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3 Day Quote Challenge – Day 2
#Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge
#103 Summer&Fun
By Neel Anil Panicker
Summer's not yet done,
sunny days are still galore
Fun times on cool nights.
When winds of change blow
Life takes a turn,
ushering fresh hopes.
These are the rules:
I nominate the folliowing bloggers
– ritu; TJ, and Aithling
Neel Anil Panicker
Dear Bloggers and Friends,
Life is a never ending journey of discovery and as we traverse through it we encounter a multitude of varied and varying things, incidents, feelings, and most importantly people whose sights, insights, and foresights help us as we (wo)manfully shift gears, hurtling from one milestone onto to the other as we try and make sense not just of our inner selves but of the world around us.
Helping us in this noble quest are words. Words and their palliative powers help us figure out a pragmatic solution in tiding over the never ending fusillade of problems that beset man at various stages of his life.
They not only educate and motivate us but also, and most importantly, inspire us to further heights; hence are omnipotent in their effectiveness and role in mankind's evolutionary process.
Pray, for what's life without some inspirational words that help us in our overall growth, understanding and development.
And what better way to get inspired than to read and thereby experience the power of words in transforming our lives and making them one better than what it were.
As part of that noble quest, I am kick-starting a new series entitled-
Here is the first one:
# 1 "The secret of being miserable is to have leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure for it is occupation.
The above is a quote by the British playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw. Shaw, in his seminal treatise "Parents and Children (1914), Children's Happiness.
And how true, I must say. Look around you and you will find an army of miserable people, people who wallow in self pity; people who like to draw pales of sorrow from the wells of others' happiness.
These are people who are sad and depressed and dejected not because they are not of any worth or that they not have any work but only because they labour under the utterly fanciful and so obviously false belief there is no work worth their while.
And so such a person while away his or her precious life simply ambling, tumbling, mumbling , grumbling, rumbling and fumbling several times over doing nothing better than peering and peeping into the lives and happenings of others with the sole purpose of comparing their happiness and success with his or her and , and then most tragically doing nothing but getting unhappy over his 'supposedly' unhappy life.
An effective anti-dote to all this untold and definitely uncalled for suffering would be for such a person to instead busy himself with his life by immersing himself in his work to such an extent that he or she does not even have an iota of time to think about others and their happiness.
Such a man or woman then becomes happy simply by being burdened by doing do much as to not have enough ought time to even figure out whether he is happy or not.
So, then there you are, the secret of happiness : BE BUSY, HAPPINESS WILL FOLLOW
By Neel Anil Panicker
I got up later than usual today and then was reminded of the fact that it is still summer time. Well, what can I say, there are seasons and then there is the summer season.
There is a special place in my heart for this 'shiny' season. Every summer transports me back to my childhood, back when days were long, and nights even longer.
Every summer sees me go down memory lane wandering around in an enveloping maze of childhood memories as kaleidoscopic montage of wondrous images run through my mind, like an old black and white movie picture that unspools itself at a bullet-train speed.
Remember, I am talking about an era when radios were just about the only means of entertainment and the now ubiquitous televisions that beam 24/7 entertainment were pretty much conspicuous by their absence.
But if such is the effervescence and innocence of childhood then what more does a spindly boy barely caressing the first decade of his life on this planet want but the company of friends.
And so at the first glow of the early morning sun, we would be out of our homes hitting the neighborhood parks, playing 'chor police', marbles, gulli danda, pitto, football and what have you.
And when, several hours later, the Sun would stand astride perpendicularly right over us and threaten us with 'his' glares, we would languidly troop down to our homes__our skins all darkened and our bones dripping with sweat__; but not before very quickly regrouping to continue with other indoor activities, all a ruse to kill time, which seemed to have entered into a state of limbo.
Within the cozy environs of our rooms, would be the time to indulge in lazy summer activities such as spreading ourselves on spartan beds, exercising our fingers and figuring out the appropriate geometric angles on the humble carom board table.
I remember one summer back then when I fell in love with 'Businesss'. I remember falling in love with this absolutely stimulating card game to the extent that one entire summer saw playing this highly addictive non-combat sport in the company of my brother and two other bosom 'summer' friends.
I also remember it was during one such summer that I was introduced to chess. What followed were endless hours of chess in the company of my brother, or even father; our marathons only interrupted with mother's frenetic cries announcing that it was time for lunch or dinner or even snacks depending upon what hour of the day or night it was.
Oh, sweet summer, how can I not talk about summers without mentioning about that king of fruits__ mangoes?
My relationship with mangoes began one summer way back when I was still a toddler still needing help to strap on a pair of half pants.
There was a mango tree, two in fact, in our backyard. For someone who prided himself on his generosity, I would turn the exact opposite and would guard the tree and its offerings with a proprietorial zeal much like a lioness watching over her brood of magnificent cubs.
Though mother would without fail every summer distribute the bounty almost equally amongst our neighbours, in my pre-teen warped mind, I would still feel that all the mangoes were ours and for us alone.
And so when the season would almost be at its fag end and when all the low lying mangoes would have been plucked, distributed and eaten away to our hearts content, the battle for the very last few mangoes would begin in right earnest.
To make matters worse the location of the tree was a borderline case; though its root were firmly entrenched in our garden, its branches tethered all over__ the tentacles dangling, almost invitingly into our immediate northern neighbour's garden.
Even today, several years later, I vividly recall how we children across both sides of the fence, would wake up at the crack of dawn, and armed with our weaponry, which in this case would be a humble long stick improvised at the edges to shoot down the solitary mango safely ensconced high up in the branches.
Our efforts would continue for sometime and the enterprising amongst us would then try to fell the mango, aiming stones and bottles and when too desperate even our very own slippers.
As the mangoes would prove too resolute for us, and when our bones get a wee bit tired and our throats too parched what with all that non-stop shouting and hooting and cheering and jeering that accompanied such 'pristine' mango picking activities, a sort of unspoken truce would be called for, and the warring 'enemies' on both sides of the border would repair to their homes for a 'chill' break and come back, their frail selves energized and with renewed vigour, all thanks to whatever our mothers fed us with, be they a glass of milk, or a plate of hot chappathis or pray, even a mango.
Oh! what delight would turn out to be the grand finale when, hours later, (and just when even the sun had given up on us __ having got mighty tired watching the human madness that was playing out in front his eyes__, would finally decide to call it a day), the entire neighborhood would reverberate with huge wondrous shrieks ringing the air as the 'winner' proudly strutted around, walking no less manfully than the great Dara Singh himself, carrying in his nimble hands a near spherical deep yellowish red mango_ the catch of the day.
Years later, come the summer season, I do eat mangoes, but trust me, I am yet to find one that tastes as sweet as the ones I ' stole' during my childhood.
Oh dear summer! I can go on and on about this summer and that summer and then till the summer when I grew up and got embroiled and entangled in the mangled web of materialism.
But, even today, after all years, I would happily trade all my 'adult' summers to be able get back to those 'footloose and fancyfree' days when life and relationships were built not on the basis of who had the maximum amount of rupees or pounds or dollars in the bank but on the sole criteria as to who among us would make for the ideal partner in our mindboggling summer 'escapades'.
The Cuckoo Clock
By Neel Anil Panicker
A splitting headache woke Shefali up. She lifted the sheets a little and popped her head out. She could not see a thing. Her eyes tried adjusting to the dark, but she could not see a thing. The room was pitch dark barring an orphaned beam of thin ray light that somehow seemed to have snaked its way in, piercing its way through the almost opaque-like fortress of curtains that clung on to the dark walls not quite unlike leeches attaching themselves to human blood.
Shefali propped herself up against the bedstand and squinted her eyes. Vision restored, she turned left and her shoulders shuddered. Her mouth contorted and a painful sigh escaped her lips. Her knuckles tried to find solace as they clung on to the frayed ends of the pillow. She could feel hot blood pumping into her chest as she heard her heartbeats shoot up alarmingly.
A spasmodic revolt ran through her entire body.
She moved her eyes away.
This is what it had come to. Five years and two months and three days into their marriage, Shefali had reached a stage when the mere sight of her husband brought in seismic convulsions of fear that jostled for unholy matrimony with a sheer distaste that hovered on borderline hate.
She moved to the farthest corner of the bed, trying to distance herself as far away from Aman.
A while later, with the help of a couple of painkillers that seemed to have slowly worked their magic, she looked around the darkened room; her room, his room, or more specifically the room that could have been theirs.
Her eyes fell on the near bare walls that seemed to her as if they kept a watch on her at all times; she a prisoner or worse a potential prey, or even worse a prisoner on death row who needed a constant 24/7 hawk's eye supervision.
A sort of suicide watch.
But for what? Shefali thought, her thoughts cutting through her semi-asleep brain cells.
Surely, what could be worse than the life she was leading now, she thought.
She bobbed her head away as if to brush away the unwelcome thoughts. Her eyes landed on the clock that hung from the wall opposite to her where she lay.
A torrent of memories flooded her mindscape.
She had loved it when she had first set eyes on it.
She remembered unwrapping the golden gift wrapped package with the infectious enthusiasm of a newlywed bride ready to embark on a new and beautiful journey. She had eagerly possessed with a childl's unrestrained madness ripped apart the humungous assortment of gifts and goodies that had come her away alongwith a million well wishes and blessings.
'May all your dreams come true' read the beautiful embroidered lettering on the card on the outer box, and when she had extricated its contents and laid it on the table, there was another cute little red card emblazon with the words
Curiously, she had flicked it over to reveal the sende. A crayon lettering simply read: 'From Pooja'.
It was then that her eyes fell on the gift. Much like an impressionable wonder struck child on her first summer holiday and upon serendipiditiously finding herself all alone at her grandmother's forested backyard__, all eager to make good of the godsend opportunity__,Shefali had set out to explore the unknown.
Out popped a wall clock, and no ordinary one at that. In fact, a very antique quartz cuckoo clock.
Mesmeriesd, her eyes feasted on the exquisitely crafted piece of artefact and danced with abandon at what they saw.
She had it mounted on the wall in her room. And that is where it stood all these years, an apt chronicler of her marriage.
The entire first week post this 'benevolence', her eyes and ears rarely strayed away from her 'cuckoo', as she admired and gloated and watched over her gift__spending endless hours closeted in her room, just she and her cuckoo.
She noticed and appreciated small little things such as its conventionally designed wooden case with carvings of deer and one horned rhinoceros. She remembered wistfully how she would spring up with joy on watching the cuckoo peek out at the chime of each hour_ the sheer veins of pleasure that she experienced as the cute little automated bird made an appearance through a small trap door while the clock struck musical metronomic chimes, signalling the passing of yet another hour and the beginning of a new one.
She would watch with sheer fascination as the cuckoo emerged from its enclosure and would move up and down, flapping its wings and opening its beak to sing the famous two note cu-ckoo call.
In the very early days of her marriage (to be exact, for barely a week) her mind soared like a bird high up in the sky and her joy knew no bounds as she, seated in the comfort of her bed and sipping endless cups of piping hot Nilgiris tea, would watch with riveted attention and with an unfailing childlike enthusiasm as the cuckoo would step out not just to announce the hour of the day but also as if to mouth a personal 'Hi' to her, bobbing her cute little fluffy head from one end to the other, as if surveying the world around it; and, then when reassured that all was well in the world, gently excusing herself to her den, where she would be safely ensconced and probably asleep, only to wake up at the next hour to once again announce her timely presence to the world.
Shefali in the coming days had found certain interesting automata in her cuckoo clock and gone ahead to tweak these to her advantage.
For one, she had broken her day into eight hour cycles, and for the nights, she had ensured that the cuckoo would chime, albeit, silently.
She particularly liked the sound of a gurgling waterfall that followed, a fitting grand finale to the audio-visual fiesta that had unfolded and that she believed was hers for ever.
That was nearly five years ago and now, five years on, the cuckoo had stopped singing.
It had retreated into its shell. There was no cuckoo and its sounds and its dance. In place, just an empty shell.
Time, for both__ the cuckoo and just as well for Shefali, had stopped on its tracks.
It had come to a standstill.
Sleep deprived, and with eyes all puffy and a face bloated beyond recognition, and with the man with whom she was supposed to be happy and singing love songs along the highway of life lying beside her on the bedside__ useless and almost lifeless__, much like deadwood, Shefali stared into the wall, the wall onto which not too long ago she had tried to mount her life.
Her eyes couldn't take the strain any longer. Disgusted, depressed and near deranged, Shefali looked horrified to the core, simply unable to fathom how, and more importantly, why she had allowed her life to take the course it had taken.
Unable to take the pain any longer, she turned her eyes away from the cuckoo.
Her eyes drifted towards the ceiling. The writing was on the wall.
Someone's time was up. Someone had to die. And this time, for sure, she didn't want that someone to be her.


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Websites Hosted in ns2.ja.net Nameserver
The Nameserver ns2.ja.net have a IP Address of 18.104.22.168 which is hosted on United Kingdom.
UCL - London's Global University
UCL (University College London) is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with 8,000 staff and 25,000 students.
THE BRITISH LIBRARY - The world's knowledge
This is the home page of the British Library website. Use this site to search our catalogues, order items for research, view exhibitions and link to information resources...
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is one of the leading universities in the world.
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Home | ESRC | Economic and Social Research Council
We are the UK's largest funder of research on economic and social issues. We support researchers and postgraduate students. Our research has an impact on business, the public...
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GOV.UK - The place to find government services and information - Simpler, clearer, faster
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British Geological Survey (BGS) | A world-leading geoscience centre
A world-leading geoscience centre for survey and monitoring; modelling and research; data and knowledge.
Institute of Food Research
The Institute of Food Research is a world leader in research into harnessing food for health and preventing food-related diseases.
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Unlocking Nature's Diversity
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subset: commoncrawl


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Frequently Asked Questions
- Details
- Category: FAQ
- Last Updated: Monday, 30 October 2017 13:15
Q. Do these hulls come with plans?
A. No, these are extra due to the fact that most modellers research for and buy there own plans. Many of the plans I have are subject to copyright, so I cannot copy them and sell them. But please email me, and I can tell you if I can copy my set of plans for a particular hull, or I can supply you with a link to plans that may suit your needs.
Q. Do these hulls come with fittings?
A. Generally speaking No, at this time I manufacture fibreglass hulls only. A few of my hulls can be supplied with rudder/s. When you order a hull, I will let know if there are rudders available for your hull.
Q. Do I produce running sets for my hulls?
A. No, Your best to go to my links page and go to G T Sitek Scale Brass Propellors. George Sitek makes very high quality running sets, and he does custom orders too.
Q. Do I have plans to produce fittings in the future?
A. Yes, I plan to produce rudders, gun turrets, funnels and some of the more complicated items in the future for all the hulls in my range. Hulls will dominate my schedule though for at least the next 2 years as this is a much greater need.
Q. How are my hulls made?
A. I spray my gelcoat into the moulds, and I hand lay up the fibreglass. I generally give my hulls 7 days to cure adequately in the mould before I de-mould the hull.
Q. Do I build fully complete Models?
A. Yes, for myself as a hobby, but Not for customer sales. For complete models, please go to my links page and go to Defence Models and Graphics who build quality finished products.


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Women's Blue Iconic Twist Underwire Twist Bandeau
$72 From Shoes.com
Free shipping with Shoes.com on orders over $49.01.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on partners' sites at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The classic Iconic Twist Underwire Twist-Bandeau top has adjustable straps that can be detached to reduce tan lines and an adjustable hook back clasp to keep you relaxing by the pool. Features include built in foam bra for maximum support, underwire, back hook closure with three adjustments, and matching colored lining. Coverage: Moderate. Color: blue


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Sunday, July 27, 2014
Whole30 - the Why's and the results
I'm sure you have heard of the phrase "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". I finally reached that point towards the end of June. As I previously mentioned, I heard from my immunologist that my maxed out arthritis medication had stopped working. It was hard to hear and it was yet another lemon thrown right at me. Here are some of the previous lemons I had been dealt, it will help you to understand why I made the decision to do whole30.
You can buy the book It starts with food here and learn why it is so important to remove certain things like grains and dairy from our diet. The book is inexpensive and easy to understand. I recommend it to everyone.
For 7 years I have battled autoimmunity. Early January 2007 I was admitted to hospital via ambulance directly from my GP's rooms. I was rushed to theatre for exploratory surgery which is when it was discovered that my gut had ruptured in more places than they could count. Prior to this I had been fit and well and just felt a bit off for a couple of months. I had worked right up until 2 weeks prior to this. That night in theatre I lost a large section of bowel, and when I woke up in ICU the next day I was told that I had chrohns disease, I had lost over 1 metre of bowel, I had multiple fistula's, the night before I had been 12 hours from death but I somehow pulled through (Praise God). I didn't understand. No one else in my family had an inflammatory bowel diseases. I had immigrated to Australia as a newly wed only 6 months prior. How can this have happened?
I went on to spend 2 weeks in ICU as the infection just would not break and it compromised my blood pressure and heart rate hourly. In the end I had 70% muscle wastage, I was fed via an IV with TPN for 7 weeks, I spent 6 months of 2007 in hospital over 8 admissions - 2 months straight on one of those occassions, I spent 9 months in a wheelchair and had random members of the public yell abuse at me because they viewed me as not physically disabled but mentally. I spent many more week and months in hospital after 2007 and I have had a total of 6 laparotomies to get me to where i am today.
I have also been pumped full of steroids like you couldn't imagine. As a result my weight has gone up and down more times than a yo yo in the 1960's when they made a resurgence. The only time I ever lost any weight was with excessive exercise and starvation which you guessed it made me sicker. At the end of June this year I had reached my heaviest ever and I was pretty miserable about it. Life was more difficult than it needed to be, my joints were suffering more than they had to and my depression was definitely taking a hit.
The news from my immunologist was just one too many curve balls. I was not going back down the road of hospitalisation, pain, IV's surgery. I needed to find something to help and find it quickly. Enter paleo which I had flirted with for about a year but never stuck to for more than 2 weeks at a time. What was going to be any different this time? I was devastated that at 32 my doctors couldn't get me painfree or even walking semi normally. That was to be my motivation and motivate me it did! Tuesday past was my last day on Whole30 and I am feeling a lot better. I am sleeping better, my skin is clear, I feel happy, my energy levels are better, I can get out of bed before 11am these days, hello 7 and 8 am! (I have chronic fatigue or maybe that is had), I don't need 3 hour afternoon naps and I can walk down the stairs like a normal person without crying out in pain. My joints are improving. I had my blood inflammatory markers taken at the 3 week point and they have started to drop, the only change was whole30.
On Wednesday (day 31) I weighed myself and I was 8kgs (17.6 lbs)down!!! Yup 8kgs in 30 days and I haven't been starved (look at my instagram account cat_keast and you will see I have feasted for 30 days). I went to the gym once when tiger blood hit so it definitely isn't from the excessive exercise that I once had to do.
I feel good and for that reason I am continuing on until the end of August.
Are you interested in doing a Whole30? Let me know in the comments section and we can support each other through it. It is only 30 days and you have so much to gain.
2 comments:
I'm extremely proud of you Kat for never giving up on yourself and for never letting the stuff you've been through knock you down and keep you down.ReplyDelete
Evey time you talk about the hard things you've been through, you show the heartache and pain through your words, but you also show an immense beauty in your words as well, which I really admire immensely, because often there is a beauty to be seen from peoples painful expressions and you're no different :-).
You're doing incredibly well with you life Kat and I'm sending you a BIG PAT ON THE BACK, because I think you're an amazing inspiration to others, a fantastic role model and a true Lady in every way and anything you do with your life will always get my 10,000,000% support.
Be strong, chin up, keep believing and GOOD LUCK Kat. You're capable of so much and I will be honoured to continue following your incredible journey and to see how much more you get out of life, because you absolutely deserve the most beautiful future anyone could possible get, because you ARE worth it and you DO deserve it and YES I think you ARE doing the UK proud and I'm proud of of being from the UK, because of fantastic people like you.
:-) :-)
Thanks Matt, your comment has made me smile. Thought I would let you know that I am returning to work tomorrow. Excited and a little nervous. Hope you are having a great weekend.ReplyDelete


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The pound was hit in early trading on suggestions the UK election could result in a hung parliament.
Research by YouGov indicated that Prime Minister Theresa May could lose her parliamentary majority at the general election next week, causing sterling to drop 0.6 per cent against the dollar during Asian trading hours.
Shortly before 9am the pound was down 0.3 per cent against the dollar at $1.28 and down 0.3 per cent against the euro at €1.15.
The Conservatives currently have 17 seats with previous polls suggesting they would increase their majority. However the YouGov poll points towards the party losing 20 seats in the election with Labour adding 30 seats, leaving no clear majority.


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Its amusing to watch Leo sleeping peacefully like a log. Though he seems to be sleeping like a log, he is the first one to reach the door as soon as the door bell rings. The Rottweiler instincts are growing in him :) . I captured some of his pictures over the last 25 days and here they are :
|Aww, Look At That Baby!
|Once Upon A Time, When I Had A Pot Belly
|Weirdest Sleeping Posture I Have Ever Seen
|My Personal Favorite!
|My Son Bored Him To Death With His Keyboard Skills!! :P
|I Can Sleep Anywhere
|From A Different Angle
|No, My Leg Isn't Broken
|I Sometimes Sleep With My Eyes Open
|One Couch Wasn't Enough!


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#ESNS16 In opmaat naar Grunnsonic met: KIN
"We like hard grooves and strange little noises and time theory - does that help?"
Geen kaarten voor Eurosonic Noorderslag kunnen regelen? Geen nood. In opmaat naar Eurosonic Noorderslag stellen we zoveel mogelijk noordelijke acts aan je voor die op Grunnsonic zullen spelen. De concerten zijn gratis toegankelijk en het talent ligt er voor het oprapen! Aan de hand van een paar vragen, foto's en uiteraard muziek, maak je hier kennis met de Grunnsonic-acts. Vandaag stellen we je voor aan: KIN.
Waar en wanneer spelen jullie tijdens ESNS/Grunnsonic?
We play January 14th in Warhol at 23.00 hours.
Wat voor muziek maken jullie?
This is a hard one. The press release says post-rock, trip-hop, dream-noise. We play guitars. We like hard grooves and strange little noises and time theory. Does that help?
Hoe is KIN ontstaan en hoe lang bestaat de act al?
We started doing things together in 2011 after Kim moved to Groningen from Manchester; developed from a backing band for KIN, the solo project, to KIN the band about two years ago. We've been making stuff as such since then.
Wie is jullie muzikale held en waarom?
There are really too many to name and it depends which one of us you speak to. Mine (Kim R. Foster) would be Deerhoof. They have a way of throwing something that you've never heard before in with something you've heard a billion times. They have tension and release down to an art. They can be political without sounding pious. They can be witty without being whimsical and arty without being pretentious dicks. Utterly friendly people too.
Wat heeft 2015 de band gebracht?
We released our first album together, SLOWTV in September. It managed to receive a 5 star review in Music Maker and some other nicely written praise. It's come as some surprise that we're actually still happy with the album. Some other people seem to genuinely like it too. So that's nice. Before that, we wrote a song for Groninger Museum called Horses Get Restless which is kind've about PTSD and kind've not. We also got to perform in the museum itself which was a strange but rewarding experience. Then, we took part in the 2015 edition of Popronde and got to see the inside of a nice handful of strange venues across the vast, farmed and flat landscape of the Netherlands. We played some lovely support slots and a few shows besides that while gathering some very kind support along the inebriated way.
Wat zijn de plannen voor 2016?
We're already writing the next album and plan to start recording at some-unnameable-point in 2016. In-between, we want to hit some nice festivals and play as many shows as we can stuff in our mouths. That way, we can hopefully keep the learning curve pointing upwards and get better at what we do.
Waarom moet iedereen naar jullie optreden komen?
Because they would like their brains to be broken by our massive bass, orchestral-type guitars and driving breaks. In a friendly way.
Wat hopen jullie dat Grunnsonic jullie zal brengen?
Self-release is all very noble and everything but that extra support with the launch of our current album would have been most welcome. So, if anyone of that ilk happens to be around and happens to stumble into Warhol on a Thursday night and happens to find some enjoyment in what we do and at least seems nice, then…
Waar in Groningen zouden jullie graag (nog) een keer willen optreden en waarom?
Vera is probably our favourite but we play there supporting New Madrid on 8th January. Any Lepel Concert too. We'd do that again in a heartbeat. Besides that, maybe something in the Martinitoren. We could install a PA at the top, poking out over Grote Market; put the amps and drum kit on the steps as you go up and compose some sort of grime/gabba opus that we will then proceed to shower over the unsuspecting heads of the hard-working people of the city.
Welke andere lokale act die ook op Grunnsonic staat, vinden jullie tof en waarom?
We like Santa Fé. Because they're lovely and they make that clever kind of psych-pop that sticks deliciously to your brain for days even after just one listen.


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Yesterday, a piece I wrote about Hillary's popularity in Pennsylvania, actually made it onto The Huffington Post. Could Hillary Save the Day in PA? Woot! While David and the rest of the SUPRC team certainly deserve just as much credit (if not more) for painstakingly designing and executing a great study, I'm also very happy that I was able to express our findings in a Huff-tastic way.
Friday, October 1, 2010
I made The Huffington Post!
Posted by Jason at 6:04 AM 0 comments
Monday, September 6, 2010
Credit Card Minimums Killed the Radio Star
The corner store down the street from me in the North End recently raised their credit card minimum to $15. I like them and their prices are fair, but I often find myself schlepping to the grocery store or going without rather than spending the minimum. For the bakeries and sandwich shops near by it's a similar story.
I want to shop these stores, but the high price of using my plastic keeps me away and that's usually all I've got on me.
A lot of people are happy to shop local, they find real and emotional benefits from supporting their neighborhood stores. Further, most people understand that credit card companies aren't exactly doing these business any favors. But, at the end of the day, especially these days, people are living on budgets and thinking with their wallets—and minimums are driving sales down and leaving customers with a frown.
It's tough to compete with larger businesses like Dunkin Doughnuts and CVS that can absorb credit card fees. On the other hand, it's tough for consumers not to get upset when they only want a Coke and an candy bar, but find themselves without any cash.
Until recently charging minimums has been against the contract that Visa and MasterCard make small businesses sign in the first place. Though it's likely this rule will soon change. So that's great news for small businesses, especially when you consider that according to The National Association of Convenience Stores: "its members paid $7.4 billion in swipe fees last year, making it the second-largest industry expense after labor."
Then again, no one likes spending more than they have to. And, as people continue going cashless there is a simple problem facing these local businesses: the more customers are forced to pay minimums, they more they may choose not to shop at all.
On a back road in upstate New Hampshire I came across a small convince store with a very simple solution: "if you spend under $10 with a card," a sign at the register read, "we accept 25 cent donations to cover the cost." I was surprised and delighted with this option. I didn't have to spend more than I wanted to, and I felt like I was investing in this store—who doesn't like helping out the little guy?
These types of solutions are what small businesses need to retain and grow their customers. It's great to appeal to the best in people, but it's also offering a benefit for them. On the one hand they get their purchase relatively hassle free and on the other they have made an investment in your business they can feel good about.
Final Thought:
Getting a Facebook fan page or Tweeting coupons are both tactics in a larger strategy of engaging your customers in a more human way. But there's no reason we can't practice this idea more during face-to-face interactions as well. My advice on this, look your customers in the eye, explain the issue and let them into the solution.
Posted by Jason at 7:16 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Net neutrality, the free speech issue of our time.
The Internet is a series of tubes. Or at least it used to be. As the "information superhighway" emerges from adolescence, you and I may soon find ourselves relegated to the heavy traffic on the right, while those willing and able to pay more enjoy their own, faster diamond lane.
Simply, we have just lived through the Golden Age of the Internet. The days of free and equal access (to say nothing of anonymity) may soon whiz by us altogether.
You remember it, don't you? The mid 1990′s through the 2010′s when "cyber space" was a wild west of land grabbing, domain name snatching, de-facto anonymity and poorly-designed websites. It was a place for chitchat on message boards, chat rooms and AIM, with few users (comparatively) and little corporate investment.
Today, clearly it's more. Difficult to define, it is a resource, a commodity, a necessity. A more developed, faster Internet with a more tech savvy, e-literate audience has opened communication and increased information. It has reshaped commercial activity and social interactions. It has fundamentally altered the landscape of our culture.
It is inseparable from our lives.
When the buzz on Twitter makes the gossip columns, nightly news, and the papers, you know it ain't how it used to be.
But, you knew all that, right?
Because until we admit to ourselves just how important the net has become, it's impossible to understand the importance of net neutrality.
The New York Times explains it like this:
"The concept of 'net neutrality' holds that companies providing Internet service should treat all sources of data equally. It has been the center of a debate over whether those companies can give preferential treatment to content providers who pay for faster transmission, or to their own content, in effect creating a two-tier Web, and about whether they can block or impede content representing controversial points of view."
The Internet's future isn't hard to predict in general terms. News, entertainment, opinion, discussion and commerce will continue flooding our screens and gushing forth from our notebooks, pads, desktops and phones.
You should care about this issue because it will determine if you get equal access to what others are saying, and that others have equal access to what you say. If net neutrality fails, in some instances, access to information online may become limited due to slower speed; in others, access may be denied entirely because of contractual disputes or blocked because of political disagreements.
I get my Internet from Verizon, and Comcast owns NBC. Unchecked, it's possible that one day I could wake up and find I'm blocked from watching "Dateline" and "The Office." Access to a political blog with opinions unfavorable toward Verizon could become subtly or blatantly blocked to me, too. My favorite "mom and pop" website will be outpaced by Target online.
Suddenly, that's news, entertainment, opinion and products I'm unable to access.
I don't trust anyone to tell me what I can and cannot read, watch or hear. Further, I don't trust for-profit companies to care about my equal right to information. I don't think they are inherently bad, they just really don't care.
And that's fine.
But, we need a mechanism to ensure that access to information, in terms of literal access and in terms of speed, remains equal.
In the future, speed will influence everything. And so even a subtle discrimination like lower speeds will, in part, determine access. And access determines which voices are heard and which are not. We have become our own editors, determining what we feel is important and sharing that with others. I don't think many people would embrace going back.
Recently, Congress announced they would begin re-examining the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which essentially governs the entire communication industry in the U.S. The fourteen-year-old act barely mentions the Internet, and yet remains the regulatory framework for just about everything from obscenity and violence in the media, to telecommunication, broadcast and cable services, to anti-trust rules for the industry.
More recently, Google and Verizon together proposed a model for the future of net neutrality that have caused many to become uneasy. Especially as some claim that Google is back peddling from it's former hard line position in favor of net neutrality.
As Congress begins to re-write these laws, and as interest groups and corporations begin to lobby for a new architecture and design for how we communicate, I urge you to think carefully about what net neutrality really means.
Senator Franken, an advocate for net neutrality, wrote his take on the issue for CNN.com:
"The internet was developed at taxpayer expense to benefit the public interest. If we let corporations prioritize some content over others, we'll lose what makes it so valuable to our economy, our democracy and our daily lives.
Net neutrality may sound like a technical issue, but it's the key to preserving the Internet as we know it — and it's the most important First Amendment issue of our time."
TL:DR – Here's a fun video made by SaveTheInternet.com!!
Originally posted on tngg.
Posted by Jason at 7:22 PM 0 comments
Friday, June 18, 2010
Gen Y waiting for our defining moment
All the videos on YouTube are the same. There is no countdown, or fan fair, just late night TV that cuts to static at 11:59 p.m. A widely known, but ultimately little noticed, event last year was the switch from analogue TV to a purely digital system on June 12, 2009. The newly available frequencies will be used primarily for expanding wireless communication networks. Hooray for smartphones!
Flash back 24 years. Growing up in a thrifty New England household meant I never had cable TV. Instead, while nearly all my friends enjoyed cable, I became an expert at fiddling with bunny ears to catch those now non-existent signals for my Saturday morning cartoons. It was awful.
One unforeseen upside to this nine channel purgatory was an education in syndicated television. That is, the stories of older generations. The value of having seen nearly every episode of shows like M*A*S*H, Leave it to Beaver and All In The Family is an appreciation that the issues of the Boomers and Xers are no longer in Gen Y's cultural lexicon, right along mimeographs…
And thank god!
Further, most of us were too young to understand the real significance of even fairly recent shows like Murphy Brown and Will & Grace, which broke new ground with their portrayal of working women and the terribly controversial issue of gay-ness. To Gen Y these things are just the norm. Strong women and homosexuals on television have never been a "thing" for us the way it was for older generations.
Many important events from our early lives are not really part of our identity either. We never experienced the Cold War, the AIDS pandemic in its full swing here in the U.S., or the economic recession of the late 80s and early 90s. For many of us, 9/11 was our first defining moment. But, at that time the oldest among us were in high school or just graduating from college — and so I ask: how long did we truly live in a pre-9/11 world? I'd argue few Millennials ever really did.
We Millennials understand the world from the 2000s forward. And many of us don't see the threads that connect us to the twentieth century. I blame the schools. When the Berlin wall came down, when the "third wave of democracy" was setting Africa on the right track, when globalization was the zeitgeist, we were playing with snap bracelets and Pogs.
Generations are united and defined by their collective experiences, and for Gen Y there isn't a lot to point at, yet. If anything, we're still constantly forced to deal with the cultural baggage of our predecessors. Though, what generation doesn't?
The issues of racism and homosexuality that past generations dealt with have never been a cutting issue for us. Yes, immigration and gay rights are still heated topics here in the U.S., but you look a the numbers and Gen Y isn't very split on these issues. According to Pew Research: "In their political outlook, they are the most tolerant of any generation on social issues such as immigration, race and homosexuality."
This isn't to say that we don't have our problems, we do. However, we are a group, with experiences, values and issues unique to our time. Gen Y begins in 1978 at the moment when the birth rate begins to increase again, indicating that we are the children of the Baby Boomers. A lot of people dismiss generation theory as silly, but I don't think so.
We began how the world shaped us. That is, we owe much of our identity and values to the work and struggle of past generations. On the other hand, I think that we are something quite different because we have shed much of their baggage, and now look back on it with some amount of confusion. Our concerns are shaped by the subjects of "now" and "new".
So go ahead and ask anyone in my generation: "Did you watch the TV go to static?" I bet I can tell you the answer.
Originally posted on tngg.
Photo by melisdramatic
Posted by Jason at 7:19 PM 0 comments
Monday, April 19, 2010
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
From Troy Michigan to Mid-Town Manhattan, milk men are making a comeback. But home delivery is just part of a larger trend of people going local, and it's starting to go big. Post-recession many attitudes have reset, and a growing number of people are becoming increasingly concerned about the health of the products they buy, the environmental impact of their lives and feel genuinely good about supporting local businesses and organizations.
It all started with food. And, while organic food has recently made it onto most grocery store shelves, the movement originally developed from locally oriented co-ops and communities supporting independent organic farmers. People concerned with natural food have been shopping at farm stands for years, and for this community local is a part of their DNA. And, now that organic has become mainstream these core values are making their way into the popular consciousness along with the products themselves.
The perceived benefits of shopping locally go beyond concerns of quality and freshness. The trend appeals to their attitudes about the importance of community and living green. Shopping locally mitigates the environmental impact of moving food thousands of miles and thus concerns about carbon footprints. It also fulfills a desire to support small farmers and the local economy. These "localvores" find practical and emotional benefits buying local.
Grounded in a strong core of "believers," this trend is steadily growing. Beyond organofiles and environmentalists, foodies and moms are getting into the trend, too. Today, people shop 5,000 farmer's markets across the country, the result of more than 5% annually for the past five years, and "nearly 60% of consumers say they try to shop at a farmers market."
But, local isn't just for fruit stands and apple picking. A new and unlikely champion of the local movement, Walmart is stepping up its efforts to support locally grown food in order to compete with stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Aggressively supporting not only organic, but local farms as well, "Walmart says it wants to revive local economies and communities that lost out when agriculture became centralized in large states." With major support like this, the local movement has serious potential for scale.
Beyond the dinner table initiatives are gaining ground encouraging consumers to buy locally grown goods and services. Earlier this year Business Week wrote that, "About 130 cities or regions now host 'buy local' groups, representing about 30,000 businesses, up from 41 in 2006." Fueling this growth are organizations such as Local First, the 3/50 Project (begun just last March) and 10Percentshift.org, which aim to educate consumers about thinking locally with their wallets and the big impact that small shifts in spending can have on their towns and neighborhoods.
Local is making waves in politics as well. A recent Zogby poll found that "52% [of people] paid the same amount of attention to local and national races," and groups like Tea Party and Coffee Party USA show it's clear people getting engaged, too. Spreading online, these organizations are growing locally with chapters and meetings in towns and cities across America.
Finally, from organic tea to tea parties, localvores and local activists may be more plugged in than you think. A recent study by Pew Internet suggests that, contrary to popular belief, "many internet technologies are used as much for local contact as they are for distant communication." Further, evidence shows a strong correlation between digital literacy and local engagement that's becoming increasingly apparent among young people, indicating some serious potential for continued growth. It's no secrete that services like CoupMe, Boston Tweet, Yelp and Four Square are making a serious impact by re-connecting people to their neighborhoods.
Implications for Brands:
1. Consumer's have a new definition of healthy food. Beyond quality they are concerned with the health of the environment and their local economies.
2. Localvores derive real satisfaction from "living responsibly" and have a strong desire for community involvement.
3. Larger brands may find it particularly difficult to establish authentic and believable associations with locally minded consumers.
4. People are finding new ways to translate their virtual communities into real life groups, thus one of the best ways to reach locally minded consumers may be through Google and online forums.
Posted by Jason at 10:02 AM 0 comments
Labels: Buy Local, Community, Local, Localvores
Monday, April 12, 2010
Content is a right, not a DVD
How many times should I have to buy a DVD? In an ideal world, just once.
I don't look at movies or music the way I used to. I think it happened at about the same time I ripped all the music from my CDs to my computer, because suddenly I had two copies: one real and one digital. As long as it doesn't explode (fingers crossed), that content is on my computer forever. With everyone doing this now, I'm going to assume other people are seeing content differently as well.
Virtual and hard copies of content aren't on equal footing. Should my notebook burn down, I still have the CDs as back ups. iTunes not only doesn't send a CD (I mean, I'm paying full price and I'd just rip it anyways, so can you just send me the 15 cent disk?) or offer me more than a single download. Plus, my CDs have a sentimental value and they are something physical I can hold and love (unless my computer was burned due to a larger house fire...). No matter how digital I get, a hard copy is something I will value more because virtual content feels secondary, frail and less real.
As a result, I don't value virtual content very highly, and I'm often appalled when I see iTunes is charging full price. I think this is probably a big driver of illegal downloading--I don't know if people really feel they are "stealing" as digital copies are not considered as valuable--because, you can't download a real car, or a real DVD. I refuse to pay full price for a one time download.
If content is a right, not a DVD, I think we need to reevaluate some things.
Posted by Jason at 6:36 AM 0 comments
Labels: Media Habits, TNGG, TV
Monday, April 5, 2010
TV's Missed Opportunity
Right now people are watching more premium content than ever, take Net Flix, Hulu, iTunes/ Amazon and then pile on illegal downloading and you have more eyes than ever before. This is an opportunity for premium content producers, e.g. TV networks, movie studios, but unfortunately it's not being framed that way. The business problem is how to monetize those eyeballs. And, while ad rates remain low on sites like Hulu it seems that pay walls are the only answer.
I'd argue that there is a better way.
First, I think sites like Hulu need to get more research on how their ads are watched. I've found that most people I know settle in to watch shows on Hulu, and the very same people that fast-forward on their DVRs are watching the two minute ads on Hulu. Further, most audiences accept that watching ads with your TV show is part of the deal, and most viewers are down with watching them.
Second, premium content needs a business model that's a little more creative. And, as content becomes increasingly detached from specific channels, there should be a greater focus on attaching ads and building revenue on the content itself.
For example, allowing for free downloads with commercial breaks built in, perhaps they could even update periodically? Or give users an interactive experience that unlocks programming via engaging with brands. We could create a whole new type of ad format/ interactive experience for online viewing--like movie trailers (very much enjoyed) make online ads part of the whole viewing experience. Lastly, could we reach out to people who have already downloaded illegally, asking them to register their copies if they enjoy the shows, or to watch ads to help support them?
Finally, people care a great deal about their shows. They feel a sense of personal ownership with the programs they love, and beyond just wanting free programming would also seek to preserve it if given a chance or a way to show their support.
My point is this. Consumption is up, way up. Along with these new habits people also have greater emotional investments in the programs and movies they watch. But, the more the industry denies access the more eyeballs they lose to illegal consumption. Instead, they need to harness the new passion for premium content people have and get creative about making money with all those eyeballs, whatever screen they are on.
Update: A great piece by Carol Phillips on Millennial Marketing cites my article on this topic recently published by TNGG.
Posted by Jason at 6:32 AM 0 comments
Labels: Premium Content, Social Media, TNGG, TV
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Consumer Bashing
I get asked about my career choice a lot. One of the best moments in my life thus far was the first time I got to say, "I work in advertising," when asked by a stranger what I did. One of the worst was right after, when he replied, "So, you're into lying to people for a living?"
It's no secret that advertising isn't highly regarded as a profession. I could say that I agree, and that would be easy. Certainly there is enough bad advertising out there for me to point at and say, "no that's not me." And I often do. I read Ad Busters, and sometimes I agree.
On the other hand, I think it's important to call some things out.
First, chill out, because bad advertising is nothing new.
And, I empathize, I really do. That Toyota, "Saved by Zero" ad was one of the most obnoxious things I've ever seen. But, it's partly our fault as consumers that this happens. When we live in a country that freaks out over part of Janet Jackson's nipple or with blogger moms offended by a Motrin campaign, it's not exactly easy for agencies to convince their clients to go out on a limb creatively. Our society is just as much to blame for bad ads as advertisers themselves.
Second, people are really lazy. Consumers are so used to commercials putting information right in front of their faces, that they've grown to rely on it.
Standing in a CVS aisle looking for deodorant, apart from advertisements you've seen, how much independent knowledge do you have about the category? Almost none. Maybe you chose based on what your dad buys, the cheapest, the best looking label or the brand you're used to—but you have almost no independent knowledge outside of what's right in front of you other than ads. It's like a 20-year-old shopping for wine. "Well I've heard of Yellow Tail..."
So, before you complain to me, just think about the last time you read up on toothpaste. I thought so.
Finally, not too many people pay for content. Anyone who has donated to Wikipedia can claim absolution here I suppose, but the rest of us just aren't supporting the things we like. We expect free, and ads come with that. Even on things like Facebook and Twitter, there's no such thing as a free profile.
If you've made it this far without throwing your computer out a window, let me say, I'm not claiming that any of this makes up for all the evils of advertising, even if you do buy the "necessary evil" argument. Also, there is good advertising out there, and it's worth your time. So go find an ad you love, and one you hate, then we can talk.
Edit: If you're still not convinced, check out some of these ads.
Posted by Jason at 1:13 PM 0 comments
Labels: Ad Busters, Advertising, Necessary Evil
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sex Ed vs Censorship
Sex and Gen Y is a messy subject, if only because not that many people want to be open and honest about their kids getting it on. My latest post on The Next Great Generation (TNGG), Does Pornography Always Objectify?, was posted as part of Sex Week -- where we explored some of the issues surrounding sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, relationships etc., for Gen Y. On the surface it may not appear that we ever had a 1960s style sexual revolution, but if sexting and internet porn are taken into account, we certainly had one and it was virtual.
There's a lot this revolution has influenced in terms of how Millennials think, and among other things it's led to a greater acceptance of sex on mains street. Though certainly not everyone agrees this is ok. The core idea of the article is, that while some of us disparage hyper sexual images in advertising and in the media at large, the fault is not inherent to the image. That is, there's nothing wrong with pictures of boobs... as long as we talk about boobs too.
And, while we must be cautious of things that may stunt or hinder the healthy development of girls, and boys (let's not forget them), that censoring sexual images is probably not the answer if we want real results: healthy, balanced adults. As a culture we run away from sex, but maybe if we just confronted it head on, talked about it, talked about our values etc.; we'd likely see much better outcomes than what we get from teaching our kids abstinence only or not letting them watch south park or anything on MTV.
Photo Credit: 8136496@N05
Posted by Jason at 7:58 AM 0 comments
Labels: TNGG
Monday, February 1, 2010
Dear Retailers: Your Biggest Fans are Working for You
Young people are typically treated as a disposable, easily renewable commodity when it comes to working mall retail and other teenager appropriate, "unskilled" jobs. Unfortunately, us kids have a reputation for being unreliable, and compounded by the fact that we're are available only during holidays and after school, it's no wonder employers don't see fit to invest more time and effort in us young workers.
But, one glaring misconception on the part of companies hiring gen y-ers is that we'd rather not be there. In truth it's quite the opposite. We're often your biggest fan!
I worked at a coffee shop when I was in High School and with only a few full time employees they relied heavily on a staff of young people. We were paid very little (around $6.50/hr), made to pay for our drinks and food, and no tips were allowed. In spite of all this we all loved our jobs and wanted the shop to do well. Yet, we were often treated by the management as if our next shift would be a "no call no show." Despite our friendship and desire to do a good job the attitudes of our managers became a self fulfilling prophecy and drove many people away.
Employers would do well to consider that often young people want to do well at their jobs and have a deep desire to establish a place where they feel they belong. We develop an emotional attachment to the store and the other employees we work with, but need to feel we are valued and respected as well.
I explore this issue in more detail and offer some suggestions of what employers might improve in an article published on TheNextGreatGeneration.com, Dear Retailers: Your Biggest Fans are Working for You. Check it out and leave a comment!
Posted by Jason at 7:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: Clothing Retail, Generation Y, Holiday Hippos, Millennials, The Gap, The Mall
Friday, January 29, 2010
Online is Real Life, Too
Online or virtual life gets a bad rap for being less than real, which is weird as we're essentially labeling social media as antisocial. It keeps us away from our real life social circles and robs us all of face-to-face time the advocates of real life argue. And, while they make a good case, certainly some people are on their computers far too much, I think they also do a disservice to a very important point: real life and virtual life do not need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, they have great potential to augment one another.
Yesterday I spent just about all day inside my apartment working on writing articles, editing others and watching a good amount of TV with my roommate. Under normal circumstances I would have had contact with just one person, but instead I was periodically chatting on twitter, sharing articles to read and posting on a few friend's Facebook walls to touch base. What's so wrong with that? I think my life is considerably better as a result and I see these people much more in real life because of these interactions.
I've put down some of these ideas in a much more cogent form in an article published yesterday on thenextgreatgeneration.com, titled (the same as this) Online Is Real Life, Too -- If your'e interested check it out and leave a comment.
Posted by Jason at 8:54 AM 0 comments
Labels: Social Media, TNGG, Virtual Life
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Since when is "social media" just a Facebook fan page?
Ad Age recently named Mother, New York agency of the year. And while the article covers much of their recent work, which is all very interesting stuff, one of their ideas in particular really caught my eye:
"For Target, Mother recaptured the marketer's design-oriented sunniness with a nine-faced Times Square billboard-turned-product. The agency recruited four New York artists to create the 20,000 square foot poster and then, adding a green/design/turn-your-marketing-spend-into-revenue twist, the agency repurposed the vinyl into 1,600 mini works of art, each available for purchase on Target.com, and then re-re-purposed each piece into a handbag designed by Anna Sui. The handbags sold out in a week."
On the same day, other news comes from Ad Age that P&G is planning to invest heavily in making Facebook a big part of its marketing plan.
"'P&G's explicit goal for 2010 is to assure that each of its brands has a meaningful presence on Facebook, and they are willing to pay dearly for that,' Mr. Hornik wrote. 'And while P&G's thought leaders expressed some skepticism about the efficacy of Facebook's "engagement ads," they certainly view Facebook as a must-have for digital advertising and brand building.'"
What jumped to mind after reading these two articles was that both of these "ideas" could probably benefit greatly from the other.
With a stronger Facebook strategy Target could have facilitates spreading news about their event/ stunt/ product to fans of the brand and a wider audience in general. I really like Target and I would have enjoyed hearing about this, but I didn't. It's a great story and there's no reason they couldn't have told it on Facebook and other social media platforms. Why limit the exposure of this event to NYC when your customers are all over the world and connected? Even if I don't buy a bag just knowing about them elivates the brand's identity in my mind.
On the other side, P&G might incorporate Facbook into their marketing plan, but unless they have something more to bring to the table other than a fan page, contest or quirky app I just don't know if anyone is going to care. Why on earth would I friend P&G? Tide or Duracell? The unspoken transaction that advertising trades entertainment for attension is just as true online as off. People want something interesting and fun, and just because they are sitting at their computers all day doesn't mean they want to feel that way. Social media is a channel or a tactic for disseminating a message, and not much of a message in itself.
I think this all ties back into the discussion of what creativity means in a digitally connected world. I don't think you need to be on social to be social--but, if you want to be successful on the social media channel it seems that we need to think about the conversation and what it means to be conversational.
Posted by Jason at 12:05 PM 1 comments
Friday, January 15, 2010
Scion's Missed Opportunity
It might not make sense for every brand to jump head first into social media and start conversing with their customers (though for many it does). Yet, with the widespread adoption of this new platform the dynamic of marketing has changed, and campaigns designed without the existence of these conversations and communities in mind will undoubtedly fall short.
Scion's marketing efforts toward hip hop and graffiti groups offers a great example of how misunderstanding the way targets interact online, even when engaging them elsewhere, can lead to negative results and missed opportunities.
What not to do:
A few years ago Scion rolled into Scribble Jam, an annual Hip Hop and graffiti festival, on a mission to promote their message of individuality. With several graffiti painted cars and carefully produced fliers about the 'indie-ness' of their brand, it was by all accounts a text book street-team style operation and a fantastic failure; the 'graf' community was underwhelmed, to say the least, at the relevance of Scion's message and its poor understanding their community.
Some background on the graffiti community:
To say they are rebels is an understatement. Getting caught for painting can easily lead to more jail time than a sexual assault conviction and the lengths to which these artists go to complete pieces in obscure, unreachable places is unreal. They put themselves at great personal risk for their art, their name, and "sticking it to the man."
They paint, among other things, freight cars. And, most are careful never to paint over tracking numbers so that the cars keep running. As various pieces travel the country other graffiti artists, along with another group of people dedicated to tracking and documenting graf, snap pictures and post them online.
But they're not posting on Facebook; the graffiti community was online before Frienster, using forums to trade painting tips and pictures. The online component of their community is largely responsible for the shaping and growing the real world community that exists today.
What could have been:
Graffiti artists are anti-establishment, read ad busters and have no love for marketing. And this is how I'd sell them Scion.
Arrive with a fleet of blank, white cars and offer them to the painters as open canvases. No brochures.
Take the best cars from scribble jam along with a few others tagged by well know graf artists and take them off the road. Place them in prominent spots where graffiti is typically found; under bridges, on the roofs of building, on flat bed train cars mixed in with freight. Then do nothing.
Because tracking and sharing found graf online is such an important aspect of the community there's no need to build flashy micro sites or a fan page on Facebook. When members of the community see the cars word will spread. The unique look of Scions makes the brand unmistakable and the message is a powerful, silent endorsement of the community's work and culture.
Take away:
I'm sure there are ways to drastically improve my plan, but the core of my argument is about the importance of research, and how online communities aren't just online. The media ecosystem is clearly more complex these days and the value a social agency provides is much more than creating a twitter strategy or improving SEO (though this is essential as well). An agency versed in social understands how social media networks work and how their target interacts with them. This is the type of insight your brand needs today.
Is your agency fluent in social?
Posted by Jason at 9:38 AM 0 comments


text:
Soloing the hard lane against a trilane or strong dual lane can be very difficult for inexperienced players to deal with. In pubs it tends to happen when someone on your team jungles forcing you to solo by yourself.
For many average players the following scenario usually plays out:
The creeps are near the enemy tower and you can't even get into exp range. They deny hard too so the creeps never come towards you. After a few minutes of doing nothing you start to get frustrated and try to be more aggressive. This just leads to you dying and setting yourself back even more. Maybe you start raging at your team for someone to come help you. Or you go into another lane to mess things up.
You've probably encountered players who have done this before or maybe even you could be that player. In any case, here are some tips should you find yourself soloing against a tough lane:
1. NOT DYING should be your top priority.
You are already expected to get little to no farm while your opponents are going to have freefarm. Dying only widens this gap. Most average players die because of frustration. They get tired of sitting around doing nothing and make poor decisions. Do not give in and continue to play safe. By not giving them free kills you are already contributing something.
Stronger players tend to die because of greed. They try too hard to get a last hit or maybe they see a kill opportunity which causes them to be out of position. Do not give in to greed either. Any actions that can possibly get you killed should be avoided.
2. Understand what your hero is capable of doing in the lane.
Some heros can get away with more than other heros can. For example, Wind Runner can afford to be a bit more aggressive because if things go bad she can windrun away. Other heroes (melee, no escape skills) might just be forced to sit at the tower forever. Think about what your hero can do and act accordingly.
3. Understand what your opponent's heroes can do.
Knowing if their skills and damage can kill you is extremely important. Also know cast ranges so you can avoid getting stunned. Watch their behavior too. Most players start acting differently when they want to go for a kill.
4. Aim for a fast boots and Basilius (if posssible).
If your lane match up allows you to get some farm, getting boots quickly makes your time in lane a lot easier. The enemy supports usually will be too slow to be able to land their disables against you and you can outmaneuver them to gain more farm/exp.
Bas is good because it allows you to fight against early pushes on your tower with the aura on. It also provides a nice stream of mana for your hero. The armor is nice for mitigating the inevtiable harass as well.
5. Being under your tower doesn't mean it's safe.
If the enemy has creeps tanking tower hits, they can just go on you and get a quick kill. It's wise to keep a comfortable distance from the enemy heroes even when you're at your tower. Against some really aggressive heroes you might even have to go back to your second tower.
6. Consider rune checking and going for a gank.
If you're sitting at your tower and approaching the creeps will get you killed, you might be more productive by checking the rune and going for a gank on mid. Keep the creep position in mind because if you leave while the creeps reach your tower, you could be missing out on a lot of precious exp.


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happy puppet syndrome
Definition: a syndrome characterized by mental retardation, ataxia, hypotonia, epileptic seizures, easily provoked and prolonged spasms of laughter, prognathism, and an open-mouthed expression.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
© Copyright 2018 Wolters Kluwer. All Rights Reserved. Review date: Sep 19, 2016.


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Site about baby
Just like an adult! "" Saratak
scope and support each correctly perfect
action. You should think positively that you
RAWA approval. Do not think about what can not cope
smiling your child, keep in mind just what he
capable of. Already at the beginning of training praise baby yes
same for small successes. For example: "Sarah is already
panties, she just as much! "" Sara sat on mountains
shochek. Just like an adult! "" Saratak sits well
on the potty, "" Sarah dry panties, "etc.
Praise in early action
Each child must be performed action
meet approval from the very beginning.Read more -->
The girl told us that
weeks. The girl told us that she was discharged from the pathology
a week after my birth, but swelling in the legs and around the
body remained. A few days later she felt something bad,
it was chicken. By measuring the temperature and then the pressure
Anastasia found out for themselves that they greatly increased.
The girl immediately called the ambulance, and it again
was taken to the same hospital. Nastya and even went to the hospital
on "fast", its long made out at the front desk. For
this time she managed to pass a urine test (which sit at
admission to the hospital), and the laboratory
Mineral water
Her pregnant drink in any case should not be. Carbonated water contains synthetic chemicals, dyes, which may have an adverse effect on fetal development. Gases cause increased flatulence. Besides soda interferes with the absorption of calcium.
Mineral water
In trimester I can drink it without restrictions. It is desirable to give preference to the calcium chloride-water. In II and III trimester, follow the guidelines for limiting fluids.
For the treatment of mineral water you should drink 1 cup 3 times a day before meals.
Mineral water can be drunk as a remedy, but only on doctor's advice.Read more -->
When normal pregnancy
At the same time, increases white blood cell count, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Blood clotting increases - it prevents bleeding in the separation of the placenta during childbirth and some other complications.
When normal pregnancy blood pressure in the first trimester is usually reduced. And in the second and third trimesters, there are some changes in blood pressure. Together with other symptoms that may indicate an impending late toxicosis.
With the growth of the uterus compressed inferior vena Vienna, which causes deterioration of the venous outflow from the leg vessels and contributes to the appearance of varicose veins of the lower extremities.. . . Read more -->
Special attention to their
Special attention to their health should pay
Pregnant women who have at least some
problems with the heart, kidneys, blood vessels of the brain,
pressure, varicose veins, bronchial
asthma, allergies, blood diseases, etc.
Do not forget to visit the gynecologist and
specialists, do not hesitate to ask them arising
You tricky (in your opinion) questions. After all, baby,
you wear continuously for a long
time ( months) will be taken from your body all
building materials for his. That's why when
will be formed, or other body of the child or
vital function, many of you will feel
discomfort (eg, when formed
Frankly about childbirth
My thoughts
thyroid gland, can feel suffocation, pressure on
thyroid, when the lungs - a lack of oxygen, so. . . . Read more -->
General condition
It is believed that all the signs of late toxicosis - dropsy, nephropathy, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (all described below) - these are different stages of the same
Edited and published on the site: PRESSI (HERSON)
disease. From experience we know that if you do not treat dropsy, that then begin to grow consistently and other attributes.
Dropsy is usually treated at home. General condition usually does not deteriorate, except that accumulated fatigue. Woman sent to hospital only if the treatment does not produce results and swelling becomes too large. Recommendations are the same as in the treatment of edema (discussed above).
Remember: severe headache, flies in front of the eyes, faintness on the last months of pregnancy - is the basis for the call "emergency"!
Hydrops - more severe swelling than normal during pregnancy urine protein yet; blood pressure is usually normal.. . Read more -->
You immediately feel
A Now, continuing to breathe so same way, imagine that everything is all thoughts that fill your head, remained behind doors rooms, which you now are all anxious,
tension, fatigue - all left there. Your head is empty. And as light as air ball ...
And among this emptiness, continuing to breathe slowly and deep Concentrate their attention on fingers legs feel their and to exhale maximally relax, then that same most proceed with ankles, then go: knees, lower part abdomen, hands, elbows, chest, neck, lips, tip of the nose and eyes. Walk mentally on all these points, focusing their attention on They namely in This OK - bottom up - and relaxing as possible, these places. You immediately feel how were strained yours muscle. Particularly difficult, can be, will relax shoulders and eyes.Read more -->


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copy 1 file & without paste copy another file and so for multiple files or folders.. at the end just single click paste can all files or folders be pasted in specific location you want?
You can make a single "Copy" but you will need to open each folder or document to "Paste"... multiple pastes are not possible.
When you copy, it goes onto the Clipbook. It remains there until you either reboot or copy something else which replaces it. This is the reason why what you are asking cannot be done.
Please come back and let us know the outcome.
You can copy and paste with a single click from Windows Explorer.
To copy a group of files highlight the first file. Hold down the shift key and click the last file in the group. All files in between will be highlighted. You can them Right click on the highlighted files, copy and paste the whole group into a single folder.
Or you can highlight individual files by holding down the shift key and clicking each file in turn then Right click on one of the highlighted files and copy and paste all highlighted files.
All the source files must be in the same folder and the destination can only be a single folder. You can do the same thing with folders and all files within the highlighted folders with be copied to the destination using the same folder names,
So with a single paste you could copy the whole contents of a disk to another disk if the destination is big enough. The problem with this approach though is if an error should occur such a file is read only, then the paste will terminate with some files copied and some still..
Re #3.
Yes, that might be what the poster wants I suppose.
I read it that the requirement was to make successive copy commands across a range of folders, sub-folders and files in different places, which is precluded because each copy command overwrites the last (whether it was a single or multiple).
Mubashar Farooq
I recall some freebie clipboard replacement programs that can take multiple copies without overwrite (if that's what you want) - worth a Google search.
Here's one for starters (unverified):
Please come back and let us know the outcome.