I can’t stand people who chew loudly with their mouth open. It annoys the shit out of me and it makes me wanna punch their face.

Never give someone who chews like that a chewing gum – especially if you despise them like me!

Someone gave that person a chewing gum and it is the biggest mistake EVER.

Chewing gum is found around the world and been used by almost every culture.  In its essence chewing gum is a form of rubber.   Basically you are chewing on a rubber band with some sugar sprinkled on top.  Traditional chewing gum is made from chicle, which is gleaned from the sap of trees.  But like almost everything else in todays world chemists have come up with a synthetic version of chewing gum (which we will most likely find out will cause us all cancer) which they mix with sugar and other flavors to give you the wonderful semi healthy sticky stuff you know and love as gum.

Cute Girl Pops Bubble

Annie has really outdone herself in her latest album, Don’t Stop.  Her 80’s influenced pop music from her last album was good, but what was transitioned into her new release has been polished and given more soul, creating an album that really feels full and developed.  I feel as though you can really hear and sense the growth, and it is quite stunning.

Annie’s debut album was pretty glamorous and pop-tastic.  Chewing Gum’s bouncy, punctual, lyrical storytelling is fun, but it still never felt fully developed.  What we have here in Don’t Stop is an album that actually has depth layered with the pop synth love that Annie is good at.  While she revisits her 80’s influence, it is in a beautiful way.  She has certainly done her homework, to say the least.

I guess my addiction really started with an unofficial video on youtube, claiming to be from a photoshoot that turned into a video for Songs Remind Me of You.  Its simple yet effective quick-clip, overlaying style, haunted with Annie’s backup vocals and melodic lyrics draws me in with such a force that I am only left with the ability to watch again.  And everytime I hit the play button, I wonder, am I supposed to have lived through the 80s?  I mean, I love this.

Nah, Annie just perfected her influences, if you will.  Stylish, enveloping, and emotional.  Semi-pop now.  But my first draw was her first song on the album, Hey Annie.  It is quite melodic and enchanting, with again, that fun, poppiness that keeps me entertained and ready to listen to more.  However, you should know that when you continue through the album, it quickly matures into more than just a poppy sound.

Check the album out.  I bet you’ll find a song you like, and you’ll be able to say that you like Annie, no, not that damned red-headed girl from the 40s, that woman that is the 2010’s Madonna.

A 25-year-old chemistry student from the Ukraine (OK so technically not Russia, but still with the Bond villain accents) died recently after lacing his own chewing gum with an explosive compound. He was working in his room when his parents heard a “loud pop” and rushed in to find him disfigured and near death:

It was reported that the student used to dip chewing gum into citric acid. Police also found another substance near the body.

The news agency said investigators believe the student may have confused the two substances and began chewing on gum that had been treated with the unidentified substance.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times — if you’re going to dip your chewing gum into chemicals before chewing it, you really have to be sure those chemicals aren’t going to blow your jaw clean off of your head. It’s like my advice just goes in one ear and out the other. Which reminds me — you should also refrain from putting explosive chemicals in your ears.

Student killed by exploding chewing gum [Telegraph]

A 25-year old chemistry student of Kiev Polytechnic Institute in Ukraine was found dead while working at a computer in his room, allegedly from an exploding chewing gum.

The explosion is said to have disfigured the young man’s face.

“A loud pop was heard from the student’s room,” an aide to the city’s police chief said.

“When his relatives entered the room, they saw that the lower part of the young man’s face had been blown off.”

According to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, the student, known only as Vladimir, had an unusual habit of immersing the gum into a citric acid solution before chewing it.

Investigators, however, found out that, other than the citric acid packets of gum on the table near the dead body, there was also a similar package of unidentified substance which they thought to be some type of explosive material.

The hunch is that the gum the student pop into his mouth must have been contaminated with the explosive substance.

KIEV – A Ukrainian’s face was blown off – by exploding chewing gum!

The 25 year old university student, only identified as Vladimir, was working on a project at his parents’ home in Konotop. He was majoring in Chemistry at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute. His parents heard a “loud pop” and ran to his room.

There, they found the young man’s body, with the lower half of his face blown off!

Forensic investigation has concluded, and it has been announced that authorities found chewing gum covered in an unidentified chemical substance. It is thought to be an explosive type of material that caused the blast.

Apparently, the student used to dip his chewing gum in citric acid. Another chemical was found near the body, and officials believe the man may have confused the two and dipped it into the wrong one.

Exploding chewing gum? What nonsense I hear you say, but believe it or not it’s true. Late saturday night a student living with his parents in Konotop, Northern Ukraine, died when his chewing gum exploded.

The twenty-five year old, who studied at Kiev Polytechnic Institute, was at his computer on Saturday night when the incident happened. Downstairs his parents heard a loud pop, and when they went to his room to investigate found him on the floor with half his face blown off.

Police forensic experts later found the chewing gum contained traces of an unidentified substance thought to be explosive in nature. According to a local news agency, the student had the strange habit of dipping his chewing gum in citric acid, a mild substance found naturally in citrus fruit (lemons/Limes) and used in the food and drinks (including beer – Oooops!) industry to introduce a sour taste.

The Police found packets of citric acid, and a similar looking unidentified substance thought to be explosive in nature in the room, and have concluded the student confused the two and put the explosive concoction on his gum instead of the citric acid. Experts from Kiev have been called to remove the unknown sunstance for fear it may explode if moved.

One of the more bizarre stories from around the world. Nothing like going out with a bang!

Roy.

Every so often a news story lands that has no proper response except, ‘what the fuck?’

Here’s a prime example: Exploding Chewing Gum Blows Off Student’s Jaw

I thought Ukrainians had enough trouble with the flu that turns your lungs into blood, and then this chap blows his head off with a stick of juicyfruit…

If it was an accident, then it’s tragic. If it was suicide…props bro.

OK, here’s the thing chemistry student from Kiev Polytechnic Institute, exploding chewing gum will blow your friggin face off…oh and kill you. Hmm, seems the 25 year old Russian student from Konotop was chewing gum while studying at his computer at home when  instead of dipping his chewy in citric acid  (to give it extra flavor), he accidentally used the explosive material next to it. The moment he bit down to chew…kaboom!  His jaw was clean blown off and his parents were left to pick up the pieces. Chemistry student 0, Natural selection 1.

I discovered something very interesting recently about a very odd workout habit of mine….I perform better when I’m chewing gum.

Magical Power sticks or figment of my imagination?

When I was in high school, I ran virtually everyday throughout the summer, usually between 3-5 miles a day. I recall chewing gum on longer runs because it somehow seemed to help regulate my breathing and kept my open mouth from getting too dry. Obviously in the intervening college years and for a few thereafter—which we’ll call my “fatness years”—I didn’t workout all that much, so aside from using it to stave off the boredom of finance, accounting, statistics and other lame classes or work, I had no use for gum.

Since beginning my all-out assault on my fatness, my gum chewing has spiked to levels never seen before. For each kettlebells class, I require a minimum of 2 pieces to get me through the often grueling 45-60 minute sessions.

I really have no scientific basis for my hypothesis—and I’m open to any information, research, or resources anyone can find—but I’m absolutely convinced that chewing gum has improved the level of my workouts. It could be that it simply takes my mind of a possible deep-seated oral fixation I must have, allowing me to focus exactly on what I’m doing and on nothing else. Or, perhaps, it does in fact actually help regulate my breathing so that I’m using oxygen more efficiently, thereby powering my muscles through a session. It could be that there’s a direct correlation between the increased saliva you produce by chewing gum and overall physical performance. Or maybe it’sjust nothing more than a placebo effect, similar to all those sugar pill results you hear about when pharm companies are comparing their results that boast “64% more effective fat burning!” and the like.

Gum chewing + workout = probably a bad idea.

Detractors and those with a little common sense will say that this whole notion of gum chewing and working out is just a flat out terrible idea (they’re probably right).  I’m fully aware of the choking hazards this practice can present, and I wouldn’t endorse it for everyone (or anyone, really). To be honest, most of the time I’m not even chewing while doing kettlebell swings or any other short-burst exercise that requires extreme exertion. In those cases the gum is tucked neatly (and ironically) against my gums until I’ve finished the set, when chewing resumes. But regardless of the actual application, I now feel almost naked if I find myself gumless heading into a workout session.

My future lecture on performance enhancing gum chewing? Or not.

It’s odd, those little quirks and funny things you learn about yourself on a daily basis when you put yourself in a static, consistent environment. Maybe gum chewing is just one of my own idiosyncrasies that few others have. Or maybe I’m on the leading edge of a performance breakthrough in the fitness world. Whatever the case, it sure does taste good.

PS. I recommend mint. It’s refreshing, unlike those fruity gums that are all sugary and seem to make you thirstier.

PPS. I’m going to actively search for studies about this subject. I know there’s something there, right?

Ink on Paper (original). November 2009

Influenced by my new find, Applied Arts – Canada’s Visual Communication Magazine I wanted to try my hand at product placing, color iterations and offsetting, a great Photoshop tool that I am sure all of you in Graphic and Interior Design know and love, but that is seldom used in Architecture applications (we specialize in skies, people and -yawn- cars).

The issue I perused was all about the winners of Canadian print, media and radio ads. This territory is completely new to me, but was fun to explore, in a sort of ‘provocative foreign art gallery’ kind of way. The creativity and innovation out there is astounding.  Some of these advert are pure genius. Go Canada!

So here are some things that definitely piqued my interest:

1. Insane Spots (for you yankees, ads) for Milk:
These are short (sometimes micro), irreverent and bizarre videos on the virtues of milk, each shot with a different animation technique and visual style. You can find them here and here.
Personally, i prefer soy milk, but wanted to share the artistic innovation.

2. Provocative campaigns
     I looove these ads:

Campaign for the new Vancouver Convention Center. Images via http://www.underconsideration.com, and created by ddbcanada.com

I loathe thee, carpet! 

Cigarettes always win, in fact, "cigarettes smoke people". Campaign for the Canadian Cancer Patients Aid Association, created by bleublancrouge.ca

Cigarettes Smoke People II

Amy Winehouse en crochet. Dose. ca campaign by rethinkcommunication, image via their website

Paris Hilton made of chewing gum. Dose. ca campaign by rethinkcommunication, image via their website

Lego Tom. Dose. ca campaign by rethinkcommunication, image via stillad.com

For a great commentary on this campaign, read here

And lastly, this ad which I stumbled upon- a very dear message to me –as a lover of letters, books and all things paper.

Campaign By the Australian Post, by Saatchi Melbourne. Image via pixelpastahome.blogspot.com

It says “If you really want to touch someone, send them a letter.”

I am actually sending a letter to my mamma sunday, with some of my art, since she never saw my blog – and probably never will. She doesn’t have a computer and loathes the internet.  She does however, prefer texts to phone calls.  Please, Santa Web, come to my mother’s house!

Godzilla: 60% mega monster destruction and 40% bittersweet romance between two of the mains. It has the tried and tested 90’s mix of epic action and silly fun that you don’t often find these days. The one thing that struck me when re-watching this was that it has a lot of memorable scenes; Godzilla’s entrance at the pier, streets ‘jumping’ with his footsteps, ‘zilla on the Brooklyn Bridge, ‘zilla taking out the choppers – too many to name! The opening scene with a-bomb test footage and epic orchestrated score is pretty chilling. There’s a load of cheeky reptile references throughout which is a nice touch, and the stereotypical sneaky French guys (fronted by Reno) are good fun to watch. There’s also a lot of subtle product placement, the likes of which hadn’t been done again until I-Robot: although not quite as subtly! unfortunately, the beast hasn’t aged too well, with a shed-load of dated cultural references and naff CGI / mini-models. Despite this, it’s still a classic, and great fun to watch. Entertaining big buck blockbuster.

Score: 6/10

We’d make awful revolutionaries – we’re too busy laughing at capitalism, Stupid Gum Ads not excepted, to want to overthrow it. On the other hand, if the commissars offer to pay us and sad-lipped Sino-American linemen in gum, well, now, where’d we leave our red flags?

YouTube comments:

the black guy is hella funny. i feel bad for thee asian guy

I love that asian guy, his sad sack look is a riot!!

No one ever pays me in gum!!!

the only thing missing was the mexican guy showing how he feeds his donkey trident gum

an asian construction worker? less chance of that happening than getting paid in gum.

Came across this image of a chewing gum truck, which looks exactly how I want my magazine to look – a large scaled chewing gum packet:

It even has that elusive foil I need to get hold of.. if anyone knows where to get some let me know! (it’s the foil which is shiny on one side but paper on the inside)

Look at these heavy tulip bulbs, the torsos
we lift into the air. Can you? We guard
your immobilized heroes
bring them and your concrete piazzas
to life, are smartly unromantic
about the outmoded countryside,
have no need for medals,
our collars, iridescent violet-green
bind us to no master.

– from the poem “A Word from the Feral Pigeon” by Andy Quan

See http://pigeonpoetry.com/ for the complete poem.

tracks under jewellery store roost at Guy above de Maisonneuve

Roosting Pigeons

These tracks, which are near the lamppost on the left, are just around the corner from the statue of Norman Bethune. When they recently redid the good doctor's square they used stone instead of concrete but our feral friends continue to stand guard nonetheless.

“Well, dude, I guess I won’t be offering an apartment for rent on craigslist anytime soon.”

“I guess not, dude. On account of because all you have to offer is chewing gum for rent, on craigslist or anyplace else.”

“Ewww, dude. Chewing gum for rent?“

“Why else would you be leaving it on the bedpost overnight? Speaking of ewww. I suppose I should be grateful you’re not leaving it on the mailbox. What’s wrong with craigslist, anyway?”

“You mean crookslist, dude? Lookit this. Dude lists an apartment for rent, gets three inquiries from responsible-looking tenants, and then finds out they’re trying to scam him. It’s a dangerous place, this craigslist. Who can trust it?”

“In this world, dude, you can’t even trust the trust company.”

“What’s a …”

“Later, dude. But aren’t you overlooking a couple of things in this story?”

“Like …?”

“Like, here’s a person in Honolulu trying to rent an apartment and getting inquiries from people who claim to be professionals, from places so far away that it’s practically impossible that anyone will know them. But they do claim to be professionals, professors even. And they name their University. Two minutes on Google and you’ll know whether that University has Professor So-and-So on its faculty, and probably get a contact phone or email – which had better match what the inquirer sent you, or wee oh wee oh wee oh. Why didn’t …”

“OK, that’s one.”

“And the other is, where did you get this story?”

“Um, the newspaper.”

“Right. The editorial section, no less. Where did you find it?”

“Online …”

“Because you can’t find the print version with a microscope any more. And why is that?”

“Because they’re selling papers to amoebae?“

“Very funny. You’d better hope that OC’s not in a command-X kind of mood.”

“CONTROL-X!!“

“Even with Vista?”

“Only when you don’t want it to.”

“I rest my case. No, the papers haven’t shrunk because they’re selling to protozoa. They’ve shrunk because nobody’s paying them to advertise their stuff any more. And that’s because …”

“Because why?”

“Because all the ads are going to craigslist, dude! That editor’s going to hit craigslist every chance he gets, fair or not. Before his job goes the way of all the journalists who he had to fire and are walking the streets these days.”

“D’ya think it’ll work? People will dump craigslist and pay the paper for ads again?”

“Dunno, dude. I’d like to believe people would listen to us and learn how to use craigslist safely. But they might see that chewing gum and think again.”

  - O Ceallaigh
Copyright © 2009 Felloffatruck Publications. All wrongs deplored.
All opinions are mine as a private citizen.

Photographed by House Of Sims

at my husband’s workplace (a-1appliance.com)

– License

I found these brilliant sculptures by Italian artist Maurizio Savini and thought they were definitely worth a post up. Check ‘em out:

Clean It Up. Si chiama così il video in stop motion di Goons, artista di strada di Chicago, che mostra labbra animate che scorrazzano per la strade di una città, cambiando l’aspetto di una casa in stato di semi-abbandono. A sponsorizzare il tutto è Orbit, noto brand di chewing-gum. L’agenzia creativa è Evolution Bureau.

The Apprentice

Chicza Organic Rainforest Gum

Il y a plus de 6500 ans, les hommes préhistoriques consommaient déjà de la pâte à mâcher végétale, la sève de conifère.
À la fin du 19^ème siècle, Thomas Adams fabrique et commercialise les premiers chewing-gums en mélangeant le chiclé (le latex issu de la sève de sapotillier) avec de la résine et du sirop.
Mais avec l’industrialisation et la recherche de la moindre dépense, le chiclé a été remplacé par des gommes de synthèse. Aujourd’hui, on retrouve ainsi jusqu’à 100 ingrédients chimiques différents dans un chewing-gum.
En 1939, le chewing-gum est officiellement reconnu comme un aliment aux États-Unis et il fallut attendre 1944 pour que celui-ci apparaisse en France.
À l’heure actuelle, les préoccupations de l’environnement prennent une place importante dans le quotidien des gens et c’est pourquoi la création d’un chewing-gum biodégradable est devenue indispensable.

Ainsi, 56 coopératives composées de 2000 chicléros (producteurs de gommes à mâcher) ont pris la décision de relancer la tradition ancestrale des indiens mayas. Ils travaillent sur une superficie de 1,3 millions d’hectares de forêt tropicale permettant une production de 350 tonnes par an et s’occupent de la production, la logistique, le commerce et les finances pour la fabrication de la gomme.
Les chicléros extraient la sève blanche des chicozapotes en taillant une coupure superficielle en forme de « Z » dans l’écorce et la récolte en plaçant un sac à la base de l’arbre.
Ce procédé permet de diminuer la déforestation au Mexique car après chaque saignée, l’arbre se repose pendant 7 ans avant la prochaine récolte.
Le chiclé est alors fondu et mélangé à d’autres cires ainsi qu’à du sucre de canne et du sirop d’agave. La pâte est alors pressée et façonnée en bandes de gomme à mâcher.

Le chicza présente de nombreux avantages par rapport au chewing-gum classique. Tout d’abord le chicza est biodégradable et commence à se désagréger dès la phase de mastication (le chicza se dégrade en 1 mois contre 5 ans pour un quelconque chewing-gum).
De plus, le chicza ne colle ni aux vêtements, ni aux cheveux, ni au bitume ce qui permettra de diminuer les nombreux coûts servant à retirer les chewing-gums des lieux publics.

Le chewing-gum est fabriqué sans colorants ni conservateurs et son emballage est lui aussi biodégradable.
On retrouve différentes saveurs pour celui-ci telles que la menthe sauvage, la chaux Heirloom, la menthe verte, le citron, l’orange, la cannelle et les fruits rouges.
Le prix du paquet s’élève à 1,50 € mais celui-ci n’est malheureusement en vente qu’au Royaume-Uni pour l’instant (Waitrose, Whole Foods Market, Wahaca Mexican Market Eating, Peros Coffee Innovators, Marigold et Planet Organic). Ce concept innovateur devrait toutefois envahir l’Europe d’ici peu.

Je trouve le concept très intéressant et la politique d’entreprise très responsable. Il reste à voir si le goût et la texture plairont. À tester lors d’un prochain séjour au Royaume-Uni…

Sources :

* Chicza
* Consoglobe.com
* Mescoursespourlaplanete.com
* Wikipedia