Turncoat Politics

Kenny Rogers Fakes Out Michael Jordan

pbh3:

This epic footage of a young Michael playing ball against Larry Bird, Dominique Wilkins and Kenny Rogers — yes, that Kenny Rogers! — during the country-singer-cum-chicken-magnate’s “Classic Weekend” in 1988. The best part? Kenny Rogers hitting a shot over Jordan

Picklebacks - I love ‘em

My wife must be REALLLLYYY into me cruising home at 4:00AM smelling like Jameson and Picklejuice.  Not Bruce Jameson and his West Side picklejuice, but whiskey and brine. 

My friends and I are fans of the Pickleback and it seems like everyone else is now, too.  Just ask the folks over at the New York Times.

Stolen note from TIGS on communication transposition

I was reading an article from Faris Yakob’s TIGS and got a kick out of it:

“One of the first things that happens when a new medium emerges is a form of communication transpostion - taking a model from a different platform and applying it to the new one.”

I can’t get over the new utility premise on the web

I think that there is something in the idea of a new utility premise on the web.  I think that it is rooted in the idea that a huge amount of people want to be ‘facebook famous,’ reaping real world rewards for virtual actions.  The bottom line is that if you think there is something that can get you some sort of attention or validation, and it is simple, the internets is gonna love it.

Well that was just one thing that I took from this video from Jesse Schell :

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2010 - Guitar Hero 5

Convergent Technologies- using something for something else

I met Robert Tercek and he made a point that not many people do- something is what something is unless you can use something for something else.  He absolutely didn’t say it in that way, but what we were talking about was how some clients want exactly what they are seeing out in the marketplace.  For example- they want to have a place where people can upload their vacation photos because they are a hotel brand (why would they do that, youtube already exists).  They want a place where people can build a social network and talk about what they are doing at work (why would they do that, Twitter already exists).  If your experience online just does what people are doing already, it isn’t worth it.  You need to find a way to be additive.  When you are convergent using technology, you can build a bigger, better, web experience that is genuine and new- even if it is using existing technologies.  Check out this video from last summer where the Livestrong folks used Twitter and a chalker to spread fan messages:

Brainpicking CurrentTV’s Max Lugavere & Jason Silva

I was reading an interview with CurrentTV’s Max Lugavere & Jason Silva on Brain Pickings and it got me thinking about sabermetrics. Specifically it got me thinking about a question in Bill Simmon’s recent mailbag.

It was good to hear about their thoughts with quotes such as:

I’m obsessed with the euphoric rush that comes with the creation of something entirely new.

and

Each of us has the responsibility to act as a lens and lend focus to the content and the ideas that will enrich the world and elicit our sense of wonder.

I think that they end up coming off a little pretentious and I feel badly for them because I don’t think that they deserve it. I think it is really relevant what they are saying, even though for marketers and business folks, they would see it all as a bunch of hokey bull shit.

When Simmon’s was talking about the recent MIT Sloan Sports Conference and broke up the attendees into three buckets:

Group A: Smart people with mathematical backgrounds figuring out new ways to evaluate sports.

Group B: Smart people without mathematical backgrounds determining which of these advances are more useful than others.

Group C: Outsiders (fans and media members) figuring out how to digest these concepts without being overwhelmed by them.

There are a couple things that I got me thinking. I see a lot of similarities between what is going on with with Lugavere/Silva and what is going on with sabermetrics. I believe that Lugavere/Silva are in that “Group A.” They are just out there figuring out new ways to do things, leaving the application of what they are doing to others- specifically those in “Group B” and “Group C.” I do disagree with Simmons, though in the way that there have to be a group of people out there - either those in Group C or in a Group D who are the people there trying to see what A and B are doing in a way that can be monetized, applied, or tweaked to work for their business or organization.

I just started following Max and Jason, let’s see if these guys are entertaining….

I think it is worth watching

Jacqueline Novogratz on how to recognize a linchpin from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

I think consultants, especially in the digital world, can be hit-or-miss (who is amazing all the time), but they are always up for interpretation, application, and appropriation.  Just let it breathe, you can make something of it all.

Rihanna Video- Post by Click 3X

http://www.click3x.com/home.php/blog/

Video: Rihanna - Rude Boy

ohlek:

Here’s the latest video from the bajan artist which definitely held true to what she said about being different than her previous videos and a venture back to her roots. Enjoy the visual.

-Tony