Regret is for Smart People

Brand Boss Blog

The Brand Builder Blog:
http://thebrandbuilder.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_thebrandbuilder_archive.html

I especially liked the post about unhappy employees, and 50 ways to get them to quit.

Temperatures Rising

Read this if you can stomach it:

Science, Politics and Death
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2004/06-14-2004/science.htm

Would it ever be possible to reach people who would be swayed by this article? You know, the passive non-environmentalists? The changes in argument from the first paragraph to the last are outrageous, and it frightens me to think anyone would consider environmentalists as believing "that man is the scourge of the Earth and that his numbers must be reduced." It sounds crazy, and it's terrible logic, but how many people agree with it? How deep does this mentality penetrate our nation's tiers of power?

Worldly stuff to think about.

Calvinism

"Artists use lies to tell the truth;
Politicians use them to cover the truth up."  -- V for Vendetta

Our agency is compiling peoples' favorite quotes to put up in the main Journalism School building's hallway. In the interest of art, social commentary, and lies, here's a comic strip I'd like to start up again if I find the time:

The Adventures of Verdian

Calvin Snowman Art
(for some inspiration. Yeah, I'm a Calvin believer.)

http://www.angelfire.com/wa/zzaran/calvin.html

Artistic Charisma

Imagine if companies and brands dropped their agendas, and instead, loved the things we do; going out, meeting people, being curious about the world, about other brands, committing to a purpose, and not just trying to score the big one all the time by seeking approval.

Great info for meeting people that could apply to branding, and every kind of communication, on Art of Charisma blog:

"The reason we get into books and movies in part is about character development. We have to know a character to like them. ... [speak] about everything you want to talk about in a way that she can get to know you, then you will start making a strong connection.

"The first step is speaking in the I perspective. The importance of this should not be underestimated. Until I had someone point out to me just how much I was using the “you” perspective or god perspective, I would not have believed it. Even now as instructor I am constantly vigilant about teaching in the I perspective and having conversations using the I perspective. Here is an example.

“You know how it feels when you are out on the water enjoying the peaceful surroundings and just taking that serenity in, that is what I love about being out on the ocean.”

Or

“I love how it feels when I am out on the ocean. I just love how peaceful and serene I feel when I am all alone bobbing up and down on the waves.”

600k

If we spent a day in mourning for every Iraqi killed, we would spend the next 1,500 years wearing black.

An excerpt from the blog of a woman living outside of the Green Zone: Baghdad Burning

Dec 29th 2006

"2006 has been, decidedly, the worst year yet. The magnitude of this war and occupation is only now hitting the country full force. It's like having a big piece of hard, dry earth you are determined to break apart. You drive in the first stake in the form of an infrastructure damaged with missiles and the newest in arms technology, the first cracks begin to form. Several smaller stakes come in the form of politicians like Chalabi, Al Hakim, Talbani, Pachachi, Allawi and Maliki. The cracks slowly begin to multiply and stretch across the once solid piece of earth, reaching out towards its edges like so many skeletal hands. And you apply pressure. You surround it from all sides and push and pull. Slowly, but surely, it begins coming apart- a chip here, a chunk there.

That is Iraq right now."