349) Beauty in Data 3:03 PM

(Beautiful nonsense infographics from Datavisualization.ch)

I was just writing something when I stopped to google "collaboration synonym" in order to find an alternate word. Then a data idea hit me - what if we could see the frequency of words that were searched in junction with the word "synonym" over time? Not only would this be a reflection of how much certain words were used in a given year, but also which ones we wanted to replace. (My top 2 - interesting and fascinating.)

The imagined end result would be this gorgeously designed graph of word popularity over time (a jargon map, perhaps?), as well as connections between these words and their most popular replacements. The outer layer would be this rich data set of synonyms.

(Clearly) I've become such a data nerd. It's mixing wonderfully with my word nerdom.

348) Lick, Lick, Lick 5:53 PM

First, play the video and do what it says.

The viral gods are abuzz over this Skittles ad that has been making the rounds online for the past couple of days. There's something to be said about reframing the idea of interactive video, of simply taking a step back and putting an analog spin on it, and thereby separating oneself from the clutter. There's a small, delightful sense of satisfaction in being a part of the video in that way (I challenge anyone not to smile while a fuzzy cat licks your finger).

Brava, Skittles.

347) Don't Forget the Humans 7:23 PM

(Image from PSFK.)

Sci-fi headlines like this one - "Mind Scanning Gadget Enables Emotional Browsing Of Flickr" - have been popping up more frequently on my feeds lately. My first response is to always look for the preserved humanity (if any) in these high tech, futuristic innovations. As we move toward a world where computers and algorithms can beat us in Jeopardy and provide us with emotional comfort as virtual girlfriends, I think the brands that can maintain an element of real humanity will continue to bubble to the top.


(Seems like it would just be easier to navigate Flickr the traditional way...*shakes head, blinks furiously*)

(Mini aside - I'm not sure if it's knowing I only have 18 more posts to go, or that my mind's been elsewhere, but I'm finding it difficult to write these days. Pushing myself to finish strong. Thanks for sticking it out.)

346) Pieces of Posts Past 5:29 PM

I have massive writer's block tonight, so I'm stealing a few excerpts from an old online journal I used to keep. It's still very much public, but I keep it under wraps because 75% of it is embarrassingly emo and mostly about boys. But I can't bring myself to delete it. It's a nice record of the way things were, how I thought, and how I wrote back then.

A few random excerpts, and some retrospective commentary. The first one is a little heavy, apologies.

March 1, 2005
Today as I was walking to French class, a horribly cruel dream that I had last night came rushing back to me. I don't know if I've ever had such an emotional dream, and it hurt so badly to remember it. I dreampt that he was alive, that it was all a joke. I was walking down a sunny sidewalk with random friends and all of a sudden I see him walking toward us. Just him, smiling, there, with short buzzed hair like he had in jr. high. My heart seizes up because it's as if I've seen a ghost, but he's there in front of me. I fall on my knees on the sidewalk and start gasping and sobbing, while at the same time I've never felt so incredibly glad in my life. I remember vaguely hearing one random friend say, "Oh yeah, Natalie didn't know..." like I was the only one who hadn't heard yet that it wasn't true. I got up and gave him the biggest hug ever, sobbing incredulously, babbling about how hard it had been to deal. He smelled like he did at dances, when he used his special cologne. He showed me a large scar on the back of his head, but shrugged it off as if it was nothing. I was so incredibly relieved.

But it was all a dream. It's so cruel the way memory comes back and attacks when you least expect it. I don't want to forget his memory, but it hurts to be teased like that.

(Thankfully never had another dream like that again. This was the one white squall in an otherwise calm-sea childhood. I still wonder where he'd be and what he'd be doing.)


December 9, 2004
Oh my goodness.

I just came back from my last Intro to Communications lecture. The subject of today's lecture was advertising. I've figured it out: I LOVE advertising. THIS IS WHAT I WAS MEANT TO DO. The whole lecture I was sitting up, leaning forward in my chair without even trying, and every five minutes I thought, "wow, this is so interesting". Now I'm so anxious - with so many talented people in the world, how can I make my mark in the advertising world? But I want want want to do it. I want to flip through a magazine and be able to say, "I created that". I'll never forget the advertising project I did sophomore year in Mr. B-something's (my memory is failing me) Communications class at Gunn. We made a black and white commercial filmed at Juana Briones for a made up perfume/cologne. It was basically Tupy and I running around but it was so good and so much fun. I want to do that for a living - not be in commercials but make them. Definitely switching to a Communications Studies major. I still want to study literature too though...and French....hmm can I double minor? It's so crazy how excited I am. I can't explain how good it feels to actually be so interested in something and want to do it so badly.

(It's nice to have career affirmation from my 19-year-old self.)


July 2, 2004
It has finally hit me that hey, no more high school, it's time to move on to college. God, it seems like only yesterday (yep, I sound like an old fogie) I was wondering if that day would ever come, if I was ever going to be old/smart/cool enough to be a college girl.

(And now I'm 25. Holy hell. Sometimes I still feel like I'm just playing adult.)


(Carefree in college.)

345) Relics or Resources 2:39 PM

(Image from TIME.)

"Robotic Clouds Will Provide Shade During Qatar World Cup."

We see it every time there's an international event. The host city will bust out some crazy technology or build complete infrastructures seemingly out of thin air in order to put their best face forward. Money is never an object (where does that phrase come from?), and no timeline is too quick.

These robot clouds ("...essentially massive blimps, filled with helium, and will be floated above stadiums. Four onboard solar-powered engines will allow the clouds to be controlled from the ground, shifting along with the sun's zenith, serving as a huge umbrella in the sky to shade spectators and athletes.") come in at $500,000 each, which is "pocket change" for the Middle East nation.

While I understand the the investment made for these events is meant to come back to the host country through tourism revenue, I can't help feeling like there's something wrong with pulling out the stops only when the world is watching, especially if the cost is chump change. The other half of this is the integration and use of said infrastructures after the world has gone home. Are they woven into the fabric of the city (ex - the swimming facility built for the '92 summer Olympics in Barcelona is now a public pool)? Or do they stand as separate tourist relics, too big for community use (see: Beijing Bird's Nest - an interesting case study to watch. Unclear what it will become.)?

I love the idea of these infrastructures being repurposed to benefit the local community. TBD what will happen to these robotic clouds after the World Cup champion is crowned. Will they be relics or resources?

PS - Not to go all doomsday, but does floating giant robotic cloud blimps over millions of spectators/athletes sound like a disaster waiting to happen to anyone else?

344) That Changes Everything 6:29 PM

Around the world in 2000 pictures from alex profit on Vimeo.

“We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.”

- Jonah Lehrer, The Guardian

It's back. The travel bug. Three things happened. First, I talked with one of my best friends who is living in Colombia for a month via video chat. Second, I was sent a series of achingly gorgeous images from faraway cities by a friend who is much better-traveled than me. Lastly, I was sifting (digitally) through my photos from Barcelona, which have the uncanny ability to make me a little emotional. Bitten.

I posted this quote almost a year ago in a post about traveling, expanding horizons, etc (before Spain, before Asia). What amazes me this time around is how important life in New York can feel - how all-consuming the city is as one's whole world. But all it takes is a few photos from a couple Google image searches, and the sheer amount of unseen begins to overwhelm.

Can we ever shake the urge to travel? I've had friends talk about, "getting it out their system" before life's commitments become jet-set preventative. Truth be told, I was a late bloomer when it came to the want/need to travel. As much as I enjoyed family vacations to exotic corners (my parents were good about exposing us to different parts of the world), I didn't have the urge to strike out on my own until, well, last year I suppose.

If our biological instincts tell us to reproduce and raise offspring (implying a state of settlement), then the urge to travel is something wrought of...what? Our human curiosity? The want to expose ourselves to as much unknown as possible in order to be culturally and intellectually fit?

Bottomline: Need to start formulating travel plans for 2011.

343) The Sharing Economy 7:33 PM

Another SXSW recap for you tonight. I sat in on a panel called, "The New Sharing Economy." (We're talking physical sharing, not information sharing.) While sharing practices aren't new (movie rentals, the library), the internet has enabled an economy of sharing (Netflix, Airbnb, Rideshare, etc.). Motivated by altruistic (good for society, the environment) and selfish (saves money) benefits, this co-consumerism has the opportunity to increase the value of and the meaning behind objects.

Buying something from a retailer is individualistic. It's a one time transaction. Sharing, on the other hand is communal. It changes the commerce model to a more cyclical system, as objects are transferred among people. The opportunity lies in retailers/brands adopting the same cyclical model for traditional retail,which not only helps builds community among customers, but also extends the value of each item.

The second piece is the meaning within objects that are shared. Often, our attachment to things has to do with our experiences with them, not the physical properties themselves. One panelist was the founder of Itizen, a platform that allows users to create barcodes that are attached to shared objects. The barcode tells the story behind the objects as they are passed along.

Hand cramping. Last day of non-internet existence - tomorrow I can get back to laptop posts with pictures.