Airlines I Have Yet To Fly, Part 4

Office space

I always like visiting other editing houses and production companies. The most recent issue of Creative Review talks about how ad agencies and design shops are cutting edge places for architects, because they're always willing to try new floor plans.

I'm writing this from a pretty cool space in Vienna, where Wiener Klappe Film Produktion makes their home.

Man, I love exposed brick, high ceilings, and Macs with really big screens.

Mobile PowerPoint Disaster

I was in Paris recently and found myself behind this van at a stoplight.

Mess that it was, I can't say which line, image, or bullet point was the first thing to catch my eye. But couldn't help noticing the man-holding-the-lightbulb clip art (sorry about the camera phone resolution).

How do I know it was clip art? I had seen it before in Jon Steel's book Perfect Pitch, where he rails on awful presentations created with awful PowerPoint clip art. Here is a scanned page from Jon's book that uses the exact same clip art to make his point.

Maybe S.E.R. Électricité could use a copy of Jon's book. Assuming his arguments apply to van art as well.

(I also recommend Jon's other book, as well has his brilliant performance as Hurley.)

Worst. Soda. Ever.

Found this in France. It was in the soft drink aisle, but judging from the taste, it should have been right next to the children's cough syrup.

We didn't actually drink as much it appears. After a few sips, we decided to use it for scrubbing the toilets.

Happy Thanksgiving?

I'm going on production next week, so I just changed my voicemail to alert callers that I won't be in the office until Thursday, November 26.

Which I then realized is Thanksgiving Day.

Which, for an American, is a weird day to say you'll be "back in the office."

No, we don't get Thanksgiving weekend off work in Europe. But four weeks paid vacation more than makes up for it.

Geneva Rips Off the Eames

I like cities that display art in public places. Chicago does it. And so does Geneva. Right now, there's a sidewalk exhibition along the Bergues Bridge downtown.

I'm sure a lot of people think it's cool. But if you're at all familiar with "Powers of 10" by Ray and Charles Eames, you'll know it's just a blatant rip off. Which makes it less cool.

The Bergues Bridge version isn't as interesting or as comprehensive as the original, but at least you don't have to put up with the soundtrack or the voiceover that sounds exactly like a guy wearing a short-sleeved, button down shirt with horned-rimmed glasses and a pocket protector.

Unlike the Eames version, this one goes into the man's testicle. Ouch.

Sperm cells are apparently more interesting than strands of DNA.

(There's a crossover point mid-bridge where we go into the woman to see her ova before pulling slowly back to outer space.)

Despite being a rip-off, it's pretty cool to look at these panels and then look up to see you're actually there - something the original film doesn't offer. Unless, of course, you're watching it during a picnic near Lake Michigan. (I once saw Coldplay in the United Center, and they showed a clip of "Powers of 10" on the screen behind them, which comes pretty close.)

Hay there!

Nice to know that in a world-class city like Geneva you can still see farmers on the main drag.

10% Euphoria

You know you live in one of the world's most expensive cities when a 10% discount is cause for a three-story billboard.