Mac and cheese smackdown
1st Annual Downtown Red Wing Mac and Cheese Smackdown
Tomorrow (August 12), the 1st annual Downtown Red Wing Mac and Cheese Smackdown takes place. We are delighted to host and look forward to a most delicious event. Every small business in Downtown Red Wing is invited to participate.
You might be asking yourself, "What does a mac and cheese smackdown have to do with small businesses?"
The answer is both nothing and everything.
Nothing, because it has nothing to do with business, per se. And everything, because every small business feels the economic challenge these days, and providing a small amount of escapism has real value.
There is always room and time to have fun. And nothing says fun like a mac and cheese smackdown.
Better living through framing
Innovative New Products from Red Wing Framing Gallery
Since the beginning of 2009, Red Wing Framing Gallery scientists have been quietly and diligently working on a number of new products. With the advent of 'digital everywhere' technologies, customers have been eager to use their own images to decorate their environments in ways that reflect their lifestyle and taste. Our challenge is to meet this expectation with innovative and unique products.
Two exciting products are nearing introduction:
Gallery Panel: Targeted at contemporary customers who want a unique and fresh way to present their images, the Gallery Panel is elegant with old-school details but also offers a bold and progressive presentation. Think of it as a harmonious blend of ebony and ivory.
Image Sandwich (I-S): Still in the early stages, this product is a bit further behind in its introduction. The I-S will be a transmissive image that allows light from behind and lays flat on a wall. Early prototypes are promising, though practical size limitations may need to be determined. As a humorous note, I-S Version 2.0 might also function as a PDA. :)
The European marketplace tends to be more aggressive in pushing image technology. Interestingly, some of the best ideas come from European organizations that have been in the image business since the Middle Ages. We aren't above learning from our European counterparts, but it's essential to remain unique and creative.
We will announce new products as they are ready, and teasers are always free and unsolicited.
And please disregard any misinformation.
Who photographs the photographer?
A Paradox
In a village, there is a very special barber. He has a sign in his window that says, “I cut the hair of everyone in the village who does not cut his own hair.” The question becomes: who cuts the barber's hair?
For the past several mornings, I have been getting up at 5 am to try and take a specific photo at sunrise, which is around 5:45 am (are you impressed yet?). This time of year, the sun rises directly to the east of The Eisenhower Bridge over the Mississippi River. At sunrise, the barge traffic begins moving for the day, heading northbound for the Twin Cities.
For those keeping score, The Eisenhower Bridge was dedicated in 1960 and is 1,631 feet long (1/3 mile). It is 35 feet wide (two lanes) and is 65 feet over the river.
The shot I wanted didn't happen today because of low clouds on the horizon. The early barge traffic was already on the move when the sun started to peek out, so things did not coordinate this time.
The shot above is the only shot of merit that I took. Pretty, but not what I needed or wanted.
I went home and then got to work the same morning when my friend Tim emailed me the following photos and asked me if I knew who was on the bridge (look closely). The first photo was taken within a minute after mine, judging by how his sun seems ever so slightly higher (factoring in the difference in height) and the wake from the fishing boat. The second photo was a minute later (I keep a corner of my eye on those oncoming tractor-trailer mirrors).
Above two photos courtesy of Tim Alms,
Back to the barber; we don't know who cuts his hair. It is a self-contradiction.
Does the barber cut his own hair? No, because the barber cuts only the hair of those who don't cut their own hair.
Does the barber not cut his own hair? No, because then the barber would have to cut his own hair, as he cuts the hair of those who don't cut their own hair.
Using an even more complex explanation, the barber is trying to be a part of his own set, those who do not cut their own hair. But the set cannot include the barber because he is the set. This is the contradiction.