Archive for February, 2005

Search Engine Relationship Chart

Published on Thursday, 17 February 2005 in Marketing. 0 Comments

Bruce Clay has an interesting Search Engine Relationship Chart (in flash) showing which search engines are interconnected. Great for marketeers to figure out who they really should optimize for, and eye-opening to see who’s in bed with whom, in some way, shape or form. You can clearly see who is going up against Google - MSN and Yahoo have no relationship with them at all. One thing to note is that it does not clearly show the relationship between Inktomi and Yahoo.

Laws of Fashion

Published on Wednesday, 9 February 2005 in Fun. 0 Comments

So this morning on KFOG they were talking about how in Virginia Algie T. Howell, a Democrat legistlator from Norfolk, proposed a $50 fine for anyone who “exposes his below-waist undergarments in an offensive manner.” And it looks like it’s going through.

This is too funny. At first I was a bit shocked that a state could actually pass a law dictating how people can wear their clothes. How naïve of me. I really should know better. Someone gets annoyed or offended, so the obvious solution is to pass a law prohibiting the offensive behavior.

So out of curiosity, I did a quick search to see what other laws are on the law books out there that legislate fashion. Here’s what I found:

Virginia

  • Norfolk (Home of Mr. Alfie Howell)- Women must wear a corsette after sundown and be in the company of male chaperone.

    Pennsylvania

  • Connelsville - One’s pants may be worn no lower than five inches below the waist. (did this give him the idea?)

    Michigan

  • A woman isn’t allowed to cut her own hair without her husband’s permission.(this is just wrong)

    New Mexico

  • Carrizozo - It’s forbidden for a female to appear unshaven in public (includes legs and face). (not fashion exactly, but it’s weird)

    Kentucky

  • “No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she be escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club.” An amendment to the above legislation: “The provisions of this statuate shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds, nor shall it apply to female horses.” (sad state of affairs when you need to write a law like this)

    California

  • Statewide - Women may not drive in a house coat.
  • Blythe - You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows.
  • Carmel - Women may not wear high heels while in the city limits.
  • Los Angeles - Zoot suits are prohibited.
  • San Francisco - Persons classified as “ugly” may not walk down any street. (okay this isn’t fashion, but I had to put it in here as I know there are offenses of this everyday)
  • Walnut - Males may not dress as a female unless a special permit is obtained from the sheriff.

    Florida

  • It is illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a swimsuit.

    North Dakota

  • It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.

    New Jersey

  • Caldwell - You may not dance or wear shorts on the main avenue. (I know I’ve broken this law)
  • Elizabeth - It is forbidden for a woman, on a Sunday, to walk down Broad Street without wearing a petticoat. (and this one)
  • Haddon - Cross-dressing is illegal

    New York

  • NYC - It is illegal for a woman to be on the street wearing “body hugging clothing.” (broke this one too)

    Alabama

  • Anniston -You may not wear blue jeans down Noble Street.
  • Mobile - It is unlawful to wear women’s pumps with sharp, high heels.

    Ref:
    http://www.big-boys.com/joke.asp?ID=974
    http://www.lawguru.com/weird/part01.html
    http://www.dumblaws.com/

    • Tehran - East or West?

    Published on Wednesday, 9 February 2005 in Stuff. 0 Comments

    The other day my friend Farshad emailed me a link to photos of the city where he spent the first years of his life and where his extended family still lives, Tehran. I have to say I was a bit embarrassed about how ignorant I was of it.

    I have to confess, I thought it would look like Baghdad - low-rise buildings the color of desert sand that blend into the background scenery. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In winter, Tehran looks more like Vancouver than Dubai. The skyscrapers look so Western, and the low-rise buildings look like the ornate 1800s office buildings in downtown New York City.

    What’s surprising is how in the past 100 years most of the old architecture in Tehran has been replaced with modern designs. Here in California people get their panties in a twist if anyone threatens to bulldoze a building that’s from the 1800s. Think about Iran. They’ve been building since 1000 BC or more and have ancient architecture that’s 100 times more beautiful than an old craftsmen-style home.

    Before we possibly go and start blowing things up and ruining things, check out the photos of Tehran.

    Iran is on my list of places to visit. It looks so beautiful and all the Persians that I have met are some of the most caring people that I have ever known.

    Do We See the World Through Silicon Valley Glasses?

    Published on Saturday, 5 February 2005 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

    No this isn’t a lament on technology being the focus of our lives here. It’s about photography.

    I don’t know if it’s Bay Area folklore or truth, but according to my photography teacher, the Kodak film color palette is based on the colors that appear in nature here in Palo Alto. So for Kodak film, the default green should be the same color green you see on the hills here in Silicon Valley. I would think that would be the winter green color and not the dead summer green. Anyway, according to this story the reason why they chose Palo Alto was because the Kodak Color Lab was based here. It makes sense, because what will you test the colors of your prints against? Well the colors that appear in nature of course.

    As Kodak based their colors on what was around them, so did Fuji. Fuji’s palette is based on the colors of Kyoto. This would explain why when I first tried their film I finally was able to capture the green of Vancouver properly. From the photos that I’ve seen, the colors of Kyoto and Vancouver seem fairly similar.

    But one thing that my teacher said gave me pause, and that was that all the film in the US is now all based on the same color palette - Kodak’s. All the film producers have gone towards that palette because that is what consumers want or expect. So all you’re left with is basically one choice of film that has super saturated reds. But I guess your average person with a point and shoot isn’t all too concerned about that. I haven’t tested the Fuji film here yet, so I don’t know if the greens will be less vibrant than the greens of the film that I bought in Vancouver. Also one thing I noticed when we moved down here is how much brown and tan is in nature around here. Maybe that’s why some people think Kodak film producers better colors for skin tones.

    Who knows if this is just another Silicon Valley myth or truth. I have no reason to doubt it. I just couldn’t find any proof of it on the internet. And you know if it’s not on there, then it can’t be true!

    If anyone can point me to a webpage or proof that verifies these statements, please drop me a line. I searched for it, but couldn’t find any proof.