Organised fun

The Internet is the greatest tool we've ever owned (so far that is). Of course none of us can imagine the world without Internet and very few can remember the times when it didn't exist.
And the truth is that its power can move masses. Here's only one example Improve Everywhere.

I love theseguy's statment:

"Improv Everywhere is, at its core, about having fun. We're big believers in "organized fun". In the process we bring excitement to otherwise unexciting locales and give strangers a story they can tell for the rest of their lives. We're out to prove that a prank doesn't have to involve humiliation or embarrassment; it can simply be about making someone laugh, smile, or stop to notice the world around them. "

and the initiator's approach

"As an actor new to the city, I discovered I could create my own theatre rather than waiting around for someone to give me stage time. I got tired of telling the story to friends, so I typed it up and put it on the web. Improv Everywhere was born."

See all their missions here.


VIA

One more wise thing and I'm done

"Part of being creative is learning how to protect your freedom. That includes freedom from avarice."

VIA

Build your life not your career

This looks so much like my way of seeing things.

"I think human beings are the superior sentient beings on this planet. Humans have the potential not only to create happy lives for themselves, but also to help other beings. We have a natural creative ability and it is very important to realize this."

Sometimes, I think we get too caught up in advertising. We talk about virals and wild postings and TV spots and branded entertainment like its something that should be on display at the MoMA.

We create images. We create words that turn heads and maybe turn minds. This is what we do. But at the end of the day, I hope I can say that of everything I created, the thing I was most proud of was a happy life."

Dalai Lama

VIA

what drives people

What drives people? What makes them/us act?
Let's see what are those human drivers it's nice to be aware of at any time(which I found here):

1. Sex/romance
2. Acquisition/saving
3. Bonding/connecting
4. Learn/curiosity
5. Eat
6. Defence/fight or flight
7. Nest
8. Vengence
9. Status
10. Power
11. Loyalty
12. Order and organisation
13. Independence
14. Acceptance
15. Altruism
16. Physical activity

From the Science of Influence by Dr Kevin Hogan

Does anyone have other kind of drivers?

Dreams of flying

These photos can easily make some really nice ads (for a brand of....feel free to suggest some), but I've posted them here cause I think they're simply beautiful and inspiring. See all of the pictures here and do check out the rest of the work here.
via

got "leche"?

Got milk is an old (1995) and successful still running campaign.
This is one of my favourite commercials at the moment and it is for California Milk Procesors Board. The agency who created it is called Grupos Gallegos (if anyone knows more about it, please share). And also the other two commercials from the campaign are absolutely delicious- Amazing contortionist and Teeth town . I just love the details and wackiness of these ads!

Magazines can talk!!!!! ruuuuuun!

This is one thing that will make history - THE WORLD'S FIRST TALKING PRESS AD!
"The ad works by inserting a special ultra lightweight chip into the publication. When you open up the blank centre pages the talking chip is activated with the message “You are 3 times more likely to get your ad noticed on radio than you are in press. For more information contact the Radio Advertising Bureau at rab.co.uk”
The ad ran in Media Week magazine on May 2nd."

I'm going to use this occasion to underline an aspect I've become very aware of a long time ago - It's a HUUUGE difference between thinking it and actually doing it! And I'm refearing to advertising this time! I bet everyone has had moments (like this talking ad one) when they've said to themselves - "I thought of that too". Except an ego bust and random frustration this moment should make as act. It's just like positioning - "who says it first wins!", just that you have to do it first! :)

VIA coloribus

motivation

Creating passionte users has fresh and fabulous posts.
Flipping through them, here it was:
"YOU MUST DO THE THINGS YOU THINK YOU CANNOT DO!" - the sentence that made my day, evening actually.
Eleanor Roosevelt said it. We (also) must put it in practice.

Fallon Singapore

Clear and funny idea for polution prevention ! But I kind of have a deja-vu feeling about them. Anyway, enjoy! VIA

emotional contagion

I've recently read this interesting post on Creating Passionate Users. It's about these neuroscientific concepts I can totally relate and agree with. I'm talking about Mirror neurons, Emotional contagion and Happy People.
We learn from watching the others, from imitating (mirroring), from borrowing their ways without our conscious intention. Staying around or even talking with people that have a certain attitude - wheter is anxious, nervous, inspired or enthusiastic - affects us more that we know.

Regarding the effect of mirror neurons and its related concept of emotional contagion on personal performance, neurologist Richard Restak offers this advice:

"If you want to accomplish something that demands determination and endurance, try to surround yourself with people possessing these qualities. And try to limit the time you spend with people given to pessimism and expressions of futility. Unfortunately, negative emotions exert a more powerful effect in social situations than positive ones, thanks to the phenomena of emotional contagion."

and also
From a paper on Memetics and Social Contagion,

"...social scientific research has largely confirmed the thesis that affect, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour can indeed spread through populations as if they were somehow infectious. Simple exposure sometimes appears to be a sufficient condition for social transmission to occur. This is the social contagion thesis; that sociocultural phenomena can spread through, and leap between, populations more like outbreaks of measels or chicken pox than through a process of rational
choice."

Happy people are actually positive people, people that trust their own ability of taking control of their lives and fulfilling their dreams.

Happines is associated most heavily with the left (i.e. logical) side of the brain, while anger is associated with the right (emotional, non-logical) side of the brain.

"Evidence suggests that the left-siders may better handle stressful events on a biological level. For example, studies show that they have a higher function of cells that help defend the body, known as natural killer cells, compared with individuals who have greater right side activity. Left-sided students who face a stressful exam have a smaller drop in their killer cells than right-siders. Other research indicates that generally left-siders may have lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol."

It's also important to notice that while we all have a lot of respect for physical biological contagions, we do NOT have much respect for physical(science has known for quite some time that "emotions" are not simply a fuzzy-feeling concept, but represent physical changes in the brain) emotional contagions.

Ok now, lots of copy-paste in this post, no doubt about it, but it's just that there are so many interesting discoveries and concepts and I needed to post at least some of them. Bottom line - get surrounded with people that have already achieved what you want or posess the features you need in order to achieve something. This would make you feel confident and ready to go on conquering the world! Pretty logical, huh? Impossible is nothing indeed. ;)

PS: It seems more people noticed and agreed to Kathy's post. Russel. Ian tait. Me so proud. :)

Tom Peters is cool

I got to flip through Re-imagine by Tom Peters. This man is fantastic and now I'm re-discovering him. I need to read more of this book, but in the mean time I liked this one:

"You see, I don't believe in "initiatives" (Colorless). I believe in Full-Scale Assults ... on Enormous Opportunities. (Colorful)."

Time for some advertising

Few posts back I announced The Firefox Contest. The contest is now over, but the winners are just beginning their jurney. You can see them on adland. Apparently the guys at Firefox have received nearly 300 submissions from all around the world. Niiiice!

"The grand prize went to "Daredevil" created by Pete Macomber of Venice, CA, who creates music videos, commercials and screenplays. His spot will be short-listed for the NY Festival of Advertising's 2006 International Advertising Awards in May."

The all 3 winning spots are fresh, but second and third are also funny. The second place one crackes me up every time! The honorable mentions deserve to also be seen. Great job for all of them!

cheer up

I was feeling kind of down today. Don't know exactly why. gapingvoid cheered me up. Along with D telling me about the reality retard show of the most desgusting romanian couple Iri and Moni.

Post number 100

I found these Flippies on Grow a brain. I think they are appropriate for this anniversary post. Flip it, baby!