228) Wash It Differently 2:52 PM

(Photo from PFSK.)

Quick post today, as I am swamped at work. Another example of doing it differently out of Munich, posted on PFSK. Take something as everyday and mundane as a laundromat and turn it into a site of social gathering. It takes what we all know to be true about doing laundry at a laundromat - it's a chore, it takes time, no one interacts with each other - and flips it on its head, simply by rethinking design and adding certain elements (lounge, coffee bar, etc). Combine with a neat site (English translation) and events to support the idea of the social hub, and you've got people calling a laundromat "cool."


(Photo from PFSK.)

227) Mass Like Suggestions 5:00 PM

A bit of a continuation of yesterday's post on Facebook fandom.

We've all gotten them. Those mass invitations by a Facebook friend to "Like" his/her band, company, brand they're working for, cause they're working with, etc. I get the sentiment behind it - in an effort to amass support for something you care about, you appeal to those you call friends on Facebook.

These invitations are conflicting to me, and a bit off-putting if I'm being honest. First, there's a difference between a good friend suggesting that I Like something that I would actually like, and a distant acquaintance suggesting that I Like something that's completely irrelevant to me. The mass invite approach is like a random spraying in the hopes that some actual fans will receive the message (PR people - sacrilege, no? You would never blast press releases to every and any editor you know). I'm not saying that each invite should be hand-crafted and tailored to me. The effort just comes off a little...ungraceful.

Second, there's an unstated expectation that people's friends will Like their cause irrelevant of whether they actually like it or not, but simply because they support them. For example, I may not really like "CANCUN PARTY BUS 2010" but may be inclined to click Like anyways to support the person behind the party bus effort. To me, this creates a conflict of interest. I think a person's collective Likes are a reflection of him/herself. The music, brands, books, movies, celebrities, causes, etc. that we opt into paint a picture of ourselves. If, among those, there are these friend-induced Likes, the reflection is somewhat inaccurate.

Random photo. I "Like" Kyli and she likes the sun. Taken earlier this year.

226) The Quality of Fandom 4:49 PM

I was thinking about Facebook fandom earlier today, and the true weight of the "Like" button. One of my fave strategists, Mike Arauz, wrote a great blog post back in 2009 titled, "Facebook Fans Aren't Really Fans." (Remember back in the day when you were a fan, not someone who "Likes" something?)

"Facebook has lowered the barrier to entry to being a fan to nothing more than a simple mouse click. The upside is that it makes it easy for the subject of the fandom to collect people who care. The downside is that being a fan of something on Facebook means about as little as it possibly could."

He outlines the different levels of fan participation:

"In this universe, Facebook has essentially created a distant satellite, floating out there in the ether beyond audience."

In this sense, Facebook's move from Fans to Likes more accurately describes the general sentiment when people click their support. However, the way that most brands use the Like button is by essentially bribing people with discounts or a chance to win something. I once worked with a brand who was shocked by the fact that their spike in Facebook fans or Likes steadily declined after the free sample promotion ended. People were willing to become an advocate while there was an incentive, but then quickly withdrew support once the incentive was taken away. In this way, the Like button creates a superficial, temporary and easily breakable tie to the brand.

This is not to say that the number of people who Like something is irrelevant, or that the Like button can't be used in creative ways. It's the quality of these fans that is in question. It would be interesting to figure out a way to tease out the hardcore fans among Facebook Likers.

(Mini aside - I turn 25 this Thursday. So far no quarter-life revelations, but I'll keep you posted.)

225) Small Business Saturday 6:34 PM

For those who managed to avoid American Express' media buy, today was the first ever Small Business Saturday. It was a branded day in support of small businesses everywhere. A quick look at their official Facebook page, and it's clear that all the elements that make for a well-rounded promotion were checked off. Let's take a look.


The idea that small businesses will save our economy. An underdog archetype that feeds our need to cheer for the little guys. Also, the use of the phrase "Join the movement." This is bigger than a one-day shopathon at the local grocer - it's a shift in mentality that will carry us into better days and a fruitful economy.



The "Like" button tied to a charity. AmEx will trade you brand advocacy for a dollar towards Girls, Inc.



Give props to your brand loyalists. An extra perk for AmEx cardholders.



Crowdsource content via social network platforms. Allows consumers to recognize and share their own independent finds, those local gems that we love.



Provide added value for the troops. AmEx educates small businesses on the ways of Facebook advertising. Also throws a bone to Facebook, the platform of choice for this effort.


This was just a dissection of the landing tab on the Small Business Saturday Facebook page - there's a lot more to explore within the other tabs. Judging from the number of comments on each Wall post, people are participating and supporting the cause. It'll be interesting to see how the actual small biz sales numbers shake out, especially given the fact that Small Business Saturday fell the day after Big Business Black Friday (This decision confuses me. Giving AmEx the benefit of the doubt and assuming there was a reason, not just a serious oversight in planning.) Overall, bravo AmEx.

One last snarky point: The irony is that small businesses are probably the least likely to accept AmEx. But perhaps that was part of reason for Small Business Saturday - to chum up with small biz so they'll be more willing to do business with AmEx. Sneaky ulterior motive?

224) Happy Black Friday 6:45 PM

I woke up this morning around 10:30AM, and my first thought was, "There are people in New York who've been up for six and a half hours." Followed quickly by, "There are people in California who've been up for three and a half hours."

Hats off to all the hardcore Black Friday shoppers who rose before the sun to get the best deals. I'd guess that more people are willing to get up early and deal with the madness in times when money is tight, though with online retail becoming more widely used, perhaps more people just stayed home and scored in their pajamas.

I ventured out to Soho around noon to bear witness. I've never seen so many employees shooting daggers out of their eyes, hating humanity in general. Who wouldn't with so many unruly customers to deal with? Hats off to them too.

Black Friday is such a funny cultural phenomenon. Watching people rush out in hoards to hand over their money on one designated day of the year. The feeling that you've saved money and thereby beat the system by putting in a little extra effort. The idea that despite the deep discounts, the numbers of shoppers will push companies into the black.

223) Think Thank Thunk 8:00 PM

Is it too cliché to make a list of things I'm thankful for? I feel the same way about Thanksgiving as I do January 1. It's a great sentiment to set aside a day to be thankful or to make resolutions, but ideally we'd be thankful every day, resolve to be better every day. But for some reason we (myself included) need a special occasion to do so.

In that spirit, here's this year's list, in no particular order:

1) Family and friends. Anyone who doesn't list family and friends as number 1 on their things-I'm-thankful-for list is considered a social pariah, the Grinch who flaked on Thanksgiving. In all seriousness, this year I am especially thankful for my family for all the support they've provided during my move, no matter how much they wish I was closer. And all my friends in CA who sent me off with dinners and well wishes, and who continue to check up on me. And my friends in NY who have welcomed me with open arms, helping me gain some semblance of footing in the city.

2) Johannes Leonardo. My freelance job keeps me sane. It lets me interact with awesome people on a daily basis. And they recognize me as a planner, which is the most amazing feeling.

3) Strength. Somehow I found it within myself to leave a great life in LA and move to NY sans job. It still sounds crazy when I type it out like that. (Probably shouldn't get into it - ironically not feeling that strong today as I spend my first Thanksgiving away from home. Thinking about what I left behind is making me weepy. Blah, I feel like every time I get down, I write about it, so it seems like I'm in a constant state of unhappy. It's quite the opposite, I swear!)

Hm, I didn't intend for the list to be so serious. I was going to throw in things like the 6 train, the wall of street art on Spring St. and Bowery, and chocolate croissants from Ceci-Cela. And of course, I'm thankful for everyone who reads The Plan. I started this blog for myself, but it's nice to know that what I write is being read, and that I'm not just talking to myself in some remote corner of the Internet.

Note on the photo - I partially curled my hair for the first time in over a decade for my adopted Thanksgiving dinner. It's mostly fallen out by now, but a surprisingly nice change of pace.

222) Edible Schoolyard Learnings 7:19 PM

(Photo from Volunteer Spot.)

I sped read through Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard for work a couple of days ago (I love that planning demands that I read. LOVE.) I was familiar with Waters' food revolution, but had never read any of her writing. The two maybe obvious yet still insightful points that came out of it:

1) Kids are infinitely more likely to eat food that they made with their own hands. There's a sense of pride, a sense of ownership that comes from being the chef (or sous chef). And in a broader sense, involving someone in the creation process makes them more invested, and more likely to have a favorable opinion of and continued engagement with the finished product.

2) The power of the table in bringing people together. The table is a place of commune, and the food, the social glue. Think of how many social get togethers involve food and drink.

It's been a long short week and I am insanely sleepy. I'm writing this from the office, comforted by the knowledge that I can sleep in tomorrow.

221) Level Fivers 7:01 PM

The office at which I'm currently freelancing is located on the 6th floor of an 11 or so story building. Almost every morning, I share an elevator ride with a person that one of my co-workers and I have come to call a "level fiver."

On the 5th floor of the building is the AIDS Service Center NYC's main program office. They offer free HIV testing and counseling services. Sensitivities aside, there is an ominous sense of dread and curiosity that comes over me when someone gets off on Level 5. Granted, not everyone who visits the center has AIDS. But observing the types of people who're going to a free clinic, you can tell their lives aren't easy. Mostly, they're older, possibly homeless or equally marginalized individuals.

When we think of AIDS, we think of epidemics in Africa. Unless you know someone personally, there aren't many places where we can identify those living with the disease, much less encounter them up close and personal.

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, or talk about patients like they're rare wild animals. And surely, there are those who don't share my limited exposure and knowledge, those who interact with HIV+ people every day. I consider myself a tolerant person, but out of ignorance and inexperience, I can't help feel a wave of pity mixed with a tinge of Denzel Washington's character towards the beginning of Philadelphia. ("Would you take a client if you were constantly thinking, 'I don't want this person to touch me,' 'I don't even want him to breathe on me.'")



My goal is to talk to at least a couple level fivers, if only to break down some of the stigma for myself. It also might be worth stopping by the center to see what kind of work they do. And when I step off at floor 5, I'll wonder what others in the elevator are thinking.

220) Rom-Com Formula 6:58 PM

(Not a spoiler - if you've seen the trailer, you know most of this. But if you want to 100% guarantee no spoilers, maybe stop reading as a precaution)

My cousin took me to see a free screening of Love and Other Drugs tonight. It fit nicely into that category of romantic comedies where the heroine is dying of something . Here's the general formula:

- An asshole of a protagonist. Selfish, slick, seemingly souless, and always a womanizer.
- A woman unlike any other. Quirky with a fortress built up around her, the heroine uses gratuitous sex to keep emotions at bay.
- The warning. A refusal by the heroine to commit, usually with the explicit directive, "You can't fall in love with me." Protagonist laughs off the warning - he's an asshole, remember? Assholes don't fall in love.
- Surprise! He falls in love, as does she.
- Heroine starts to look wan in scenes, possibly has some dark circles under eyes. Double surprise! She's terminally ill.
- A strange and touching melange of love and death. Protagonist always stays with the heroine, committing himself fully, even though he knows there is no future.

Other examples (few of many):

Sweet November


A Walk to Remember


And most recently, Restless


PS - Despite my sarcasm, the movie wasn't bad. Fun, fast-paced beginning. Lots of nude Hathaway and Gyllenhaal. Towards the end, the writing gets really rom-com-y though.

PPS - This is totally random, but in my morbid search for "romantic comedy cancer" I learned that LFO frontman Rich Cronin died of leukemia at age 36 this past September. Sad.

219) The New Bachelors 7:32 PM

Back in elementary school, it was all about the teeny bopper heart throbs. My friends decked their walls with ripped out headshots of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devon Sawa, N'SYNC, and the Hanson brothers. It was pure fantasy, much as I imagine, the modern day girl swoons over Justin Bieber.

In middle school, the athletes took over their hearts. JT Snow, Mike Dunleavy and the least unattractive player on the San Jose Sharks started to pepper their binder etchings.

Then in my senior year of high school, a couple girls in my class were involved with some of the founding programmers over at then startup, The Facebook. Since Zuckerberg and co. worked out of a house in Palo Alto, the local graduating females of Gunn High School were ripe for inviting to those infamous house parties depicted in The Social Network.

More and more frequently, I hear about my girl friends and distant acquaintances having flings or relationships with tech/social network/digital entrepreneurs. The heart throbs and sports stars of the past have given way to a new breed of bachelors. They're young, crazy smart, business-savvy, (rich), and the best part - seemingly attainable. Most, save Zuckerberg, manage to stay out of the spotlight, so much so that the layperson wouldn't recognize them on the street. (Here's a quiz, ladies: Can you name the founder of Digg? Of Reddit? Of Foursquare?)


Kevin Rose, founder of Digg. Photo from MTV Music Blog.


Aaron Schwartz, co-founder of Reddit. Photo from The Digerati Life.


Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare. Photo from All Things Digital.

Of course, the best part of this whole trend is the perception that before their rise to techie fame, these guys were not what you'd call eligible bachelors. Their imagined past, filled with lines of code, calculators, inadequate social skills, reclusive tendencies, and not a girl in sight. Whether or not this is actually the case, they play into the archetype of the nerd who grows up to be a successful billionaire and subsequently gets all the ladies.

218) Teeth Dreams 2:00 PM

I had one of those teeth falling out dreams last night. I know that teeth destruction dreams are fairly common, and that there are a myriad of theories out there as to why this is the case.

Here's how mine went. I was at my parent's house in Palo Alto, and all of a sudden I feel like I can wiggle my back teeth (left side, bottom) with my tongue. I start to panic, and tried to eat something in order to test my teeth (seemed like a good solution in the dream). Then all of a sudden, I can feel 5 or 6 loose teeth in my mouth, so I start spitting out into my hand. This is the really horrifying part, and like many teeth dreams, it was insanely realistic. I could (and still can) feel the texture of the loose molars rolling around in my mouth - their little grooves, all hard and enamel-y. The horrible gaps that the teeth left in my gums (flashbacks of my wisdom teeth removal). The absence of teeth in the usual line-up is one of the most startling and disturbing feelings.

What's frustrating about teeth dreams is that they are a common experience that no one can explain. Dream trends in general, I guess. But even within the category, teeth dreams are the most elusive. I can believe that flying dreams are a shared experience because we all imagine what the incredible rush of freedom inherent in flying like Peter Pan would feel like.

When it comes to teeth dreams, I've heard an assortment of varying theories. It can symbolize insecurity, a feeling of losing power, fear of growing older or less attractive, anxiety over a difficult decision, fear of rejection, impotence, yada yada yada. How our collective brains come to the same abstract manifestation of what's on our minds - something as obscure as stuff happening to our teeth, no less - is amazing.

217) Simply Education 6:03 PM

A lot of love for Google this week. Today, a fantastic education piece in the form of an interactive online book called, "20 Things I Learned About Browsers and The Web." We use the Internet everyday in this age of techno-digi innovation, yet only a small sliver of us are able to define it and its components (browsers, cloud computing, web apps, web programming languages, privacy, security, HTML and open source). It's like a collection of abstract concepts that are so above the layperson's head, that we can just float along, pretending to understand because no one really understands (myself included).

Enter Google and award-winning German illustrator and children’s author Christoph Niemann's whimsical illustrations. I adore the idea of brands putting content out into the world purely for the sake of education.

(Mini aside - Long week that went by at lightspeed, thanks to the daily go-go at the agency. Feels so good to be working again. Looking forward to a leisurely weekend. In general, feeling great about slowly but surely making everything I wanted happen for myself in NY, and about the move in general.)

216) A Visual Search Future 7:35 PM

I got pretty excited when I watched this Google Goggles video this morning. Goggles and visual search in general has been in the works for awhile, but it's been flying under the radar thus far. To me, visual search is one of those things we imagine when we close our eyes and think about the future. Sure, we've had barcodes for what seems like forever, and QR squares that are popping up everywhere. But with visual search we are able to strip away all the codes and deal directly with objects themselves.

Visual search is something you want to get right. A friend of mine commented that the current version of Shazam identified her heater as a dead animal. A glitchy visual search is worthless. That's why this video gave me hope - when big brands and their advertising teams get into something, the development curve tends to accelerate.

There is increasing talk about the melding of our on and offline worlds (quick shout out to Bruin Ad Team '08. AOL was a fool to let us go). Geo-location allows us to not only know where we and our friends are, but also to receive information relevant to where we are (targeted ads, Foursquare badges and Facebook Places discounts, etc). Google Goggles is another huge step in the intertwining of our digital and analog lives. The ability to seamlessly transition between what we see in the real world and relevant online content creates a platform for creativity to run wild. I can't wait to see what artists, brands, advertisers, game developers, etc. do with this technology.

215) No Right Answer 8:20 PM

I had a marathon interview today, and at one point I was asked one of those infamous brain teaser questions. You know, the ones of Google and Microsoft legend, the impossible ones without actual answers that are meant to test your thought process. I'd built those types of questions up in my head, afraid of what nervous chatter would spout from my mouth when put on the spot.

Surprisingly, I kind of enjoyed answering the question. I talked out loud as I thought, which is refreshing since you'd get some sideways stares if you did that in response to a standard interview question. I actually surprised myself in that my answer was a verbal representation of my problem solving skills, and the different angles at which I look at things. Since that process is usually internal, it's hard to be self-aware of it. Once you stop focusing on actually getting to an answer and focus more on how to get to said answer, it becomes a very telling exercise.

Now you try: How many ping-pong balls can you fit in a 747?

214) Visual Fandom 5:32 PM

(Image from KikScore.)

A lot of brands have embraced and incorporated the Facebook "Like" button into their digital promotions. Walmart has been getting a lot of positive press from their Facebook CrowdSaver Offers, in which an amazing Walmart-esque deal goes into effect only after enough fans have Liked the offer. This seemingly simple, low effort transaction is a tit for tat trade - visual brand advocacy for saved dollars.

Visual is the keyword. The Like button ensures that other people will be privy to your fandom. In Walmart's case, at least 5,000 people's news feeds will cheerfully announce that, "[Your name here] Likes Walmart CrowdSaver Offer Acer Aspire One 10.1" Netbook PC with Intel Processor and Windows XP Home." Ugh.

Here's another example. A few weeks ago I was excited to hear that there would be free ice skating at Bryant Park for one day courtesy of CLEAR 4G (there's nothing more romanticized to a CA native than ice skating outdoors in NY). The freebie required an RSVP, which to my annoyance came in the form of a Facebook Like. There was no ice skating for this New Yorker.

It used to be that brands asked for an email address in exchange for some goodie. Now all they need is some of your social media real estate. Maybe I'm alone on this one, but most of the time I'd rather give up my email address and have Gmail's spam filter work its magic than have something branded posted to my Wall. The same goes for Foursquare or Facebook Places check-ins. Even with the encouragement of in-store signage that tells me I'll get 5% off my purchase if I check-in, there's still an activation barrier that I can't get over. Sure, I want the discount, but most of the time not enough to 1) take the time to check-in on my phone, and 2) want everyone to know that I want the discount.

Judging from the success of Walmart's CrowdSaver Offers, and the number of brands jumping on the check-in train, there are those who are willing to deal with Wall clutter if it means a good deal. Maybe I'm just overly private and sensitive about feeling like I'm being used as a marketing tool. I'd love to see some numbers on success rates - ex. how many people checked in versus how many people entered the store.

213) Awkward Turtles 7:20 PM

(Mini aside - A small dose of corny before I begin tonight. I was thinking about what to write tonight, and searching through some old emails for inspiration (sometimes if something strikes me, I'll email myself). I came across the email I blasted to some friends and family when I first started The Plan. Reading everyone's responses and words of encouragement was a fantastic reminder of why I started writing, and how excited I was to start the project. So THANK YOU for your continued interest and support. It means so much!)


(Image from The Pallet Tribunes.)

I've always been fascinated by awkward social situations. Once you've gotten over the initial uncomfortable embarrassment over your public (or private) display for awkward, it's sort of fun to analyze. Awkward moments, while small snippets of one's overall day or life, have the power to unify us through our shared embarrassment. I'm not talking the full on mortification of farting in a silent elevator, or tripping and falling down the subway stairs (it's only a matter of time for me). Awkward social situations are more subtle, nuanced little hiccups that involve another person. Everyone can relate to that stilted feeling of awkward (have you ever seen a more perfect word? A "k" sandwiched between two "w"s is definitely awkward).

Some of my favorites:
- Waving to someone you think is waving to you, but is actually waving to someone behind you.
- That back and forth dance you do when you try to pass someone in a hall - you get trapped in this perfectly synchronized shuffle as you keep getting in each other's way.
- The ill-timed phone conversation sign off where each steps on the other's goodbye and you're not sure if they heard you, so you either accidentally hang up on them or wait silently until they hang up.
- Saying a heartfelt and prolonged goodbye to someone and then realizing that you're walking in the same direction as them. The second goodbye is always a ghost of the first.

Note on the image: The universal hand gesture for awkward turtle. The diagram above explains. I think it's the perfect iteration of awkward social situations. I have no idea what the characters mean, so hopefully it's an unoffensive how-to.

212) The Corporate Crowdsource 5:30 PM

Apparently it's crowdsourcing week here on The Plan, as the theme continues to come up post after post. I was watching last night's SNL on Hulu when I saw a commercial for Toyota's "Ideas for Good" initiative.



Corporate crowdsourcing campaigns have become more and more common, as big name brands with lots of moolah realize the value of not only positioning themselves as innovative do-gooders, but also the benefit of tapping into the public's brain power. They become the great benefactors, encouraging and funding ideas that will better the world. The "for the good of humanity" mantra runs strong through these campaigns, as does the thought that a good idea can come from anywhere. And to further involve the community at large, there is always a voting component wherein the public can give their input on which ideas deserve funding.

A few more recent examples:

The ongoing Pepsi Refresh Project. Answering the question, "Could a soda really make the world a better place?"


GE Ecomagination Challenge. GE partnered with venture capitalists to facilitate the connection of funding and crowdsourced ideas on how to build a new grid. For those interested, GE will be streaming the winners announcement live this Tuesday at 10AM EST.


At the end of September, Google announced the winners of Project 10^100, a two-year search for creative solutions to improving the planet.


All in all, the campaigns embody the same can-do spirit that Obama rode on into the White House. The we're-all-in-this-together positive mentality in the face of some tough times.

211) Wordling Away 12:57 PM

(Image from isism.org.)

Someone introduced me to Wordle the other day. It was one of those where-have-you-been-all-my-life (or rather, for the past few years - Wordle is nothing new). It's an easy tool for creating custom word clouds, which can be informative snapshots of general trending within text. The simple base idea is that the size of each word is relative to the number of mentions.

From the look of a Google image search for "Wordle," it's commonly used by bloggers to analyze their writing to see what topics keep coming up. Few paste in famous speeches like "I Have a Dream" for kicks, or news articles over time to see what the media deems important.

Here's the way I like to use it. Combine Wordle with crowdsourced consumer input - Yelp, Facebook, forums - and it paints a nice brand perception image. One thing to note - in order to eliminate clutter, it helps to scan through the text and eliminate neutral words. Customize the orientation, font and color of the cloud for a visually arresting and brand relevant final product.

210) Forgive Me, Father II 4:01 PM

Apologies for an abrupt ending to last night's post, I was distracted by an important phone call.

As I was saying, sin as selfishness. The whole concept of sin seems so antiquated, powerful only to those who believe. Reduced in the mainstream to the Pope's tirades against same-sex marriage, Las Vegas' pet name, and an advertiser's description of rich desserts.

I have to be honest with you - I have no idea where I was going with last night's post, and five and a half hours of sleep and a full day of work (see below!) hasn't shed any light. I thought I could meander my way through some random thoughts and hit on something, but no luck. Such is life.

(Mini aside - Big news though! I was brought on to freelance for a few weeks at a small agency called Johannes Leonardo. It feels great to be working again, especially in planning. I'm still interviewing and looking for a more permanent home in the meantime, but it's exciting to be applying the thinking and writing I try to practice here on an actual project. The thinking and writing that ironically, I'm falling flat on tonight.)

I leave you with something I thought was a great example of some uber-specific targeting. Yesterday, AgencySpy detailed Camel's latest line of cigarettes. Clearly aimed at the hipster crowd, these neighborhood-specific sticks are described like so: "It’s about last call, a sloppy kiss goodbye and a solo saunter to a rock show in an abandoned building.” Eek.

209) Forgive Me, Father 8:16 PM

Tonight I had dinner with an old friend (we went to the same school from kindergarten through college) and among other things, we had an interesting conversation about sin. It came up because I've been toying with the idea of going to confessional purely as a social experiment. What would I say? In my mind I have little to confess, though I'm sure stricter Catholics would beg to differ by their standards. And more interestingly, what would be the response? Ten hail Mary's and I'm good to go? Or advice from a sagely spiritual guide?

To begin with, it's amazing that the importance of talking, of getting things off your chest was recognized so early on. Before psychology, before shrinks, this rudimentary form of therapy emerged as a founding principle of religion.

My friend's point of view is that at the root of all sin is selfishness, putting your needs in front of the needs of others. Take theft for example. By taking something that belongs to someone else, you are putting your needs ahead of his. The same thinking can be applied to murder, rape, coveting thy neighbor's wife. But what of more nuanced sins like swearing, drunkenness, and pre-marital sex?

Eek, it's two minutes until midnight here in NY. Will have to make this a two-parter.

208) Come Together 6:43 PM

Mentioning Postsecret in yesterday's post made me think of other crowdsourced art projects I'm into. Of all its wonders, I think crowdsourcing is one of the greatest things about the Internet. Here are a few more, for your viewing pleasure:

- Star Wars Uncut - Episode IV: A New Hope was cut up into 15 second clips. Participants were invited to claim one and recreate it however they wanted, after which the clips were stitched back together. It's an amazing display of Star Wars fandom and creativity. Clip below.

Star Wars Uncut "The Escape" from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

- Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir, 'Lux Aurumque' - A choir composed of YouTube videos, with 185 singers representing 12 countries. Gorgeous and awe-inspiring, especially the way the video is laid out.


- The Sheep Market - 10,000 sheep drawn facing left using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Select one to replay how it was drawn. Random, but the Little Prince would be proud.

207) Secret Strength 6:26 PM

(Image from drinking raindrops.)

Tonight I had planned on going to one of The Moth's StorySLAMS, a mini live storytelling competition on the LES. Each StorySLAM features a different theme, and tonight's was "Secrets." Long story short, I underestimated The Moth, and showed up to a line around the block.

As I navigated the (cold) fifteen minute walk back to my apartment, I started to think about secrets. I wondered what kind of secrets people would talk about, what I would have said. Secrets are subjective, individually defined, yet universally powerful. They are made stronger through a self-awareness of their own unknown. The secrets we hide, the ones we share, and to whom - it's all part of the shared human experience, yet says worlds about who we are as individuals.

The success of Postsecret (still one of my favorite crowdsourced art projects), the delight we take from a public figure's secret revealed (vocally anti-gay politicians caught with their male escorts - it's like Christmas come early). That inner fluttering joy you got when you were young and your best friend trusted you with a secret. Like I said, powerful stuff.

I talk a lot about what people say they want versus what they really want. And what are our deepest hidden desires, if not secrets that we keep from others and ourselves for fear of judgment?

P.S. - Here's a shameful mini secret for you, my dear Plan readers. My current guilty pleasure is watching old episodes of The Hills on Netflix and aching over b-roll footage of LA. Silly. New York is all sorts of wonderful, but LA is brimming with nostalgia.

206) Can You Draw the Internet? 6:39 PM

I'm digging this project by creative agency Saint out of Londontown. They posed the question, "Can you draw the Internet?" to a bunch of 10-year-old school children, as well as a smorgasbord of creative industry professionals. According to PFSK, the aim is to, "explore the uninhibited naive perspective that comes naturally to children in order to shed some light on just what it is that constitutes the internet, and more broadly our existence in relation to it."

This is interesting in two-fold. First, have you ever watched a child draw? There's this lovely freedom in the process, no cares or qualms about form or aesthetics. I used to babysit, and could spend hours watching kids draw (sounds creepy out of context), giving them suggestions on what to draw and watching them come up with their own renditions. Combine this free-flow creativity (the "uninhibited, naive perspective") with something as abstract and complex as the Internet - I can't wait to see what comes of it (10-year-old art to be revealed 11/12).

Second, this youngin' demographic has never known life sans the Internet. Granted, they've only lived ten years of it. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to compare their perspective versus the older generation, who may work with the Interwebs daily, but can also remember the good old analog days.

Ok, one more point to throw in there. Third, the idea of using drawings as a method of research. Magnifique. A great way to activate a different part of the brain, to present things in a different manner (versus focus groups, surveys, and other word-based feedback), and to glean insights about concepts as intricate as our relationship to the Internet.

You can check out the project here.

205) No Strings With Benefits 3:17 PM

Ever notice how movies come out in twos? Observe the most recent example, whose trailers released just days apart (slightly NSFW depending on where you W):





You could play the two trailers at the same time and see the parallels even more clearly. The identical basic elements are all there, almost in the same order.

Two hot, young Hollywood stars, established as best friends. The "incident" where the first hook up happens. Montages of sex scenes. The third party friend that warns the guy that said sex is a bad idea. Those pesky and predictable feelings that start to get in the way of gratuitous sex with a friend, because love between friends is just unthinkable (In the No Strings Attached trailer: "I think I'm falling for her." In the Friends With Benefits trailer: "Every time you curse, you blink, like your body's rejecting the word." See, he knows all her quirks = love.) And of course, no romantic comedy trailer is complete without the closing attempt to elicit one last laugh (NSA: "You fight like a hamster." FWB: Justin singing Semisonic's "Closing Time"). They even use the same highlighted first letter theme on their artcards!

Other movie pairs released just months apart: The Prestige and The Illusionist, A Bug's Life and Antz, Deep Impact and Armageddon. There are a good number more, but you get the idea.

204) The Empowered Consumer 7:26 PM

(Photo from Shallow Nation.)

There has been renewed attention to the word "consumer" in the ad media as of late, thanks to one Alex Bogusky. The former CP+B helmsman and MCD Partners Chief Insurgent Officer now hopes to lead a revolution of civic consumerism. In other words, power to the people through informed choices on where and what to spend our powerful collective dollars, thereby increasing demand and production of products that align with our values.

I think people do underestimate the power that we as consumers have, and by the basic laws of economics, this goal makes sense. But I can't help feeling that this is what is fondly referred to on Twitter as a #firstworldproblem.

In an article reposted on PFSK, Bogusky writes:

"You are a consumer. And if it means buying without a thought in your head, then indeed it might be a weak and dirty word. But if it means harnessing the power of the largest segment of the global economy to become a force of good for all humanity, then that starts to sound like a pretty good word to me."

I don't think many people are buying without a thought in their heads. More likely, I think a huge segment of this "largest segment of the global economy" has one thought in mind while buying - how can I spend the least while getting the most? (Let's assume, for this exercise, that we're talking about small, everyday purchases like groceries, and not another luxury car for the collection.) The consumer on welfare or just on a tight budget may not have the presumed consumer prowess (read: moolah) to choose organic or fair trade products.

Yes, sustainability, fair trade, and all-natural, healthy products are the noble and necessary goal. And maybe it's the upper-middle class who should be leading the charge for civic consumerism. If their dollars are powerful enough to not only affect the types of products on the market, but also the price of said products, then all the better for all consumers. My argument is simply that one must define (or perhaps, redefine) this "empowered consumer" taking all socio-economic levels into consideration. We may be the largest segment of the economy, but that doesn't mean we're all the same.

203) Sixth Staring Sense 4:09 PM

(Photo from pw0nd.)

This week, I've been conducting a little experiment of sorts. In between interviews, I spend a lot of my time walking around the city, exploring neighborhoods, little stores and cafes. My on the street methodology is this: I pick a target and stare at them as I walk by to see if they'll feel my gaze and look up. I'm generally a fair distance from the target (as opposed to standing right next to them, staring like a creeper), who is stationary (as opposed to also walking by). It's always uncanny to me that we can feel another's stare, like this invisible beam that pricks up the hairs on your neck, nerves blazing. I wanted to test the strength of this sense.

My subject pool is currently at 21, 16 males and 5 females. Of the males, only 2 out of the 16 didn't look up. Of the ladies, only 1 has met my eyes (which I avert casually, to reduce further creepiness). The sample size is tiny, but it's fun, easy and interesting to keep a running tally. I could talk about the biological drive to pick up on someone looking at you (evolved sixth sense?), and people being more attuned to stares from the opposite sex, but I'd be making premature conclusions. To be continued...

202) Eating Your Feelings 5:38 PM

(Click click to enlarge. Image from AgencySpy.)

I sort of adore this print ad from Mother NY for Sugar in the Raw. It's got an old school ad vibe going with its chunky brown headline typeface against wood grain (very 70's suburban basement), and lengthy copy filled with little quips (worth a read-through). Aesthetics aside, the "It's Only Natural" campaign takes an indistinguishable staple like sugar, associates it with human truths and supplements with useful recipes relevant to said truths.

Yes, it may be cliché that women turn to chocolate and sweets during times of emotional stress (read: break-ups), but stereotypes don't appear out of thin air. The complete self-indulgence, making an exception and giving in to something you know is bad for you (but tastes sooo good), the need for control over something in the face of loss of control, the clinically proven release of endorphins. In the same family and more gender neutral is stress eating and what I like to call procrastineating.

So bravo, Mother, for understanding the role that food plays outside of nutrition. More life situations turned print ads on AgencySpy.

On a semi-related note, my new roommate made cookies tonight. Nom plus one cookie worth of regret.

201) Lovely Weather We're Discussing 4:48 PM

(Photo from The Gloss.)

Weather, as a talking point, has long been associated with banality, or a lack of things to say. As in, you know a date's not going well if you find yourself commenting on the weather mid-dinner. But it wasn't until I had weather to comment on that I realized just how much of a crutch the topic actually is.

LA is a one-weather city, generally 72 and sunny the whole year round. NY has indulged me with mostly sunny, warm days so far, but temperatures have dipped into the low 40s/high 30s these past couple of days, hinting at what's to come. Maybe it's residual shock over changing weather, period, but I find myself starting every conversation with people I've just met with the weather.

At it's core, weather is a safe, home-base starting point. It's not controversial or divisive - you'll never offend anyone with your thoughts on the matter. There's no judgment involved because it's so objective. In fact, commenting on the weather seems to have a unifying effect, as both parties can relate to the shared experience. It's ever-present, always relevant, and fluctuates (outside LA) enough to warrant commentary (unlike, say, the sunrise in all its consistency).

In this sense, weather as a topic is unique. Try as I might, I can't think of any other topic that has the same neutral, relevant and unifying characteristics. Yes, the conversation never lasts too long, and chatting about the weather says little about people. But in the best case scenarios it's an intro, a stepping stone for longer, more meaningful dialogue.

200) Break It Up 7:31 PM

(Image from Mashable.)

THIS is what I love. The use of publicly available data for social insight and trend mining on sites that weren't created primarily for research. Infographic-ist David McCandless mapped out the most common times of year for people to break up, using Facebook statuses. By scanning 10,000 status updates for the words "break up" or "broken up," McCandless and his team are able to paint a picture of when hearts are being broken.

Some highlights, from Mashable:

1). A ton of people break up before social occasions like Spring Break and the summer, 2). Mondays aren’t just the start of the work week — there’re the end of many a relationship, 3). People have the decency not to dump their significant others on Christmas Day.

The thought of what nuggets are hiding out in Craigslist, Facebook, Flickr...too much good stuff. What I'd like to know is how McCandless and his team went about this. The article makes it sound like they literally went through 10,000 statuses looking for a particular phrase, but there must be (or should be) a more efficient way to pull that kind of info.

(Mini aside - I was going to write about something else, but I spent the day moving from Brooklyn to the lower east side (another solo move), so my brain is zzzzzz. A friend sent the infographic, so I'm passing it along for today's post.)

199) Vote or...? 6:16 PM

The modern day sphinx's question: how to get people to vote? How to motivate people enough that they will take the necessary and sometimes complicated steps to have their opinions counted? On the surface, it seems like an easy sell. A country built on democracy, civic duty, make your voice heard, etc. And yet, the numbers stay dismally low. According to a report by the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University, slightly less than 19 percent of the voting population voted in the 2010 primaries.

There's been a huge push in recent years to stimulate the youth vote, as some point to us youngins as the cause of voter decline. It helps that we are more impressionable, more likely to be swayed. MTV (Rock the Vote and Vote or Die), celebrities (see above), and Michael Moore are among those who've launched campaigns to motivate youth voters.

What strikes me the most is the lack of consolidated data on voter turnout. Yes, there is census info that tracks registered voters, but have you ever tried to read a census Excel sheet? I would love to see an agency take this on. Not only aggregating and presenting the statistics, but also attacking the question of how to get people to vote. Research to understand how people feel about voting, barriers to entry, etc., a brief and a solution. Hmmm, ambitious side project?