Yea, marketing! With a strategic sleight of hand, we can plaster a new name over something less pleasant and magically change everyones’ perceptions! Los Angeles is on to this trick, as noted in this story from Reuters on how the water crisis is forcing the issue of reuse in Los Angeles as the situation intensifies. […]
Two Japanese favorites–Hello Kitty and bottled water–combine in a tacky package that’s sure to appeal to pre-teens and pervs alike. From the set Japan 2009 by Erika Ray on Flickr.
The Broadway musical Big River was based on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1985. (If one of the too-infrequent revival productions stops in your town, don’t miss it!) The exuberant song Muddy River comes in Act One, when Huck offers to help Jim […]
No, we don’t mean tiny virus contaminants, we’re talkin’ viral video. If you’re among the millions of viewers who sent the hysterical “Will it Blend?” videos to the top of the viral charts, then you’ll realize that this video from St. Thomas is a low-rent copycat of the concept. St. Thomas Creations presents “Will it Flush?” to demonstrate the […]
Water Tower Conspiracy? In a skittish economy, people are nervous and on edge. Even a vanished logo can lead to frenetic speculation and questions: From the LaGrange (Georgia) News March 6, 2009, this story on the case of the missing-in-action Kia water tower logo. Snuff of the Sea: The last time I had sea water […]
Economic meltdown or not, progress shall continue unabated in the push for more technologically advanced Japanese toys. “Aqua Dance” from Bandai uses nanotechnology to create a special coating that makes water droplets take on mercury-like qualities. (From Crave on Cnet News.) Using the same nanotech coating, “Aqua Drop,” also from Bandai, replaces those noisy, low-tech metal-ball choking-hazards of yesteryear. And […]
Taste: recent research conducted both in the U.S. and Europe has repeatedly shown that taste (along with safety and convenience) is a leading motivator for the use of tap water alternatives. But tastes like what, exactly? To find out, we’ve done some exclusive research of our own. Because Thirsty in Suburbia has zero qualifications or […]
Boston.com’s “The Big Picture” has gained a devoted following for its dramatic, superb photography presented thematically, somewhat like a digital version of the much-missed Life magazine. The Big Picture feature on Robots included this photo by Cherie A. Thurlby for the Department of Defense. The photo depicts, “An Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot places an explosive device […]
Classic old cowboy tune about hallucinating in the desert. (FYI–the “Dan” in this song is our lone hero’s mule!) Cool Water was written in 1936 by Bob Nolan and has been covered by dozens of artists, including Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Slim Whitman, Bob Dylan, even the Muppets! This version is from 1982 by Fleetwood Mac. Lyrics: […]
We might love our tap water, but that’s not to stop or slow the relentless bottled water branders from absconding with the power of love to move the water and the wallets. While I was in California in January, I picked up this interesting number in a organic food store near Carmel. The brand is “Aquamantra” […]