Diesel & Adidas bring you 83 ways to waste your time (via Damiano on Twitter)

International web design and flash showcase

Times article on how to make the most of a corporate blog with lots of links for examples and reports.

Quaker Oats join the digital conversation

Cyberpsychology and Behaviour research paper entitled “Distress, Coping, and Blogging: Comparing New MySpace Users by Their Intention to Blog” via Bnox

HD video in ads

The EMR Group have released their 2007 salary survey. Download it here. Some highlights which will sound familiar if you’re in the industry:

• Only 6% of marketers had been in their current role for 5 years or more
• 73% had been in their current role for 2 years or less
• 69% of responders claim they work over 40 hours a week compared to 39% who think they should

And of you’re thinking of moving, check out how much or little extra you’ll get.

Cartoon image above found here.

And here’s some pictures from where I was staying and where we had our meeting in South Africa this week. I will write more on the various experiences, observations and learnings when my head doesn’t feel like travel-mush but in short it was a great trip on many levels.

Continuing the adventure of Spam the Monkey: SPM LDN

Video extra at Buckingham Palace

Previously on Spam the Monkey: episodes 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Vacanza! Continuing the adventures of Spam the Monkey who arrived from Boston earlier this year. This time, Spam goes on holiday to Tuscany.

Previously on Spam the Monkey: episodes 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

In flight entertainment going a step too far? Virgin America have recently trialled an in flight IM service allowing you to badger the hell out of other passengers, probably the “hotty” 3 rows in front of you. Frankly I’d find this annoying as fuck as we say here in Blighty. But the general service seems to have gone down a storm in the US. It seems that Virgin cool has transferred pretty well and spreading the gospel to the jetrosexuals stateside. I like the fact you get ice cream served during movies. (Image source)

And with the recent hullabaloo (I surprised myself writing that word too) about Heathrow and the general backlash against flying, those folks at Iconoculture have come up with It Sucks to Fly, a repository for all things negative about the chores of flying.

Get writing and you could be the next JK Rowling in this Times competition (closes Nov 17).

A new film and some interesting, intriguing content at 1-18-08

The story of the men (and the madness) who made ads that changed our lives.

Dirt cheap texts as opposed to dirty texts which would be a different link altogether.

Get some Hoff on Twitter.

What a pitch does to you.

*My holiday in Tuscany

[update 21.08: thanks to Martina for the correct translation. Damn those Google language tools] 

In July, we had a frankly fantastic holiday in Tuscany and for the first time ever, Jude & I seriously contemplated how we could live out there. Here’s my snaps. Here’s some highlights:

On the Friday before we left

I was up at 3am to finish a presentation that needed to be delivered that day. Yes, 3am. I considered staying up late but then I’m better in the mornings. I finished it by 8am and then had to do most of a days work. Not recommended. However, the evening brought much cheer as we went to see Ricky Gervais at the Portsmouth Guildhall. I quite like the Guildhall as it has good acoustics and the staff seemingly completely comprise old dears replete with blue rinses. Anyway, wasn’t quite sure what to expect as although a big fan of the Office and a latecomer to Extras, I had never seen him live. But I laughed my ass off. Very funny with a great observational style. Wish he’d have been on longer.

Saturday

For once not having to get up at death o’clock for an EasyJet flight as we didn’t leave till 11. A quick trip to Gatwick and then the tedium of airports, the highlight of which, was the new Dyson hand dryers in the traps. Like having g-forces applied to your hands. Does the job better than anything else though.

Anyway, short little bus ride from Pisa airport to the car hire terminal next door and the proud recipient of a key fob stating nuevo croma. We’d ordered a Volvo S40 or equivalent as there were 4 of us and when there were 3 of us on the Amalfi Coast last year it was a little too snug in our funky Alfa 147. A little more space would be good. But had no idea what a Croma was and suspected a Fiat (and was right) so I located the car hire company car park and sought out the number plate. My heart skipped a beat and the desire to stomp back to the desk started to well when I thought the registration matched a poky Fiat Cinquecento or similar. Only to have a moment of huge relief when I looked opposite and discovered I was one letter away. The car was suitably big enough, akin to a Ford Focus estate. More than took the luggage and the 4 of us. Quite comfortable. OK in straight line. But take a corner and it steers like a ferry. Bloody awful car.

A two hour drive ensued which went fairly quickly thanks to most of it being on motorways at plus 90/100 which makes you wonder why we can’t legally travel at these speeds. Highlights of the journey were a) only having one argument about directions (we went wrong only the once and this was probably my impatience with hindsight) and b) being overtaken by a Golf with the numberplate CCO 000 CK (i shit you not, I may have the wrong number of digits but it definitely spelt cock). Continuing that theme, here’s some chicken we didn’t buy in the local supermarket.

The instructions from the holiday company were spot on until the very last when it curiously told us to turn left after a dustbin. OK, which dustbin? Anyway, we finally deduced it and found the villa at the end of the lane where we were greeted by Marta, Giancarlo and Theresa. Who spoke no English which made for some comical exchanged involving lots of “si” and “grazi” and hand gesticulation. We worked it out. Suffice to say the villa was amazing. Here’s some shots.

Sunday

A bit of orientation to the nearby towns of Castigliano di Fiorentina and Arezzo. And Giancarlo came by in the evening to tend to the grounds and surprised us by offering us some of his own home made wine from the vines in the grounds. Italian red is good at the best of times but oh my god this was bellissimo!!!! And he offered us some more as the week went on. And some vegetables and salad from his plot. He was such a lovely, kind and generous man. I wish I could have understood what he was saying but we managed to communicate enough to know that he gave us these gifts from his heart. Bless!

Monday

After figuring out the route the day before we set forth to Arezzo as the regional home of jewellery. And found none. But I did find some beautiful buildings and a sculpture exhibition at the top of one steep hill.

Tuesday

Siena, the home of the Palio. Architecturally stunning and such a lovely maze of streets and shops. I bought some business card sized paper with a hand printed “N” on them from Il Papiro where they hand-make the paper. Quite nice if one day I decide to do my own thang.

Wednesday

Discovered that Giancarlo had about 20 hams hanging in his store room as well as his never ending vat of red wine. And I helped my mum start to learn to swim. By the end of the week she wasn’t doing too bad and could just about manage a width using a float. Lets hope she keeps it up. I seriously contemplated a career in teaching about 8 years ago, perhaps I may even have been good at it after all.

Thursday

Can’t remember so here’s some sunflowers.

Friday

Pienza. Had a belt made by a local craftsman. Such passion and precision for his work.

Saturday

Came home. Bugger.

For ref, we booked with Cottages to Castles

A little later than planned but I finally get to blog about my last holiday in Italy when I’m on my current holiday pootling around at home. First up in the holiday season: the book review.

Steve Waugh - Out of My Comfort Zone

The first of a few cricketing themed books for this holiday. I’d wanted to read this for months but managed to keep it hidden away for the week in Tuscany. Some autobiographies are just a sprinkling of magic dust on a few weeks in the sun (think Wayne Rooney’s “life story” when he’s just about out of school trousers), but this is different. Waugh’s is a fascinating tale of a guy who just doesn’t give up, makes himself better through perserverance and hard work and is incredibly human and humble. At nearly 800 pages, it’s not a quick and easy read and a bit like Waugh himself, you need to grind it out and discover the gems. And it’s not just a book for cricket lovers. If you have to manage people, you should read this. A real account of someone who took a good Australian team and made them great. How great? Just look at the history books. Some of the management lessons in the pages are as good as any you’ll find in the business and management sections of the book stores. Here’s an example of his 12-point blueprint for success:

1. stay a strong unit and enjoy each other’s success

2. play each game as if it’s the most important of your career

3. don’t hesitate, always back yourself

4. never believe the game is lost

5. aim to be man of the match every time you play

6. improvise - think on your feet

7. learn something from every match

8. do the little things right and the big picture will fall into place

9. enjoy the fact you’re representing your country - have pride

10. the best fielding side nearly always wins

11. know your own game and what your role is

12. have fun - have a laugh

Simple and straightforward but when executed with 100% convinction, unbeatable. Try taking these into your work on Monday morning.

James May - Notes from the Hard Shoulder

I bought this because I enjoy Captain Slow on Top Gear. I didn’t realise he had a column in the Telegraph mainly because I don’t buy the Telegraph. Like Jeremy Clarkson’s column collections, they are fantastically short allowing you to chew it in bite size chunks, deliciously funny and completely in tune with the tone of May on the TV. After the seriousness of Waugh, a welcome chuckle.

Michael Simkins - Fatty Batter: How cricket saved my life (then ruined it)

Back to willow and leather with this very funny tale of how a fat kid useless at sport discovered cricket on the TV one summer and then became obsessed by it to the point where every weekend and spare moment is spent organising and playing in friendly matches. I haven’t laughed so much from reading a book in ages.

David Mitchell - Black Swan Green

I didn’t quite finish this on holiday but a I love Mitchell’s evocative writing style that brings alive characters and places. Black Swan Green has huge nostalgia for 1982 in a typically English suburban town and deals with a child who has a stammer and therefore social acceptance problems in a difficult 13 year old’s life which is set against the backdrop of the Falklands War. Although somewhat personally disapoointed that the 1982 World Cup wasn’t even mentioned but then the main protagonist wasn’t really sporty so it wouldn’t have fitted at all. Perhaps I should write my own memoirs? Quite different to the other three holiday books in style and content but that’s the beauty of books: every one is different.

OK, I didn’t read these on holiday but some recent memorable reads:

Nick Griffiths - Dalek I loved You

If you like Dr Who and were born in and around the 1970’s this will make you laugh and cry. Although it’s not wholly about the Doctor so don’t be put off. More a case of one man’s quite surreal life against which the Doctor is interspersed.

Harry Thompson - Penguins Stopped Play

Not unlike Fatty Batter in that it mainly covers a friendly playing cricket team but it covers their fantastic travels to play cricket in all the world’s continents. Incredibly entertaining, witty and articulate as you’d expect from one of the script writers of Have I Got News For You.

J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows

At first I did think they were kids books. Then I read the first few on holiday last year and became hooked. And I managed to be patient while my wife finished reading it before I started. A bit of a Hollywood ending but like other Potter fans I did enjoy it. What I like most about Potter is that it’s got children reading again and inspiring their imaginations. Whatever your own personal views on the merchandising etc., surely getting kids reading and enjoying picking up a book and using their brains is better than sticking them in front of the TV or the PlayStation or educating them through free toys with Happy Meals?

Not content with the fabulous Golf night driving, VW have extended the use of the Touareg stunts from the new Matt Damon film, the Bourne Ultimatum with a 3D stunt simulator: create your own stunts, load ‘em, see if the people out there rate your stunt as cunning or not (deliberate Kenny Everett -ism there for those that remember).

I love this quote from the Sunday Times about America’s fascination with the Western as a film genre and how they are nothing less than:

the creation of national narratives

Such a wonderful evocative thought.

First Direct photography competition capturing the essence of the always-on, 24/7, crackberry addicted society.

Gossip at/about Starbucks blog. Whatever, I like their new Java chip coffee blended creme frappucino thingy.

I like the dunce hat we have at work. It seems to have got lost in the recent re-shuffle of desks.

Last time I was at Schiphol, I noticed they had a new huge screen alongside one the walkways. Unfortunately, the first user of this, Ford Mondeo, just sliced and diced the TV ad and lobbed it on the screen in a strange scrolling manner. Didn’t quite make the best use of the space and the genuine 30 seconds of attention you had. Quality from my mobile is a bit ropey but you get my point.

Lumpy is a term that has stuck with me ever since everyone’s favourite bearded Canadian, PJ Darling (real name) entered our lives many years back and did a Show & Tell about a 3D boxed DM piece for BTCellnet (now 02).

And where I’m from, we call these packs ‘a lumpy’

And it’s stuck ever since. So I have a whole load of lumpies from the previous weeks, some mailed, some picked up. Here’s my thoughts:

Privium

Regular readers will know that I am a big advocate of the Privium service and of their shiny, silver outers. That certainly stands out from the  doormat crowd. Inside this time was a refreshed magazine that looked a bit more “now” as opposed to some business class magazine. Short enough to read through in one coffee break and enough interest to keep you going to the end. Only one thing to note from the mag, a new service at Schiphol called check me in. Which does what it says on the tin and checks you in online in one place for all Privium’s major airline partners. Of which my main carrier from Southampton, FlyBE isn’t of course. Why not just go to each carrier individually? Well, flying in business doesn’t tend to stick to a routine and locations, flight times and cost play a part so you tend to find yourself chopping and changing regularly. And 1 site = 1 log in = easy.

Also in the lumpy was a CD. In a big package. I still haven’t listened to it. I glanced and the artists seemed random to me. I’m not sure what value the CD has considering most business flyers undoubtedly have an iPod. Perhaps a zip drive with the files loaded would have been more useful? And another way to spread the Privuim brand?

There was also a very useful item though. A zip lock clear plastic bag for the 100ml liquid stuff you now have to take on board. Great brand experience as this is now kept with my washbag and stops me having to look like a pikey when I resort to a Tesco sandwich bag. Especially when my local airport is selling them (yes, really) for 20p a pop. Bloody cheek.

Pedigree

Dogs looking happy, dogs running, dogs in streams, dogs generally looking fit and healthy and enjoying life. And the new product, Pedigree Joint Care Plus, can make your dog just like the dogs in the pictures. And here’s some samples and then money off to go forth to the supermarket and buy more. I like it a lot. One major problem though: we don’t have a dog. We did sign up for some doggy things for my parents American Cocker Spaniel (so cute) when we signed our cat up for some freebies but that was over 5 years ago. Unfortunately poor Jake has passed away. We also moved house. Ang got married. And then this pack arrives about 5 years after the last one with our new address but my wife’s maiden name. Tres strange and some pretty rubbish CRM strategy. Anyway, anyone want some? Drop me a line and the chews are yours.

Pret a manger

You think sandwiches, right? And maybe a coffee… or a croissant. They also do tea apparently. And gave away some samples of their peppermint variety. It was fine. But not sure I’d traipse all the way up Camden High Street for a cup of peppermint tea.

Don’t panic!

Used to get this all the time when we were immersed in yoof culture for a former client. Found it in a trendy trainer shop in Camden, I almost bought some but decided to “look around” elsewhere. Must be age turning me from a once impulsive shopper to an old fart. Anyway, loads and loads of stuff and things in it such as:

Pink business card saying “curious aren’t you?” and a URL for 16days.co.uk which goes to a very ordinary site indeed. I was curious. But. Now. Let. Down.

Lovely bookmark form the national portrait gallery

Strawberry/lime & vanilla/mint sample from trident gum

Fold-out poster for antiworld

Flyer for climate camp about some hopefully peaceful action at Heathrow airport in August. I hope they have sense to do this away from the main terminals after recent events though. Attention grabbing headline, “You are not fucked” which doesn’t seem to have an obvious link.

Spitz venue/gallery/bar/bistro promo stuff

Another fold out poster this time for Bloom Festival in Gloucestershire where Soul II Soul will be reviving. Again.

Drugs make you do stupid things such as playing musical statues for beefburgers. Huh? Don’t do drugs and drive. Printed on 75% recycled paper. Why not 100%?

See some new music at the white house (no, not that one). They have a second insert about a theme in June call Origami which is “a neon playground for lovers of the electric disco.” Apparently.

Love London

More music stuff at the social

Stickers from Kickers. I missed that first time round as well.

Large poster about Tigers, Tigerrific to share art and pictures about Tigers and help save them from extinction.

Win a grand with a good idea with MTV Flux

New dance things at Royal Opera House which seems an odd fit but then it is an eclectic mix

Together club at Turnmills

And a v large poster for Don’t Panic Online which is where the cool kidz hang. Some nice spoof charts and testimonials about how Don’t Panic has improved peoples’ lives including this one allegedly from Katie Holmes which has some under-currents of other alleged real-life recommendations(allegedly):

Someone very special (I think all you people know who I mean) recommended Don’t Panic Technology and I’ve never looked back.

All of which brings me to this. While I like the graphics and will probably try the gum (it’s not for me, I’ll stick to Wrigley’s) and look at the Tiger art, I confess that the rest of it just ain’t my bag, baby and proves that the 18-35 demographic broad brush stroke is horribly innacurate. By rights I should be lapping this stuff up and preparing to get loaded, muddy and dance the night away. But I like a nice glass of wine, a good book, peace and quiet, sitting in my garden, tending to it even. I am turning into my father. I shall stick to Oliver Sweeney rather than trendy Camden trainer shops in future and continue to avoid procuring FHM for fear of embarrasment on the train looking at ladies bits in public.