Old Time Radio at OTRCat!

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Adversity in Advertising





My ad hoc product photos of the java that Friend Fred got for us reminds me of my intro into the truth of advertising.
Note I did not say "truth IN advertising".
The fall of 1977, after the Dread Dormomoo and I were wed, I found myself in need of A Situation. Mind you, this was early in the Carter Years, and the economy was already on a downturn. I found work as a photographer for a local NC variety store chain, both in-store family portraits, and the home-office product photographer, where I used a Polaroid back on a view camera. I took shots of the various specials featured in their newspaper adverts. Toys, paper towels, kitchen gadgets, all fell under the baleful eye of my apparatus.
Though I was considerably wet-behind-the-ears, I fell into the routine and style fairly easily, and my boss, Charley Sauls, kept feeding me product. Came the week when we featured towels and washcloths, and I felt I was ready for anything!
The store, "Wood's" was, again, a small regional discount concern, like a Dollar General without the charm. You could buy errr, inexpensive items there. Almost all was of US manufacture, but often it would be the "cheap" line, or even seconds. Caveat emptor.
So it was with the towel line. The washcloths were thin, almost see-through, but I dutifully folded them, stacked them (the store motto was "We stack it high, and sell it low!") and took the shot.


When "Cholley" saw the photo later, he took me aside and gently admonished that it was insufficient, and so went to the studio with me to show what must be done. See, I had taken the washcloths, folded each, and stacked them for a 3/4 shot. He took the cloths, and folded TWO together, then, two more, and two more, and again, until we had a fat stack of terrycloth fabrication, turned with the fold toward the camera (I had gotten THAT right). He took note of my moral discomfiture at the fraud, and said "We're not being dishonest; we just want them to look as good as they are.Thick and thirsty!"


Apparently terrycloth loses ten pounds when photographed.
I was not long for that particular gig. I continued with the portrait work, and learned much of how not to raise children, but those tales are for another time.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

A washboard for wasabi



https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/89934116_2547252012180446_2322174725435949056_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_eui2=AeE-PIDKPIyfW9GjmKt_dCDux3eNKCO8OYPRYsGI2rO90eOZgjngjzKKctToGsTTgDLH260WIfx_28EpknZk3Be9xfEtotjdqS2IgWF1oj26SQ&_nc_ohc=hD_rqkNnKJ8AX8uPSf_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_tp=7&oh=d31e7d3873ccd84783aeba15422bfd87&oe=5E9980CB

------------------------


I might be happier if sci fi writers and actors could get "silicon" and "silicone" straight.

---------------------

West Chester, PA has a phone line to report businesses that are open but shouldn't be.

---------------------

Surprising how a teeny virus is big enough to make people surrender constitutional rights to government fiat.

---------------------

More importantly, who really thought 2 follow-ups of FLCL were required?
I suspect Federal complicity.

---------------------

Just realised this:
"Privilege" is a post-modern, Godless
term for "blessing".

---------------------

When I was a kid, I attended a few funerals. The pallbearers would each have a red rose in their lapel.
I have been a pallbearer twice. We were given an adhesive embroidered rose for our lapels.

Postmodern form over substance.
Hateful. If my pallbearers have stickers, I will haunt you all.

---------------------

Learn to prepare.
The TP madness shows how bad it could get given a REAL catastrophe.

---------------------

Has the CDC issued new info?
As I drove to the store, it was apparent that they believe if you drive SLOW,
you won't catch C.-19

----------------------

Best line in awhile:
"I've got a date with destiny, and it
ain't gonna end with a kiss!"
(Candace from "Phineas and Ferb")

----------------------

Having a genuine need to watch
"The Andromeda Strain".

----------------------

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang, but a wheeze.

----------------------

"Prepping" means having stuff ready in case there is An Event, not rushing and panic-buying after the thing.

----------------------

"Earn cash on the fly by reporting illegal business software today."
'Cos you can't possibly lose your job when we descend like locusts on your place of employment.

----------------------

The panic of people following Covid19 cases
approaching their state
is like watching
a snail collision.

-----------------------

Been watching the late Eighties
"Superboy" series.
Gilbert Gottfried's "Nick Knack"
may be the best villain.

-----------------------

A peeve?
When people unwittingly share
incorrect info, then say
"I lied".

-----------------------

Funny things I've heard:
"If I get Corona virus, I also want Lyme disease, 'cos I love Corona with lime."

-----------------------

Seems to me that all the media-inspired worry would have a deleterious effect on immune response.

-----------------------

I have mused on the usefulness
of Cracker Barrel Restaurants in case of
The Zombie Apocalypse.

------------------------

Just got back from a GRUELING voice session for
"Scared Shirtless", the horror podcast I'm in.
VERY taut.

https://scaredshirtlesstees.podbean.com/

-------------------------

If we get Bernie in as Prexy,
he'll have all those FEMA camps for Insta-Gulags!

-------------------------

Mike Johnson - 17 February 2014 at 22:33

Sarcasm is like a good game of chess... Most people don't know how to play chess.

-------------------------

If Christians were as persistent as the Google Business scammers, the entire world would be evangelised.

-------------------------

Original BSG, and Buck Rogers,
some of the worst SF shows EVER,
and I've seen Space:1999!

------------------------

The Dread Dormomoo and I attended the last "Anime South" convention (I think in 2014).

Whilst there, I was at the hotel lobby coffee stand getting some much-needed java. As I was doing the thing, I dropped the creamer cup in my coffee cup. "Herp derp" sez I.

The sweet young con attendee next to me looked in wonder and said "Don't take this the wrong way...I've never heard someone your age say 'Herp derp' before".

It pays to be culture-savvy.

--------------------------

Missing when they said
HEElicopter
and the program after Mercury
was called Geminee.

--------------------------

Kazik!

That is all.

---------------------------

Later.