Easter Eggs

As British ex-pats living in the US one of the quirky things we miss from our immigrant tradition at this time of year is the chocolate easter egg. The supermarket shelves are fully stocked with colorful, but ghastly, marshmallow peeps in a variety of shapes and sizes, there may be myriad easter-themed other chocolates, and mounds of chocolate bunnies, but alas, no hollow eggs. I do see mini-eggs and creme eggs, but where are those large hollow confections we used to love as a kid in the UK?

When easter came round we would usually get a couple of these from family. Displayed in their quirky half-boxes so that you could see the bright foil that encased the chocolate, they were a welcome treat for all children. In fact in the UK there are still around 80 million sold each year, which has to be about 3 per child!

In the “good ol’ days” the eggs would also contain a surprize of some sort. Usually in the form of more chocolate goodies, or other candies, but sometimes a small toy or a keepsake. Over the years, this seems to have changed, with these “extras” now being included in the box rather than the egg itself. I don’t know if that’s because of production costs or some kind of “health and safety” directive, but either way it’s a shame in my opinion. It spoils the fun of cracking open the egg.

So, what’s a man to do? Well, only one thing for it – get some molds from eBay and make my own, and what’s more this has the added benefit of me being able to choose the chocolate too! (I won’t bore you with my rant about the concept of American ‘chocolate’ here…).

A quick trip to purchase the last 3 bars of the increasingly elusive Scharffen Berger Milk Chocolate (the best American chocolate there is) at Wegman’s and a few hours later, my handmade gift is ready for my wife:

160326_EasterEgg

Happy Easter (egg) to all!

~Richard

March 26, 2016 3

Souper BowL

Today is the fiftieth time that champions of the American Football Conference (AFC) will play their counterparts from the National Football Conference (NFC). It is a time when a huge number of Americans will sit round their TVs to watch the pre-match show, ads that cost $167,000 per second to air (yep, that’s right), see ColdPlay perform during half-time, and also watch some football.

I was briefly a fan of the game back in the UK in the 1980s when it was first aired on Channel 4 and became trendy for teenagers to beg Dolphins or Raiders shirts from any friends or family who had traveled to the US, but not so anymore.

I could whine on about how the game has become a money obsessed behemoth, obscenely dominated by advertising and revenue generation; how sportsmanship seems to have been lost; how the reliance on technology, trickery, sleight of hand, rule-bending, and non-sporting tactics have spoiled the game. I could even drone on about how society turns its collective blind-eyes to the clear use of performance enhancing drugs and the continued worshipping of women beaters, simply because they can throw or catch a ball, but there’s no real point. I have nothing particularly deep to add to the information that’s already out there. To be honest, I now find the whole NFL shebang quite a disturbing indictment on human behavior.

But, on the other hand, today is a rare day which will also make many people happy. Perhaps it will enable grudges to be forgotten by the attendees at a local Super Bowl Party; maybe it will get people together face to face to talk, cheer and tease each other for a few hours rather than pressing their fingers into their phones all day. That could be a good thing and is one aspect that should be applauded. This year is also touted as “the most giving Super Bowl ever” and the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee has committed to dedicating 25% of all money raised to be used for philanthropic causes in the San Francisco Bay Area through the “50 Fund.”

So, it is with mixed feelings as I consider the day, whilst typing at my keyboard. But whatever way I view it the hackneyed, but increasingly relevant catchphrase, “follow the money” just keeps spinning in my head…

160207_SouperBowl50

~Richard

February 7, 2016 0

Groundhog Day and Memories

Today is Groundhog Day! For those of us living in Pennsylvania it means it’s time when the State gets a little more air-time as the news crews descend upon the small town of Punxsutawney, PA where a poor old groundhog, designated as “Punxsutawney Phil” is dragged into the limelight from his home in the ludicrously named “Gobbler’s Knob” and, through some magical ceremony, prognosticates on whether Spring will be early or late.

The statistics of Phil’s accuracy are interesting and, with a 39% rate of being correct are significantly worse than chance. This being said, then I am assuming that we will have a long Winter this year since the unreliable rodent has opined that it will be an early Spring. Let’s see!

Of course the other famous Groundhog Day is the now classic 1993 film of the same name directed by Harry Ramis and starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. In my opinion this is much more fun! The idea of reliving the same day repeatedly but being able to alter it though your own behaviour is quite fascinating from a philosophical point of view. As Murray experiences in the film, after the initial shock and boredom wears off, there are myriad ways one can explore one’s own psyche as well as that of others. Now that is quite a fascinating concept. Imagine the ability to simply erase the mistakes of a day until, in the end you create what you consider to be your perfect day. Could you do it, or would you go mad trying?

I, on the other hand am going to approach this from a more mundane and blatant angle by posting one image below a link to a few images of the town where I spent some of my childhood many years ago.

The number of days we kids spent roaming around and playing in this area, especially over the school holidays, meant that we were always searching for that “perfect day” and, although we wouldn’t have called it such, perhaps this was our own Groundhog day of sorts…

~Richard

February 2, 2016 1

Pardon the Pun

It is only two weeks (yes, guys that’s only 14 days!) until Valentine’s Day. The fabulous 14th of February when we have a chance to express our affection to our cherished ones. I think I’ll probably write a bit more about my thoughts on this subject on the actual day but suffice to say that I am so grateful that myriad Jewelry stores, car manufacturers and Hallmark have been so thoughtful in reminding us of this celebration since the New Year began. Nevertheless, I wanted to make a post related to this today for a couple of reasons:

Firstly, I was still thinking about my previous post concerning the great work of Kevin Abosch. I had been mulling this around in my head for a few days and then suddenly had the thought to try something similar myself. “Ah, but how to make this unique?” thinks I, as I ponder the situation.

It was when we were in the kitchen last night and my wife asked me to make up a salad to accompany our dinner, and I was absentmindedly thinking about Valentine’s Day and what was the best way I could show my affection in the next fortnight (pretty advanced planning for me, in actuality), that I had one of those so-called “moments of inspiration”. Now, my cerebral pun-engine is always turning over in the back of my head (probably due to having been raised on a diet of British comedy, not least the Carry On films) but this time it leaped to my consciousness and delivered a classic (to my mind). So, I scurried to my basement studio (aka an ironing board with a tote lid covered in black material underneath a large LED shop light), stood on a chair and created the following image:

I also created one as fine art (i.e., without any text) in true homage to Mr Abosch should anyone wish to have a large leafy print adorning their home 🙂

~Richard

February 1, 2016 0

Politically Inspired Graphic Art

I have found the last several months of rhetoric, bombast, bigotry, and other political shenanigans that have poured forth during the run up to selection of political candidates for this year’s White House run to have been more depressing than usual. However, rather than simply getting angry, or demoralized I have used the time to inspire me to create some graphic art.

I make no public claim or overt political stand with this – the viewer can read into it whatever messaging s/he sees fit. Perhaps they would make for a good discussion too?

This is going to be a long year and I just needed to get this off my chest early in the game…

~Richard

January 29, 2016 3

After nearly 70 years – the end of the True Landy?

I just heard today that TATA, the parent company of that classic British car marque Land Rover, will stop manufacturing the Land Rover Defender tomorrow. Admittedly, this had been announced some time ago but I had not seen it.

The Defender is the last of the “true” Land Rovers, and it’s a shame to see it go after 67 years of evolution. How ironic that it lasted nearly “three-score years and ten.” It will be replaced by a more street-worthy vehicle carrying the same name but it will be interesting to see how it can bear the history of a vehicle that is so iconic and was once advertised as the road vehicle you can plough a field with. And if you don’t believe me try looking here and then watching this excellent promotional video from the 50s.

I drove several Land Rovers over a prolonged time in the mid to late 80’s when I was working in the agricultural sector and I admit I loved their basic ruggedness and the fact they could go just about anywhere over the fields. I even towed a small plot combine all over the UK with a 110 V8, at one point having to park this behemoth, with its appalling turning circle, in the center of Edinburgh each night as that’s where I was staying over the summer. Now that was an experience.

With the demise of this quintessentially British icon, much like the original Mini, I feel we are losing a bit of our heritage, but I guess the real Landy has had its day. Maybe it says more about how society has moved on – perhaps we are simply less rugged, or rather more refined, than we used to be. It would have been an anathema to install air conditioning and electronic gadgetry in a Land Rover of old, after all the vehicle was designed so that the interior could be cleaned with a hose, or so I am told, but the new Defender will undoubtedly come with all the whistle and bells that today’s discerning, Hunter-welly-clad, Barbour-jacket-wearing clientele desire, neatly fitted into its monocoque, chassis-less design.
So, as part of my farewell to this Best of British post-war Engineering I am running a Land Rover image contest for fun this week under the auspices of the Quintessentially British Group that I curate. Why not take a look to see what people have entered?

~Richard

January 28, 2016 0

What’s happening to All the Young Dudes? They’re getting old…and dying, but that’s OK

Yesterday morning I heard that Dale Griffin had died at the age of 67. Although not a household name, I enlighten you. He was the drummer with the 70’s British band, Mott the Hoople, who are probably best known for their famous anthem, “All the Young Dudes,” penned by David Bowie, which went on to become a staple song of the glam rock era. That’s right, David Bowie, who died only a few days earlier at the age of 69, only a few days after Ian “Lemmy” Kilmiser, at 70 years old. As I was contemplating this, I heard than Eagles co-founder, Glenn Frey, also died the same day at the same age as Dale Griffin.

My initial thought was WTF is happening to the musicians that shaped my youth? They’re dropping like flies! Who will be next? Given I have a fairly eclectic musical taste and I have already lost Frank Zappa, Ian Dury, Joe Strummer, and too many others to mention who provided background to my adolescent years and beyond, or possibly shaped it, it’s hard to say but one thing is for sure: this trend ain’t ever gonna stop. After all, as the oft quoted adage goes: only two* things in life are certain – death and taxes. We can perhaps avoid or defer the latter but the first is unavoidable, even for the rich and famous.

When I was much younger I would have probably made some smart-alec remark like, well they were old, what did you expect? But now I have grey hair and ache a bit more in the morning I seem to see it a little differently. Lemmy only made the traditional “three score years and ten” by a few days and the others didn’t quite get there. We live In an era where magazines espouse that “60 is the new 50,” life expectancy is generally rising, and people who we would originally classed as “the elderly” when I was a kid (i.e., people who are of retirement age) are now expected to have gym membership.

Perhaps we need to be reminded sometimes that it’s not the length of time we have lived but how we have lived and the impact we have made.

And look at the lives these guys led! They sure packed a lot of living into their time on earth. Being a rock star may be a hedonistic lifestyle, but it’s also creative: listen to what they left for us. They represented different musical genres but they each allowed their millions of followers, be they angst-ridden teens, partying youths, or older adults to indulge in their creativity for a while. They made us smile, cry, and just think about life, the universe and everything, even if only for the length of a single song. We should celebrate that, and not dwell unnecessarily on their deaths.

So, as I bid farewell to these great artists I unashamedly steal some lyrics from the Hoople/Bowie song in celebration of how their musical legacies “carry the news (there you go)…”

~Richard

* or three, if you know the old adolescent joke, but that’s another story.

January 19, 2016 0

Corporate Dreaming – a perspective

Today my colleagues and I have the dubious pleasure of another 4 hour meeting with a group of management consultants who have been brought into our organization to tell us something. I am not entirely sure what we are supposed to gain from this exercise, as it wasn’t made clear during the first 2-day exercise, and a quick straw poll of several of my co-workers has revealed that they too are equally in the dark. However, as is often the case in such situations I am sure it will be seen as money well-spent by the corporation hierarchy. It baffles me how executive management of corporations are hailed as being successful managers and stewards of an organization when they need external consultants to do their job for them, but then as the old adage goes “no-one ever got fired for hiring McKinsey” (even when they do a poor job).

Anyhow, in an attempt to maintain my sanity in this ocean of madness what this means for me is that I have a credible excuse for posting some of my motivational irony that I have produced over the last couple of years, usually after similar exercises, so here goes:

Firstly, I am tired of seeing bombastic scribbles which proclaim just how important we are as individuals, and how we should embrace this thought. To me this somewhat misses the point. Yes, individuals are important but we are only one tiny part of a greater society. Perhaps we should be reminded of this more often, and perhaps our seemingly ever increasing proclivity to narcissism may be held in check. We should be able to deal with this perspective.

The other hackneyed rhetoric to which we are often subject is to “think outside the box”. This truly annoying phrase has been with us since the advent of the management consultant and apparently has links to the old “nine dot puzzle” which is occasionally rolled out as if it is some kind of magic trick. As someone who solved this the first time I saw it, it never ceases to amaze me how many people who are proponents of the out of the box concept struggle with this simple puzzle and its derivatives (yes it can be done with 3 lines and even one line as long as it’s on a sheet of paper (big hint there). Anyway, I digress. My antidote to this, as a Whovian, is the following poster:

And finally, to summarize my view of the whole management consultant affair, I offer the following picture to consider if you too also have to deal with hour after hour of meaningless metaphors sprinkled with irrelevant platitudes:

[rant over!]

~Richard

January 15, 2016 0

Back from the grave – time for a restart not a reset!

Wow – has it really been two years since I started this blog and then almost immediately abandoned it? How dreadful!

I admit that I have not put the effort into working out the best way to use WordPress, but it’s time to pick up the pieces and start posting here again to supplement the time I have been spending over on my art site ReevePhotos.com and also on twitter and pinterest. I have also been busy curating the online art group Quintessentially British which now has 600+ members and nearly 10,000 images that are associated with Britain in some “quintessential” way. Why not take a look?

Finally, I was going to do a complete reset on this blog and delete the old posts but then I thought no, they are part of my rambling history so I may as well leave them…

January 4, 2016 0

Category: rambling

Easter Eggs

Souper BowL

Groundhog Day and Memories

Pardon the Pun

Politically Inspired Graphic Art

After nearly 70 years – the end of the True Landy?

What’s happening to All the Young Dudes? They’re getting old…and dying, but that’s OK

Corporate Dreaming – a perspective

Back from the grave – time for a restart not a reset!

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