Closing Down Sale

Well I've managed to fall into the trap I feared I would of suddenly not updating my blog very often - 6 weeks or so since my last update. Having reviewed what I've written so far I think this blog suffers from being neither a proper work blog (too much like hard work to keep up) and not really a personal blog either. So I'm closing it down at the end of the week. And launching a new one called "thoughts from the train" or something similar. The single rule being that I'm only allowed to update it on the train to work and back (so it will be written exclusively from my blackberry probably) but that's it. New year, new blog. This one has been a valuable learning experience for me (linking to other sites etc) and a bit of fun but time to try something new I think.

girl power

I'm writing this up simply because I think it's a lovely bit of data and I'm sure I can find a use for it somewhere.

Since the late 1960s men have improved their record marathon times by 3 minutes - but women have improved theirs by 31 minutes.

Ok so it's off a much lower base but still.

timber

I've just had one of those moments when you recognise exactly what it is that you do for a living and how odd this seems to the outside world.

Working on something for nike women my PowerPoint chart is full of terms like inspire her, make it interesting, digital hub, intimate comms etc.I was suddenly aware of the chap next to me looking at my screen a bit disdainfully and then looking away again - classic behaviour of somebody reading over your shoulder. The air was thick with "what the hell are you guffing on about, get a proper job boy" vibes without a word being spoken.

Slightly distracted I glanced over to see what he was reading. Materials in Construction. The book was open at Chapter 8. Timber. There's no grey area with timber is there? Good, solid, hard as trees timber. No destinations, barriers, consumer insights, uniting brands and people, looking at things from audience perspectives. Just a fuck off bit of timber. And sometimes you just need that clarity.

Disappointingly his book now seems to be differentiating between hardwood and softwood. Can't they just keep things simple? What's the matter with these people?!

Big Brother beats, er, Big Brother

Thanks to Anthony for this link from The Register - interesting on about a hundred levels.
Perhaps not actually surprising - it's just human nature to want to find out what's going on around you isn't it?
I think the point is one about relevance - if it's personal and relevant then people will be interested.

Thank you Don

Don has brilliantly shown me how to do the link thing with the name. Thanks Don.

Facebook 'fans'

Nick has done some interesting experiments with becoming a 'fan' of brands on facebook (given the new app fb launched this week which allows advertisers to create profiles.
I must learn to do that thing where I can change the text above so it links to it anyway from Nick's name or by saying click here - Don, how do I do that?!

UPDATE - Don has obviously now taught me to do this (see above) so I have gone back and changed the link so that it looks like I had managed to do the name-link thing from the start

More FOTC

Brilliant