Illustration
Now THIS is a great idea! I want to try and buy a few of these things, but the price is a little scary right now. ($19.50 for 2) On the other hand, you don’t need a charger and you can charge them as long as you are near a computer. I guess that might not be very comforting on vacation, but they’ve got me sold.
I should post more things like this, but I was recently looking for a printer that printed Presto Magix Rub Down Transfers because I thought it would be a cool way to create a piece of artwork. I thought finding one would be difficult. And, if I did find one, it would be massively expensive. Well, I found one. All-Out Graphics makes them and the price is relatively reasonable for a small timer like me. This is not an advertisement…it is more like a “need to find an idea so I can use this place” post. That is inspiring…
One of the skills I want to work on this year is creating simpler work. While I like the more … [Read More...]
One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to update my web site. I've fooled with it a number … [Read More...]
Has it really been that long? Two months later and it is 2012...I guess blogging took a back seat. I … [Read More...]
I've spent the past few weeks doing a lot of "factory" sketching. It was certainly beneficial for me … [Read More...]
Click here to see a larger version I'm definitely over the "hump" with this poster. In other … [Read More...]
The Culture of Fear
I recently just plowed through a book that was excellent. The Culture of Fear is slightly outdated, (It was made before September 11th) but I think the problems Barry Glassner discusses are even more relevant today. As it says on the front cover, “Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things.” He talks about how the media, corporations, and politicians feed our anxieties by over-hyping and over-sensationalizing issues like plane crashes, road rage, Internet predators, strange diseases, and killer kids to the point that people think they are happening more than they really are. Statistics are misused and victims of these issues are mad to look like experts when these issues are splashed across the television and newspaper. Scientific data is thrown right out the window. In turn, we as Americans begin to fear things that we should not be scared of.
As Glassner points out, we are fed these fears because it makes money. Why else do we have life insurance, multiple air bags, warranties for every little gadget at Best Buy, ridiculous lawsuits, and unnecessary security guards? Fear sells. I can’t believe I’m going to quote Richard Nixon, but Glassner used a good quote from him.
I’m not tryin to be all “free love” with that quote, but it proves that if you tap into the anxieties of people, you are more likely to get them to listen. And then, you can make them buy.