Stories wont die - but books might

This article in the Telegraph is a sad one. A school replacing the library with a digital one is a sad tale. I was a huge reader in Elementary school, I read the most books in the whole school, and into middle school. My family is also filled with big readers - my niece is one of Florida's number one readers in the state, yet none of us can stand to read on the computer. The feel of the paper and the anticipation of turning the page, the smell of a book that is new or one that has a bit of age to it, the tangibility of the printed word, none of this is equalled in digital format. Schools already cut costs in so many corners of education it would be horrible for them to take out the library - a last place of refuge for so many students looking to escape in a novel.

I agree that stories are being told over and over again by Hollywood - I just saw this ad for Race to Witch Mountain with The Rock (I love him so I'll go) - a redo from the 70's classic - but I subscribe to the fact that there are few great story lines - and perhaps (if you believe in John Campbell) there is just the hero story line. But perhaps what we should focus on is the creation of writers. I see so many commercialized writers out there with so little to say, and twitter makes anyone into a story line, but it doesnt mean its worth reading. There are still great ways to tell story lines left to be uncovered. I hope they get printed.

Fish prove what Psychology proved

Guess what? Apparently even fish prefer a good looking fish leader. This article a (a summary of a study done at the University of Sydney) from Current Biology, basically says that the "football star" equivalent of stickleback fish is usually chosen as the most trustworthy to follow. They assume that it is based on collective wisdom that they are all choosing the best leader. Fish can choose to follow a bad fish - just as people have made bad decisions for leaders (Hitler) but in the same case the badness is amplified.

So - sorry to say this but "looks are everything." I guess plastic surgeons will still have a good year, even through this economic turmoil we are having. I remember reading about women and men in China having beautification surgeries to help them land a raise or a better job. Being a Miami native, I have seen the surgeries from the young (15 year-old) to the old (above 80+) and the women in poor countries that save to get the butt lifts and the boob jobs, each country preferring a different form of beauty.

Perhaps now and into the future the financial divide will rely more and more on good looks and less on ability or brains...now that is a scary idea.

Thanks JCPenney!

This JCPenney ad is probably the best ad this season. They communicate both the male and female perspective perfectly. The subtle (or not so subtle) facial movements of the women, the attitude of the men - its genius. I applaud you. No matter what side of the problem you were on - one of us has been there. The call to action should be greater (sorry but Im in account management) but still..I would not have substituted it for the work - so great! See how I am gushing - guess this was my present.

The Car Industry

There is nothing to make me an expert on the car industry...but I am a consumer.

I just have to say at this point in my life - I assumed there would already be flying cars...even if that meant mechanical malfunctions equaled a plane crash, perhaps then people would be less apt to drink and drive. Regardless, I do think innovation on cars has died, maybe not internally since cars are safer today, but the beauty of the car, for me, is dead. This could be because I live in an area that glorifies old cars for their uniqueness or it could be that the only cars in my life have been 4 door sedans that, at the end of the day, look like all other 4 door sedans on the road.

Perhaps those major car companies that are dying today, should have thought of designing different cars, and elite class, like their own ferrari's, or models that didnt fit into the average 4-door. Maybe they should have brought back the look of the old cars, like Ford did with the T-bird, instead of pushing the gas guzzlers no one could afford. The world had been changed over 7 years ago - but did the cars change with it?

Im a huge fan of Seth Godin - and I agree with him. We should facilitate the bankruptcy of the car companies. They are too large and unable to make a shift into a better direction. It's like trying to turn a huge semi-truck around - it will take too long. Perhaps even better innovation of cars will come from the loss of the giants. I guess we will wait on Congress to see the future.

Great old cars - just for fun.

Amish Electric Fireplaces?

Why do the Amish make good electric fireplaces? Im almost positive but the Amish dont even use electricity - so how did they become the experts of it with Heat Surge?
Are the Amish a relevant selling point? Bad ad - interesting product if it works since I am sure running a coffee pot is less electricity than your AC heater. They should've just focused on that since so many people are worried about the rising costs of energy.

Daily Inspiration....

More People videos at 5min.com

It's so simple - make less crap - make better ads and better tv.

I was reading John Windsor's blog about Tough Times Calling for More Innovation - and he is right. We really do need to push creativity forward. After watching the shuttle launch from my backyard (one of the privileges of living here in Cocoa Beach) I could only wonder how this 30 year-old technology is once again making way into space. That is a scary thought, until you realize that the program was created out of a "tough time" and a point where Americans were in fear and in need of big hope.

"The worst thing to do is to get locked up by fear and go into hibernation. If you pull in your horns waiting for things to get better they won’t. They’re going to get better but only for those companies who can but fear out of their mind and move forward aggressively." - John Windsor

I agree - this should be a time again where we step up and give America a big hope. I think this is one of the reasons Obama won the election, but is he enough. I think we need an even bigger monumental change of sorts.

Perhaps even this blogs name should be Cycle of Fear into Ideas.

The death of magazines

So I really don't get all the crap about magazines going out of business...Especially when something like Girls and Corpses is apparently thriving. It is obvious that this is no "mainstream" magazine...but they knows their market. Maybe the problem with these large magazine companies is that they try to keep themselves so current and ahead of the trends that they are not really following what people are looking for. Who knows, but this magazine is certainly doing a very good job of making headway.

I think I need an iPhone now :(

I did fall in love with it when I saw it as a bedside clock. But now they have topped it since I can use it to automate my home. Damn you iPhone - I do love you.

Via ~ Dvice and unplggd

To all my friends and heathen hotties

I could not believe this site Date to Save! In honesty, I've always thought the internet would be the place where the grandest of all whack jobs reside - and here we are.

Personal favorite dating tip:

10. After you dump him...
Tell him that Jesus Christ will never leave or forsaken him

I must admit I love the shirts and the dating advice - but for all the wrong reasons.

Most Annoying Statements Ever?

The top ten most irritating phrases:
1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science

I think this list is missing - "due to the fact that", "the fact being", "that being the fact", and "at this moment in time", but maybe that's because it is from across the pond.

Most Annoying Statements Ever?

Art: Joshua Callaghan

I didnt ask for permission to post art but check out his site - brilliant ideas joshua!

Cluetrain Review

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: web 2.0 cluetrain)

I think this is brilliant and true today. Marketers are out of touch with people and people are creating - but now, in hard financial times, will we find this continues and what sort of things will we people be creating? Will we be moving from abundance into a more of a self-preservation, or will the internet become an even bigger escape for people?

Socotra Island

The Most Alien Place on Earth - I love this title - and I love the pictures. Absolutely wonderful to see such an interesting place still exists on Earth. Can't wait to go.

~Via Dark Roasted Blend

BLOWN AWAY

@ Yahoo! Video

if you feel like getting blown away watch this video by Chris Anderson starting at about -13:41 and you will see the best visual of what is happening with media failing. I agree with him - the market will figure out what is good and bad and the internet has led abundance for media - but I think it could be responsible for abundance in many things - possibly even consumer buying habits.
~Via John Windsor's blog

Happy Halloween Mac users!

The effect of the Bea

My friend calls this her - "getting through the day at work pick me up" - I agree.

Why I am thinking I could maybe be a buddhist

Buddhist make a temple out of beer bottles. Not only is the building a beautiful piece of architecture but it certainly is environmentally friendly.

Heineken

I have to say I love Heineken - the campaign site for this is great too.

Newspaper TV ad

I love this ad from the Sun - so simple.

Pepsi's new logo 08

I am not sure I alike the new Pepsi logo. I am sure plenty of very well educated people put their two cents in, but there is something so un -genuinely unfriendly about it. I know it is supposed to be more dynamic, but it just reminds me that I am not a fan of Pepsi's taste - perhaps this is just pure consumer bias on my part.

Oh so Mean!

I have to admit I was ready to buy a pomegranate phone - but now I will just go to Nova Scotia instead. I wonder if there will be a backlash of anger for this type of campaign? I do have to tell you I was pissed that this phone does not exist.

although the coffee thing did tip me off - I suppose they will be getting rid of starbucks in the future? but I dont think I will ever get used to those office freestyling harmonica moments.

Ambush Studio

This is my friend Amanda and Juan's new set-up Ambush Studio - awesome stuff - and did I mention they are for hire?

Tom Shoes I love you!

Dear Tom Shoes - I LOVE YOU!
if somebody is feeling uber generous, these shoes are on my most wanted list. Not only are they wonderfully designed, but I love that they wrap around your leg making sure they fit like a glove.

Zipper Genius

It isn't even funny how genius this is!

Zip Holder saves those moments when you have to make sure. I only have one pair of jeans that I would need this for - but man seeing it makes me want it.

Future Lips

I've been thinking alot about the future lately, wondering where my flying car is, and then I came across Satellite 3. I suppose make-up of the future could look like a space ship from the 50's, but I always thought they would be more versatile than a lipstick is.

In fact it makes me think that make-up is far behind in its own right. If we could just combine the eye shadow with a lipstick with some powder and maybe even a liner then I could reinforce the fact I would need smaller purses or none at all.

Why again don't make-up companies do this? I bet most women carry make-up with them in a pouch like I do. Maybe there should be make-up specifically for purses, keeping in mind light-weight and durable.

Creative 30 - YEAH!

I am so excited to see Creative 30. It is a campaign sponsored by Volvo, VICE, The Independent and Yahoo!. It originated as a contest to find 30 of Britain's most promising artists - from dancers to tattoo artists.

SO SMART! love it...it would be great to copy the same here - but they will I am sure just like Idol.

LOVE THE BRITS!

Pockets, Purses and Children of Men

I watched the movie Children of Men today - and besides the obvious societal issues the movie brings up I was stunned to see all of the things Clive Owen pulls out of his pockets in one scene. Random, I know. The list includes a small bottle of liquor, a pack of cigs, a bunch of keys, a lighter, pills and a receipt.

I've always considered the purse such a crap accessory - don't get me wrong - I love purses and own plenty of them (more on my absurd collection of purses on another date) but I find them to be an annoying part of a woman's life.

Hear me out.

It seems every time I buy a new purse, no matter the size, I find I must always stick stuff in my pockets anyway. Usually it is for convenience purposes since digging for lip gloss or trying to find one's phone in the purse abyss can be a major pain in the bum.

I watched a whole documentary on Jack Taylor, suit maker, I can promise you that there are better suits for men than for women. They include pockets and perfectly sized ones at that which fit everything from a blackberry to a bottle of liquor - if I tried to fit this into a purse it would have to be rather large.

I do understand the pitfalls of an unorganized purse, but what is worse is that I seem to be carrying more stuff than ever and I am not alone. I know that recently some companies have been addressing the issue of purse organization (Container Store, Buxton Bag,, Joey Junior, ) but all of it is so darn ugly!

Then I found Jen Groover - this woman is a genius. Her bag is well designed and she has a line of high end ones that aren't ugly - a real shocker when it comes to organization purses. They are pricey though.

Still - I think that organization companies are not doing enough research. Since it is mostly women who do the organizing (I am generalizing) that they should address more of these issues. I would love to see a bigger variety of better made, lighter, organization travel gear for women. And maybe it is not purse organization that is the problem, but purses are. Perhaps fashion designers can create more fashionable clothing with pockets and space saving in mind. I'm just a dreamer but I would love to not have to lug around a purse and be able to fit everything into my jeans without looking like I have cellphone or something growing out of my front.

Meltdown Chairs

I think I could totally be in love with these Meltdown Chairs by Tom Price. I love the idea of melting something together to make form and function out of it.

From randomness

From randomness

I would love to see a brand do this, melt and deconstruct the product into something functional. I'm sure most crafters and artists are already on this - brands should be too.

Beauty is only software deep

"Tel Aviv software programers have created a "beautification engine." By using mathematical formulas they alter a person’s face into what theoretically is the more "beautiful" version, while retaining "unmistakable similarity" to the original:

Studies have shown that there is surprising agreement about what makes a face attractive. Symmetry is at the core, along with youthfulness; clarity or smoothness of skin; and vivid color, say, in the eyes and hair. There is little dissent among people of different cultures, ethnicities, races, ages and gender."

I think it is an interesting experiment - but is beauty that basic?

Looking at the sample pictures I have to be honest, as a large-eyed, large-lipped female, this program would minimize the two things that make me stand out. I couldn't imagine what it would do to Angelina.

This seems to be a common theme in the past few days after watching The Fountainhead with Gary Cooper on TMC the other day. If you haven't read the book...DO.

I hate to think of a future with standardized beauty only. I can only hope we continue to fight against it.

from Neatorama via the Times Article

Been busy - but'll be back in a bit

The Glory and Detriment of Alarms and the Snooze Button

This morning, as with many mornings, I awoke to my cell phone midi tone "Coconuts", the most diabolical of all tunes. As this is the official wake-me-up tone, I now cringe and have urges to smash my crap phone when I hear it in public. It made me think of two things - 1. What has happened to the advancement of the alarm clock, 2. How awful it is when tunes get stuck in association to bad things (more on that tomorrow)

NATURE
My life with alarms started when I was a kid. I grew up with a chicken coop in Miami; not at all  normal. The morning wake-up call was our rooster, who had one eye and one leg (like teddy roosevelt's), due to an unfortunate act with a possum, but he woke up everything and everyone in the whole neighborhood.

URGENCY
When we got rid of the chickens I got my first alarm clock, Mickey Mouse, which still works to this very day but which only goes off once in the morning and you either got up or missed the breakfast. The need to get to school out-weighed the desire to go back to sleep. 

SLEEP DEBT
When I went to college I moved on to my first digital clock with a snooze button. The snooze button and I have a truly beautiful love hate relationship. I love that it lets me go back to sleep and it hates me enough to not wake me up. I was late to my share of college classes. I then moved onto setting my cell phone as an alarm. This too had a snooze button which became as useless as the digital clock's. So I went to adding the two together at different time implements but eventually my brain compensated even for that - so I added my Mickey clock back into the mix as a last resort (at this point you must understand I was in my first year of college and when I did sleep, I slept).  

SLEEP INERTIA
The three-pronged approach worked for a bit but it never stuck, it lacked Wakeupability (for lack of a better word) and I have an even harder time getting up today. As the stresses of life pile up, more people are prone to this sleep inertia, which is just a fancy term for the grogginess in the morning I have that makes it so hard to wake up. 

It seems that the new clocks have taken the approach of attacking the cause of insuring wake-up (sleep inertia, urgency, nature, sleep debt). Clocky rolls away from you and forces you out of bed, which I think is ingenious but I do not have the space in the room to let it roll. Then there are the "peaceful progressives", which use simulated sunlight to wake you up, and there are ones with aromatherapy. For a really high-tech alarm clock you could use a sleep monitor like the ones at Axon Labs, which promise to reduce the sleep inertia by waking you up when you are less vulnerable to it. 

To me the best approach would be to combine them all into a brightly shining screaming rooster clock which runs around your room frantically and repeats this act every 5 minutes with no snooze button. TADA! 

I already feel bad for my cat...but seriously, the importance of getting up in the morning should weigh heavier on the creation of better alarms. I would love to see something that could wake me up with a positive morning. Let's get on this people.

rolling the boulder

As I have moved to a new town - by circumstance rather than choice - I find myself drawn to the theory of exile. I am the man rolling the boulder up the hill, not quite reaching the pinnacle.

Two years ago I went to the Miami Ad School Account Planning Bootcamp in an attempt to define my place in advertising. To me planning is the ultimate challenge. I love it because it is science and it is creativity - possibly the missing link between the hemispheres of the brain. At all times the lines are blurred. For you to have a truly brilliant strategy you must both understand the nature of the science of advertising (demographics, target markets) and you must understand how to communicate to people effectively; where you need to know alot about yourself and people. I enjoy it all the more because it is not easy.

The intimidation factor here is huge because, I feel, at 26 I don't know enough about anything to be truly good at something.

so here i am, a student of the world...yearning to become a teacher.