This “Oh my!” is about secrets and logos and coffee, rather than the famed Wizard of Oz song lyrics about lions and tigers and bears. There are lots of secrets lurking behind everyday things like coffeehouse culture or company logos. Here’s a fun look at what’s really behind some of them.
What do you know about Danish history? Not much, you might say. But did you know that there is a secret Danish history connection behind your Bluetooth device? Every time you use it, you are recognizing Danish King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson. Apart from having a bad tooth that gave him his nickname, Bluetooth was the king known for uniting the tribes of Denmark. In 1997, the maker of the Bluetooth wireless device chose that name. They wanted to show how their technology would unite devices- symbolic of how King Harald had united Denmark. Their Bluetooth logo even consists of the Nordic rune symbols ( H and B) in Bluetooth’s name. I never noticed it till I took a look at their blue and white logo.
“[Captain Dan] got me invested in some kind of fruit company.” Forrest Gump
Apple computers (Macintoshes or “Macs”) and iPhones are everywhere the world over. But have you ever wondered about the secret behind their now-familiar Apple name? Supposedly founder Steve Jobs simply liked apples. The first Apple logo was physicist Sir Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, with an apple poised to hit his head. Newton’s resulting theory of universal gravitation had a major effect on the science world. It was akin to the massive effect the Apple company had on the world of electronics.
Computers like Apple, along with “mini-computer” iPhones have changed everyone’s world. While some may gripe that it is not for the better, I am mostly glad for the changes. For instance, remember driving using an unwieldy map? Or worse, having to stop for directions? MapQuest or Waze on my phone beat Rand McNally maps any day. Computer technology has improved life in more ways than I can count.
“May I have a grande Pequot, soy milk and no whip?”
Here’s another little-known secret… why is the Starbucks Coffee Company called Starbucks? Its Seattle founders were told by an advertising specialist that “st” words were powerful for a company name, so they started research there. During the hunt, they found an old mining map with a small town called Starbo, which made co-founder Gordon Bowker think of the classic book “Moby Dick.” Going in that direction, they almost opted to use the name of the whaling ship in the book (“Pequot” pronounced Pee-kot!) Instead they chose the name of Captain Ahab’s first mate Starbuck. Thankfully they thought a “cup of Starbucks” sounded better than a “cup of Pequot.” Their Starbucks logo- a green mermaid-like sea siren- is a further nautical nod to their ocean theme.
I digress, but coffeehouses like Starbucks may be on every corner today. However some may remember that in the 50’s and 60’s, coffeehouses were not part of mainstream culture at all. Coffeehouses were edgy places of counterculture and folk music, for discussion and poetry, with calls to political action and reaction against societal norms. Few parents would have brought their kids to a coffeehouse back then, unlike a Starbucks today. Times do change.
“On Friday night, I was reading my new book, but my brain got tired so I decided to watch some television instead…” Stephen Chbosky, the Perks of Being a Wallflower
Telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound- huh? Aren’t you glad we call it television, or even better- TV? Have you ever heard a TV called “the tube” (or even “boob tube”)? What is the secret behind that? The tube nickname comes from the original bulky cathode-ray tube that most televisions used, until being replaced by flat-screen TV’s in 1997. Retirees and seniors can remember not that long ago when televisions were massive bulky furniture pieces with that big tube in the back.
Additionally, the television channel changer was not a device, but a person. Usually the unluckiest family member was stuck with the chore. Their job was to get up and change the TV dial to a different channel. Improved technology gave us the handy devices we know today. Depending on where you are from in the US, you may call it the channel changer, the remote control, remote, even the clicker. But whatever the name, it beats having to get up to use a dial or buttons to change channels.
And there must be other seniors who can remember the excitement surrounding the first color television they ever saw? My first color TV was playing in a household on my block in the 60’s, and caused the whole neighborhood to flock there to see it. Revolutionary! Isn’t evolving technology wonderful?
“Dear Amazon, Could you please NOT deliver all this stuff when my husband is home…?”
For a final secret…can you imagine ordering something online from Cadabra (as in abracadabra)? In 1994, that is what Jeff Bezos started calling his startup company. But people kept mishearing this word as “cadaver”- not very appealing. So Bezos started researching for something different. When looking through the “A” section of the dictionary, he came across the word Amazon, describing the world’s largest river. Bezos liked the concept of an unstoppable force of water dominating the landscape.
His initial logo for his original Amazon book company was an “A” with a curvy river-like shape inside, and “Earth’s biggest bookstore” underneath. It was said that Bezos also toyed with the company name “Relentless” and purchased Relentless.com. (That rumor is true, I searched for that Relentless site, and it does automatically lead you to Amazon). Of course, Amazon’s e-commerce domination has evolved to much more than book sales. Everyone has seen the landscape of brick-and-mortal stores and malls disappear due to the major impact of Amazon and other online shopping.
So these are just a few secrets behind some of the everyday things around us. These secrets give a glimpse of how things used to be, and you can chronicle the many changes in your lifetime. Remembering how things were (“Back in my day… !) is not a bad thing. A little introspection can help us all value the good from the past AND the present, as things inevitably change.
