all an time fave, The World to See (was on a sweet Land Rover)
Oftentimes, I come across signs which are interesting, amusing or occasionally useful, or maybe just aesthetically curious or intriguing. Not funny *per se* but mildly amusing, accidentally inspiring, or possibly crafty.
Here are some, i have others, suppose this means *yet another series*. Here we go:
the world on fire with a shield (symbol for an evil enterprise?)
I don’t remember where any of were seen/photographed, well maybe I do for some… but then i’d face a problem of incompleteness and inconsistency, so… what follows is an un-annotated, non-geo-located, and un-credited assortment and purely for archival amusement purposes.
No Black Label, shorted via Management, concise
Your enjoyment is important to me. Remix as desired.
This black beauty is in Matsue, Shimane outside the former residence, next to museum of renowned international, multi-genre writer: Lafcadio Hearn.
He is a total hero for me and others – his roots and branches run deep and wide with roots in Ireland & Greece and sojourns in New Orleans and Caribbean before moving to Japan and taking a Japanese name Koizumi Yakumo.
Memo: As it goes, i have hundreds of snapshots of postboxes, post offices, and “postal still life” (meaning scenes of scattered pens, papers, postcards, stationery, stamps – all spread over a table while in a session) and i use these for Postcards from Gravelly Beach podcast “episode art” and made a book from many of the artifacts.
Of late, some Instagram/Twitter folks have a #postboxsaturday campaign/project rolling so i’ve used this as encouragement to start trickling out my stash. Slowly and intermittently (because i have too many projects on the go!) with minor annotations.
this railway doesn’t *look very active* but hey, the sign says so
Oftentimes, I come across signs which are interesting, amusing or occasionally useful, or maybe just aesthetically curious or intriguing. Not funny *per se* but mildly amusing, accidentally inspiring, or possibly crafty.
Here are some, i have others, suppose this means *yet another series*. Here we go:
out fall can be interperated various ways, none pleasing
I don’t remember where any of were seen/photographed, well maybe I do for some… but then i’d face a problem of incompleteness and inconsistency, so… what follows is an un-annotated, non-geo-located, and un-credited assortment and purely for archival amusement purposes.
seems simple enough, right?
Your enjoyment is important to me. Remix as desired.
While in Pokhara, Nepal in 2017 for extended Ayurveda treatment, i generally, wasn’t able to go out and explore aside from a haircut/beard trim (all the oils from the treatment or a little unwieldy so I switched to a great mustache) and another time to get this magnificent custom-made, hundred percent hemp outfit made at Sabitri Hemp Shop (map).
I sort of explained all the advocacy work I’ve done for commercial applications of hemp cannabis over the years with Hempenroad film, dozens of articles especially about hemp in Japan, the “Practical Guide to Cannabis” for policymakers”, but really, *this wasn’t my gig* rather i was there to enjoy and support.
here is the storefront with a few premade wares on display and double sewing machines in front making new things
The owner was a jovial friendly sort and i had a good time explaining what i wanted and being measured.
Specifically, ordered a short sleeve collared shirt with a trim fit made to wear untucked, and a pair of trousers with the waistband finished like I like it and back pockets with buttons and all the little details.
seen here with handmade flat cap by Mavili (from Georgia – the country, not state – purchased at Lonsdale Quay and traveled all over with)
“Well it’s already well into #postboxsaturday in Japan, and Sri Lanka as well, so here’s a trio of snaps & boxes from around Galle & Karapitiya iirc”
A few well maintained classic pillar postboxes – the blue for international is so nice! and a sign from a “Sub Post Office” in Amballanwata near a villa where i spent some time.
Memo: As it goes, i have hundreds of snapshots of postboxes, post offices, and “postal still life” (meaning scenes of scattered pens, papers, postcards, stationery, stamps – all spread over a table while in a session) and i use these for Postcards from Gravelly Beach podcast “episode art” and made a book from many of the artifacts.
Of late, some Instagram/Twitter folks have a #postboxsaturday campaign/project rolling so i’ve used this as encouragement to start trickling out my stash. Slowly and intermittently (because i have too many projects on the go!) with minor annotations.
Tidying up my archive and found issue 1, March 1985 of “Patagonia, A Quarterly Review” with the “Do* Boys Do the Yellowstone” on cover. Pleasing articles within too including YC’s “State of #Patagonia , Nov 94”.
Never saw another issue of this and remember (in the early days of the Internet) asking Patagonia HQ about this and they had no idea (they replied with a pleasant letter which I still might find)… so, this was just sitting in a box since the 1980s sometime, waiting for today.
“There’s two kinds of growth: growth that makes you fat, and growth that makes you strong.”
Yvon Choinard
I learned a lot about grassroots marketing and community building from following the company in the late 1980s.
Specifically: They community-sourced photos for catalogs, had a toll-free number “just for advice”, provided sponsored gear for *regular interesting people* rather than professionals. All tactics I later used in business endeavors.
Related: Mountain Travel catalog which fascinated me as I pondered which trips/tours/adventures to join… (and thinking about how I could be one of the person that was a guide like did this for a job) // I never did *exactly* this & deserves more of a riff but for now, here is the front and back of a wonderful dream book.
After a pleasant coffee conversation with a pal in ATX, i headed to the kura barn studio to practice a poem reading for Muriel’s Journey at Word Vancouver (which i recorded) and took a few snaps of some things that my pal (and prob you, since you are also a pal right?) might enjoy, while also making mixed cassettes (from a USB drive) and packing burned CDs (in recycled envelopes).
Pith helmet and Callahan’s cap (with breaker box and Palau storyboard)tissues in knit cozy, Amish hat, peyote mask, TEDx glass tray and glorious flat file with stamped labels2012 vintage Macbook burning CDs on songs and postcards (with Vancouver montage and Marty originals in bg)filming Muriel’s Journey poetry riff on iPad with lights and micnote the top deck, a TEAC is a CD, cassette, USB, karaoke – in this case, making cassettes from digital source (recursive!)liner notes for mix tapes and CDs, made with stamps and typewriter (obv)recycled envelopes to ship mix cassettes and CDs to pals, maybe you
As it goes, looks a little computery in here but i keep it all pretty analog and purposely keep it “internet-free” zone. Shuttle creations back and forth to “basecamp” with various sneaker-net schemes.
Update:
Making mixed cassettes and burning CDs with a “DaveO variety show” of audio collages, postcard soundscapes, spoken songs, stories, and songs down in collaboration with fine musician pals. 
Typing up the tracklist/liner notes, sprucing up with inky stamps, making mailers from card stock & washi tape.
Four into the postal wormhole yesterday, couple more ready today.
Who still has a cassette deck and/or “regular” CD player?
Note: Recently dug out a “ruggedized” Olympus camera from wife’s stash, found a cord and a memory chip and put it back into service >> Lots of onboard effects and variations in settings and importantly allows me to go out and document life without my fully functional pocket robot of distractions.
so fancy, this chihauha is “royal” – how does one tell?
Oftentimes, I come across signs which are interesting, amusing or occasionally useful, or maybe just aesthetically curious or intriguing. Not funny *per se* but mildly amusing, accidentally inspiring, or possibly crafty.
Here are some, i have others, suppose this means *yet another series*. Here we go:
signs on top of signs / do you ask for Ducky when you call?
I don’t remember where any of were seen/photographed, well maybe I do for some… but then i’d face a problem of incompleteness and inconsistency, so… what follows is an un-annotated, non-geo-located, and un-credited assortment and purely for archival amusement purposes.
definitely not a joke, no matter how much you laugh
{Though in this case, some were seen/documented in Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood in 2007, though other were not, carry on}
operational classic black rotary and laser engraved QR code for wi-fi
As part of on-going documentation of various collections of payphones. this gallery features examples of phones in various states of use, captured “in the wild” around Japan, specifically featuring hotel house phones in Shimane and Ishikawa and related devices, plus a few other phone handsets of different circumstances and origins for your edification, lightly annotated.
the Ryokan’s “control center” with multiple faxes and breaker panels, switch boards…
another hotel “control centre” with phones, faxes, batteries and cc machines(?)
i seem to recall this was once a phone i used but don’t recall. can you remember?
