I had totally forgotten about these. I came across the first one a few years ago and then tracked down the others. I archived them, but forgot about the archive. I was searching through my files this morning and came across them again. These are basically a series of commercials that run in British movie theaters -- they're for a mobile telephone company, Orange. The premise is that they have this division (fictional), the Orange Film Board, that finances movies, and well-known movie stars are continually pitching them ideas for films -- or one of their movies is being made, and their executives interrupt it for... (well, let's call it) creative input. The recurring characters are the Orange executives, Mr.Dresden and Mr. Elliot. One of the funniest is with Mena Suvari, from American Beauty and the American Pie series. (I'll also add that she's in my pal Rob Hedden's comedy film, You May Not Kiss the Bride, and is a hilarious scene-chewing hoot.) I first saw her ad on one of those TV specials, The World's Funniest Commercials, but didn't have a clue what it was for. So, I tracked it down, and found out what in the world it was all about. That's when I went about tracking down as many of the theater commercials as I could. And was just blown away about how fun, inventive, and off-beat they were. I'll post them from time to time -- thus far, I've found 20 of them. Some of the people involved are Dennis Hopper, John Cleese, Darth Vader, Sean Astin...(yes, you read that right, Darth Vader)...and Macaulay Caulkin. I'll stop there, I don't want to give them all away. But to begin with, here's the one with Mena Suvari.
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Never wear a Hawaiian shirt when you go shopping at Trader Joe's. I came up with this rule several years ago, after one too many experiences of costumers coming up to me and asking where to find the freeze-dried apples. The problem isn't so much that it's awkward for me, but I feel bad for the others who always seem so embarrassed when they're told, "Sorry, I don't work here. But I do think the Spicy Indonesian Chips are in that aisle over there." As friends will attest, I don't wear Hawaiian shirts terribly often, let alone short-sleeve shirts in general, so I have to keep reminding myself of the rule, and sometimes it slips through the cracks. Like today, when there's been a hot spell in Los Angeles. I had another errand to run nearby the Trader Joe's, so I figured I'm put both together. Fortunately, as I approached the grocery store, reality kicked in, so I was able to avert disaster.
Fortunately, people who shop at Trader Joe's tend to be quite nice, so it's not too bad. But honestly, it really is a jumble, so I do try to avoid it. I'll get my Dr. Prager's California Veggie Burger some other day. With summer coming, BobVila.com has a short slideshow piece on 11 cooling fans. Most seem to be there because of their design, though in many ways design is the only thing that differentiates a lot of fans. Several of those listed, though, do focus on the cooling technology. All of this brought to mind my own favorite (and most disappointing) fan that I've come across. It's something I discovered when attending last year's IFA Berlin tech trade show. The GreenFan 2, is from a Japanese company, Balumuda. What was so wonderful about the fan is how remarkable it was at cooling. What was freaking disappointing is that it's not available in the U.S., at least at the moment. I was so enamored with the GreenFan 2 that I stood in front of it, luxuriating in its breeze and reading the documentation on its display for (without exaggerating) about 15-20. I stood in front of it so long that I think other show visitors thought I was part of the exhibit. The vendors found me quite amusing, though appreciative, and when I wrote the company a couple months later, they remembered "the guy who was standing in front of your fan for so long." Despite spending so much time reading about their "natural breeze" technology and asking questions, I still can't tell you precisely how it works, but it has something to do with dual layer blades and air diffusion over a flat surface... However, it delivered the coolest and quietest air I've ever come across. I know that it's borderline pointless to write about a product you can't readily buy. But excellence should always be lauded. Besides, if anyone reading this is going to Japan -- or Korea, where's it's also sold -- it's good to know about and look into. For all I know, they'll ship one if you contact them online. Their website has a lot of information on it (in English, despite the graphic above), so that will tell you more -- for those interested in knowing more about a fan that they may not be able to get. Yet. Ah, but one day hopefully...
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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