Far East Bowling
Posted 2 Sep 2010
Ever wonder where bowling came from? Well, I was fortunate enough to have a fortune cookie.
Little did ye know, bowling was actually an ancient Chinese pastime, called bao ling qiu. It was a great point of emperor contention, and for its infamy was whisked by Marco Polo back to the West, whereupon the qiu was dropped, words were Romanized, and the West was infatuated.
And if you didn’t know much about Tanzania, know that it’s the birthplace of pikapu, known in the US as “pick-up trucks”.
CMD fans, tell us more about your favorite words that are English in appearance yet foreign in parentage? Or admittedly, the other way around?
Web design by sign
Posted 9 Aug 2010
Design, Places, Signs | 3 Comments
On a recent trip through the Midwest of the USA, I saw a number of road sign placards offering web design. The placards were stark to the point of lacking in design sense. They were placed on a number of different intersections across the north west suburbs of Chicago. The signs also included a telephone number which I blurred in the following images.
Take a look at these two photos (one is a close-up) of a sign at one particular intersection.
And here are a couple more pictures of the sign posted at a different intersection.
So, at the risk of sounding terribly egotistic, does do these particular road-side advertisements stir in you a desire to ring the number about your upcoming web project?
Backwards Traffic Patterns
Posted 5 Aug 2010
Commuting, Daily Life, Places | 2 Comments
Observation #1: I was driving the other day through Ann Arbor, MI, when I seemed to get stuck at every red light in town. Around rush hour, it’s a nightmare to drive, not because of the huge numbers of cars, but because of always seeming to get caught by a red light.
Observation #2: I was walking the other day through Ann Arbor, MI, when I seemed to get greeted by every walk signal in town. In the morning, it’s heavenly to walk, not because of the few people on the sidewalks, but because of always seeming to be greeted with a walk signal.
Conclusion: Ann Arbor, MI, in its undeniable quirkiness, has timed its traffic lights to the speed of pedestrian traffic rather than automobile traffic.
Fascinating. A new way to encourage people to walk?
Infrastructure Spies
Posted 27 Jul 2010
Commuting, Places, Signs | 4 Comments
Is this a lane masquerading as a road?
Is this the culture of transparency taken too far?
Is this a street where only CIA operatives and witness protection inductees are allowed to reside?
Is this the result of the same trend which produced the mysterious Hidden Entrances we found about a year ago?
Covert Rd
Note: This picture was taken under the cover of darkness.
What do you suspect is going on here?
Exercise equipment for Oompa Loompas
Posted 15 Jul 2010
People, Places, Signs | 4 Comments
I saw some exercise equipment today that, as far as I can tell from the instructional infographics on the machine, is intended for use by Oompa Loompas.
