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Live & Learn

Kevin Garnett Interview

Haven't seen anything like this in a long time.  I feel there's a connection between this interview and what advertising should be...but I can't put it into words.

Along the same lines, if you haven't seen the trailer for the new Sigur Ros film, Heima, you should check it out through this link here.   If it doesn't make you want to visit Iceland, I don't know what will. =)

All Day Buffet

With the increasing trends in doing good, All Day Buffet is an option for creative people to get involved, motivated and inspired while still having fun. People need social options that produce more than a hangover the next day. Check it out!

alldaybuffet has nothing to do with food but filling our hunger to do good. alldaybuffet connects likeminded people by bringing together the things we like with the things that matter the most. equal parts event filter, party planner, social network and think tank. Flavorpill on a Mission. Ed Banger with a Social Spin. Japanther for Cancer. there's a buffet of good options to choose from, we just want you to get full on good.

it's a simple idea: inspire action. change the world. have fun. because doing good shouldn't feel like a chore.

Check out the website at http://www.alldaybuffet.org or join the facebook group here.

the best cigarette

http://www.bcactionpoet.org/the%20best%20cigarette.html

Our Mecca

Before this year's class at VCU graduated, I had a chance to visit the school and students.

Walking through the halls again brought back a lot of memories.  There's a sense of innocence and rawness in air that I feel as I see the school life on the walls and the pictures of students holding, what I imagine, is their first ever  Fenske assignment.  I don't think you notice the innocence and rawness until you've graduated and worked a few years.  Innocence in that here within these walls holds all these hopes and dreams of change.  (I really hope one of the students here will take a gigantic chainsaw and make their way through the nimcompoop forest.)  Rawness in that there are no rules, no budgets, no scared clients, and nothing to hold us back.  It's like we're all parachuters inside this plane about to jump out with the destination unknown. It's here that, at least for me, I see and feel the reason we all wanted to be in advertising.

Another thing I saw that I took with me was seeing Cabell's office which is now in the room across from Tim's.  I was sad he wasn't there that day but I did see something that I'll never forget.  Remember how Cabell made us get these big ass black notebooks to put our inspiration and scribbles in?  Well, he brought all his notebooks into his office and they are all resting on this metal book shelf now.   I wish I had a picture to show you.  It was pretty amazing to see about 30-40? of these big black notebooks. Some looked new, some looked beat up, some had labels on the spine, some had pictures on the cover, and some were undecorated.  But it was then that I realized why he made us start the journals. It really is about living the creative life.   You really need to constantly have this dialogue with your inner creative and feed and nourish it.

Later that night, I joined a student party and had a blast playing beer pong into the wee hours of the night.  I look forward to visiting the new Adcenter building in January but I know deep down I'll always miss a lot of things from the old 1313 East Main St. building.  Well, everything except that nasty looking carpet that's starting to look like a lost Pollock painting.

AICPshow.com

AICP launched their new site today that has all the commercials from all their past shows.  It's a great resource for everyone, especially students.  It's also the only site where SAG let the spots be shown without registration, passwords, and having to pay.  Check out the MTV Fetish spot and see if you can figure out all the references.  (It's the link with the sheep.)

http://www.aicpshow.com

"No more Britney Spears jokes"

Last night on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, he had this monologue that really grabbed my attention.  It was personal, memorable, funny, earnest, and rare.  Rare in that he has a moment of deep introspection.  He talks about alcoholism, his attempted suicide, and just putting things in perspective.  It was really engrossing-- he mixed it up with jokes and his own personal story. I hope it comes up on youtube soon.  It's available to watch on his website now Feb. 19th episode.  A direct link to the clip is here. You'll need the free version of Real Player here.  I think his style has been attributed to the rise in ratings and a lot of people are noticing (link).

Also, this reminded me of the last really insightful thing I saw on the tube and it was the Inside Actor's Studio interview with Dave Chappelle.  You can rent on Netflix or buy it from amazon.  I saw the last half and will get the DVD soon. The interview was so compelling that they released it just with Dave. 

Architecture Inspiration

Know something about everything and everything about something.

That was a great line (from the previous post) and I think it applies not just to planners but creatives.  Be interested in the things around you.  One of the things I am interested in is documentaries. I just watched Sketches of Frank Gehry and it's pretty good.  I think there's three other architecture documentaries that are even better and they feature Maya Lin (won Oscar for best documentary), I.M Pei, and Louis Kahn (Oscar-nominated for best documentary).  I highly recommended those three.

Here's some quotes that I liked from Sketches of Frank Gehry:

If I have a big envy in my life, it's about painters. I wish I was a painter. What I'm fascinated with is the moment of truth. There's the canvas, it's on your easel, you got your brush, and you got this goddamn palette of colors, and what do you do? What's that first move? I love that dangerous place. - Frank Gehry

When you're a younger architect and starting out you're seeking some kind of impossible perfection. You could spend your life thinking about this ephemeral building that would be great to do, you know, it would be the capstone of my career. You realize as you mature, there is no "there". Ain't going to get there. - Frank Gehry

A great many people come to me hoping they can change themselves and settle their anxieties, their problems, and their marriage, or whatever.  They want to know how to handle life better. When an artist comes to me he wants to know how to change the world.  - Frank Gehry's therapist

Everything has been done before in some way or another, only thing that changes is technology. What bugs me is the goddamn rules that my profession has that what fits and what doesn't. There is a certain threatening aspect to taking a leap, but once you try that, once you say "I have a right"-- you can't stop. - Frank Gehry

What's exciting to me is the process. And when people look at this stuff, because it looks like it just happened, they don't realize how much time went into the incubation. So I'm  always compelled to explain all that. - Frank Gehry

Frank has figured out, which some architects don't quite figure out, is the most important influence on the design is the client.  And if there's a terrific client to work with, you get a terrific building. If there isn't, you don't. - Frank's friend

He sees that the whole reason of being an artist is that moment in somebody's eye when you reach them. - Sydney Pollack, the director