Sunday, December 31, 2006

Thinking Holiday


Thinking is so often overlooked, since most of us so called creative types tend to enjoy DOING: designing, creating, making and yes, thinking. It's the leisure of unstructured time over these next few days that allow the opportunity for some real thinking.

It's nice to be able to take an extended breather around this time of year, however we'd all be be kidding ourselves to think we could ignore our work for the entirety of our break. Desing Matters posts on exactly what thoughts we should focus on and avoid. For example, we should replace this:

"Will anybody notice if I don't send out a Christmas card?" or "How can I synchronize my font library across the network?"

with something like this:

"Where is your business headed?" and "Are you content with your client relationships?"

Those questions and more coupled with each new task in 2007 beginning with a streamlined, thus more efficient, methodical approach are just some of what I'll be considering over the next 9 days.

To New Beginnings!

Peace & Happy New Year Y'all!

Thanks for reading.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to squirrelbait over at Core 77

Friday, December 29, 2006

The Crystal Ball: Ads 2007


As the New Year approaches, advertising executives are busy divining the future, compiling lists and predicting hot brands and consumer trends.

Not surprisingly, many agencies are focusing on how the digital world will continue nudging the offline world in new directions, and consumer-generated content is in the forefront of everyone’s mind.

But ad executives also say they think companies should pay attention to shoppers’ interest in knowing more about the products they buy and to their desire to turn their cellphones and BlackBerrys — gasp! — off sometimes.


That's Right,
Read The NYT Aricle

HMK

Thanks to Louise Story at the NYT

Jackie Earle Haley Takes Chicago!


Top dogs Jackie & Ringo. Photo by HMK

For those keeping score, this is the 5th Best Supporting Actor honor for 2006's comeback kid.

Yesterday, the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards chose Jackie Earle Haley the Best Supporting Actor award for his comeback performance in Little Children.

Jackie beat out the formidable likes of Ben Affleck in "Hollywoodland," Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls," Jack Nicholson in "The Departed," Brad Pitt in "Babel" and Michael Sheen in "The Queen."

In addition to yesterday's Chicago Film Critics Association Award, Jackie's also won the Best Supporting Actor honors from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards.

Stay Tuned!

Congrats Jackie!

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Enthusiasm is Better than Confidence


Dive in and become who you are!

We all want to be confident, don’t we? It’s a word that crops up fairly often in coaching sessions, even with people who are very talented and successful. We’re all human, and for most of us there are times, places, audiences and situations where we feel we’d like to be a little more confident. For creative professionals, these typically include high-pressure performance situations, such as presentations, pitches, interviews, auditions and stage shows.

Of course we want to perform at our best in these situations, but the Creative Coaches over at Wishful Thinking think the word ‘confidence’ creates more problems than it solves and usually advise clients to change the word to ‘enthusiasm’.

Read all 5 Reasons and see why.

As both a creative in the overly political and ego driven advertising game and as concept/designer/artist guy by nature it's always been quite obvious to me that in regard to the business side of things - image, structure, strategic positioning, technology, products or services, we're all pretty much replaceable and everything we do can be copied.

In a world of potentially abundant talent it all comes down to the human factors and finding the people with the right attitude, energy and enthusiasm in addition to the talent. Nobody want's to work with an asshole no matter how much talent they've got - it's simply no fun and life is just too short.

It really all about the energy, enthusiasm, and attitude of each individual person and whether or not you connect, respect and believe in each other enough to do the best job you can and not care about who gets the credit.

I've always believed that a simple, humble, happy and rewarding life is all about relationships and surrounding myself with people that I respect, admire and truly want to be with whether it's friendships, my work, side projects or whatever.

I've been lucky enough so far to be blessed with an awesome wife and kids, great friends and family (even though our time together is a fraction of what it once was) good health and always just enough money to taste some of the finer thing this life has to offer.

And like the headline I wrote in regard to the dress code for Venus de Milo in Boston a few years back:

"Know who you are and dress accordingly"

Cheers and Happy New Year to my true blue friends and family - That's Right - you know who you are!

Peace,

HMK

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Joseph Barbera 1911-2006



Rest In Peace Joe Barbera 1911-2006

Hollywood animator Joseph Barbera, who created some of my favorite characters like Fred Flintston, Scooby Doo, The Banana Splits, Josie and the Pussycats, Johnny Quest, Atom Ant, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Top Cat, Quick Draw McGraw, Mogilla Gorilla, The Jetsons and more, died yesterday at the age of 95.

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, December 16, 2006

The Flag Creek Inn Site


Just in case you missed it, here's the Flagg Creek Inn James and I finished a month or so ago.

If you get a chance stop by the site for a visit. And more importantly - go visit Flag Creek Inn!

And dudes, I personally invite you to checkout our favorite 3 Day Weekend Spot and dig for yourself the tranquiility that can only be derived from floating in the pool on a perfect summer night watching a meteor shower with the kids, a couple of friends and a glass of your favorite..

Yeah, it's like that y'all.

Flag Creek Inn

That's Right,

HMK

And thanks to Flagg Creek Inn owners Chris McDaniel and his wife Kelly for sharing and making us feel right at home.

This is quite possibly the first official and true collaboration featuring my dear friend Mr. James Lewis on the keyboard.
A HMKJ12 Not2Shabby©FlashThang? Perhaps. Perhaps Not.

Stay Tuned.

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Atkins Group Christmas 2006 FlashThang©


Seasons Greetings form moi and all the cool kids I work with over at The Atkins Group.

Check out The Atkins Group Holiday Message

Peace and Happy Christmas!

That's Right,

HMK

Hi-Fi Genius!



Stumbled upon this over here.

This is one of the coolest rigs I've ever seen!

They claim it's German - all I know is this thing is sweet and it need to be recreated and updated with new guts.

That's Right,

HMK

The Magical Mystery Stream


The Magical Mystery Stream Is Going To Take You Away!

Launch The HMK Magical Mystery Stream

Copy the url and paste it into your iTunes:

iTunes>Advanced>Open Stream>Paste url

My friend Scott Blackwell took this awesome shot scuba diving last year. I helped out with a little retouching and just had to post this.

Enjoy!

That's Right,

HMK

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Apes Hill Club, Barbados Site Launch



And here's another site officially launched today. Just one of the 9 sites we're working on for the Landmark Land Company - a group that specializes in Golf and Residential Development.

Checkout: Apes Hill Club

That's Right,

HMK

New South Padre Island Site Launch



Sweet!

The first of 5 new sites we're launching this month is officially live.

This one is for the South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Go South Padre Island

That's Right,

HMK

Vino What You Vant


Check out The Nice.

The Nice Ice cooler is a real deal wine cooler. Fill the mold with water, freeze for 24 hours, then remove to create a gorgeous bottle chiller made of ice. Throw in some fruit, food coloring, ornaments and more before freezing for a stunning effect, or place a candle inside after frozen for a dazzling light display.

Ordering Info: Dutch By Design

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Saatchi Creates an Online Hangout for Artists


“Being an artist is a solo endeavor, and this is a safe way to see what others are doing,” says Denise Parsons, an art student in San Francisco who shows her work, above, on the Saatchi site.

Julie Ann Travis , 23, a graduate student at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, is curious to see what her peers are up to and to share some of her latest work. So recently she posted a self-portrait in which her head is buried in a pile of dirt at Stuart, the latest addition to a recently redesigned Web site for the Saatchi Gallery in London.

The brainchild of the London-based advertising magnate and collector Charles Saatchi, this social networking outlet — a kind of MySpace knockoff for artists — is causing something of a sensation, boosting traffic at the gallery’s Web site overall to more than three million hits a day.

Read The Article: The New York Times

Check Out The Site: Saatchi Gallery


That's Right,

HMK

James Bond: An Everlasting Brand


In 1962's Dr. No, a tuxedo-clad Sean Connery subdues assassins, foils the world domination plans of an evil genius, and seduces pretty women, all with an occasional bon mot thrown in. Forty-four years, 20 films and five leading men later, the James Bond film franchise continues to flourish by relying on that same basic formula -- and with good reason, film and marketing experts say.

Read It All

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Angus Loten at FastCompany

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Spyhole



Click Enlarge +

Model Eva Padberg personally presents the new Otto catalogue to thousands of homes across Germany and whoever looked through the spy hole to see who was there saw Eva with the catalogue and the order number.

Nice.

Agency: Kolle Rebbe, Germany
Via: Goodness

That's Right,

HMK

Monday, December 11, 2006

And the winner is... Jackie Earle Haley!


This just in!

Jackie Earle Haley has just won the Best Supporting Actor Award from both The New York Film Critics Award and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle for his amazing performance in Little Children!

(Runners-up: Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls and Steve Carell for Little Miss Sunshine)

Not too shabby!

The New York Film Critics
The San Francisco Film Critics

That's Right!

HMK

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Little Children Trailer



If this awesome trailer is any indication, it looks like New Line Cinema might finally be distributing Little Children beyond the indie realm.

I can't wait to see this film!

Go Jackie Earle Haley!

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Over A Billion Scared



Dude, the original Ronald McDonald was way scarier than the new guy.

And yeah, that’s Willard Scott behind the makeup.

Wow,

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

New John Dufilho Video


The Bridge Of Stolen Bicycles - video powered by Metacafe

Strange things can happen when educational videos become public domain and join forces with a Grammy nomine for best alternative album. This is the 5th of 12 videos I'm been putting together for Sir John and his lable Glurp.

Warning: The Bridge Of Stolen Bicycles is not for those that creep-out easily...

Check out the rest, so far, at johndufilho.com

And this one is not up yet either...

My Circuits Are Blown


That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Fly Finds!


If you're anything like my wife and her gaggle of friends during this Holiday shopping season you'll dig theses goodie gifts with a definite French twist, you'll save yourself some shopping time by check out this groovy online version of the P.O.S.H Chicago store.

There's some sweet brand new stuff - like these awesome these soup bowls, but their Flea Market Finds truly make it worth the click..




Check it out: P.O.S.H

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Flipperoo Clock


Ok, this is officially on my wish list .

Check out this sweet analog clock with flipping dates. They've hand drawn a whole bunch of numbers and little surprises on the flip things.

It comes in three colors: silver, orange, and green.

Each box is hand-numbered and the production is limited to just 200 pieces.

Get the Flipperoo Clock quick!

That's Right,

HMK

Monday, November 27, 2006

Jeff

Ikea has clearly run out of names for it's products...

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, November 24, 2006

Authentic Pseudo Sushi


So wer'e going to go sushi before Emily's play tonight.

Tonight's also the night that we meet Budros' new Russian girlfriend, Elena.

I only hope she's not Putin anything radioactive in my noguri...

And this just in... On a recent business trip to Colorado, Japan's agriculture minister popped into an inviting Japanese restaurant with a hankering for a taste of back home. What Toshikatsu Matsuoka found instead was something he considered a high culinary crime -- sushi served on the same menu as Korean-style barbecued beef.

"Such a thing is unthinkable," he said. "Call it what you will, but it is not a Japanese restaurant."

A fast-growing list of gastronomic indignities -- from sham sake in Paris to shoddy sashimi in Bangkok -- has prompted Japanese authorities to launch a counterattack in defense of this nation's celebrated food culture. With restaurants around the globe describing themselves as Japanese while actually serving food that is Asian fusion, or just plain bad, the government here announced a plan this month to offer official seals of approval to overseas eateries deemed to be "pure Japanese."

Some observers here have suggested that the government's new push for food purity overseas is yet another expression of resurgent Japanese nationalism. But the mentality in Japan also echoes a similar movement by several nations -- including Italy and Thailand -- now offering guidelines and reward programs to restaurants abroad to regain a measure of control over their increasingly internationalized cuisines.

So beware, America, home of the California roll. The Sushi Police are on their way.

A trial run of sorts was launched this summer in France, where secret inspectors selected by a panel of food specialists were dispatched to 80 restaurants in Paris that claimed to serve Japanese cuisine. Some establishments invited the scrutiny, while others were targeted with surprise checks. About one-third fell short of standards -- making them ineligible to display an official seal emblazoned with cherry blossoms in their windows or to be listed on a government-sponsored Web site of Japanese restaurants in Paris.

Matsuoka, who took over Japan's top agricultural job in September, is the mastermind of the new "Japanese restaurant authentication plan." He said it does not always take a culinary sleuth to spot an impostor. "Sometimes you can tell just by looking at their signs that these places are phony," he said.

"What people need to understand is that real Japanese food is a highly developed art. It involves all the senses; it should be beautifully presented, use genuine ingredients and be made by a trained chef," he continued. "What we are seeing now are restaurants that pretend to offer Japanese cooking but are really Korean, Chinese or Filipino. We must protect our food culture."

In recent years, few culinary traditions have witnessed the kind of global boom, and distortion, of Japanese food.

In the United States alone, the number of restaurants claiming to serve Japanese food soared to 9,000 in 2005, or double the number a decade ago, according to Japanese government statistics. The government projects that the number of Japanese restaurants worldwide will leap to 48,000 by 2009, more than double the current level.

Some have gone all-out to ensure authenticity. Masa in New York City imports its fish from Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market while Umu in London regularly flies in the soft water of Kyoto, Japan's old capital, to make its bonito fish broths. But they are largely exceptions in a world where the Japanese fear their food is being lost in translation.

In the United States, the proliferation of counterfeit Japanese foods now includes seaweed rolls stuffed with smoked salmon and cream cheese. In Canada, Vera's Burger Shack in Vancouver is offering tempura-battered onion rings. As the recent test in Paris showed, even such gastronomic bastions as France can be guilty of sushi sacrilege.

"You will find restaurants here that serve salmon sushi with a little yakitori [charcoaled chicken] on the side and call themselves Japanese," said Tsuyoshi Nakai, the Paris head of JETRO, Japan's overseas trade promotion arm. "Then there are the ones serving what they claim is Japanese sake, but of course, it isn't. What is it? I don't know. But it smells, and tastes, very strange."

With the demand for real Japanese chefs far greater than the global supply in a nation with a shrinking population and few modern-day emigrants, many foreign owners of Japanese restaurants have turned to cooks from other Asian countries to add a faux touch of authenticity to their establishments. Pan-Asian restaurants have also begun adding more healthful and light Japanese dishes to their menus to cater to new tastes, some of them going as far as changing their names to the inevitable "Mt. Fuji" or "Sakura" to lure broader clienteles.

That has infuriated Japanese sushi chefs overseas, leading some -- including those who formed the D.C. Sushi Society in the 1990s -- to unite into advocacy groups aimed at protecting an elaborate form of cooking that is tradition-bound and highly hierarchical.

Officials here emphasize that it is not the race of the cooks they are concerned about, but the fact that such chefs are rarely properly trained and know little about the culture behind the food.

In Japanese haute cuisine, for example, the aesthetics of a meal -- from elegant ceramic serving bowls to suitable flower arrangements -- are considered as important as the food itself. Quality quashes quantity; a single mouthful of otoro -- fatty tuna sashimi sliced just right -- can sell for $20 in Tokyo sushi houses. Japan's famously elaborate kaiseki ryori can take days to prepare and must be presented in small courses on plates and in color combinations that delight and amuse.

Most importantly, such meals must be prepared by highly specialized chefs -- some of whom apprentice for years before they are permitted to cook for paying customers.

Makoto Fukue, the head of the Tokyo Sushi Academy who trains about 75 Japanese chefs-for-export a year, insisted that the inexperience of some foreign sushi chefs may be driving customers away from more adventurous Japanese fare.

"Many Americans do not like the taste of conger eel sushi, but that is because the chefs are not preparing it right -- and so it tastes fishy and has an odor," he said. "If you had a trained chef preparing those same foods, you would find more openness to experiment with the same foods we eat in Japan."

But some here have expressed caution about the launch of the government approval system, arguing that Japan is a country also notorious for adapting foreign foods to local tastes. Indeed, that rare talent gave birth to Japanese seafood and mayonnaise pizza.

In addition, many so-called Japanese foods have foreign influences or roots. Batter-coated and fried food known as tempura, for instance, was introduced to the Japanese by Portuguese missionaries during the 16th century.

"The question is, what can we really call 'Japanese food'?" said Masuhiro Yamamoto, the Tokyo-based food guru. "Here in Japan, we believe that tonkatsu [fried pork cutlet] is essentially Japanese, but try and tell the French that isn't porc paner."

The government has appointed an advisory board of food luminaries and intellectuals to develop a workable method for the project ahead of its full launch in April. Matsuoka said the most likely scenario would be the creation of government-sanctioned food commissions in major countries to evaluate a restaurant's "Japanese-ness" based on authentic ingredients, chef training, aesthetics and other criteria.

Such a method might also coincidentally increase Japanese food exports, given that restaurants using Japanese products are likely to score some brownie points.

"Of course using Japanese materials would be preferable," Matsuoka said. "But our real purpose is to set benchmarks for how Japanese food is made overseas. We take our food very seriously."

And starting Summer 2007, I, H. Michael Karshis, will be heading a task force throughout Europe authenticating and then distributing either my TotallyBueno stickers at TexMex restaurants any my Real-Deal Texas stickers at Bar B-Q joints - who's with me?

That's Right,

HMK


Thanks to Anthony Faiola at the Washington Post Foreign Service

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Saturday, November 18, 2006

007 Rewind


I can't wait to skip out of work next week and catch the new James Bond!

And check out M16 for absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about Ian Fleming's JB.



That's Right,

HMK

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Meaty Resources

I shot this awsome sign in New Orleans.

Last night while researching some web gaga I found a couple of nice resource links for all you desigers out there.

If your looking for some off the radar stock photo options you'll dig Blue Vertigo.

And if you have anything to do with producing effective websites, een if you're already a pro, your sure to learn something new over at Design Meltdown.

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Compared To What?



Swiss Life 2006 ReBrand 100 Winners > best of awards
Industry: Financial Services/Insurance - Above: Before & After Image

Whenever I hear "That's great!" or "Very nice." whether in regard to a band, glass of wine, a movie, song, grilled cheese sandwich or a logo, my initial thought is this:

Compared to what?

In order to truly appreciate the result, value or execution of almost any endeavor, effort, task or product, one must have an understanding of it's origin and all things preceeding.

Think about it.

Let's say your only experience with coffee was from Denny's or random gas stations. (Poor you!) Then, by chance, someone with an elevated palet treats you to a Starbucks at the airport before your first plane ride.

Now we've got something to talk about!

ReBrand™ is a forum for case studies and programs focused on effective rebrands and showcases a nice Before and After addressing all of the above.

(Not the best example but hey, I'm still working on my first cup this morning - HEB's Taste of San Antonio spiked with some freshly ground dark Columbian beans.)

Anyway...

Along with the Center for Design & Business at Rhode Island School of Design and partners, they organize ReBrand 100®, the first and only global awards to recognize the world’s most effective rebrands: the repositioning, revitalizing, or redesign of existing brand assets to meet strategic goals.

Grab your self a fresh cup of your favorite, get comfortable and check out the showcased rebrands from around the world at ReBrand™ - it'll jump start your crit skills!

That's Right,

HMK

Monday, November 13, 2006

30 Seconds, If Your Lucky


The idea that if you build it, they will come, might have worked for Kevin Costner in the movie “Field of Dreams,” but it certainly does not hold true for Web sites.

Build a bad-looking small-business site filled with poorly written text, and your potential customers will go away. Build one that is attractive, compelling and clever, but crucial design mistakes will still guarantee that few people will know that the site exists.

Your Web site is like a digital business card, designers say, the first online look at your company that a customer gets. With luck, it will not be the last.

A site must have addictive content, said Vincent Flanders, a Web design consultant in the Seattle area who is the creator of Webpagesthatsuck.com, a site that analyzes why some pages do not work. “People must be willing to crawl through a sewer for it.”

It is not just small operations that make a mishmash of their sites. Large companies can be just as prone to major design mistakes.

One global company states on its home page that “Indigenous and proven career management tools coupled with a comprehensive series of integrated initiatives have been evolved, to ensure that employees continue to sustain a high performance culture, while recruitment and selection is based on necessary competencies.”

That is “just gobbledygook,” Mr. Flanders said. “The words are not understandable by humans.”

According to Jakob Nielsen, a Web site consultant and author of the book “Prioritizing Web Usability,” it is essential that a Web page get a company’s message across quickly, because visitors are a fickle bunch. Most people do not go beyond what is in front of their faces.

Studies by Mr. Nielsen’s company, the Nielsen Norman Group, an Internet design firm in Fremont, Calif., show that only 50 percent of Web visitors scroll down the screen to see what lies below the visible part on their PC monitor.

“Users spend 30 seconds reviewing a home page,” Mr. Nielsen said. “A business must encapsulate what they do in very few words.”

With findings like those, it is no wonder that Web pages must visually hit a visitor right between the eyes. If a site does not answer a user’s questions about a business, then you have scored one for the competition. For example, the first thing customers visiting any restaurant’s Web site want to know is when it is open. But often that information can be found only by digging through multiple pages. As a result, “the site fails,” Mr. Nielsen said.

“It’s all about the basics,” said Baris Cetinok, Microsoft’s director of product management for Office Live, a site that offers free Web hosting and design tools for small businesses.

Visitors must immediately find out “who you are, what you do and how people can reach you,” Mr. Cetinok said.

Besides good grammar, Mr. Nielsen suggests that companies list a physical address, include a photograph of the building and not ask potential clients to fill out a form simply to ask a question. “That immediately communicates danger,” he said.

Making a site look good is complicated by the fact that no two monitors will necessarily present the Web in the same way. Users can set their browser’s default font size to be bigger or smaller, so it is impossible to know exactly how text will appear to any one person.

And how much of a Web site’s home page can actually be seen by users varies, based on the screen’s resolution.

The problems are made worse by designers being in Los Angeles or New York, and not, say, Texas, so “they think everyone has a large monitor and a fast D.S.L. connection,” said Neil Hettinger, co-owner of Lead Pencil Ad Design, a marketing and design company in Manhattan Beach, Calif. He suggests mixing text and graphics on a Web site, with dark type set against a light background for easy reading.

If you are selling a product, use thumbnail photos that can be enlarged when clicked on, Mr. Nielsen said, not a graphic that can be rotated in every direction. Otherwise “you see products at weird angles.”

“The most important rule in Web page design is to eliminate unnecessary design,” Mr. Flanders said. He recommends not adding large, spinning graphics that take a long time to download.

He also advises business owners not to add introductory splash pages that force a viewer to watch a video or animation.

“Splash pages are only needed for pornography, gambling and multinational Web sites that need to direct users to a particular country’s page,” Mr. Flanders said.

Graphics also do nothing to help a site get discovered by search engines like Google or Yahoo. Those sites troll the Internet for key words, as well as the frequency and quality of one site that links to another.

Text embedded in a graphic, like the name of a shop in a photograph, cannot be seen by search engines. And the old practice of embedding key words in white-on-white type will not increase a site’s page ranking; in fact it will do the opposite.

“The first time a word is used on a site, it’s significant,” said Matt Cutts, a Google software engineer. “If that word is used 50 times, there is a diminishing return.”

“If you put hidden tags on your page, you’re a total moron,” Mr. Flanders said. “You will get caught by search engines, or others will turn you in.”

If your business is local, make sure that the entire geographic area you serve is mentioned in text on the site. To increase the number of sites that link to yours, list your business in online trade directories, and mention it on various blogs.

Google offers free Web master tools that automatically analyze a site to determine if it is being optimized by search engines.

In the end, getting a prominent placement in a search engine is the only way to ensure that your site will be seen by those who can increase your business.

“If your site is not listed on the first page of search results, you might as well not exist,” Mr. Nielsen said.

Thanks to Eric A. Taub at The New York Times

Sunday, November 12, 2006

WWF Poster


Save endangered animals before they disappear in front of your eyes.
Nice stuff from CC&E, Guangzhou, China

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Fleet Street Scandal


Afternoon Tea On Threadneedle Street By Chris Turnham

Check out the awesome collected works of illustrators Kevin Dart & Chris Turnham.

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, November 10, 2006

Give It Up


The Red Cross of Australia ain't asking for your money, they need blood.

Nice stuff from M&C Saatchi.

That's Right,

HMK

Thursday, November 09, 2006

National Library of Medicine


The NIH has an incredible collection of scanned anatomical books.

The illustrations are truly amazing.

Check out the National Library of Medicine's Collection.

That's Right,

HMK

Make Your Own Vodka!


Now it's easier than ever to make your own Vodka!

Ya Here!

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

The Art Of Complex Problem Solving


I'm sure that most everyone probably agrees with the idea that ideas live or die by how well they're communicated.

What really needs to be addressed, in most situations involving more than 5 people, is the fine art of follow through and the respect of other peoples time, enabling everyone involved to do their best.

Information is useless when it sits on somebody's desk until the 11th hour or later. And at the end of the day, nobody remembers how many rabbits were pulled out of the hat, just that the deliverables were less than stellar.

No wonder there's a virtual revolving door at most shops and the annual employee Christmas party attendees are never the same from year to year.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when people have mutual respect and trust for each other and information is shared in a timely manner. If you've ever been in a situation without the above respect, you're probably familiar with lines like "It's like this everywhere" and "Get used to it, that's just the way it is." Well, it's not.

It may be the law of the land in the egocentric bottom-line driven big agency environment, but as you've probably experienced with true friends and colleagues, there are places where the common goal is bona fide trust and respect. It just takes a while to find your place, but it does exist.

Bottom-line, as my friend Tom Rehkopf (one of my true-blue-go-to-guys since 1978) says, "If you like what you're gettin' - keep doin' what you're doin'. If you want something different, do something different."

Thanks Tom.

Meanwhile, check out these nice infographics at The Art Of Complex Problem Solving.

That's Right,

HMK

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

The Invisible Hand


If you're interested in the ideas behind business and strategic thinking, I think you might dig Chris Gondek's podcast, The Invisible Hand.

Each week, Chris brings you the authors and books that have formed our modern ideas of management and strategy.

At times this can be a bit dry, as some of the guest authors are somewhat long winded, but over all, these are guaranteed to get your brain jumstarted and they go great with a few cups of morning coffee.

Get smart and enjoy!

That's Right,

HMK

I May Have Voted


Cartoon by Chan Lowe, The South Florida Sun Sentine

And remember - if you don't vote - don't bitch.

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, November 03, 2006

Wrigley Extra


The trick now is training the Starbucks baristas to take the time to line up the image with the lid... Otherwise, this is a pretty cool and fun idea.

That's Right,

HMK

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Do The Dewey


Forget Google! Ms. Dewey is a new, interactive, Flash based search engine.

To assist you in your search, the website is hosted by smoking hot model/actress/vocalist, Janina Gavankar.

See what she and the site are capable of by typing into the search field, or just leave it blank and watch.

Check out MS. Dewey and her groovy search site.

That's Right,

HMK

Monday, October 30, 2006

Bongo Menu Collection


Some time during the middle of the last century, a man got the yen to start taking home menus from the restaurants he'd enjoyed.

Fifty years later, his collection is in the hands of his grandson.

Some really sweet stuff over at Bostrom's Menu Collection flickr site.

That's Right,

HMK

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Another Bright Idea


Not sure if I'm totally down with this or nor yet, but the more I think about - why not?

Brazil's Sol Beer has co-oped with the national the weather forecast.

This makes me thirsty, like when it's hot. Ohhh, I get it now!

Genius.

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Haunted When It Rains


Yeah, I realize this is a tad bit creepy - but it is Halloween after all.

If you dare, visit the Book of the Dead, Haunted When It Rains, Victorian Post-Mortem Photography.

And remember - you're not going to be here forever either, so Carpe Diem!

Life is meant to be awesome!

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, October 27, 2006

John Dufilho: Best Alternative Album?


Probably, yes!

Grande Congratulations to my amazingly talented buddy John Dufilho!

His first official solo album, geniusly entitled: John Dufilho, is up for a Grammy. (Sir John's better known as the lead monkey in the amazing Deathray Davies.)

There's some pretty stiff competition - John's in a field of 48 other albums, including Arctic Monkeys, Gnarls Barkley and Thom Yorke.

I've been working with John and his lable Glurp producing some super low-fi videos, one for each song on the album.

The finalists for the 2007 Grammys will be announced Dec. 7.

Check out the first one from the opening track I'm Gonna Stay Under These Covers Today.

Check out the rest (so far!) at John's new site: John Dufilho

John's currently in Lexington right now rehearsing with the Apples In Stereo sitting in as drummer for some shows next week and will be in NY shooting a new Apples video with Elijah Wood directing.

Go John!

And what are you waiting for - go Buy The Album Now!


That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

D Is For Discrepancy


With Detroit's storybook season now culminating in the World Series, many fans have begun noticing one of MLB obscurities: The Old English D logo on the team's jersey is different than the one on the cap.

No way, you say? Way, says Uni Watch. At first glance, the two logos appear almost identical. But once you take a closer look, the distinctions start jumping off the screen: The perimeter of the cap D is comprised of jagged, pointy strokes, while the outline of the jersey D is much rounder; the left side of the cap D has two vertical strokes, both of which are curved, with two horizontal spokes in between them, while the jersey D has three vertical strokes, two of which are straight, and no horizontal spokes; and the two horizontal prongs inside the center of the cap D are concave, while the prongs on the jersey D are convex. Identical twins? More like second cousins.

Read it all at Uni Watch.

Go Cardinals!

That's Right,

HMK

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Authenticity


Buzz-worthy campaigns turn ad-agency creatives into the cool kids of the moment. But behind every copywriter-cum--rock star is a courageous client. Meet the people who had the guts to greenlight this past year's boldest advertising.

My personal favorite is the AMEX My Life My Card campaign. As Diego Scotti,VP of global advertising for American Express puts it - "Authenticity is the thing consumers respond to the most."

That's Right.

Read it at all Fast Company.

Fluff is no substitute for a concept.

HMK

Monday, October 23, 2006

Des Chapeaux


Hats off Pita and her sweet French retrospective over at Des Chapeaux.

Cela a Raison,

HMK

Friday, October 20, 2006

A Craving For Cool


Big companies are outsourcing "cool" to nimbler, closer-to-the-ground outsiders. They might as well farm out their souls.

Read the Fast Company article here.

Other companies seek out the best talent, hire them outright with promises and golden carrots with hopes of capitalizing on their unique perspectives and innate talent.

Sadly, these companies end up forgetting the all reasons they initially hired the talent and end up trying to force the energetic and innovative square peg into the predictable and safe round hole .

Bottom-line for the duped: Stay true to yourself, live and learn, get it in writing and pay no attention to that stupid fish on the bumper.

That's Wrong,

HMK

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Mmmmm. Beer...



To learn more about some of the new dark brews launch this Interactive Beer thing I borrowed from The New York Times.

Thanks NYT!

That's Right,

HMK