Fountains are Pretty in Pink

Starting tomorrow, there’s “something in the water” in communities all over the world…and it’s fabulously pink! October 1st marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and along with it, pink-tinged fountains to draw attention to this important health issue. In my town, twelve fountains will be dyed this month. What about yours?

Point State Park, Pittsburgh, PA via literaturejunction.com

At the Pennsylvania Capitol, via basial on Flickr

At the Pennsylvania Capitol, via basial on Flickr

Kortrijk, Belgium via Sarah DeForche on Flickr

Kortrijk, Belgium via Sarah DeForche on Flickr

Birmingham, UK via Steve Oliver Imagery on Flickr

Birmingham, UK via Steve Oliver Imagery on Flickr

Milwaukee Art Museum via 2fs on FLickr

Milwaukee Art Museum via 2fs on FLickr

Welwyn Town Centre via welwynhatfield.co.uk

Welwyn Town Centre via welwynhatfield.co.uk

Woodruff Park in Atlanta, GA via www.atlantaga.gov

Woodruff Park in Atlanta, GA via www.atlantaga.gov

Kiener Plaza, St. Louis, MO via Judy on PicasaWeb

Kiener Plaza, St. Louis, MO via Judy on PicasaWeb

Benton Boulevard Concourse, Kansas City, MO via pinkfountains.com

Benton Boulevard Concourse, Kansas City, MO via pinkfountains.com

Retro Water Advertising Film Fest Part 2

Part Two: And now, a word from our water sponsors from decades past! We’ve been interrupted by advertising for drinking water for at least a half a century. Following, more of of “the way we were.”

Brita Filter Ad from 1989 using the then-relevant “Funny British Guy” marketing tactic.

1986 Soviet dance party featuring Michael Jackson’s “Killer” and Varska Mineral Water.

Combine the 1986 coolness of Flashdance and Pumping Iron, then add Evian water.

“Nothing else will do” but Perrier in this jazzy, stylish-in-’87 animated spot.

Hey, Culligan Man, It’s 1984 and “the future is calling for you!” Little did we know!

Retro Water Advertising Film Fest, Part 1

And now, a word from our water sponsors from decades past! We’ve been interrupted by advertising for drinking water for at least a half a century. Following, a taste of “the way we were.”

1958 Perrier Party, the only thing missing is the Rat Pack and Vegas imagery.

Technically for Hamms Beer, but includes a “rain dance” for the beer that’s “refreshing as the land of sky blue water.” (1950s-vintage)

1978 Arrowhead Water tastes like “mountain snow, not chlorine!”

Those naughty French marketers! Perrier’s hysterical, risque 80’s spot promoting their larger bottle.

Bo Derrick look-alike and hipsters on the tennis court for Perrier in ’82

h2o mp3: How Can I Be So Thirsty – John Anderson

Drinkin’ too much and a-payin’ the price are essential elements in old-school classic country music. This track, and John Anderson, are as classic as it gets. (We love the not-original-but-awesome lyric technique “Jose, Jack and Jim my best drinkin’ friends” (who are, of course, Cuervo, Daniels and Beam, respectively).

Anderson’s long music career spans more than 30 years with 40+ singles and 5 number-one songs on the Billboard country music charts. How Can I Be So Thirsty is from his latest, the June 2009 album Bigger Hands.

Lyrics:

Last night I went to town, hit every bar around
A hundred bottles of beer on the wall
Lord I thought that I could drink ’em all
Jose, Jack and Jim my best drinkin’ friends
They poured ’em up and I shot ’em down
Lord I thought I was goin’ to drown

How can I be so thirsty this mornin’ after all I drank last night?
I was a-sippin’ and a-tippin’, a-chuggin’ and a-luggin’
Huggin’ every pretty girl in sight
I woke up with the cotton mouth wrapped around my throat so tight
How can I be this thirsty this mornin’ after all I drank last night?

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/01_-_how_can_i_be_so_thirsty.mp3]

Download How Can I Be So Thirsty – John Anderson
64 kbps low-fi mp3 for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or Amazon.com.

The Visual Water Dictionary: Slurry

The Visual Water Dictionary attempts to cut confusion on ambiguous water terminology with easy visual references.

Today’s term: Slurry

Slurry is a liquid mixture of insoluble matter resulting from some pollution control techniques, such as the water used to remove impurities from coal. Slurry has been known to pollute local drinking water supplies by seeping into groundwater, lakes or streams.

Thirsty in Suburbia desirability grade: F
(Massive points deducted for creepy moniker and filthy constitution.)

Coal slurry water in a West Virginia lagoon. Photo © The New York Times

Often confused with Surrey

A Surrey is a light, four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with 2 or 4 seats. The most popular models are shiny and little with fringe on the top. Surreys have been known to pollute transportation corridors with large malodorous deposits of equine waste.

Thirsty in Suburbia desirability grade: B
(Points deducted for low speed, rough handling and manure byproducts.)

A shiny little fringe-topped Surrey. Photo: BowmanCarriage.com

Often confused with…Slurpee

Slurpee is a semi-frozen, carbonated drink sold by 7-Eleven stores (originally sold as Icees). Slurpee drinks are served fountain-style at a frosty 28 degrees. Slurpees have been known to pollute automobiles by seeping between seats into upholstery and floor mats.

Thirsty in Suburbia desirability grade: A-
(Minor points deducted for obesity-inducing sugar content and the lack of drive-through purchase option.)

A typical 7-11 Slurpee dispenser

Previous entries in the Visual Water Dictionary:
Cake
Mixed Liquor
Oasis

The Absurdity of Umbrellas

A 2008 finalist in Vimeo’s Intelligent Use of Water Contest, Rainwater Harvesting is a beautiful clip from India’s Centre for Science and Environment that suddenly makes umbrellas seem ridiculous (at least in the manner we currently use them.)

Browse some of the other videos in the collection–a fine activity for your next slow, introspective rainy day.

Rainwater Harvesting from Intelligent Use of Water Contest on Vimeo.

WTF: New Water Trivial Features Update

MOM ARMED WITH A WATER BOTTLE SAVES SON FROM ATTACKING COUGAR

A 5 year old British Columbia boy is recovering after a cougar attacked him on a family hike at Colville National Forest. As his father Mark Impey recounted, he heard his wife and son’s screams, ran to check and

…he saw that a big cat had his son, Simon, by the head and his wife, Dawn, was trying furiously to fend the animal off with a metal water bottle.

“I really think it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Impey said in an interview.

Dawn’s repeated blows with the water bottle finally forced the cougar to retreat into the bush.

WTF footnote: Just try that with some flimsy, disposable bottle. You couldn’t fight off a house cat with your Dasani.

Read the full story at www.chandlerswatch.com

PEE MINUS 5 SECONDS AND COUNTING

On Wednesday evening, Sept. 10th, sky watchers across North America watched in curious awe as the space shuttle Discovery glided silently overhead, sprouting a flamboyant comet-like tail.

In Madison, Wisconsin, photographer Abe Megahed witnessed a similar display: “The shuttle was sporting a massive curved plume. What could it be? Something venting? Reaction Control System thrusters? A massive, record-breaking urine dump?”

It was in fact, his last guess. The shuttle, while docked with the International Space Station, sprayed about 150 pounds of waste water and pee-pee out into space on September 10. Shuttle pilot Kevin Ford was scheduled to carry out a number of “waste water” dumps around the time these observations were noted. Pristine water supplies and condensates were also dumped overboard in preparation for landing on Thursday, Sept. 10th.

WTF footnote: Do the astronauts eat tomatos? If so, someone should research whether this could cause tomatos to grow on the moon.

Read more and see photos of the zero-gravity sewage here at www.jimonlight.com.

SWEET AUSSIE TEENS HOOK DIRTY BAG OF CASH

Australian police said two teenage brothers reeled in a plastic bag stuffed with $86,000 while fishing for catfish in Tuntable Creek, near the town of Lismore.

The boys spent three weeks deciding on a plan of action before telling their mother and obtaining legal advice on how best to turn over the cash, The Times of London reported.  Mama knows best! From UPI.com,

The mother of the boys, who requested anonymity, said the family did not want to keep the money because it might be “dirty.”

“We just don’t want any trouble,” one of the brothers said. “We were sweet before the money and we’ll be sweet afterwards.”

WTF footnote: An estimated two-thirds of media comments by teen boys include the phrase  “We don’t want any trouble.”

The New DIY: Dumps Inspire You

For this D.I.Y. project, don’t trek into Home Depot for your supplies, stay outside the store and look in their dumpster! (the “new” DIY = Dumps Inspire You!)

Katie Jackson (whatkatiedid.typepad.com) took photos of this excellent greenhouse constructed from recycled plastic bottles at the Eco Centre near Newcastle on Tyne in the UK.

Do you think this looks like child’s play? It is! Here’s an example built by and for the green-minded students of Bowmore Primary School, Isle of Islay, UK. (Photo by Ewan Macintosh on Flickr)

It wouldn’t surprise us if the Bowmore gang partnered with Scotland’s Sustainable Community Initiatives. They offer an interesting educational program to help schools and community groups build shelters, walls and greenhouses from recycled plastic bottles and tyres (that’s “tires,” Americans.)

Best of all, they have documented their expertise in a book you can purchase on their website. Plastics are Fantastic features full instructions, diagrams and photos on how to construct a your very own plastic bottle greenhouse or shelter wall. Or, try this 6-page pdf freebie from REAP, a North East Scotland sustainable development charity. D.I.Y.? D.I.M.!

10 Swell Water Wallpapers for your Desktop

Have you had that same old boring water drip and ripple decorating your desktop for years… or worse, whatever logoed billboard that came installed with your computer? Get out of your rut and try out one of these unique, distinctive water-themed wallpapers that just might give you a bright, colorful new perspective this week.

Save Water by =1ar on Devinant Art

Underwater 4 from Vlad Studio

Underwater 3 from Vlad Studio

Aquarium from Vlad Studio

Chalkboard Waterdrops by Farmidable

Ocean Swell by Duckfarm

Plastic = Drastic from Just Wallpaper

Water Flame via wallpapers.bpix.org

I Spy with my Little Eye… via Becoming Minimalist

I Love Water from Adanvvv on Flickr

h2o mp3: Something in the Water – The Jealous Girlfriends

Isn’t it easy to blame everything from bad behavior to multiple pregnancies on the water? “Something in the water” is a phrase that tracks way back to the days when frequent epidemics were, in fact, usually caused by “something” in the water.

This 2007 new wave-ish track by the Brooklyn, New York band The Jealous Girlfriends is from their self-titled second album.

Lyrics:
I think there’s something in the water
Or then again
It could be something in the air
But there’s none to be found
In the dirt on the ground
And the choices I’ve made
are ad hoc anyway

Hey, I think it must be the water

Noises through the wall of TV and sex
Repeat your opinion
until it all makes sense
And it’s all you can do
to keep your head above it
It’s the only truth
there’s no way around it

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/08-something-in-the-water.mp3]

Download Something in the Water – The Jealous Girlfriends
1.3 MB 64 kbps low-fi mp3 for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or amazon.com