“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
— Albert Einstein

>> Say “bone!”

Red stripes eventually begin to shimmer.

Source: A. Kitaoka

Best guess: some time in the late seventies or early eighties, give or take a decade.

Pop it in, Grandpa!

“Those who have succeeded at anything and don’t mention luck are kidding themselves.”
— Larry King

Rollers appear to rotate.

Source: A. Kitaoka

Remember the late night TV show on ABC called “Politically Incorrect” with Bill Maher? Each half hour episode consisted of Maher sitting around a coffee table with four guests, discussing topics of the day. It was one of the few shows worth watching, but sadly was canceled a couple three years ago or so.

One night, a few weeks after 9/11, he brought a particular promotional poster to the table. The poster was done for Starbucks to promote their new “Tazo” drink.

It was hard to believe that this got by anybody. I was blown away, as was Bill and his guests. If you’re not seeing the theme here, notice the two towers, surrounded by smaller buildings, and a firefly speeding slightly downward directly into one of the towers. Top it off with the thematic word “Collapse”, and you’ve got a message worth discussing, analyzing, and perhaps even condemning.

Whoah.

Realizing that this wasn’t going to last long, particularly after Maher’s show, I rushed out to Starbucks nearby with my digital camera in hopes of finding a straggling store that still had the poster up. My first couple stores were already on it, having removed the poster by corporate instruction. I was happy to find one final store in Redondo Beach that still had the poster on the wall, giving me the chance to capture it for the photo archives.

Funny how an ad so focused on hip new flavors could be done in such questionable taste.

“In the wake of such a disaster, I find the world’s generous spirit inspiring and an important reminder that grief has no barriers or bias.”
— Thomas Vilsack

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“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
— Michelangelo