Dharma Kelleher

The Simple Life for a Hi-Tech Gal

Dharma Kelleher — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:41:45 +0000

With so many complex challenges, simplicity is a must for a hi-tech gal.

Why Simplify?
There is a slogan in Alcoholics Anonymous that reads “K.I.S.S. — Keep it simple, Sweetheart”. Before I got sober, things were extremely chaotic. Consequently, it was easy to come up with excuses for my self-destructive behavior.

“If you had my life, you’d drink, too,” was a justification for all kinds of crap that I did. Drinking. Manipulating. Losing my temper. Having sex with people I didn’t like or even know. I was miserable and much of it was self-inflicted.

Simplifying the way I live frees me from a lot of stress, saves me time and opens up opportunities that were previously blocked by a chaotic life.

Keeping Simplicity Simple
ZenHabits.net has a short list and a long list for simplifying your life. The short list involves only two things. One, identify what’s important to you. And two, eliminate everything else. How simple is that? Yeah, simple, but not necessarily easy. If that’s too simple, they also have a long list of 72 ways to simplify your life.

When my desk looks like a Best Buy,
it’s time to simplify.

Too Much Information
Do you find yourself skipping posts on blogs you’ve subscribed to without reading them? Or deleting podcast episodes without listening to them? Me, too. When that happens, I consider deleting feeds that I don’t read or listen to. Just because I unsubscribe doesn’t mean a blog or podcast is bad. It just means I have more pressing things to do.

Too Much Tech
I love devices. I like my desktop and my laptop and my iPod and my cellphone (marginally) and my white noise machine and my DVR and my Blue-Ray player and… Part of it is due to the fact that both my wife and myself are IT people. We like tech. But when my desk looks like a Best Buy, it’s time to simplify.

Too Much Stuff
I have a habit of procrastinating. I don’t always put things away when I’m done with them. This leads to clutter, which makes it more difficult to concentrate. Clutter also causes stress. In short, clutter costs me more time than I thought I saved because eventually I have to put my stuff away (or risk an avalanche).

Take time to determine what’s important
to you and eliminate the rest.

Meditation
What’s so hi-tech about meditation? Absolutely nothing. And that’s the point. When I meditate, I let go of my attachment to all the chaos in my life, even if it’s for five or ten or (dare I hope?) thirty minutes. It’s a mental health day compressed into a short span of time. But I find I’m less stressed and better able to deal with the hi-tech challenges of being a web and graphic designer.

Simply Put…
Life in the Twenty-First Century can be hectic. Around every corner is something demanding our attention. It’s enough to consider moving to Pennsylvania to join the Amish. Or at the least become a Quaker (and I have some good friends who have). But just because the technology has changed doesn’t mean you have to pull your hair out or feel guilty for not listening to every fabulous podcast out there (but one of my Quaker friends has an awesome one).

Take time to determine what’s important to you and eliminate the rest. If you have kids, be proactive and help them simplify their lives. Do they really need to go to karate AND soccer AND dance class AND piano lessons? Set an example and find one or two regular activities and limit their schedule (and yours) to that.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. (Maybe I should have stuck with just one simplify.)

Boldly Going for 52 Years

Dharma Kelleher — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:01:47 +0000

With 52 years of fearless exploration and scientific breakthroughs, are NASA’s glory days behind her?

Thank You, NASA
NASA’s research over the past 52 years has led to life-changing innovations known as NASA-spinoffs. Here’s a few you might be familiar with:

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
Infrared Ear Themometers (no more sucking on those unreadable glass tubes)
Aircraft anti-icing systems
Improved radial tires
Cordless vacuums
Water purification
Solar energy (or at least the technology to harness it)
Tempur foam
Virtual reality

Note:
The powdered orange drink Tang is not technically a NASA-spinoff. A product of the General Mills Corporation, sales were abysmal until used aboard the Gemini missions.

Today marks the anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). But after more than a half century of exploration and research, NASA’s future appears to be fading into the blackness of space. Plagued by cost overruns, budget cuts, and changes in presidential priorities, NASA’s hopes to send the first manned mission to Mars is on indefinite countdown hold.

A Late Start
President Dwight Eisenhower established NASA seven months after the Soviet Union had launched the first artificial satellite into orbit. The implications of this launched extended beyond a quest for science. Tensions between the U.S. and the Soviets had radically increased since the end of World War II. Space capabilities opened up new possibilities in warfare.

Nevertheless, NASA was established as a civilian, rather than military, space agency. Several other smaller organizations were incorporated into NASA, including its predecessor NACA (National Advisory Council for Aeronautics), and several major research laboratories. The space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was on.

Getting our Butts Kicked
Project Mercury was one of the first NASA programs, the goal of which was manned spaceflight. The Soviets’ program was already in high gear, so the Americans were behind from the starts. The Soviets managed numerous firsts including:

the first satellite,
the first animal in space (a dog named Laika),
the first telemetry to and from outer space
the first man-made object to pass near the moon
the first probe to impact with the moon
the first images of the moon’s dark side (and all this time you thought it was Pink Floyd)
the first probe launched to Mars
the first probe launched to Venus
and the first person in space and in Earth orbit.

On April 12, 1961, the Soviets launched Yuri Gagarin as the first human in space and in orbit. Alan Shepard followed less than a month later aboard Freedom 7, but did not achieve orbit.. Shepard was touted as the first astronaut (i.e. American) in space, even though he wasn’t the first person in space. After all, Gagarin was a cosmonaut. Sure it meant the same thing, but don’t tell that to NASA.

The following year, John Glenn became the first astronaut in orbit. Again, not really an international first, but oh well.

To the Moon, Alice!
Project Gemini followed which provided the research that paved the way for the Apollo missions. On July 7, 1969, nearly nine years after NASA began, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men of any nation to land on the moon, while Michael Collins remained in orbit in the command module (it’s really hard to park one of those things).

The final Apollo mission took place in 1975 and included a docking with the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. This symbolic mission represented an act of détente and the end of the space race. It also marked the end of manned spaceflight for six years, being replaced by the Space Shuttle program.

In the late 1970s, NASA began developing the Space Shuttle, the first re-usable spacecraft. All prior spacecraft were either left to drift into space, abandoned on the lunar surface or landed in the ocean (those recovered weren’t reusable).

But the Space Shuttle could be launched via rocket and land much like an airplane thanks to the ceramic tile heat shield. A total of five shuttles were put into use for a total of 132 flights. The Challenger was destroyed shortly after liftoff in 1986 after nine successful missions. The Columbia burned up on re-entry in 2003. A sixth shuttle, the Lexington, is rumored to have been used for military purposes, but to date no government official has confirmed its existence.

Other achievements of NASA include the Voyager long-distance probes; the Galileo probe sent to Jupiter; the Viking, Pathfinder and rover missions to Mars, and the Hubble Telescope which has provided glimpses into the origin of the universe.

A Questionable Future
The future for NASA remains uncertain following the discontinuation of the Space Shuttle program. During the Bush Administration, there had been talking of resuming missions to the moon, with hopes of using lunar resources for long-term colonization, and eventually manned missions to Mars.

However, President Obama has scuttled plans for these programs citing cost overruns that have plagued NASA since the beginning, and limiting its mission to more of a space taxi service for astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

At the same time, several private interests are stepping up to the space plate (pardon the bad metaphor), including Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (aka Space X), Scaled Composites, Boeing and Bigelow Aerospace and SpaceDev. It is believed by many that space tourism (selling rides to civilians for a hefty price) rather than tax dollars will help pay for the future of space exploration. Whether will or won’t remains one of many great unknowns.

Do you have a favorite NASA-related memory? Or perhaps you still remember where you were when you heard that the Challenger blew up. Did you ever dream of becoming an astronaut? Please share your memories and thoughts in the comment section!

The Fall and Rise of Paradise

Dharma Kelleher — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:12:47 +0000

July is “Tahiti and Her Islands” Awareness Month.

It is also when the islands of French Polynesia (of which Tahiti is the largest) hosts their annual Heiva Festival.

Heiva is a celebration of the traditional Polynesian culture (clothing, singing, dances, skills, language, stories, etc.) that were nearly eradicated by the French invasion. Heiva celebrations are also held in Hawaii and California to help educate people about Polynesia’s heritage.

The Fall of Paradise
Tahiti was originally settled by the Polynesian people between 300 and 800 CE. The late Eighteenth Century saw the arrival of the first Westerners, including captains Samuel Wallis, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, James Cook and William Bligh (of the HMS Bounty), as well as Charles Darwin.

With the explorers and the subsequent onslaught of missionaries, traders and colonists, came numerous threats to traditional Polynesian culture. Among these were deadly diseases (typhus, influenza and smallpox), alcohol, prostitution and forced conversion to Christianity.

French Rule
In 1880, France forced Tahiti’s King Pomare V to surrender sovereignty of Tahiti. Eventually, all of French Polynesia became a French overseas territory. Residents of the islands were granted full French citizenship.

At the same time, the French suppressed traditional culture for more than a century, including forbidding the speaking of the Tahitian language in schools.

In recent days, such restrictions have been lifted and an effort has been made to revive traditional culture. The Heiva Festival is an important part of this revival.

Heiva i Tahiti
Heiva begins in June. In the opening ceremonies this year, more than 300 dancers took place. After the opening ceremonies, local dance schools perform and compete.

There is also a contest for Mr. Tahiti and Miss Tahiti. This contest is not merely a beauty or brawn contest. There are contests for singing, lifting heavy stones, outrigger canoeing and other traditional skills.

Be sure to check out the YouTube videos that give a taste of Heiva and the wondrous beauty of traditional Polynesian culture.

Tahiti’s Treasure

One of the major exports of Tahiti is the cultured black Tahitian pearl and for good reason. These beauties are created by the Pinctada margaritafera, better known as the black-lipped oysters.

This species of oyster, which grows to about the size of a salad plate is raised in farms in secured harbors. When the oysters are two years old, technicians implant a round nucleus of Mississippi oyster shell into the oysters and return them to the water.

For another two to three years, the oyster encases the nucleus with layer upon layer of dark, semi-translucent nacre. It is this nacre that gives the pearls that magical beauty.

Black Tahitian pearls are rarely pure black. Most have a range of hues that include silver, blue, green, pink and gold. Sizes range from 7mm to more than 13mm in diameter. They can also vary in shape. In addition to the round, there are oval pearls, ringed peals (with concentric grooves), and the irregular baroque pearls.

A large, round pearl without any surface imperfections can bring a price that ranges in the thousands of dollars, but such gems account for a tiny fraction of the pearls harvested.

French Polynesian law forbids the export of pearls under a certain quality. Customs takes these laws very seriously as it can affect the overall price of pearls at auction.

Happy Birthday Bert

Dharma Kelleher — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:00:17 +0000

You know him as the pigeon-loving, boring guy, sharing the basement apartment with the zany Ernie at 123 Sesame Street. According to Holidays for Everyone, today is his birthday.

A Much Maligned Muppet
Poor Bert is one of the most misunderstood of the muppets, second only to Oscar the Grouch. His serious demeanor and über-affinity for the mundane have made him the object of ridicule by many muppet fans. His best friend and roommate Ernie is always playing practical jokes on him.

Even Frank Oz, who was Bert’s muppeteer is said to have dissed him. The Muppet Wiki quotes the late Jim Henson (who performed Ernie), “He [Frank] felt Bert was too dull. But then after a while he realized that Bert’s dullness was really a lot of fun, and he got into this dullness thing and turned it into this wonderful personality.”

Bert Is (Not) Evil
In the late 1990s, Bert was maliciously maligned by a “Bert is Evil” campaign, which doctored photographs of Bert, combining them with photos of notorious historical figures.

After the September 11 bombings, one of these “Bert is Evil” photographs appeared on a poster in a pro-Osama bin Laden rally in Bangladesh. Those responsible for the “Bert is Evil” campaign realized the far-reaching impact of their prank and took down the photos from the web.

The Gay Rumors
Over the decades, rumors have persisted that Bert and Ernie are more than roommates, that they are in fact a gay couple. However, the good folks at Sesame Street have contested this, insisting that they are merely friends and that muppets have no sexuality (perhaps because they lack the parts).

While I would love for them to have turn out to be gay, I am personally happy to accept them for whoever and whatever they are.

Bert Trivia

Along with Ernie, Bert is the only muppet to have appeared in the pilot episode of Sesame Street in July 1969.
Bert has a number of pets, his favorite being his pigeon Bernice.
He is the president of the National Association of W Lovers (the letter of the alphabet, not the former president).
Bert has a twin brother Bart, who works as a salesman, and a nephew Brad.
He was originally performed by Frank Oz. In 1997, Eric Jacobson took over as performer.
Bert is a hand-rod puppet, which means his hands are moved by metal rods. Ernie on the other hand is a live-hand puppet.
He is left-handed.
He has 368 bottle caps in his collection, including his treasured Figgy Fizz.
His favorite food is oatmeal (preferably without lumps).

Final Thoughts and Well Wishes
I find Bert inspiring. Sure, he needs to loosen up a bit, but his ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary is a gift more of us should share. It’s so easy to get so caught up in our lives that we overlook the simple joys.

Thanks, Bert for reminding us of the beauty of the mundane. And Happy Birthday, big guy!

Special thanks to the Muppet Wiki and Wikipedia.

The Scoop on Frozen Desserts

Dharma Kelleher — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:05:21 +0000

Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you’re enjoying the sweltering temperatures of summer. Perhaps enjoying isn’t the right word, but you get the idea. Even with the recent rains, here in Phoenix, daily highs still hover in the triple digits with humidity between fifty and eighty percent.

Air conditioning helps, but the best way to cool off (specifically to bring down body temperature), in my opinion, is to consume something cold. And what could be better than a frozen dessert? Especially with so many tasty options to choose from.

As a kid growing up in Georgia during the 1970s, my frozen dessert of choice was homemade ice cream. We’d get together with other families on the block, mix the cream, sugar and flavorings (fresh picked berries or vanilla extract or chocolate) into the football-size metal container then surround it with ice and rock salt and start hand-cranking. That’s right. No electric ice cream makers. We did it old school.

Homemade ice cream, however, was reserved for special occasions, perhaps due to the Popeye-like strength required to turn the crank. For most of the summer, we were limited to ice pops (Popsicle is a trademark of Unilever), which were OK, but lacked the soft, creaminess of ice cream.

These days, there are many other options to choose from, including frozen custard, frozen yogurt, soft serve, gelato, sorbet, snow cones, smoothies, and granitas just to name a few. So let’s take a closer look at these options and what makes them unique.

TRIVIA: Despite the Scandinavian-sounding name and the map of Denmark that appeared on early containers of Häagen-Dazs, the popular brand of ice cream is not Scandinavian. It was created by Ruben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, NY. The name is comprised of entirely made-up words. Of course, that doesn’t make it any less tasty!

Ice Cream
In popular usage, the term ice cream can cover any number of frozen dairy-based desserts including gelato, frozen custard and soft serve. However, according to the US Code of Federal Regulations, true ice cream contains no less than 20% combined milkfat and non-fat milk solids. But before you get the idea that ice cream is an American invention, Wikipedia reports that ice cream was popular in Baghdad and elsewhere across Arab cultures more than a thousand years ago.

Soft Serve
Popular in such fast food chains as Dairy Queen, Tastee Freez and McDonalds, soft serve differs from traditional ice cream due to a lower fat content, a higher storage temperature and the introduction of air. The result is a smoother, creamier dessert that can be extruded from a machine in a spiral shape.

Frozen Custard
Take ice cream and throw egg yolks into the mix and you get frozen custard. The FDA states that frozen custard should contain no less than 1.4% egg yolk, as well as 10% milkfat.

TRIVIA: Ice cream flavors vary widely across the world, reflecting the tastes of individual cultures and cuisines. Among my favorite Asian-style flavors are green tea (matcha), red bean and purple yam.

Frozen Yogurt
Frozen yogurt is essentially what the name implies — yogurt that has been chilled to roughly the consistency of ice cream. According to Wikipedia, it contains “milk solids, milk fat, yogurt culture, sweetener, gelatin, corn syrup, coloring, and flavoring.” The fat content is considerably less than that of ice cream.

Gelato and Sorbet
Italy’s version of ice cream is known as gelato. While containing basically the same incredients, the major difference is that while ice cream typically has 14% butterfat, gelato has between 4% and 8%. One of my favorite coffeehouses, Unlimited Coffee, is known here in Phoenix as the place to go for gelato and non-dairy sorbetto. They also have great espresso drinks, free WiFi and are LGBT-friendly. What’s not to love?

Sorbet (or sorbetto or Italian ice) is a frozen fruit-based dessert that typically contains no dairy. It’s history precedes ice cream, showing up both in Ancient Rome or Persia. In America, we also have sherbet (or sherbet) which, unlike sorbet, does contain a small amount of milkfat (less than 3%).

Ice Pops
Known popularly under the genercized tradename of Popsicle, ice pops are hard-frozen mixtures of sugar (or other sweetener), water and flavoring, usually served on a stick. They may contain fruit juice. Related desserts include Unilever’s Creamsicle (sometimes called a Dreamsicle) and the chocolaty Fudgesicle.

TRIVIA: According to Wikipedia, granita in combination with a yeast pastry called brioche is a common summertime breakfast in Sicily, Italy.

Granitas, Slushees, Snowcones, and Smoothies
Granitas are similar to sorbet, but slushier with larger ice crystals. Slushees are frozen beverages and often made from carbonated beverages or alcoholic beverages (e.g. a frozen margarita).

Snowcones are made with shaved ice drizzled with flavored syrup and typically served in a paper cone.

Smoothies are blended mixtures of ice, fruit and juice and may also contain milk, yogurt, egg and nutritional boosters (e.g. protein powder). I like to make mine with frozen berries, yogurt and juice, with some fresh fruit thrown in as well.

Stay Cool with your Dessert of Choice
Whether you prefer the creaminess of ice cream or frozen custard or the fruitiness of sorbets and smoothies or the pure sweet bliss of snowcones and ice pops, find a way to stay cool as we enter the dog days of summer. Heat stroke kills. But pace yourself! You wouldn’t want to get sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, better known as an ice cream headache or brain freeze.

You Tell Me!
What’s your favorite frozen dessert? Frozen custard? Ice cream sandwiches? Otter pops? Dark chocolate gelato? Leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks to Wikipedia for much of this information.

Married with Cats (Love Secrets Revealed)

Dharma Kelleher — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:33:35 +0000

When my wife Eileen first asked me to be her girlfriend, I said no. And for several good reasons. For starters, we lived about a hundred miles away from each other. We all know that long-distance relationships never last.

Then there was the fact that I had recently separated from my ex-husband. Rebound relationships never last, either. Not helping was the fact that I was still early in my recovery from alcoholism and I didn’t want anything distracting me from my program.

If you want a lasting, loving relationship, it always has to start with loving yourself.

Did I mention that she was 15 years older than me (don’t tell her I told you) and technically I was still married to my ex-husband? Like I said, I had a lot of legitimate reasons for not wanting to date Eileen.

But during a meditation, I heard from my Higher Power, who said, “Dharma, go ahead and date Eileen.” And so, I called Eileen up and invited her to dinner and a movie. That was more than 12 years ago. And we are still crazy in love with each other.

So what’s the secret to making an improbable relationship work? Actually, there are several so you might want to take notes.

Love yourself - Most of my exes treated me like crap (not that I was always a gem to be with). But all of those relationships had one thing in common: me. And until I got sober, I didn’t think much of myself. But when I changed how I saw myself, I changed the type of person that was attracted to me. If you want a lasting, loving relationship, it always has to start with loving yourself.
Show your love in lots of little ways – Do more than your share of the routine chores. Cut strawberries in the shape of hearts and put them on your partner’s cereal. Give her or him a back scratch or a foot rub. Do something out of the ordinary that says “I was thinking about you and how you’re feeling”. It doesn’t have to be expensive or big, but it has to be unexpected and sincere.
Say “thank you” a lot – I probably say thank you to Eileen a few dozen times a day–when she makes me coffee in the morning, when she hands me a tissue, when she brings the trash can in, and any other time I can think of. One of the biggest complaints that people have in relationships is not being appreciated. Don’t let that happen to you.
Don’t assume you know what the other person is thinking or feeling. I don’t care if you think you’re psychic or good at reading people. Ask how he is feeling. Ask what’s on her mind.

Talk to your partner about how you feel.

Don’t expect your partner to read your mind – The flipside of the previous point is a trap a lot of people fall into, especially women. We want our partner to just know how we’re feeling. After all, isn’t it obvious? But maybe it isn’t so obvious. Talk to your partner about how you feel, why you feel that way.
Never put your partner down, not even as a joke, even if she or he isn’t there. My wife does some crazy things sometimes. So do I. We all have our quirks, some of them quite frustrating. It can be tempting to vent or laugh about it with others. Don’t do it. It kills respect and trust. The one exception to this is if your partner becomes abusive. In such a case, don’t be afraid to report it to authorities.
Be silly with each other. Fostering silliness in a relationship eases tensions, builds trust and is just plain fun. Eileen and I have lots of inside jokes. We intentionally mispronounce words in silly ways. I will say something unexpected just to make her laugh. We can be like two little girls together and it is like gold in our relationship.

Over the past dozen years, Eileen and I have been through many challenges: the loss of jobs, financial disasters, major depressions, the adoption of four cats (including two that needed to be bottlefed), the donation of a kidney, taking care of her elderly parents, etc.

And we are different in many ways. She’s a hoarder with stuff and I’m not. I’m a spendthrift and she’s not. I’m into spirituality and she’s agnostic. I like a wide range of music. She will listen to one or two albums over and over again.

She likes to watch Keith Olbermann and police dramas. I’d rather watch a documentary about quantum physics or a Hiyao Miyazaki movie. She likes fruits and nuts in salad and I like sushi with wasabi. Nevertheless, we love and cherish each other.

If you’re looking for a relationship, stop and just focus on learning to be the most loving, generous person you can be. Learn to love yourself unconditionally.

If you’re in a relationship and need to re-kindle the fire, learn to love yourself and in doing so, love your partner. Trust the process.

Image credit: “background” by RoseSeishin on DeviantArt

Something to Brighten Your Day

Dharma Kelleher — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:22:19 +0000

Hopefully, you’re having a good day. After all, it is Friday. But if you’re not, or you want your day to be even better, here’s a video I came across on the I Can Has Cheezburger blog. Just something to make you go, “Ahhhh….”

The Rain has Come

Dharma Kelleher — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:40:17 +0000

Summers here in Phoenix, Arizona are brutal. Temps soar up into hundred-teens (110°+) and sometimes into the hundred-twenties. Sure, we can dash from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car and back again, but it takes time to bring the car temp down to a breathable level.

In late July, the humidity creeps up into the 50 percentile and higher adding sticky to the unbearable heat. My hair gets kinkier than a fundamentalist preacher with a rent-boy.

And then when I think I can’t stand it any longer, the winds shift, bringing heavy clouds up from Mexico. We call it the monsoons. Crazy winds. Blinding dust storms. Lightning. And, if we’re lucky, rain.

It’s been my tradition since moving here from Atlanta nearly 15 years ago to celebrate the first rain by walking outside and getting soaked to the bone. I welcome the rain. The sudden drop in temps. The sweet scented breezes. And the wonderful water from heaven.

Today the monsoon began. Of course, I helped it along by getting my car washed earlier this afternoon. A few hours later, the clouds roll in and the magic happens.

Of course, October is still a few months off. That’s when the daily temps drop below a hundred. But for now, we have the rain. And I am ecstatic.

The Kitchen Shaman

Dharma Kelleher — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:06:05 +0000

The Kitchen Shaman is one of my clients and is a talented chef. Below is one of his videos. I helped with the camera work and the audio, but don’t hold that against him.

Ad Fail: Dos Equis

Dharma Kelleher — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:00:04 +0000

I was driving down the road earlier today when I spotted a Dos Equis billboard featuring the character from their “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign.

While I no longer drink, I must admit that most of the TV ads I’ve scene that were part of this campaign were cleverly done. I’m particularly fond of the line “Sharks have a week dedicated to him.”

But the billboard I spotted today qualified for the first of my Ad Fail series. Along with a picture of the sexy senior actor Jerry Goldsmith it had the line “Cheating is only in good taste when it involves death.”

While I’m guessing Dos Equis’ marketing team was trying to play up the “intriguing, tough guy who likes to cheat death” theme, I had a strange reaction.

Keep in mind this was on a billboard. We were in a car (the wife was driving at the time). This is an ad for beer. And the words that immediately struck me were “cheating” and “death”. In short, alcohol – driving – cheating death. That was the meta-message my subconscious picked up.

Do I think Dos Equis was encouraging people to drive drunk? Of course not. But if I had such a strong (if unintended) visceral reaction, then others probably did too. That’s the thing about graphic design and advertising. Sometimes, the audience reacts in unpredicted ways. It’s something, though, the team should have caught. And for this reason, I award them my first Ad Fail award.