"His Master's Voice" (What you don't see is that Nipper is sitting on the coffin of his dead owner) In company logos and advertisements, animals are a fairly common sight. So common, in fact, that you probably haven't given these mascots a great deal of thought. But those whose job involves selecting an animal representative for an organization or company face no small task. With their choice, they will be aligning themselves with whatever qualities people tend to associate with that animal. Once they’ve found their totem, they may forever be associated with it. A prime example of logo longevity is "His Master’s Voice," a design trademarked by the Victor Record Company on this day in 1900, sealing forever in our minds the image of Nipper the dog listening attentively to a Victrola, and connecting it further with the Gramophone Company (later known as HMV). In the ensuing century, plenty of other corporate critters have made their marks on our cultural consciousness. How many times have you heard Leo, the MGM lion roar? Financial institutions have adopted symbols of strength, including an elk and a lion, though Merrill Lynch was wise to select a bull rather than a bear. Animals in advertising have also provided memorable and humorous moments. Cuteness gives many animal representatives their appeal. The Geico gecko is pretty adorable, as is Snuggle, the Fabric Softener Bear. Some creatures are simply effective because they are cartoons, and appeal to kids, such as the Trix Rabbit and Sugar Bear. Turns out there’s a science behind the success of animals (or "visual identifiers," as the marketing analysts call them). While some wine critics may claim they avoid "labels bearing cute animals," the rest of us are drawn to these images almost against our will, according to researchers. Did you pick up that bottle of Syrah because it had a kangaroo, chameleon, or a cute dog or kitty on it? It’s not your fault -– you're a victim of your own "perceptual fluency." In light of the incredible sway these animals have over us, some mascots may not have been the best selections. Joe Camel, for example, the longtime rep for Camel cigarettes, was no longer depicted in cartoon form due to objections that he appealed to children too effectively, and Budweiser’s Spuds MacKenzie faded into obscurity before anyone noticed that a dog in a Hawaiian shirt was probably not the most appropriate spokes-animal for beer. After all, wouldn’t you rather share a tall one with a creepy penguin? Suggested Sites... TV Acres - Advertising Mascots - take a four-legged walk down memory lane. "Of Frog Wines and Frowning Watches" - academic study on why we select animal-endorsed brands and respond to other visual cues. Live-Animal Mascots Get an "F" - PETA argues that actual animals should not be used as mascots. "Dinner With the Mascots" video on YouTube - amusing reunion of several iconic mascots.

Directory categories: Advertising, Commercials, Pop Culture, Graphic Design, Phonographs

Archived under: 19th Century, Advertising, Animals, Anniversaries, Bears, Birds, Brands, Cartoons, Design, Dogs, History, Images, Mascots, Music, Music History, Nostalgia, Records, Society and Culture, TV, Wine

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Thompson's Switchback Railway On June 13, 1884, at Coney Island in New York, the world's first roller coaster opened. It was called the "Switchback Railway," cost a nickel to ride, and peaked at almost seven miles per hour. The coaster was designed by LaMarcus Adna Thompson, whose inspiration was most likely the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway -- an 1827 Pennsylvania mine train that was used for entertainment during slow work days. The "Switchback Railway" was pretty simple: Guests would climb up a high tower and be seated in a large, bench-like car. The "operators" would physically push the car down the 600-foot track, and after a ride over a few rolling hills, the passengers would end up at the top of a tower on the other side. The car would be switched over to the other track to repeat the same ride for the second tower's guests. Needless to say, roller coasters have come a long way since then. There are dozens of types, such as inverted, suspended, stand-up, floorless, spinning, and flying coasters. Theme parks around the world are constantly pushing the envelope and competing to break new records to feature the tallest, fastest, or most unique coasters. Here are a few of the best modern coasters: "Kingda Ka" - Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey -- the "rocket launch" coaster reaches 128 mph at 456 feet high. It is currently the fastest and highest coaster with the longest drop (418 feet), a record it's held for four years. "Steel Dragon 2000" - Nagashima Spa Land in Japan -- the tallest (318 feet) and fastest (95 mph) of the traditional steel coasters. "X" (now "X2") - Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California -- a fourth-dimension coaster, it's a combo of a "flying" coaster and an inverted one, since the seats actually swivel, changing the view and position of each rider throughout the ride (and turning grown men into scared little girls). "Superman: The Escape" - also at Six Flags Magic Mountain -- the tallest (415 feet) and fastest (100 mph) of the "shuttle" coasters. "The Beast" and "Son of the Beast" - Kings Island in Mason, Ohio -- "The Beast" opened in 1979 and still holds the record for being the longest wooden coaster at 7,359 feet, with a four-minute ride time! Its sequel, "Son of the Beast," opened in 2000, and holds the records for the tallest (218 feet), fastest (78.3 mph), and longest drop (214 feet) for a woodie. "Wicked" - Lagoon in Farmington, Utah -- a one-of-a-kind coaster that seats only  eight people and combines several elements of other types of coasters. "Superman: Ultimate Flight" - Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey -- one of the best flying coasters. "Fairly Odd Coaster" - Nickelodeon Universe (inside the Mall of America) in Bloomington, Minnesota -- an indoor coaster in which the small cars spin on the track. "X Scream" - Stratosphere in Las Vegas, Nevada -- only partially a roller coaster, but probably the scariest of them all, since it "drops" you from the top of the hotel -- 900 feet above the city. Now that's some scary sh--! Suggested Sites... Roller Coaster History in America - more details about the switchback railways and other early coasters. Ultimate Rollercoaster - information on record holders and a history of thrill rides. Roller Coaster DataBase - searchable database of pics and stats on more than 2,000 roller coasters. HowStuffWorks: How Roller Coasters Work - examines the principles and hardware that keeps roller coasters running.

Directory categories: Roller Coasters, Roller Coaster Physics, Amusement and Theme Parks, Coney Island

Archived under: 19th Century, Coney Island, Entertainment, History, New York, Records, Roller Coasters, Summer, Travel

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On April 6th, 1956, the world's first circular commercial building was dedicated near the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, CA. Designed by Welton Becket to be the home of the music label Capitol Records, it still stands today as a well-known symbol of Hollywood, just one mile east of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. A legend says that the building was built to look like a stack of 45 rpm records on a turntable, but this has never been confirmed. The label was created in 1942 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music store owner Glenn Wallich, and movie producer Buddy DeSylva. On top of the spear that surmounts its thirteen stories, a red blinking light has been spelling out the word "Hollywood" in Morse code since the building was dedicated, to remind one and all that Capitol was the first music label to settle on the West Coast (the other big music companies at that time, Victor, Columbia, and Decca, were all still in New York). The recording studios and the echo chambers buried underground have hosted decades of famous artists, from Frank Sinatra, who inaugurated the studios with sessions for his instrumental album, "Tone Poems of Color," to Gorillaz, the Beatles, Coldplay, and Nat King Cole. Next to the building, both John Lennon and Garth Brooks have their Walk of Fame stars. In 2006, Capitol's parent company EMI sold the tower to a real estate company for 50 million dollars, with the promise to keep Capitol Records in its historical location. Suggested Sites... Capitol Records - official site for the label, with pictures of current and past artists -- and of the building. Welton Becket - the architect behind the Capitol Tower designed some of LA's most famous buildings. The Hollywood Entertainment District - the beating heart of Hollywood: the Walk of Fame, the Grauman's Theatres -- and of course, the Capitol Records tower. Capitol Records History - info on Capitol's facilities, technology, and marketing practices. Capitol Studios - technical specs on the building's recording facilities.

Directory categories: Music Labels, Music History, Hollywood, Buildings and Structures, Architecture

Archived under: 1940s, 1950s, Anniversaries, Architects, Architecture, Buildings, Design, Entertainment, History, Hollywood, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, Music, Music History, Records, Rock and Roll, Skyscrapers, Tourist Attractions

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(photo by Max Williams) Digital audio pundits have been predicting the death of vinyl for more than 20 years. Yet some recent reports indicate sales of LPs and singles have actually gone up in 2005. With a lively secondhand market and manufacturers continuing to produce new turntables, vinyl lovers need not fret. For DJs and crate diggers, portable turntables are making the rounds, and new digital models make it easy to connect vinyl with a computer. For audiophiles, whose classical and jazz LPs demand the finest equipment, there are turntables featuring new spins on technology and design at prices to make you dizzy. If you're dropping $12,000 on a turntable, you might as well cut your own records at home. Thankfully, for those who cherish the rich sound of LPs, 45s, and 78s -- hiss, cracks, pops, and all -- life signs of analog music are strong and steady. Suggested Sites... Turntable Basics - essentials to keep the tables spinning and the vinyl clean. You Spin Me Right 'Round - article from Popular Mechanics discusses the return of the revolving machines. Technics 1210 - the workhorse professional turntable for over 30 years.

Directory categories: Turntable Retailers, Record Shops, Record Collecting, DJ Equipment

Archived under: Music, Records, Technology

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Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point When roller coasters first appeared in the early 1800s, a 43-foot hill was enough to wow the crowds. Since then, our fascination with thrill rides has climbed faster and steeper each year. What seems impossible in one decade becomes passé in the next. During the 1980s, we saw the first suspended coaster, the first high-speed stand-up coaster, and the first 200-footer. The 90s produced the first coaster to break 100 mph and a coaster perched 990 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. 2000 saw Millennium Force break the 300-foot mark, and just three years later, Top Thrill Dragster zoomed past the next milestone, reaching heights of 420 feet and 120 mph. This spring, Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey launched Kingda Ka, the world's tallest and fastest coaster, flying above its competition and reaching an astonishing 456 feet in 3.5 seconds, followed by a 128 mph, 90-degree plunge back to earth. Suggested Sites... ThrillRide - reviews, photos, news, and articles about coasters. Joyrides - large image galleries of roller coasters around the world. UltimateRollercoaster.com - information on record holders and a history of thrill rides.

Directory categories: Roller Coasters, Amusement Parks, Amusement Park Ride Physics

Archived under: Amusement Parks, Fanatics, Records, Roller Coasters, Summer, Travel

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