived in Ireland in March, 1920.  Once in Ireland, the recruits found that there were not enough uniforms for all those who had joined up, so the new forces wore a hodgepodge assortment of uniforms – some parts military, some parts RIC. This mixture gave them the appearance of being half in khaki (army) and half in black (police) uniform. As a result, these men got the nickname "Black and Tans", and it stuck. 

Over 8000 Black and Tans served in Ireland.  Most of these men had experience in trench warfare, but were ill-equipped to deal with the guerilla tactics of local IRA rebels.  Casualties were extremely high (30%+) and frustration grew. Lacking in discipline and answerable only to themselves (not the mostly-Irish born RIC leaders), the primary task of the Black and Tans was simply "making Ireland hell for the rebels to live in".

A Divisional Commander of the Black and Tans expressed it thus:

"If a police barracks is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then the best house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown into the gutter. Let them die there – the more the merrier.Should the order ("Hands Up") not be immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons approaching (a patrol) carry their hands in their pockets, or are in any way suspicious-looking, shoot them down. You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right parties some time. The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man."  Lt. Col. Smyth*, June 1920

The Black and Tans were not regular troops, they were hired thugs. The most infamous attack on the public by the Black and Tans occurred in November, 1920.  Claiming retalliation for the murder of 14 undercover detectives by the IRA, the Black and Tans opened fire on a crowd of people watching a football match in Dublin, killing 12 people.  There are many documented examples of Black and Tans shooting at women and children who were clearly not IRA rebels.  To discourage IRA support, or to punish families or entire communities they deemed to be "pro-IRA", the Black and Tans destroyed creameries, mills and other local businesses, leaving the entire economy of some towns in ruins.

Ironically, these attacks on innocent civilians began to shift public supporttoward the IRA, and the operation of the Black and Tans in Ireland ultimately had the opposite effect of what the British had intended.  When even the British public began to express outrage over the tactics used by the Black and Tans, the government in Westminster realized that they had a liability on their hands, and pulled the remaining Black and Tan troops out of Ireland in late 1922.

So---this Saturday, (or any other day of any other year, for that matter!), if you want a beer that's half Guinness and half something else, PLEASE don't call it a "Black and Tan".  Call it a "Half and Half".  And if you want to turn your back on the Brits altogether, then make the light half a Harp or some other fine Irish brew.  Stop calling it a Black and Tan, starting today.

And don't feel bad if you never knew this bit of Irish history.  NIKE (yes, they of the shoes), just had to issue an apology for an advertising campaign launched in Ireland featuring their new 'SB Dunk Low' sneakers, which they nicknamed the "Black and Tans" and brought to market "just in time for Saint Padraig's Day".  Yes, they are those two colors.  Yes, the same colors as the drink.  But NIKE learned that they should have called them the SB Dunk Low "Half and Halfs".

Now they know, and so do you.   

Until next week-check out the Piece of the week at www.twowillowsjewelry.com

Slainte'!

Kim

*PS--13 officers laid down their pistols and quit the RIC following Lt Col Smyth's speech.  Many of them subsequently joined the IRA.  Lt. Col Smyth was shot in the head and killed a few weeks later, reportedly by a former RIC officer.

PPS--if you are looking for a good Irish soda bread recipe, here is a link to the one I have found that is closest to anything I've eaten while visiting Ireland 3 times...http://www.recipething.com/recipes/show/1753-irish-mums-brown-bread

PotW 3/8/12

Good morning, Everyone!
 
March came in like a lion last week and finally made it look like winter around here.  However, today it's supposed to reach nearly 60.  Either the lion was sickly or has been shot by a poacher.  
 
I'm a skier, and the warm temps are not making me happy.  
 
We pay our dues skiing icy corrugated corduroy with flat, gray light in December and January. Each turn creates a sound akin to riding over the rumble strips before the tollbooth on the Turnpike.  Your teeth chatter.  For the first 2/3rds of the season, (February isn't much better), we cover every square inch of skin to protect ourselves from frostbite and shiver on the chairlift, looking forward to the sunny, still-snowy but less chilly days of March.  Soft corduroy, butter-smooth snow.  Sunglasses, rather than goggles.  Maybe one layer less under the ski jacket.  Ditch the hand-warmers.  Dig out the folding chairs for apre-ski.
 
This is how March skiing is supposed to be.  It is, in a word, glorious, and more than sufficient pay-back for enduring the sub-zeros of Dec, Jan and Feb.  A good March can make you forget how many days of wind-holds there have been.  A good March can make  you dread the coming of Spring.
 
April, on the other hand, is mashed-potato mush.  April is warm.  Melty.  Inconsistent.  Corduroy that washes over the toes of your boots in a slushy, applesauce-like mess with each turn.  April is Raggae Fest, (which has NOTHING to do with skiing).  April is mud in the parking lots, gravel on your ski boots that you can't keep out of your bindings, no matter how you try.  April is those few last beers with seasonal friends you greet with hugs at Homecoming in November, even if you don't know their last names.  You know all the important things: Their hometown, the names/ages of their kids, where they live on the mountain, what they usually drink, what time they all show up at The Bag.  They know the same about you.  April is "Good-bye until next season, have a good summer!" April demands end-of-season acceptance.  April stinks.
 
Which is why this cowardly-lion of a March has me worried.  Not only are we fast-tracking Daylight Saving Time (it's this weekend, in case you didn't know), but it seems we are fast-tracking April, too!
 
Not so darned fast, I say.
 
I want my March corduroy!  For you non-skiers:  "Corduroy" is the name given to the snow that exists in the wake of grooming equipment.  (Like the wake of a boat)  It is ridged, corrugated, and looks like, well, corduroy.  It is the fresh, untouched stuff that you want to be the first to despoil.  March corduroy makes the softest purr under your skis when you turn across the grain.  It's a Roy Orbison growl....smooth.
 
So, while many of you are thinking daffodils and gardens, and spring sports and suntans, I'll still be thinking 'corduroy', at least for 23 more days.
 
Which fully explains the Piece of the Week.  See it on the website: www.twowillowsjewelry.com
 
Until next week--Bring back March!  
Kim
 
PS--My favorite holiday of the year is just around the corner on the 17th.  Make sure you have something green to wear when you go out step-dancing and pint-tipping.  Several green-stoned designs on the website can be mailed to you asap, ensuring no one will pinch you for not being appropriately dressed.  Slainte!