The Evolution of Coke

I stumbled across this image on Buzzfeed showing the history of the Coke bottle. I just thought that it was really interesting to see how the bottle shapes and Coke logos have changed throughout the years. As you can see, the first Coke bottle doesn't even have any of the signature Coke red on it.

The History of Coke Bottles (Buzzfeed)

Deep Fried Fish Still Alive

This is just crazy. Apparently in China, they can deep fry a fish and serve it all while keeping it alive and kicking. In the video, the person repeatedly pokes the fish with his chopsticks to show that it is still alive. He then proceeds to take a couple of bites from the fish's body. I'm no vegetarian or advocate for animal rights, but I don't know if I could ever bring myself to eat something like this.

Top Ads of the Decade

AdWeekMedia has released their top choices for best commercials of the decade. Nominees include iconic spots like the Nike "Freestyle" and the Budweiser "Wassup" ads. Part of the Best of the 2000s feature, AdWeekMedia will be selecting the best marketing, advertising and media performances over the last ten years. While the winners will be announced in December still, you can go vote for your favorite commercial (as well as a slew of other categories) at Bestofthe2000s.com.

Naturally, some of the nominees include commercials from some of the biggest names in the food industry - Coke, Pepsi, Skittles, Cadbury and so on. From the list, I've chosen my own personal top 3 food and beverage related ads (funny though that all my choices ended up being for beverages). What do you guys think? Is there another food-realted ad nominated that deserves to be in the top 3 or are there any other food-related ads that you think got snubbed from the list of nominations?





As an honorable mention, I wanted to include this Coke ad in the top 3 but I figured that I stick to one ad per advertiser. Just goes to show how awesome some of the Coke ads were these past ten years.


See all nominees for Commercial of the Decade (Non-Superbowl) here.
See all nominees for Superbowl Spot of the Decade here.

Skittles Shots

If you're growing tired of scarfing down Jell-O Shots, here's a new way to get your sweet fix while getting inebriated. Mix That Drink has a step-by-step tutorial, including pictures, on how to make Skittles-infused vodka. Aside from having some super sugary vodka on hand, I think the brightly colored bottles would be a visually interesting component for any bar. I would be careful though as drinking too much will probably make you not just taste, but see the rainbow as well.

Skittles Vodka Tutorial (Mix That Drink)

Muffin Web Cartoons

I recently discovered Muffin Films, a project created by by Amy Winfrey for her MFA thesis project at the UCLA Animation Workshop. The site includes 12 animated shorts where muffins sing, dance and promote general muffin love and awareness. Some of the films are a little bit on the weirder side, but I personally like "Pssst..." and "Muffinale".

Geek Art Through Food

Witness the power of this fully armed and operational melon!

The Kitchn is reporting that Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has created a Death Star-like cantaloupe, and everyone's inner dork just can't enough of it. Looks like dork culture touches just about everything in our lives even the food we eat. And let's face it, you took one look at the picture and knew exactly what the melon was supposed to be.

That's No Melon (Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories)

Save About 2 Minutes For Each Bottle of Wine

Following up on my post about alternative ways to open a wine bottle, Gary Vayenrchuk, wine expert for Eat, Drink or Die, has a quick tip that will save you 1:43 minutes (at least according to him - not really sure where he got this number though) every time you open a bottle of wine. Coined the "Slide Rechnique", instead of cutting open the wrapper that normally surround the top of the wine bottle, he simply twists the entire thing off the bottle. I'm not really sure if this really "blows my mind" or "changes my wine life" like the video suggests, but hey... it's kinda cool the first time to see it.

How to Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

If you've ever been caught with a bottle of wine and no corkscrew, or you're just too cheap to buy one, Wired has a How-To article showing how to open a bottle without the handy device. All of the necessary tools can readily be found in most homes (hammer, screwdriver, etc.) and it's sure to wow a few guests if you ever decided to try it. Click below for the full article.

Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew (Wired)

Cleaning with Spam and Pantyhose

On the stranger side of things, Apartment Therapy has a post about bizarre household cleaning tricks. The example they talk about involves combining a can of Spam and some old pantyhose to buff wooden furniture in your home. I'm not doubting that it works, but I don't know if my love for Spam extends to my furniture smelling like the ever-so-famous "spiced" meat. Click on the link below to get the full story, as well as other unique household cleaning tricks in the comments section, like using used coffee grounds to remove lingering smells from your hands after preparing food.

What's Your Most Bizarre Household/Cleaning Secret? (Apartment Therapy)

Bruce Lee as Fast Food Chain Mascot

It's settled. I've found the single greatest corporate mascot of all time. Fast Food Critic is reporting that a fast food chain in China called Kung Fu uses Bruce Lee as it mascot. Let's just say, Ronald McDonald should find a good hiding place to avoid getting his ass kicked. Check out the articles below for more pictures and the story.

Kung Fu Fast Food, with Bruce Lee? (Fast Food Critic)
'Kung Fu' Fast Food Chain Has Bruce Lee as Mascot (Serious Eats)
Kung Fu Fast Food (When Eating A Wolf)

Using Statistics to Beat the Shake Shack Line

Blogger Vinicius Vacanti has taken a unique approach to beating the long lines at the Shake Shack. He took line lengths reported by Twitter users over the last four months and graphed the average wait time throughout the day. I especially like his comment about the 60-minute or "third tree" long wait that some of us (who don't have interns to line up for us) have had to endure. Still, it always seems worth it once you dive into your Shackburger and cheese fries. Click on the link below to continue to the article.

Shake Shack Without The Wait (Vinicius Vacanti)