Archive for December, 2008
75th Anniversary Preview
Rhodia photo via Clairefontaine
Dispatches from Hangzhou
Hangzhou (pronounced: Hangchow), with its lakes and centuries-old houses, is known as the most beautiful city in China. It is located in the eastern part of the Chinese sub-continent and sits in the Yangtze River Delta. It’s also less than two hours from Shanghai making it a convenient spot to visit. That’s where David Cao sent to us this batch of photos taken during an expo at the Zhejiang province capital. David originally sent the message to Rhodia’s homebase in France. Fortunately, your Rhodia Driver took his first French class this past quarter, so we’re able to decode the dispatch. C’est magnifique! Tres magnifique! Indeed, David’s making a great job in spreading the word about Rhodia in a relatively new territory. Bien joué, David! Visit Renexpo to learn more about the event.
Snowstorm Friday
Chicago: Where the cold wind from Lake Michigan meets the heavy snow from the north to create just the perfect snowstorm. Welcome to the Windy City! Your Rhodia driver just happen to be caught in the storm in downtown area, and we saw this grafitti on snow. Despite the frozen wind that keeps the sky dark and the people gloomy, a soul out still manages to keep his heart warm.
Also featured in the Chicagoist
Flickr Friday: Dowdyism
“I have been wanting to try Rhodia notebooks for the longest time, but I have never got around to ordering any online…after just a few pages into it, I wish I had ordered some of these orange beauties months, if not years, ago.”
Flickr photo from Dowdyism of Pen Addict
Writing for history
In the early part of 1967, Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King was contemplating delivering an important speech opposing the Vietnam War. He wrote the first draft of the speech in ink on three sheets from a yellow legal pad. He was supposed to deliver it on Feb. 25th of that year. But apparently, he left it behind at the the apartment of his friend and ally, Harry Belafonte in New York. The speech, titled “The Casualties of the War in Vietnam,” denounced the quagmire in Southeast Asia. Now, 40 years after a controversy has erupted after Belafonte decided to sell the historical materials in auction. He said the money will go to charities. However, MLK’s children opposed the sale claiming that it belongs to the King estate. If you are Mr. Belafonte, and you’re already at the sunset of your life, would you do the same? Before you decide, read the story here.
Save the date; spread the word
Poster/ Apparel Entry by Mike Sorkin
Poster/ Apparel Entry by Caroline Kaszycki
From Matt Nissenbaum the organizer of The Flurry Fury: “GIANT SNOWBALL FIGHT!!! The snowball fight will commence when the horn is blown and it will end when the horn is blown a second time. When the second horn is blown… we all need to immediately stop and walk away as if nothing had ever happen.” Save the date; spread the word: Wednesday, January 14th @ 5:00p CST Where: Richard J. Daley Plaza, Chicago, Illinois.
We’re on Cool Hunting’s Gift Guide 2008!
Yes folks, were on Cool Hunting’s Gift Guide 2008! How cool is that? Speaks volumes about the quality of the iconic orange notebook. Cool Hunting is “a daily update on ideas and products in the intersection of art, design, culture and technology, and features weekly videos that get an inside look at the people who create them.” Recently, it sponsored a design show and videos are also being featured on its website. “Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you coverage on Cool Hunting.” Thanks to Pinoycentric for the tip!
Flickr Friday: Mona Leisa
No, it’s not a typo, it’s Mona Leisa. But you might as well borrow a line from a Nat King Cole song to describe her lovely work of art: Quilts. Her blog reads, “Hand Sewn, Hand Drawn, Hand Painted, Handmade.” It feels very homey and comforting, just like the quilts she made. She and the hubby are currently building their dream house, and in one corner will be her studio. And see that Real Simple magazine cover hanging in her current studio? She writes, “the girl in the picture is basically me. At just about any moment- this is what I would like to be doing! And if I can’t roll up my jeans and dangle my feet into the pond- then I’ll go for my other spot- as a street side artist.”
Flickr photos via Mona Leisa
BIG NEWS PAGE: Holiday Arts Competition
As promised last Monday, today we’re announcing our Holiday Arts Competition. A trifecta of prizes awaits all winners in three categories: Photography, Personalized Rhodia Notebook Design and Comics. The works must be original, not published yet, and must reflect on the upcoming year 2009. Essentially, the sky is the limit when it comes to the specifics, as long as it is within the general concept. Each winner will win a Rhodia mouse pad, Bloc Rhodia No. 16 5×5 and No. 12 5×5. On top of that, we’re also sending you an additional surpise gift, that you will REALLY, REALLY LOVE. Please email all entries to rhodiadrive1@gmail.com. Submission deadline is on December 25. All winners and the rest of the entries will be featured on this site.
IN OTHER NEWS…
Speaking of the Holiday Season, your Rhodia Driver just received an early Christmas gift from the newly-launched custom engraving website, NotebookEngraver. No less than Ben Katz, also the genius behind Etchstar gift-wrapped the two engraved and personalized pads for us. We’re humbled and honored for the gesture. But we can’t also help but say, Yeehaw! If you guys are curious about engraving, visit the site and get hooked.
LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LEAST…WE HAVE A NEW ENTRY FOR, “Where in the world is my Rhodia?”
Name of the Sculpture and the Sculptor:
City:
Please send your answer to rhodiadrive1@gmail.com or post it in the comment section. Just make sure we can contact you for the prize. Thanks to Michael of Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP for the photo! Mike, our thank you gift is on the way.
THAT’S ALL FOR NOW…HAVE A GREAT WEDNESDAY EVERYONE!!!
Monday After The Extended Thanksgiving Break…
Salut tout le monde! Today is Monday, the first of December, and your Rhodia driver is just a couple of weeks away from wrapping up a semester on the path to joining La Francophonie. Anyway, first, we’d like to apologize for missing Flickr Friday. We had an extended Thanksgiving break. Now, we’re back and in full celebratory mood what with the advent of the holiday season!
First off, we’re announcing A HUGE HOLIDAY PROMO this coming WEDNESDAY, so watch out for it y’all!!!
During the extended break, we had a chance to put our files in its proper place. In the process of arranging our papers, we found this wonderful postcard we received not too long ago, and we would like to share them to you:
As you can see, the postcard is from Heather Armstrong of the highly-popular Dooce.com, a “mommy blog” with an estimated 850,000 readers. We first read about Dooce in the New York Times, and we promptly visited her site. The article reads in part, “J.C. Penney and Crate & Barrel sell their furniture and offer decorating tips next to posts on Ms. Armstrong’s conversations with her 4-year-old daughter, Leta. Walgreens promotes its photo printing services next to pictures of the family dog. And the W Hotel chain of Starwood brags about its Internet-friendly rooms on the Dooce (pronounced deuce) home page.” We’ve been a fan of her since then.
IN OTHER NEWS…
Earlier today, while watching TV after enjoying some lunchtime comfort food, we came across this fascinating Chicago Tribune article about two brothers, who had never known each other, and who finally met for the first time after 80 years. What’s so interesting about it is that they’ve been neighbors in Chicago for many of those years. The story traces the two boys rather divergent paths, and how they and their respective families re-connect. It’s a must read.
While we are still in the topic of Chicago, your Rhodia driver’s adopted hometown, the buzz is building up for the City of Broad Shoulders to host the 2016 Olympics. The election of a Chicagoan to the presidency is expected to be a big boost to the campaign. The winner will be known next year.
As a photography enthusiast, we’re so glad to stumble into the newly-launched LIFE-Google partnership that will feature millions of photos of events past. We first read about it at Londonist.com, which shows previously unseen photos of London. We can only marvel with amazement at the wealth of photos being shown. So check it out! You can also go directly to the special LIFE website in Google.
Today is also the World’s AIDS Day. The venerable public television station PBS has a special project called AIDS Diary, which follows the life of a young African woman who contacted the disease and her travails to live her life while fighting the stigma attached to it. AIDS remains a global menace, and any effort to spread any information about it is one effort more in the fight to defeat it.
That’s all for this Monday folks! Au revoir!
