bookofjoe

On whose head sat this crown?

Made of solid gold approximately 2,000 years ago and discovered in 1978, it adorned the head of a Bactrian nomad king.

The crown disassembles and folds flat for easy transport.

It may be seen, along with some 230 other objects from Afghanistan's long history at the center of the network of trade routes known as the Silk Road, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.., part of a new show entitled "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul," through September 7, 2008, following which it will travel to San Francisco, Houston and New York City.

bookofjoe MoneyMaker: Personalized Pizza

Why this wonderful concept hasn't caught on is beyond me.

Here's an item about it that appeared in last Wednesday's Washington Post Food section.
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Write on the Pie

Will your pizza soon deliver its own message?

In 2002, Florida schoolteacher Rich Errera received patents pending for the Gourmet Impressions tool he invented, which can emboss words or logos on foods such as pizza crusts and a variety of soft, edible materials such as ice cream, vegetables, fruit, breads and doughs.

The custom-order lines of text created by a roller or stamper are called "pizzals" (pronounced by Errera as PIT-sells).

The concept was a big hit with retailers, Errera says, but six years later he is still looking for investors and the "proper licensee willing to manufacture and distribute the tools."

To watch a video of how they work, go to www.gourmetimpressions.com.
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Surely someone out there in joehead Nation sincerely wants to be a millionaire.

Apply within.

Oh, yeah, one more thing — I'm waiving my usual exorbitant commission.

The Internet is virtual PCR

In a May 30, 2008 New York Times Business section article, Stephanie Clifford quoted Eric Hershberg, the president and chief creative officer of Deutsch L.A., as follows: "'There are scandals that are worth responding to and there are scandals that are worth ignoring, and I think the Internet amplifies these voices...."

He was commenting on what Michelle Malkin cleverly termed the "keffiyeh kerfuffle," Dunkin Donuts' short-lived Rachael Ray iced-coffee ad (above), which ran from May 7 to May 23 of this year without incident until Little Green Footballs inveighed against it, resulting in the ad being pulled the next day.

Just as amplification of a minuscule amount of DNA is at the heart of the power of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), so it is with the web, with its viral ability to render anything into a worldwide phenomenon overnight.

Tactile Tape

Created in 2000 by designer Tina Roeder.

5cm x 660cm self-adhesive tape.

More: info@tinaroeder.com

[via James Thornburg]

"We... cannot afford to have a customer take a second look and ask, 'Do I need this?' That is the kiss of death." — Bud Konheim, CEO of Nicole Miller

He was quoted in a May 29, 2008 New York Times Styles section front page article by Eric Wilson about how consumers of both mass and luxury goods are increasingly focusing on price instead of desire as the key to whether or not they'll buy something.

I must confess to being mildly surprised that an insider would go on the record thusly.

It's kind of like a cigarette company president, back in the day, agreeing that cigarettes can kill you.

But Konheim wasn't done — he continued, "'I think we've exploited all the countries on earth for people who really want to work for nothing.'"

I guarantee Konheim was taken out back to the woodshed for some remedial work after his remarks appeared.

"Assume the position."

'No hardware was used in the fabrication of this table'

Great — no problems at airport security.

Wait a minute....

From the website:

Simple Series Side Table

No more 'where are my keys?'

Trying to remember where you put your keys can be difficult.

It's even harder when the place you throw your keys is piled with receipts and junk mail.

The Side Table addresses this issue by integrating a drawer into the design.

The drawer is always slightly open to allow the input of important material.

The opening is adjustable to suit your liking, and the entire piece can be disassembled for spring cleaning.

No hardware was used in the fabrication.

Handcrafted from 3/4" pine.

30"H x 12.25"D x 20"–30"L.

Designed by Karl Zahn.

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$620.

Apply within.

[via the New York Times]

FaceInHole — 'Your face here'

In response to my May 24 post featuring MagMyPic, reader Ceejay commented, "Have you tried www.faceinhole.com yet?"

I have now.

Tons of good fun for everyone.

There goes yet another day.

When is your boss gonna twig and block bookofjoe?

Bourgeois Brass Knuckles

Designed by Jonathan Sabine,

half of a new partnership called Chromoly.

[via designboom and tolin.cn]