The good folk at TED were kind enough to make me an honourary TED blogger a while ago. And it's just occured to me that since getting back from holiday I've been completely slack about posting anything. Apologies to them. As some small measure of penance I'd like to point out that there's a bunch of absolutely top-notch new video on TED talks. My personal favourites are Daniel Gilbert, Mena Trott and, of course, the sainted Malcolm Gladwell. (I know I'm supposed to be able to embed the video in here, they're very good about making that available, and I've done it before, but i can't seem to make it work. Oh well. I'm presuming you all know what video looks like. You know, like photos, but moving.) Check them out. Embed them on your own blogs. Then maybe TED will forgive me.
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beard science
The world of blogging is a strange and marvelous place. I don't know Dan. Never met him. Don't think we've even swapped emails. Yet I feel certain that he'd appreciate this book I'm currently reading. Which I think is very good. Though the Amazon reviewer doesn't rate it as highly as this book which I'm planning on getting next. That is all.
jobs galore
Here's another job you might like. Paul Constable asked me to post it. If you're interested please contact him: paul.constable at samsung.com
Do you think I should be doing this? I'm assuming that it's a good thing to let people know about jobs but I'd be worried if this just turned into a recruitment site.
the next blogosphere over
I've been conscious of late that I'm starting to bore myself with all this talk about brands and marketing and blah blah blah. So God knows what it's doing to you. I'm just not sure there's that much left to say. Doesn't everyone now know what to do? We just have to do it.
So I've been consciously trying to extend out a little into the next streets along on the blogosphere, places that are related enough that I understand what's going on but not so likely to break into reflexive snorts at the mention of One World Equity.
Some of the interesting places I've found in my wandering/wondering are:
The Creative Review blog is lovely. Magazines seem to find it hard to know what to do with a blog but CR is doing it really well. This little piece on the aesthetics of myspace is typically smart. (And I stole the idea of using pimpmyspace off them.)
I read The New Yorker a lot (which I realise makes me look rather pretentious). And I'm always excited when an Alex Ross piece crops up. I very rarely understand what he's talking about, I've almost never heard the music he discusses but his intelligence and enthusiasm is energising and infectious. His blog is the same.
It's always a good idea to keep an idea on what Kevin Kelly is keeping an eye on. Cool Tools has been a favourite for a while, there are always things you want but don't need. But in a solid, practical, men and sheds kind of way. But Street Use is genius. See the world through the eyes of technological improvisers.
I just love the way everything on slowmotionlandscape looks. Especially the moleskine notebooks.
Mind Hacks is the blog of the book; "Neuroscience and psychology tricks to find out what's going on inside your brain." There's always something to puzzle or intrigue you. Or failing that something you can mention to someone to look clever.
husbandly pride
I always think it's a shame that Anne doesn't write more on her blog. I like what she writes. But I don't think she has the same ego-need as me to blog her whole life away. Anyway, I felt I had to share this thing she wrote for The Guardian a while ago. If you can't cope with the tiny type in the jpg it's on the Guardian site here. (It's possible I've linked to this before, I was very excited when it came out, but I can't find it, so here it is. Possibly again.)
connect big
Fantastic advice from Ricky Gervais on how to do something global. (Ignore the bit in yellow.)
cup of tea, think
For those that are interested, I've just added a bunch of new places to agoodplaceforacupofteaandathink.com
lovely/dismal
Arthur was very keen to go camping this weekend so we went down to The Warren near Folkestone. Which was really interesting. I like captured it best by placing it firmly on the line between dismal and lovely.
It seems poised on the edge of gentrification, but you also feel like it could slip back into Kentish moribundia very easily.
I'm especially fond of the abandoned roller-coaster, which has a very scooby-doo feel.
There seem to be about four shops clustered on a single street which represent the bohemian quarter and which might furnish the early burst of arty gentrification. Chief among these is a shop that used to be my favourite shop of all time when it was in London, but which is always closed when we get to Folkestone - rennies. Highly recommended for all your comfy modernist needs. We went home through Hythe and stopped at a brilliant place called The Light Railway Restaurant.
darth strategist
This was in Campaign last week. Hard not to sound like an arse doing something like this. I'm very pleased though to have got 'Darth Strategist' in as a job title.