Isn't it wonderful what computers can do?

A download in 68 parts.

Online movies made worthless in one overcomplicated gesture.

Milk Bags

Here's a curious item we found in Eastern Canada - milk bags.

Yep, bags of milk.

Not for cafés, or other trade buyers. This was in your local supermarket, for personal use.

WHY?

Auction of Smooch recordings makes news

My friend Colin, once in a punk band that wasn't particularly good or successful*, ambitiously put out a 12" record on green vinyl, not the cheapest of formats. He pressed up 300 albums. He sold 40. One of the fortunate forty was yours truly.

Now Colin, appearing to be going through some sort of early mid-life crisis (the reality is much sweeter, having something to do with world travel and affairs of the heart) is selling many of his worldly possessions, including his pile of 200 and something Army Of Darkness albums in one job lot.

The subsequent TradeMe auction has received thousands of hits, mostly due to the engaging way it is written, and the amusing question and answer section. Check it out.

The auction has also made the front page of New Zealand's "Stuff" website; the article is transcribed below:

They played shows no-one went to, made records no-one bought and are only now getting the attention they had hoped for thanks to Trade Me.

Colin Mitchell put a bulk lot of 200-odd copies of his punk band's album on Trade Me last week - and it has since received more than 11,000 hits and 34 bids. As of Wednesday morning, bids had reached $111.

Army of Darkness printed 300 copies of its album Delamorte Dellamore on green vinyl in 2002 but sold only 40, losing more than $4500.

The record was even declared "too s**t to steal" after a friend fell asleep at a bus stop and had his wallet, cell phone, keys and shoes stolen - but not the album.

Mitchell kept the leftover copies of the album in his basement and recently put the whole collection on Trade Me, hoping that someone would buy them for the novelty factor, or to decorate their child's room with.

The Auckland man's sarcastic and witty auction - he describes the band as "the biggest mistake of my life" - has brought newfound attention to the group, which was together from 2001 to 2009.

He says the "cruddy" band struggled on like a dying man for "nine years longer than anyone wanted or needed".

"I thought the novelty factor would be enough but the music let us down," he said of the album's epic failure.

"It's been quite a tough experience because people keep giving them back to me. I thought they would eventually become a collector's edition but I was extremely wrong."

Mitchell has been answering questions in the same tone of his listing, telling people that he expected the records would be melted down or turned into wallpaper.

Despite the widespread attention, the bidding hasn't been fierce.

"Financially it is not a success but in terms of bringing attention to my failings it is," Mitchell said.

He promised that when the auction had reached the 10,000 mark he would put a link to the group's second album, which they appropriately titled Too S**t To Steal.

"I think they will be sorely disappointed when they hear it - it's just really not good," he said. "The combination of uselessness and further failure meant we didn't do anything with it."

* I was also in a punk band that wasn't particularly good or successful, The Poorly Rounded. Thankfully we had the presence of mind to make recordings on tape, and give them out to all seven fans we had.

Findings in the US, year 3, part two:

After some delay, here are the second lot of "neat" things I spied while in the States (and Canada) earlier this year.



"Here's some leftover crap surrounded by garnish - $15 a kilo please."


I wasn't aware the demand for whitened coffee was so large. What is the point of "whitened" coffee while we're at it? Intimidated by black coffee? Isn't that ever-so-slightly racist?


This is from what is actually quite a fine sports bar & restaurant, confusingly titled "Taco Mac". However they went more than a bit overboard by offering 140 marginally different soda options. There was another several-dozen options on the reverse side of this menu.


This sign does not stop the Anaheim Flea Market from smelling heavily of animals. Or fleas.


What is the fascination with "three cheeses" as a flavour variety? You can't discerne one cheese from another when it's hamfistedly stuffed into a brick-like parcel of preservatives and cooked until volcanic. One cheese will do.
Also "Deluxe" does make one chuckle - "Deluxe. It's the same but with green stuff in it." THANKS PILLSBURY.


...All the rich, evocative flavour of processed butter in handy, watery, syrup form.
I mean, COME ON.


As you might expect, this was found in the South. You can just picture little Mabelline Trailer Home pleading "Momma, I's want uh Coo Coo Critter so bad!"


In advertising, there is a key element of importance when dealing with food. That is "Appetite Appeal". I do not believe these people received this knowledge.


OH, PILLSBURY, YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN.
If you can't make it look good, why put an image of it on the box?


Wendy's faux self-deprecating tone doesn't disguise the fact that they were running a special menu celebrating "Baconalia". Need we remind ourselves that the US does not offer public health care.....


Brand new shoes for sale, no wear and tear visible whatsoever. Also the moon is made from three types of cheese.


"Ready in three minutes?" Is that a handy time cue, to allow you to call in sick and prepare the bathroom?