Random Thoughts Part 4 - Split Thread

[Silicon Waffle]

I just found a very good cure for my tired eyes: Sleep!

 

[WWGD]

I have been always leaving sleep as the last thing I sacrifice. I think it has been the right choice. Still, I am trying to become better at napping outside of home. I usually just pretend to be reading something or put my phone in front of me and close my eyes. That way it is harder for staff to tell I am napping and I am not asked to leave.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Well, i haven't bought a Guitar Hero for the grandkids. But they haven't asked for one either... It's the only brand of those things I'm aware of.

Have i been manipulated ? Every time i see a Guitar Hero in the toy store i chuckle about that ad and how it made six geezers' jaws drop. So, if the aim of the advertiser was to make folks remember their brand name Heidi should be able to retire on that ad alone.
I'd say i was affected, imprinted if you will. Prior to that i didn't even know who was Ms Klum.
Way is paved for grandkids to do the manipulating,
meaning the odds are significant for "You want a Guitar Hero? Sure, but i get the Heidi poster."

old jim

O.K., you've described a situation that is pretty strange and needs some analysis. You came away from the commercial with the strong impression you were psychologically manipulated, yet you never bought the product, and the company made no money from you. My take on this is that the party that was authentically manipulated here was the manufacturers of Guitar Hero. They were manipulated by the ad agency that made the commercial. Money did change hands in that relationship.

This is what I've been trying to explain to WWGD: in reality, advertising isn't about ad agencies manipulating the consumer, it's about manipulating the clients, the people who have products for sale. The impression the commercial made on you is part of the smoke and mirrors, the magical misdirection the ad agency uses on its clients, "Now even old poker players know the name 'Guitar Hero!'" Sounds impressive, but they fail to add, "Even thought they're never going to buy one. We haven't exactly figured out how to make that happen yet."

 

[JorisL]

Yuck I have to make this stupid ASSignment.

We're asked to come up with three questions suitable for an exam.
These questions should be about a specific chapter in our book.
Not only do we need to give a solution + a key to give marks.
We also have to motivate why we believe it's a good question in less than 400 words. I bet they're going to use my questions next year.

I'm thinking of bouncing the ball back and ask to identify why the questions they posed are bad.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Yuck I have to make this stupid ASSignment.

We're asked to come up with three questions suitable for an exam.
These questions should be about a specific chapter in our book.
Not only do we need to give a solution + a key to give marks.
We also have to motivate why we believe it's a good question in less than 400 words. I bet they're going to use my questions next year.

I'm thinking of bouncing the ball back and ask to identify why the questions they posed are bad.

I don't exactly get it. Do you suspect this is just a sneaky way to get students to write next years exams (i.e. the person who gave the assignment is lazy)?

 

[JorisL]

No I just don't like the assignment.

'Twas a bit of a rant.

 

[zoobyshoe]

No I just don't like the assignment.

'Twas a bit of a rant.

I see. Carry on.

 

[Ibix]

I would like to go on record as stating that I completely agree with the consensus in my train carriage that "E's not worff it bruv, e ain't ****ing worff it". Pleased to report that opinion now appears to be unanimous on the inadvisability of attempting to teach 'im a lesson by kicking the **** out of 'im.

Sophisticated bunch I travel with...

 

[JorisL]

Not in the least because I might have to skip a beer tasting evening because of it :-(

That reminded me of the http://www.beerofbelgium.com/en/chimay-blue-9-33cl.html I've got in the fridge. Time to get creative.
I can suggest that one if you like strong, dark beers.

 

[Ibix]

Re advertising, someone once pointed out to me that TV companies are not in the business of making TV, they're in the business of selling your eyeball time (or the perception thereof) to advertisers. TV programmes are merely the pretty flowers they suck us worker bees in with.

I feel like there's some kind of distinction between companies that use advertising revenue to fund artistic endeavour and companies that use artistic endeavour (however loosely defined) to improve advertising revenue. Probably the latter make more reality shows. And more money.

 

[jim hardy]

They were manipulated by the ad agency that made the commercial.

Welll there's logic in what you say,
i figured out long ago that fishing lures are designed to attract not fish but fishermen.

If i understand advertising right it's not to make me rush out to the mall in a "must have" frenzy but to give a statistical edge,
the goal being to imprint brand recognition,
so that when I'm standing in the Toys R Us aisle wavering i'll be ever so slightly inclined to choose the brand i recognize. .
The ad under discussion achieved that.

Another ad I've remembered for over fifty years:
A shy bookish looking young man wearing an open lab coat, sporting a pocket protector with a sliderule sticking out amongst the pencils introduced himself as an engineer at Ford Motors. He then explained the working and advantages of Ford's full flow oil filtering system. This was late 1950's when an oil filter was still an option on Chevys.
I do not know why that particular ad stuck in my alleged memory. I think i identified with the shy bookish young man, and i appreciated the ad's mildly technical content.
Today i see it as an example of all-too-rare honesty in advertising for it explained a genuine advantage of a product..

But i doubt there's a dozen people in the country who remember that ad.

old jim.

 

[jim hardy]

Re advertising, someone once pointed out to me that TV companies are not in the business of making TV, they're in the business of selling your eyeball time (or the perception thereof) to advertisers. TV programmes are merely the pretty flowers they suck us worker bees in with.

I feel like there's some kind of distinction between companoes that use advertising revenue to fund artistic endeavour and companies that use artistic endeavour (howevet loosely defined) to improve advertising revenue. Probably the latter make more reality shows. And more money.

I heard a former TV writer interviewed on some talk show. Among his reasons for leaving the field was this statement:
"It is your job to deliver the audience to the commercial break in a receptive state of mind".
and he said he didn't like the imposition on his art.
That made me aware of the manipulation, which i resent(it's a pet peeve), and ever after I've been unable to tolerate commercial TV.
They've got the cost too high - the commercials just batter one's psyche. Especially the hip-wagging and flashing lights, doubtless modern TV is the inspiration for MIB's "Neuralizer".

http://www.rense.com/ufo5/flashing.htm][/PLAIN]
Television programs have come under stricter regulation in Great Britain and Japan after causing seizures in children. The illness, a form of epilepsy known as photosensitivity, is triggered by the flashing lights and quickly alternating shots found in many shows and commercials.

But while researchers have long known that bright, regular flares can provoke epileptic episodes, photosensitivity has gained a higher profile within the last 20 years as new triggers for the illness crop up with each new piece of media technology that comes along. Indeed, an increase in the number of stimuli--anything from fluorescent lighting to video and virtual reality games--has led to debate as to whether measures similar to those adopted in the UK should be enforced in the United States.

old jim

 

[zoobyshoe]

Welll there's logic in what you say,
i figured out long ago that fishing lures are designed to attract not fish but fishermen.

Absolutely true.

If i understand advertising right it's not to make me rush out to the mall in a "must have" frenzy but to give a statistical edge,
the goal being to imprint brand recognition,
so that when I'm standing in the Toys R Us aisle wavering i'll be ever so slightly inclined to choose the brand i recognize. .
The ad under discussion achieved that.

This is the meme ad agencies want their clients to believe. It seems to make sense, but is it testable in any ironclad way?

Another ad I've remembered for over fifty years:
A shy bookish looking young man wearing an open lab coat, sporting a pocket protector with a sliderule sticking out amongst the pencils introduced himself as an engineer at Ford Motors. He then explained the working and advantages of Ford's full flow oil filtering system. This was late 1950's when an oil filter was still an option on Chevys.
I do not know why that particular ad stuck in my alleged memory. I think i identified with the shy bookish young man, and i appreciated the ad's mildly technical content.
Today i see it as an example of all-too-rare honesty in advertising for it explained a genuine advantage of a product..

But i doubt there's a dozen people in the country who remember that ad.

I wish there was a lot more of that. I have never understood why ads don't consist of calm, reasonable people explaining why their product is better.

 

[dlgoff]

That made me aware of the manipulation, which i resent(it's a pet peeve), and ever after I've been unable to tolerate commercial TV.

I Know That's Right.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I would like to go on record as stating that I completely agree with the consensus in my train carriage that "E's not worff it bruv, e ain't ****ing worff it". Pleased to report that opinion now appears to be unanimous on the inadvisability of attempting to teach 'im a lesson by kicking the **** out of 'im.

Sophisticated bunch I travel with...

Perhaps they are a bit unpolished, but men like that do all the heavy lifting to keep the British Empire the greatest in the world. Without them, who would Monty Python make fun of?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Re advertising, someone once pointed out to me that TV companies are not in the business of making TV, they're in the business of selling your eyeball time (or the perception thereof) to advertisers. TV programmes are merely the pretty flowers they suck us worker bees in with.

That was soooooo apparent during this year's season of Fargo. The time between commercials got shorter and shorter, till, at the end of the episode, the commercial breaks were about double the time of the show segments. I would wager this is because it was such a popular show that advertisers were willing to pay extra big bucks to have their ads aired, and the TV companies raked in the Washingtons.

Stunts like that are actually counterproductive, because I intensely resent any product that conspired to interrupted that wonderful series.

 

[jim hardy]

This is the meme ad agencies want their clients to believe. It seems to make sense, but is it testable in any ironclad way?

Being aware of it, i analyze myself in the grocery store. I do tend to pick old familiar brands , especially if the logo is same as in my childhood.
Observe RCA went back to Nipper
Harley Davidson retains the Vtwin look, and sound from uneven firing interval
some Japanese water cooled cycle engines have bolt-on fins so as to resemble air cooled Harley look
Dodge retains the Ram from 1932

i guess that's why trademarks are so vehemently protected.

But i don't know how to test it on any ironclad scale.

Didn't Einstein say 'Physics is simple. Human ehavior is not..'
?

old jim

 

[JorisL]

Finally done making up the questions I mentioned last page.
Now to answer them to my own satisfaction.

TIL I'll probably make tests way to hard if I ever end up teaching for realz.

 

[collinsmark]

Something else on PF today (not technically the same topic) reminded me of this "random" thought:

 

[WWGD]

Not in the least because I might have to skip a beer tasting evening because of it :-(

That reminded me of the http://www.beerofbelgium.com/en/chimay-blue-9-33cl.html I've got in the fridge. Time to get creative.
I can suggest that one if you like strong, dark beers.

Isn't Belgium the land of 1000+ beers (and rich food)? How hard is it to move there?

 

[zoobyshoe]

There's this girl who works at the Starbucks down the street. When she turns her back to the customer counter she provides the finest view since Jennifer Lopez. It's really quite surprising to find that kind of talent peddling coffee.

 

[WWGD]

There's this girl who works at the Starbucks down the street. When she turns her back to the customer counter she provides the finest view since Jennifer Lopez. It's really quite surprising to find that kind of talent peddling coffee.

I have seen a few cases like that; not just at Starbucks, but at other fast-food places , other businesses. I agree, I wonder why they are not more actively exploiting their respective good looks. Maybe they are not very worldly, savvy about marketing themselves, so they play it safe.

 

[JorisL]

Isn't Belgium the land of 1000+ beers (and rich food)? How hard is it to move there?

Both are true.
I suppose it wouldn't be to hard.

We don't have that many dedicated coffee shops though.
We do have cafés which are practically the same during daytime (in big cities).

 

[Ibix]

doubtless modern TV is the inspiration for MIB's "Neuralizer".

Bringing this full circle, there was an excellent advert for MIB2 which went through the usual movie trailer stuff then finished with the exhortation to "go and see Men In Black 2 [neuraliser flash] ...for the first time."

 

[Ibix]

Perhaps they are a bit unpolished, but men like that do all the heavy lifting to keep the British Empire the greatest in the world. Without them, who would Monty Python make fun of?

I was feeling vaguely resentful of the way the mood in the carriage shifted to focus around them. It was fairly quiet at that time of night, mostly people keeping themelves to themselves and reading, with a couple of people chatting. These guys crashed in and people were instantly half on alert in case they did kick off into a fight, even once his mates managed to distract the great warrior with a loud discussion of the football. It struck me as big talk more than anything else, but they intruded into everybody else's headspace (if that's a word) the rest of the time they were on the train. Hence me snarking about them on here - just to spread the joy.

 

[Silicon Waffle]

She just made a random guess about whom her message was being sent to. But that was kind of a real strike in nature. That hurt her a little.
At least that helps me confirm she was here and her partner(s) now shows up once in a while on PF .
Good morning!

 

[zoobyshoe]

I was feeling vaguely resentful of the way the mood in the carriage shifted to focus around them. It was fairly quiet at that time of night, mostly people keeping themelves to themselves and reading, with a couple of people chatting. These guys crashed in and people were instantly half on alert in case they did kick off into a fight, even once his mates managed to distract the great warrior with a loud discussion of the football. It struck me as big talk more than anything else, but they intruded into everybody else's headspace (if that's a word) the rest of the time they were on the train. Hence me snarking about them on here - just to spread the joy.

I know the types, of course. They exist all over the world. And, yeah, they're very irritating.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I have seen a few cases like that; not just at Starbucks, but at other fast-food places , other businesses. I agree, I wonder why they are not more actively exploiting their respective good looks. Maybe they are not very worldly, savvy about marketing themselves, so they play it safe.

That's probably it exactly. She seems shy, doesn't speak very loudly. Maybe a bit insecure, hence conservative.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Bringing this full circle, there was an excellent advert for MIB2 which went through the usual movie trailer stuff then finished with the exhortation to "go and see Men In Black 2 [neuraliser flash] ...for the first time."

I really like those movies. The circuit for a neuralizer would be very easy. I might make one someday.

 

[WWGD]

I know the types, of course. They exist all over the world. And, yeah, they're very irritating.

We are all counting on you to become her ass whisperer . I know I am. I am pretty sure she will respond well to that request. Then again, on second thought, I have been slapped a few times, so be cautious. Maybe you can use the neuralizer to help set her ass free.

EDIT: Will save this one for the sake of randomness, by replying to the wrong post. I remember MAD magazine used to do this, respond to letters written to other magazines.

 

[WWGD]

That's probably it exactly. She seems shy, doesn't speak very loudly. Maybe a bit insecure, hence conservative.

We are all counting on you to become her ass whisperer . I know I am. I am pretty sure she will respond well to that request. Then again, on second thought, I have been slapped a few times, so be cautious. Maybe you can use the neuralizer to help set her ass free.

 

[WWGD]

Those papaya chunks were pretty good and helped digestion, but kind of steep, at $4.50.
I guess that is the price I have to pay to avoid buying the papaya and cutting it of myself.

 

[JorisL]

During christmas break I'll finally get around to reading Feynman's QED.
Earlier today this little, elegant book caught my eye in the library.
Lo and behold QED. Although I was there on other business I couldn't resist.

 

[fresh_42]

Murphy's Law, section: Why toasted bread lands buttered-side-down.
I understood that this is basically a consequence of natural constants. A funny application of physics.
But every single time I put a mug into the microwave to heat my chocolate the handle ends up in the rear. And it's valid for two different sizes of mugs.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Murphy's Law, section: Why toasted bread lands buttered-side-down.
I understood that this is basically a consequence of natural constants. A funny application of physics.
But every single time I put a mug into the microwave to heat my chocolate the handle ends up in the rear. And it's valid for two different sizes of mugs.

Assumptions:
You put it in for the same amount of time each time
You put it in handle facing out.

Solutions:
Either calculate the time it takes for one half of a rotation and add/subtract the necessary amount of time or
Put it in handle facing away

Maybe I should open a Murphy's help line.