Hi Folks!

This is a fun project using my Bordered Characters macros. I'm curious if anyone
has any suggestions for improvement.

This project was inspired by someone telling me, "You have to drink the
Kool-Aid." One of my friends who overheard the conversation pointed out to him
that during the original incident that inspired that phrase, everyone who drank
the Kool-Aid died.

I used fairly low-quality radiosity settings for this test render. Also, the
corners of the letters in the Kool-Aid logo aren't rounded in order to save
rendering time. They will be rounded in the final render. Other than that, I
think this picture is about done unless anyone suggests something too good to
ignore.

Regards,
Dave Blandston

PS - I'm not sure if the phrase "Drink the Kool-Aid" is known worldwide, so for
anyone unfamiliar with it the historical context is from the Jonestown, Guyana
mass suicide incident in which hundreds of people knowingly drank grape Kool-Aid
poisoned with cyanide. The poison Kool-Aid was in a vat labeled with a green
"C." Since then the term has been used to describe the act of compromising one's
integrity and adopting the unethical standards and methods of those in power in
order to advance within some corrupt organization.

Post a reply to this message

Attachments:
Download 'kool-aid wallpaper.jpg' (1026 KB)

Preview of image 'kool-aid wallpaper.jpg'

Am 2017-05-02 16:37, also sprach Dave Blandston:
> Hi Folks!

I think it's brilliant. I love the Kool-Aid logo. -- for a split second, 
I thought you'd added a second font to BorderChars. ;)


-- 
dik

Post a reply to this message

dick balaska <dic### [at] buckosoftcom> wrote:
> I think it's brilliant. I love the Kool-Aid logo. -- for a split second,
> I thought you'd added a second font to BorderChars. ;)

Thanks! The Kool-Aid logo is made from a True Type font (that's why the border
isn't perfect).

Regards,
Dave Blandston

Post a reply to this message

"Dave Blandston" <nomail@nomail> wrote:
>
Very cool and colorful. I think it's great just the way it is.
>
> PS - I'm not sure if the phrase "Drink the Kool-Aid" is known worldwide, so for
> anyone unfamiliar with it the historical context is from the Jonestown, Guyana
> mass suicide incident in which hundreds of people knowingly drank grape Kool-Aid
> poisoned with cyanide.

Yes, I remember that. It's still hard to believe that people can be so gullible,
or blind to the idiocy of a charismatic 'leader.' Of course, here in the U.S, we
have kind of a similar problem right now... ;-)


> Since then the term has been used to describe the act of compromising one's
> integrity and adopting the unethical standards and methods of those in power in
> order to advance within some corrupt organization.

That I didn't know.

Post a reply to this message

"Kenneth" <kdw### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> Yes, I remember that. It's still hard to believe that people can be so gullible, or
blind to the idiocy of a charisma
tic 'leader.' Of course, here in the U.S, we have kind of a similar problem right
now... ;-)

Psychology is very interesting to me, and this particular issue is one of the
most interesting of all. If you're referring to one or more political leaders
(they're all pretty much the same to me) I think one aspect of the phenomenon is
a form of cognitive dissonance, which is my favorite topic to learn about.

Regards,
Dave Blandston

Post a reply to this message

On 2-5-2017 22:37, Dave Blandston wrote:
> Hi Folks!
>
> This is a fun project using my Bordered Characters macros. I'm curious if anyone
> has any suggestions for improvement.

It is looking great already. The user's quote use reminds me of 
something more 1940's or 1950's, although it still pops up in ads now 
and then. It might be my own bias ;-)  However, could you give the scene 
a period look? I am thinking specifically about those Coke ads of the 50's.

[snip]

>
> PS - I'm not sure if the phrase "Drink the Kool-Aid" is known worldwide, so for
> anyone unfamiliar with it the historical context is from the Jonestown, Guyana
> mass suicide incident in which hundreds of people knowingly drank grape Kool-Aid
> poisoned with cyanide. The poison Kool-Aid was in a vat labeled with a green
> "C." Since then the term has been used to describe the act of compromising one's
> integrity and adopting the unethical standards and methods of those in power in
> order to advance within some corrupt organization.
>

I had been unaware of that /detail/.

-- 
Thomas

Post a reply to this message

Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
> It is looking great already. The user's quote use reminds me of
> something more 1940's or 1950's, although it still pops up in ads now
> and then. It might be my own bias ;-)  However, could you give the scene
> a period look? I am thinking specifically about those Coke ads of the 50's.

Those old Coke ads are pretty cool. I'm not sure how to re-create that look with
POV-Ray. They seem to depend on a certain style of drawing. People from the '50s
looked a lot more wholesome than today!

> I had been unaware of that /detail/.

I guess the slang term "Drink the Kool-Aid" isn't as commonly used as I thought.
I'm glad I added the explanation. A similar concept is being a "company man,"
although according to my understanding of the terms "drinking the Kool-Aid" has
a more sinister, insidious connotation. It's truly moral suicide. I've known a
few people who've done it and it's a horrible thing. The eventual results are
divisiveness, arrogance, shallowness, corruption, betrayal, greed, and hatred.
There's no going back. Hence the comparison to the Jonestown event.

Regards,
Dave Blandston

PS - Have a great day!

Post a reply to this message

On 3-5-2017 10:47, Dave Blandston wrote:
> Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
>> It is looking great already. The user's quote use reminds me of
>> something more 1940's or 1950's, although it still pops up in ads now
>> and then. It might be my own bias ;-)  However, could you give the scene
>> a period look? I am thinking specifically about those Coke ads of the 50's.
>
> Those old Coke ads are pretty cool. I'm not sure how to re-create that look with
> POV-Ray. They seem to depend on a certain style of drawing. People from the '50s
> looked a lot more wholesome than today!

Yes, the style might give a problem. Never mind, it was just an idea. 
Since the fifties there has been a lot going on concerning food and 
feeding, not to mention physical activity :-(

>
>> I had been unaware of that /detail/.
>
> I guess the slang term "Drink the Kool-Aid" isn't as commonly used as I thought.
> I'm glad I added the explanation. A similar concept is being a "company man,"
> although according to my understanding of the terms "drinking the Kool-Aid" has
> a more sinister, insidious connotation. It's truly moral suicide. I've known a
> few people who've done it and it's a horrible thing. The eventual results are
> divisiveness, arrogance, shallowness, corruption, betrayal, greed, and hatred.
> There's no going back. Hence the comparison to the Jonestown event.
>

May have to do with the fact that 'Kool-Aid' is not really known outside 
of North America, as far as I know.

>
> PS - Have a great day!
>

Indeed! Thanks! a great day too :-)

-- 
Thomas

Post a reply to this message

"Dave Blandston" <nomail@nomail> wrote:
> so for
> anyone unfamiliar with it the historical context is ....

It's actually quite a bit more sinister than that.
There was ample evidence suggesting and supporting that it was part of Project
MK-Ultra and the whole thing was done intentionally from the beginning.
When it all started to go sideways (from their warped perspective), they decided
to scrub it, and most of the people didn't drink the punch (it wasn't brand-name
Kool-Ade) they were either forcibly administered cyanide by mouth or injection,
or shot.

There's a lot of disturbing documentation of this, and there was even an LP made
of Jim Jones' last half hour - what he said over the loudspeaker apparently had
been taped.

You really just can't make this stuff up, and unfortunately, history teaches us
that it's all too real, believable, and prone to happen again, and again. And
again.

Because - you know - we all need people to "be in charge" and tell us what to
do.   Especially if they steal from everyone else and give us "free stuff",
"protection", "services", "safety", "care", etc. - whether we want it or not.


Very nice work on the lettering as always  :)

Post a reply to this message

Am 02.05.2017 um 22:37 schrieb Dave Blandston:

> PS - I'm not sure if the phrase "Drink the Kool-Aid" is known worldwide, so for
> anyone unfamiliar with it the historical context is from the Jonestown, Guyana
> mass suicide incident in which hundreds of people knowingly drank grape Kool-Aid
> poisoned with cyanide. The poison Kool-Aid was in a vat labeled with a green
> "C." Since then the term has been used to describe the act of compromising one's
> integrity and adopting the unethical standards and methods of those in power in
> order to advance within some corrupt organization.

I've heard the expression in the more general sense of adopting someone
else's bullshit ideology or values in blind faith.

Post a reply to this message