Austin City Limits Festival
I wanted to write a review of the Austin City Limits Festival but instead just chose to make this image. Can’t wait till next year!
Broken Social Scene
Attn. Ky reader(s): the incredible Broken Social Scene are playing at a club called Uncle Pleasants in Louisville on October 5. Go see them!
Let’s Just Be Friends
Enjoying a delicious chicken n’ pesto pizza (along with salt n’ vinegar chips and coke n’ cherry soda) at Schlotzky’s on Lamar I glanced up to the row of twentysomething internet users. Odd, they all seem to be looking at the exact same web site–yet I don’t think they’re here together as a group, I remember thinking. The site was ultra plain and boxy, as if the visual design was created by a programmer. Then I saw the little smiley face. It’s that damn “Friendster” the kids are talking about. A few weeks later I caved and signed on to the Friendster phenomenon. The first day three people had confirmed that they were indeed my friend and we were now part of a larger virtual network. It was fascinating to read about their friends (a few of which I had only heard things about but never actually met). I had an urge to ask their friends to be my friend. I mean, we know the same people right? That should make us friends. I resisted as I would be crushed if my friend request was denied. No, you are not my friend! And you are a schmuck for sending this request without actually knowing me! Meanwhile, I had reconnected with acquaintances and friends from the past, all by simply typing in their first and last name a the user search and recognizing them in their thumbnail-sized image. The rush was similar to my first MP3 download on Napster. You just think, “Shit… this is really cool. Imagine what it will be like in a few years.” (hopefully still in operation). I now have 22 friends. That makes me a virtual acne-faced band dork in Friendster terms, as many participants boast a network of hundreds…
Lately, I have indulged in the voyeuristic urge to type a celebrity’s name and see their profile. For example, today I searched for “Chloe Sevigny.” Ineed she is on Friendster. Here is what she says about herself: “I love go thrift store shopping in small towns. I collect old concert t-shirts. I usta sniff pait or sometimes even glue but now I am the Ione Skye of my generation. I’m the kinda cool that only new money could even begin to understand…” But the coolest thing is that I wouldn’t be able to read her profile unless our social circles weren’t connected in some sort of outer ring fashion. And I could see the degrees of separation in the form of a handy diagram. (I’d like to thank Gerhard for allowing me to be 4 degrees from Chloe). Somehow I’m connected to Parrell too. His profile is his manifesto about music, energy, and stuff: “What is N*E*R*D? The Neptunes are who we are and N*E*R*D is what we do. The Neptunes are me and Chad producing and making music for other people. N*E*R*D is me, Chad and Shay, a friend from where we live, Virginia. It’s just us… it’s our life…our passion. N*E*R*D is just a basic belief, man. People’s energies are made of their souls…” Pharrell must be stoked to have 492 friends. That’s a lot of friends. But there is something egalitarian about seeing his group of ten friends (the system shows ten friends before you have to drill down to see the rest) like Crystal, Chad, and Marissa. Marissa seems like a normal 18-year-old (among her favorite movies are Lizzy McGuire and Pirates of the Caribbean) and her thumb pic shows her at high school graduation. I suppose it’s possible that she doesn’t really know Pharrell, but regardless it’s neat that everyone is kind of on the same level with Friendster.
Planetizen 50
Planetizen has released its list of the 50 best planning and development web sites. Here is a sample from various categories:
Project for Public Spaces
Skyscrapers.com
Building Better Communities
Next American City
World Heritage Cities
Lincoln Institute
Beyond DC (great site!)
Urban Futures
Map Collections:1500-2003
Nixon ‘03
When I used to watch skate videos my favorite parts rarely featured skateboarding.
It was usually the “antics” or just lifestyle sections that highlighted a day-in-the-life of Tom Penny, or whoever. Similarly, I’ve noticed that I often respond to a company’s branding that is not so product-specific and does a good job at capturing the “essence” of its industry’s enthusiasts. Abercrombie & Fitch has this strategy nailed. I am sure there are times (like everyday) when an ad or marketing message is very effective and influences my buying decision without my knowledge. But the times when I usually stop and look at the ad, digest what I am seeing, and make a concious decision to purchase (or at least want to) the above technique is often employed.
Nixon’s latest catalog dropped and it is perfect. It is printed on thick glossy paper, in a mini-booklet format, and super sick layout and use of type. The catalog plays with black-and-white and color images and text in a really interesting way. Although their target audience are young people into “action sports” (BMX, skateboarding, snowboarding, etc.) they don’t display a single “action” shot. Even Tony Hawk’s page is just him standing with his skateboarding in hand, making a Macaulay Caulkin “Aaaah!” face.
Twitter Stream
