Greatest city on the planet;  Boulder, Colorado!

By Michael Hughes November 25, 2009

We have so much to be thankful for; we live in the most beautiful Colorado town on the planet.  We have enviable weather where many people walk or bike to work or class.  The blue skys, the crisp mornings, the wonderful running, biking, hiking, climbing are awsome .  World class restaurants, chefs and foodinistas.  Life is supposed to be fun!  Boulder!

Parts of the movie “Sleeper,” with Woody Allen, were filmed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and at the clam shaped “spaceship” house along I-70.

Running, walking and bicycling are so highly regarded in Boulder that sometimes the city plows the Boulder Creek path before they plow the streets! Priorities!

The well known television show Mork and  Mindy utilized a house in Boulder on Pine St. for the exterior shots of the characters home.

Baseline Road is a significant east-west route to both Boulderites & cartographers, as it marks the 40th parallel on world maps. The total length of Baseline Road is about 38 miles.

A 1992 survey by the Centers for Disease Control found that Colorado had fewer overweight people per capita and more people who exercise than any other state.  Because we have numerous opportunities to workout and move our bodies.

A Colorado Daily poll found that seven out of ten Boulderites own bicycles. Another guidebook states that Boulder’s bicycle count is approximately 93,000 – almost equal to the total population!

The Chautauqua Auditorium is an all-wood structure built in 1898. In the evening, when the Colorado Music Festival musicians stop playing, you can often hear the rafters-dwelling owls hooting along with the music.

The Flatirons got their name by pioneer women who said they looked like flat, metal irons used to iron their clothes.

Flagstaff Mountain was named for the flagpole that sits on top of the summit, which was visible when Boulder was first settled, as it was a completely treeless plain.

Scott Carpenter, a NASA astronaut, grew up in Boulder. He named his space capsule after his home on Aurora and 7^th St. The capsule was Aurora 7.

The University of Colorado at Boulder’s buildings are built with red sandstone, quarried in nearby Lyons.

With Coors, Anheuser-Busch, this area has become the largest beer-producing area  in the world. Not to mention the microbreweries (Boulder Beer, Walnut Brewery, Left Hand, nearby Oskar  Blues and many more).

Robert Redford was a janitor at The Sink, before moving on to become famous!

Boulder has more used bookstores per capita than any other city in the country.

Boulder’s going to the dogs! Recent visitor counts to Boulder Mountain Parks found a ratio of 1 dog to every 5 visitors.

Every year, Boulder Mountain Parks core area receives 1.8 million visits.

In 1967, Boulder became the first city in the United States to tax itself for funds to be used specifically for the acquisition, management and maintenance of Open Space.

The Hotel Boulderado was named by combining Boulder and Colorado so no visitor would ever forget where they had stayed.

Best of Boulder

Boulder has won more accolades than any other city in America for its recreation, culture, health, business climate and overall quality of life.

2008

America’s Smartest City – Forbes magazine, February 2008

The West’s Greenest Restaurant – The Kitchen – Sunset magazine, March 2008

Top 10 World’s “Greener Cities” – Urban Land Green magazine, Spring 2008

#5 in “Top 25 Best Green Places to Live” – Country Home magazine, April 2008

Top Pick for Food & Wine Vacations – Organic/Veggie – Orbitz, April 2008

Top 25 Destinations in the US – TripAdvisor, April 2008

Top 100 Destinations in the World – TripAdvisor, April 2008

#3 in “Top 10 Cities for Masters Runners” – Masters Athlete magazine, May 2008

The 10 Brainiest Places to Retire – US News and World Report, May 2008

#8 in “Top 25 Small Cities & Towns for Art” – AmericanStyle magazine, June 2008

America’s Top 5 Cities for Cycling – Bicycling magazine, June 2008

2007

#8 in “Top 10 Cities for Artists” – BusinessWeek, February 2007

Top Triathlon Town – Inside Triathlon magazine, April 2007

#7 in “Top 25 Best Green Cities” – Country Home magazine, April 2007

#5 in “Best Cities for Empty-nesters” – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, June 2007

Top 10 Hottest New Restaurants – Bon Appetit magazine, June 2007

#8 in “Top 25 Small Cities & Towns for Art” – AmericanStyle magazine, June 2007

#3 in “Top 10 Rooftop Bars” – Sunset magazine, July 2007

#6 in “Top 10 Farmers’ Markets” – EatingWell magazine, August 2007

Best Places to Retire – US News and World Report.com, August 2007

#1 “Top Small-City College Destination” – Denver Business Journal, October 2007

#4 “11 Most Bicycle-Friendly Cities in the World” – Virgin Vacations.com, Nov. 2007

Top 10 Best New Restaurants – 5280 magazine, December 2007

Contact me today if you or anyone you know needs real estate help….
e-Mail michael.hughes@sothebysrealty.com Direct 303-359-6627 Website:www.bolderrealestate.com

Unlucky Horseshoe

http://www.mywrigleyville.com/index.cfm/act/Read-Article/i/216/article/Budweiser%20Building%20WHAT?

Let me try and understand the facts here around Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs and the Wrigley Field Rooftops.

First, you have a team with the worst run in all sports. It’s been 101 years.

You also have a Wrigley Field rooftop owner who refuses to pay the Chicago Cubs previously agreed to royalties. This ordeal becomes an ongoing and public legal saga between the Wrigley rooftop owner and the Cubs.

This very same rooftop owner then acquires the Wrigley rooftop with the Budweiser logo on it that’s been there since baseball was invented.

Next, the new rooftop owner, in litigation with the Cubs, puts a tarp covering the Budweiser logo during a playoff game because of a failure to receive payment.

This is then followed-up with Horseshoe Casino replacing Budweiser as the advertiser on the Wrigley rooftop for the 2009 season.

Now, the Cubs are blocking Horseshoe because they refuse to pay and the Cubs say they are “keeping Wrigley Field pure and enahancing the experience” for Cubs fans with silly green boards? I’m sure it has nothing to do with the rooftop owner.

Yep, it all makes perfect sense.

This should be a must have item on your Christmas list.   You can get it on the Supreme website.

- Ice Cream Man

I noticed this one watching football this weekend, new Budweiser commercial with an M. Ward track. Maybe you expect me to complain about M dog selling out or something but that would be the opposite of my reaction, I’m excited in a funny way. The guy is awesome, the more his tunes can get out into the greater public consciousness the better(beats hearing another JET song for the billionth time) plus I would assume he’s getting some sweet compensation from Anheuser-Busch.

A lot of people trip over this kind of stuff, all I know is if any beer company came to me and said “hey we like your song, can we give you a truckload of cash to use it in a commercial?” I can’t imagine saying no. It’s free money and odds are you’ve imbibed this product on numerous occasion. As long as you’re not changing your lyrics to suit the product it’s cool

Questo spot  ce lo ricordiamo tutti vero?

Ma rinfreschiamoci la memoria…

.

.

E ora?

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Like the rest America, I have been watching Mad Men and started to think of when the era of drinking at the work place stopped. Having spent time on the agency side and at a newspaper, I might have a little experience in the area. While I am no Don Draper, I have peddled a little BS and might have tasted the bourbon on the company clock. I did a quick memory scan of what commercials may have been produced under the guidance of a drunken production staff and think I have identified the winner for the award of “most likely to have been sauced when we came up this idea”.

Picture this – The year in 198X, the whole team is drunk, high and with 30 minutes before the Budweiser pitch, Ad exec 1 looks at the company dog and has an epiphany. Put glasses on the dog, tell everyone the dog is a total pussy hound who loves to party – BANG – Spuds McKenzie was born.

Now think about this. Some asshole from Budweiser corporate creative is told this concept, expresses interest, sells his company on the concept and is not fired or drug tested, produces a series of commercials, promotions and garbage all around a weed-induced idea.
I think I may have just solved the mystery about what the Bud in Budweiser is all about (hayo)

Nice cowboy hat and belt buckle.  What’s up Marlboro Man?  You get that hat from the farm?  No.  Oh, I see, it was a gift from your niece who picked it up from the swag table at the Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus concert last week.  And that belt with the oversized, almost novelty, belt buckle – did you win it at the rodeo or from the turkey shoot at the county fair?  It was an impulse buy from near the register at Abercrombie & Fitch.  At 36, aren’t you a little old to be shopping there?  But we digress.

That’s great that you order table service and the most expensive bottle in the place, but didn’t you look around and realize this is a dive bar?  That 22 oz. Budweiser Select big beer was a good choice for someone with such discerning taste and a refined palate.  Oh, this is a fine dining establishment and martini bar.  You look like a tool ordering the $350 drink made with Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, Dom Pérignon champagne, a dash of orange liquor, and garnished with a sapphire in the bottom of the glass to impress the already drunk bar fly cougar he has been hitting on all night.  ‘Nuff said.

Yep, he’s an all around classy dude.  Needless to say, keep on trying.

Humiliating story time! This is the story about a GED ceremony (lol), a drunk guy that tried to hit on me, a near death experience, Church and an ambulance.

My friend Ashley and I used to constantly attract weirdoes. We knew so many people from so many different backgrounds- most of them being borderline crazy. We used to go walking a lot, which is how we usually met these lunatics. We were incredibly stupid and invincible back then.

One day we were walking through her trailer park when a guy in a pick up truck approached us. He had to have been like 22-24 years old and we were 16. Now listen, there was absolutely nothing attractive or remotely appealing about this guy so I don’t even know how we ended up dealing with him. I think it may have had something to do with him having a car, we were famous for using people for rides back then. Well, the guy tried hitting on me. He had to have known it was a no go but he still pressed his luck, and for the sake of the story I will just say we used him for a ride. We had to. There was no other reason. But also, I never ever pretended to be interested in a guy if I honestly wasn’t feeling it- so no, I didn’t play on him liking me or anything, he was obviously just that dumb.

I am a middle school drop out. Yes. Middle school. Please don’t assume that means I am not intelligent, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Anyways, I had just received my GED and my parents insisted on throwing me a “graduation” (lmfao) at our church. Well, we didn’t want to ride with my parents because we smoked and they didn’t know about it- therefore we wanted to be able to smoke on the way to church (twisted, I know) and we also wanted to listen to music and blah blah blah. You get it. I had somewhat strict parents. We were liars. Mom, if you are reading this, I am so sorry but you have to know about 90% of the things that came out of our mouth were either highly exaggerated or outright lies. So I am sure we mentioned getting a ride with this guy, and I am sure we made up a crazy story about how we knew him. Possibly even told them it was my friend’s cousin or something. There was like no way they would be down with me riding out with a guy that I didn’t know, who happened to be between 5-7 years older than me, and also happened to be hitting on me. So, they agreed.

The guy comes and picks us up and makes up some excuse as to why he has to stop by his house first, which was across town. We were sooooo dumb and were all like, “Okay” (in dumb teenage girl voice). We get to his house and there are beer bottles EVERYWHERE. His house looked like a freaking Budweiser factory. He went in his room for maybe 10-15 minutes and by that time, we were freaking out. We just didn’t know what he was up to. So he comes staggering out the room and says he’s ready to roll. We get in his truck, which was not an extended cab or anything. I told Ashley there was no way in hell I was gonna sit next to him and give him the chance to put the moves on me. So she sat in the middle lol. He was driving like Evil fucking Knievel. It was so bad we actually feared for our lives. Ashley screamed at him to chill out that we were gonna get into an accident, and in his drunkest possible voice he turned to her (eyes off the road, naturally) and said, “That’s ok because if we crash then you’ll break my fall”. OMFG. Just get us there already lol.

We got there and immediately distanced ourselves from him. The thing is, my church was a small church, only about 30 people at best. So yeah, everyone knew he was with us- and he wreaked of beer. I went in the back to throw the robe and hat on (lmAo). I came back out and during the entire ceremony this guy was in the back of the church nodding off in the pews. Afterwards I sat back down and probably said a prayer that he didn’t pass out, not for his well being or anything (selfish, I know) but for the sake of my parent’s reputation. ONLY their daughter would bring an alcoholic to church- an alcoholic who got smashed immediately before service.

The preacher was getting really into the sermon (Southern Baptist) when I noticed his eyes kept gazing in the direction of the guy, whom I strategically sat in front of so I wouldn’t have to see him. I turned around and yep- he’s still nodding off. A few minutes go by and the preacher immediately stopped and said, “Can someone please check on that guy to see if he’s breathing” Oh yeah, you bet his ass seriously passed out. No- he didn’t fall asleep- he was pretty much unconscious. Half of the congregation was staring at him in disbelief while the other half was staring at my friend and I in disbelief.

They couldn’t wake him up. A deacon, the co-pastor, my uncle and my Dad had to carry him out of the church and call 911.

I always wish I had pictures of me in a cap and gown- but when I remember I am probably the only one in the church’s history to have a guest pass out from intoxication, I am relieved I don’t have to face that picture lol…..

Stella Artois a cumparat Bud. Sau mai corect spus, compania belgiana InBev NV, producator printre altele a marcii de bere Stella Artois, a cumparat producatorul american de bere Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc, in al carui portofoliu troneaza marca Bud, prin cea mai mare tranzactie cash din istorie: 52 de miliarde de dolari. Noua companie va produce un sfert din berea lumii.

Dar cui ii pasa? Aici vorbim de marci. Chiar daca Bud nu e foarte populara in Romania, reclamele ei sunt cu siguranta, printre internauti. Pentru ca isteria “wassup” generata de clipurile video a depasit asteptarile cu foarte mult iar granitele s-au topit. Mai multe dupa prima reclama.

Ce nu stie toata lumea e ca cei cinci actori sunt prieteni in viata de zi cu zi. Realism deci cat cuprinde.

..chillin’, watching a game, having a Bud.. True. A treia reclama sparge barierele culturale si atrage publicul asiatic prin hazul provocat de asemanarea dintre wassup-ul deja consacrat si condimentul wassabe. Din fericire producatorul a stiut cum sa impuna o limita asa incat asiaticii sa nu se simta jigniti, batand realmente cu pumnul in masa. Detalii..

De la extaz la disperare e doar un pas, mai ales cand iti tradezi prietenii..

.. pentru ca in final, pentru a-si arata dominatia, atat a berii cat si a advertisingului, producatorii duc wassapul si mai departe. Enjoy it!

One of the best commercials I have ever seen.

On m’a déjà dit que l’Outaouais était l’une des meilleures régions du Québec pour élever des enfants. En tout cas, lors de journées de pluie, le Musée de la civilisation propose le Musée pour enfants. Il se retrouve dans le même édifice. Il s’agit du seul musée canadien destiné aux bambins. Et vlan, reste du Canada! Cet été, j’ai eu la chance d’accompagner deux petites globe-trotteuses, dont ma filleule, tout au long de ce voyage. À l’entrée, on leur a remis un passeport à faire estampillé après chaque section du musée. Ainsi, elles ont visité un cinéma, un atelier, un café, un port et de multiples pays. Que de stimulations! Bref, les quelques heures que nous y avons passé n’ont pas été suffisantes. Il a fallu se dépêcher pour compléter le passeport. Les filles ont particulièrement aimé courir dans l’autobus pakistanais. Nous avons eu une belle après-midi à l’abri du déluge.

Gatineau est une ville tranquille. Vraiment? Selon LeDroit, Gatineau suit Montréal dans le palmarès des villes les plus criminalisées au Québec. Ouch! Les gangs de rue font la loi dans ce coin de pays. Quoi? Des gangs de rue à Gatineau? Eh oui, semble-t-il! 

Le lendemain de l’Halloween, nous avons eu une belle surprise. Notre maison a été vandalisée. Une bouteille de bière a été lancé contre la baie vitrée brisant le cadre de la fenêtre et laissant une marque sur la vitre. J’ai été choqué. Une Budweiser a été lancée sur ma maison. Je comprends un peu le buveur. Je m’imagine très bien un homme perdre le contrôle de ses moyens après avoir bu une gorgée de cet infect breuvage et se débarrasser rapido presto du récipient cylindrique. Je blague. Je ne crois pas non plus que des gangs de rue soient à la source de ce méfait. Néanmoins, cette anecdote me laisse perplexe. Me suis-je déjà mis des gens de la région à dos? Peut-être qu’un Gatinois n’a pas apprécié ma dernière chronique. Qui sait?

Cette fin de semaine, je suis retourné à Montréal pour la première fois depuis près de deux (2) mois. C’est drôle de voir comment le sang dans nos veines se transforme dès les premiers tours de roues sur le pont de l’Île-aux-Tourtes. Il bout. Le niveau de stress augmente à chaque kilomètre. Le conducteur dans la voiture voisine nous semble tout à coup antipathique. Tous ses gestes nous irritent. Je me suis alors souvenu de mes premiers voyages à Montréal à 17 ou 18 ans. Mes amis et moi empruntions la voiture d’un de nos parents. Nous nous y tassions à cinq ou six comme de vulgaires sardines et nous empruntions la « 20 » jusqu’au pont Jacques-Cartier. Durant notre première visite dans la métropole, nous avions constaté à quel point les Montréalais conduisent comme des pieds. Nous blaguions sur le fait que la plupart des conducteurs omettent d’utiliser le clignotant avant de tourner à tel point que pour nous sentir de vrais Montréalais nous adoptions une conduite des plus rudimentaires. Nous conduisions que pour nous-même sans clignotant, sans angle mort, en accélérant pour pouvoir passer à un carrefour alors que notre feu de signalisation tournait au rouge. Bon, j’entends mes amis montréalais rouspéter. Sachez que Montréal et New York sont les deux villes à ne pas avoir mériter le droit de tourner à gauche à un feu rouge. Pourquoi? Il faut se poser la question. Sachez aussi que New York comporte cinq fois plus d’habitants par kilomètre carré que Montréal. 

Cette fin de semaine, je vais tenter de rayer un ou des éléments de ma liste de chose à faire et à voir à Hull (ou ses environs). À suivre…

Its been a few days since I wrote on here.  I’ve been busy with school, work, and social life.  Jimmy Johns dinner delivered.  PBR drank over the weekend.  Facebook status updates.  Artbattle on Saturday.  Working at Founders Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Played a show Friday night at Jukes.  I’m in CIRCUS PIG!.  Its pretty fun.  Pandora radio.  Microsoft Word to type a paper.  Western Digital hard-drive.  Using an iMac to access the internets.  Wearing my Budweiser pants I received when I worked for them.  Wearing my Dickies brand steel-toe boots.  Brand, image, lifestyle.

After analyzing some current trends within the beer industry, here are some key challenges that brands like Budweiser and Coors are now facing in recent months.

1. Distribution wholesalers are consolidating

• Fewer distributors means distributions have more negotiating power breweries

short-term solutions: negotiate and leverage your network

• Evaluate whether maintaining relationship is worth losing the value of the product

long-term solutions: invest in ownership of distribution network

• This way the beer companies can take ownership over prices

2. Commodity prices are increasing for barley

• Brewers across the world are hiking prices to compensate for lower sales volumes

Note : Combined with the strong preference for beer brands, the stronger the product’s equity with the consumer, the greater the ability to pass input- cost increases to the consumer. Since barely is affecting all of the beer brands, they are all likely to increase their prices.

-cc

1. The longest beer counter is in “Blue Collar Club”, Mildura, Victoria State, Australia.  That beer counter is 90.8 meters.

2. The biggest beer mug is in one stannum company in Malaysia, the mug weights 1.8 ton, 1.98 meter height, it can contain 4000 litre beer.

3.  The biggest beer market is in Darmstadt, Germany, called Bruno,Maroun beer market.  It sells 975 different kinds of beer from 249 companys in 48 countries.

4. The smallest beer bar is in Tokyo, Japan. It only has 4.5 suare meter.

5. Budweiser noly made from malt, rice, water, yeast and hops. The recipe continues since 1876.

6. Bud light is one of the first light beer in the world. And Bud light is the best-seller of beers in the United States.

Check Studio 35’s beer out.

Am Samstag kauften wir ein teures Bier in einer Strandbar. Die kleine Flasche Budweiser (siehe Foto) kostete 7,08 US Dollar. In den USA kommt zu dem ausgewiesenen Preis immer die Steuer. Wenn man daher im Supermarkt oder in einem Geschäft einkauft, muss man immer die Steuer im Kopf dazurechnen. Damit das ganze noch komplizierter wird ist die Steuer von Bundesstaat zu Bundestaat verschieden. In dem Beleg von dem Bier beträgt die Steuer (Tax) 0,64 Cent.

In einigen Restaurants wird dann noch das Bedienungsgeld, sprich Trinkgeld, draufgeschlagen. Normalerweise ist es in den USA üblich 10% von sich aus als Trinkgeld zu geben. Hier wird man dazu gezwungen gleich 18% Gratuity=Trinkgeld zu geben. Für das Bier ergibt sich damit ein Trinkgeld von 1,27 US Dollar.

Alles in allem kostete die kleine Flasche Budweiser also 8,99 US Dollar. Das entspricht nach heutigem Kurs ungefähr 6,07 EUR Im Supermarkt hätte man sie wahrscheinlich für knapp einen Dollar bekommen.

www.endhivaids.com

In the event Joe Stern-McGovern, President of Universal Artists, International, hasn’t made this point clear, in the name of the betterment of mankind, it is his intention to guide UAI into even further ventures of charity through the medium of the arts.

Coming early in 2010, please look for the World Mixtape, brainchild of Joe Stern-McGovern of UAI and Pure-Records of Tokyo fame, as well as various contacts throughout Western Europe. The agency’s coalition of sorts intends to release the mixtape, an American phenomenon which creates not only entertainment for the common man of the streets, but a vehicle for the next generation of hip hop artists to display their wares at an affordable price in the name of world health and the relief of the human condition.

www.myspace.com/blackflockgang

For further clarification of the definition of a mix tape, such as those which helped launch the careers of heavyweights such as Nelly and Ludacris, look for postings which clarify the concept from several of Universal Artists, International’s own top acts such as Mouf Piece of da City, one half of Dem Hardheadz, blood brothers, and the notorious lyricist and frontman, Mr. Hood Shuttlesworth of the FAM Boy$ out of Birmingham, Alabama.

Such concepts, as defined by authentic masters of the game, should help apply validity to Universal Artists, International’s product as one of genuine quality and true to the game. Along with the products defined, our guests to the major charitable site under construction, www.endhivaids.com, will find educational links to help increase awareness of HIV/AIDS, as well as methods of prevention and sites which to donate or participate in the uphill struggle against the disease.

It's all about Ms. Fame

One feature of particular interest to fans of Universal Artists, International and Shaka Production’s lineup of stars such as Black Flock Gang, A-Dub and Lil’ J, Christian Levi, Ms. Kesha Lee, Nya aka Not ya Average, Black and Haze, Casey Rankin, Funk Daddy, Gallas One, JJ Cruz, Dem Hardheadz, FAM Boy$, The Bionic Rapper, Peter Damian, and the dubious and provocative C4 of Houston fame is the availability of downloads, CDs, merchandise such as apparel, posters, etc. with company logos and the names of your favorite Universal Artists, International and Pure-Records’ favorite artists at reasonable prices, with wide selections, and various proceeds going directly to benefit the duo’s favorite charity’s.

Peter Damian: The One and Only

Please make sure to track Universal Artists, International’s progress as we continue to use our funds and your www.paypal.com donations to payments@universalartists.net towards the creation of the www.endhivaids.com site which will lead to global efforts to eradicate a wide array of world maladies and injustice through donations meted out according to need, with special consideration given to our personal choice, pediatric AIDS.

www.universalartists.net

For more information, please visit us at www.universalartists.net, www.myspace.com/universalartists, www.youtube.com/universalartistsintl, www.myspace.com/joesternmcgovern, www.myspace.com/universalshaka, and www.myspace.com/blackflockgang in addition to our global blog, www.universalartists.wordpress.com.

For any opportunities at your own stab at stardom, please direct your A&R queries directly to the form on our contact page of www.universalartists, or for matters of production, shaka@universalartists.net. For domestic bookings, please call 1(619)757-1301 at our San Diego/LA Metro office, or by writing to blackflockgang@myspace.com. For international bookings, matters of retail or wholesale, or any similar kind, please contact Joe Stern-McGovern’s personal assistant at joesternmcgovern@myspace.com.

Gallas One: UK's Finest via Glasgow

If you are another label or corporation interested in sponsoring Universal Artists, International in our efforts, please write to guy@universalartists.net or info@universalartists.net.

Help support Universal Artists, International (www.universalartists.net) and Pure-Records (www.pure-records.com) with  www.endhivaids.com, the first step towards positive global change and awareness, as well as careful consideration for the social conscience of manking and betterment of society.

Pure-Records in conjunction with Universal Artists

Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB): Workplace Safety – NAY

First and foremost, this ad is too graphic. There could have been other ways to covey the dangers of improper training. The black and white affect doesn’t help either. It makes the ad look like a crime scene. Furthermore, this ad shows a lack of creativity. Its creators took the easy way out by doing the traditional “______ kills” routine.

The WSIB is trying to use fear as a tactic in this ad, only they take it too far. There is no preventative message. The copy is simply a declarative statement. It’s essentially saying, “This is the way it’s going to be if you don’t train properly.” Truth ads get a lot of flack for being too intense, but they at least allude to things more.

Lastly, the image of the cone remaining upright while in the guy itself seems like an attempt to lighten the tone of the message. Pick one or the other: seriousness or humor.

Budweiser: Crown – YAY

This is perhaps the simplest concept you can get. The slow pan shows the product at length, and the music behind it sets the mood- this beer is hip, suave, and important all at the same time. The drips give the product more appeal. It’s as if the bottle is salivating for itself, building everything up to the “ahhhhh” line.

Oh and the bottle cap as the crown for the King of Beers- awesome. This ad is very similar to Audi’s “Keys” where the logo is created using the elements already in the commercial. This is a cool technique, and is a neat way to “bring everything full circle.”

 Met weemoed kijk ik alweer terug op mijn tijd in The States. Al reizend zocht ik niet alleen naar Zeeuwse sporen, maar leerde ik ook allerlei Amerikaanse bieren kennen. Aardige bartenders en slijterij-eigenaren hielpen me aan bieren met namen als Blue Moon, Sirius en Flying Dog. En anders dan wij Nederlanders meestal denken, zijn die bieren dus goed! Natuurlijk is Budweiser niet lekker, maar van Heineken word ik ook niet koud of warm. Overal aan de Oostkust (en waarschijnlijk ook elders in het land, maar daar was ik dan weer niet) zijn brouwerijtjes te vinden, net zo charmant als brouwerij ‘t IJ in Amsterdam  of Emelisse in Kamperland.

Het tot nu toe interessantste biertje dat ik tegenkwam is die van Yuengling, de *oudste* brouwerij van Amerika uit Pottsville in de staat Pennsylvania. Lekker, fris, zoet maar niet té. Ik ben niet de enige liefhebber overigens. Om het merk een beetje exclusief te houden, mag Yuengling alleen in Pennsylvania en de Amerikaanse staten ten oosten daarvan verkocht worden. Regelmatig lees ik daarom op Facebook van mensen uit de staten in het Midwesten, die hun achterbak volladen met kratjes voor zichzelf of om uit te delen aan vrienden en familie.   

Ja, ook ik heb het geprobeerd, moet ik bekennen, om Yuengling naar Nederland te ’smokkelen’.  Maar met die huidige regels op de luchthavens is dat echt onmogelijk geworden. Alles wat vloeibaar is in de handbagage komt niet meer door de poortjes, he. En wat flesjes tussen de kleren in de koffer doen, wat dan weer wel mag, durf ik niet uit angst voor lekkage. Wel eens gezien hoe ze met onze koffers smijten op de vliegvelden? Mijn prachtig bestickerde gele Samsonite rolde de laatste keer danig gehavend op de bagageband in de aankomsthal van John F. Kennedy Airport.

Bijna werd ik helemaal blij toen iemand me erop wees dat in september een Amerikaans bierencafé in Amsterdam met de naam Beer Temple was geopend. Ik ben ook best blij, trouwens. In december moet ik toch in Amsterdam zijn, dus drie keer raden waar ik dan een biertje ga halen. Maar geen Yuengling op de bierenlijst he. Ze blijven strikt in hun exclusiviteitsbeleid. Maar ik heb ze door. Het is een teken, dat ik weer eens moet nadenken over een reisje naar het oosten van de VS.

I’m in the early stages of writing a research paper for my art history senior seminar about the portrayal of women with beer or in bars during both the Impressionist and Art Nouveau era.  The works I’m looking at now are Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882), Picasso’s Le Moulin de Gallete (1900) and the popular Art Nouveau commercial posters.  It kind of sucks that now the popular art surrounding women and beer is restricted to buxom, semi-nude tanned girls.  I somehow found this image, and can’t remember where, that while still erotic was much more interesting artistically than the Budweiser girls.

The colors and medium are interesting as is the fact that these women aren’t placed in any given context as the other works.  In Picasso’s painting, the women are clustered in a crowded bar, mostly blurs of moving color but with staunch white almost vampire-like teeth smiling out of lurid red lips.  For whom are these women posing with their full mugs of beer, almost fully exposed?

Picture a beer industry red carpet event where all the important people show up. How many people from the industry would you recognize? Whether it’s Alan Newman from Magic Hat or Steve Wagner from Stone, there are a lot of people doing awesome things who you wouldn’t recognize if they were standing next to you at the urinal. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe beer isn’t about people, faces or ego. However, seeing a bottle of 2005 Utopia isn’t as much fun as having Jim Koch from Sam Adams tell you to get out of his way. If Steve Jobs and Bill Gates can be celebrities of an industry as nerdy as computers, shouldn’t there be some beer celebrities out there? There are.

- Duffman

Finally, a mascot for a beer that can show up at the mall and get kids interested. No points deducted for being fictional and or drawn.

- The Clydesdales

These are very impressive beasts and they can come to your event or parade if you can guarantee over 100,000 people. I can’t think of another beer who is instantly recognizable by an animal (Dogfish?), but if you can, imagine that animal humping one of the Clydesdales and try to refrain from giggling.

- Garrett Oliver

I know that if there is one person reading this, it’s Garrett. I’m convinced he’s at home, wearing a cape and a bolo made of pearls typing in “Beer / Celebrity” and reading all 97 pages of links.

- Sam Castiglione

I like to do an impression of the record executive who found out about Jacob Dylan.

“Wait…Bob Dylan has a son? Oh my god! We’re going to be rich. Does he look like his dad? No? He’s really attractive!? This is incredible! Does he sing folky music that has a small market? NO?! He writes universally accessible pop songs that have top 40 written all over them?! Oh…dear…god…we’ve found the golden goose…I can’t breath!”

Well, in some ways that’s what Sam is. He makes great beer, is doing great things with his company, he’s handsome, confident, charismatic, blah, blah, blah. He’s what most beer geeks imagine they’re like after 12 high gravity beers. (If you ever see me out at a bar and my eyes are doing that whole “diverging in two different directions” thing and I insist you call me Sam…please punch my face into a cab and send me home).

- Adolphus Busch (then) August Busch IV (now)

Not sure what these guys look like? Just imagine the whitest and most overtly Midwestern (is that redundant) person you can. Yup, that’s them. Both get points for having names that are pretty impossible to shorten (“Hey, what’s up, Dolphy?”), but Adolphus gets extra points for having cool facial hair.

- Jim Koch

Roberto Benigni. Nuff said.

- King Brahwkanstamen

We’re going way back on this one, but King Brahwkanstamen lived around 1350 B.C. and invented the first drinking game. Players would circle around a ceremonial urn and drink a beer like substance in a waterfall fashion as they tried to name as many Pharos as they could.

- Michael Jackson

When I was growing up, Michael Jackson the beer author was more popular than the singer Michael Jackson. That is, until Smooth Criminal came out and I did a dance routine that can only be described as, “that video my mom shows every girl I bring home within ten minutes of meeting her.”

- Archie Bunker

I’m just assuming he is the model for all monks depicted on Belgium beers.

- Fritz Maytag

Of Anchor Steam fame, many consider Fritz Maytag to be the Godfather of the craft beer movement. He’s also the great grandson of the man who invented the washing machine (aka that thing that cleans the shirt you threw up all over).

- Darrell Maycolmb

The inventor of drunk dialing. Wanting to create something equally profound to the first telegraph message (“What hath God wrought?), Maycolmb said, “Thanksgiving isn’t the only day a turkey should be stuffed.” He is also the first drunk driving casualty recorded in Rhode Island when he drove his horse and carriage into the Atlantic Ocean. He made it 1.5 miles underwater before realizing he had gone the wrong way and tragically drowned trying to return to land.

- St. Pauli Girl

A blond vixen in lederhosens holding 5 giant mugs of beer in her hands. They’ve picked a model to be the official St. Pauli girl every year since 1982. 7 of the last 11 have been from Playboy. It’s all about the beer.

- Stephen Morris

Author of The Great Beer Trek – a book about the American brewing scene as it stood on the edge of derelict and revolution. Also, I’ve heard his son is quite handsome and deserves a better than average Christmas present for all the shameless plugs.

- Greg Noonan

This one hits home for me. Greg recently passed away and I was lucky enough to be one of the many people who met him. When Greg started in the 80’s there was nothing but beer from the big guys and he spent years lobbying the Vermont Legislature to legalize brewpubs and microbreweries. Now, there are brewpubs all over the country who used his example and his many books as guides to their ambitions.

I grew up in Vermont and some of my earliest memories of strangers enjoying each other’s company was at the Vermont Pub and Brewery. On especially sunny day trips to Burlington, my parents would start jittering with excitement as Happy Hour approached. It has always been a great place to relax, enjoy a fantastic beer and understand all the things Greg believed in. More than anything, he was a man who touched a lot of people (more people than most could ever dream to touch in a lifetime) and whether it’s his books, his beers or that sly smile of his, he will live on as long as beer will. Thank you for it all, Greg.

1951 - 2009