What I Learned Today

How to Play 88 Keys

2010-05-25T14:37:00.004-04:00

I honestly couldn't have said this better myself.

88 Important Truths I’ve Learned About Life
Everyone gets drilled with certain lessons in life. Sometimes it takes repeated demonstrations of a given law of life to really get it into your skull, and other times one powerful experience drives the point home once forever. Here are 88 things I’ve discovered about life, the world, and its inhabitants by this point in my short time on earth.

1. You can’t change other people, and it’s rude to try. 2. It is a hundred times more difficult to burn calories than to refrain from consuming them in the first place. 3. If you’re talking to someone you don’t know well, you may be talking to someone who knows way more about whatever you’re talking about than you do. 4. The cheapest and most expensive models are usually both bad deals. 5. Everyone likes somebody who gets to the point quickly. 6. Bad moods will come and go your whole life, and trying to force them away makes them run deeper and last longer. 7. Children are remarkably honest creatures until we teach them not to be. 8. If everyone in the TV show you’re watching is good-looking, it’s not worth watching. 9. Yelling always makes things worse. 10. Whenever you’re worried about what others will think of you, you’re really just worried about what you’ll think of you. 11. Every problem you have is your responsibility, regardless of who caused it.

12. You never have to deal with more than one moment at a time. 13. If you never doubt your beliefs, then you’re wrong a lot. 14. Managing one’s wants is the most powerful skill a person can learn. 15. Nobody has it all figured out. 16. Cynicism is far too easy to be useful. 17. Every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours. 18. Whenever you hate something, it hates you back: people, situations and inanimate objects alike. 19. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works alone can teach you everything you need to know about living with grace and happiness. 20. People embellish everything, as a rule. 21. Anger reveals weakness of character, violence even moreso. 22. Humans cannot destroy the planet, but we can destroy its capacity to keep us alive. And we are. 23. When people are uncomfortable with the present moment, they fidget with their hands or their minds. Watch and see.

24. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least. 25. Putting something off makes it instantly harder and scarier. 26. Credit card debt devours souls. 27. Nobody knows more than a minuscule fraction of what’s going on in the world. It’s just way too big for any one person to know it well. 28. Most of what we see is only what we think about what we see. 29. A person who is unafraid to present a candid version of herself to the world is as rare as diamonds. 30. The most common addiction in the world is the draw of comfort. It wrecks dreams and breaks people. 31. If what you’re doing feels perfectly safe, there is probably a better course of action. 32. The greatest innovation in the history of humankind is language. 33. Blame is the favorite pastime of those who dislike responsibility. 34. Everyone you meet is better than you at something. 35. Proof is nothing but a collection of opinions that match your own.

36. Knowledge is belief, nothing more. 37. Indulging your desires is not self-love. 38. What makes human beings different from animals is that animals can be themselves with ease. 39. Self-examination is the only path out of misery. 40. Whoever you are, you will die. To know and understand that means you are alive. 41. Revenge is for the petty and irresponsible. 42. Getting truly organized can vastly improve anyone’s life. 43. Almost every cliché contains a truth so profound that people have been compelled to repeat it until it makes you roll your eyes. But the wisdom is still in there. 44. People cause suffering when they are suffering themselves. Alleviating their suffering will help them not hurt others. 45. High quality is worth any quantity, in possessions, friends and experiences. 46. The world would be a better place if everyone read National Geographic. 47. If you aren’t happy single, you won’t be happy in a relationship.

48. Even if it costs no money, nothing is free if it takes time. 49. Emotions exist to make us strongly biased towards or against something. This hinders as often as it helps. 50. Addiction is a much greater problem in society than it’s made out to be. It’s present in every person in various forms, but usually we call it something else. 51. “Gut feeling” is not just a euphemism. Tension in the abdomen speaks volumes about how you truly feel about something, beyond all arguments and rationales. 52. Posture and dress change profoundly how you feel about yourself and how others feel about you, like it or not. 53. Everyone thinks they’re an above average driver. 54. The urge to punish others has much more to do with venting frustration than correcting behavior. 55. By default, people think far too much. 56. If anything is worth splurging on, it’s a high-quality mattress. You’ll spend a third of your life using it. 57. There is nothing worse than having no friends. 58. To write a person off as worthless is an act of great violence. 59. Try as we might to be otherwise, we are all hypocrites.

60. Justice is a human invention which is in reality rarely achievable, but many will not hesitate to destroy lives demanding it. 61. Kids will usually understand exactly what you mean if you keep it to one or two short sentences. 62. Stuff that’s on sale usually has an annoying downside. 63. Casual swearing makes people sound dumb. 64. Words are immensely powerful. One cruel remark can wound someone for life. 65. It’s easy to make someone’s day just by being uncommonly pleasant to them. 66. Most of what children learn from their parents isn’t taught on purpose. 67. The secret ingredient is usually butter, in obscene amounts. 68. It is worth re-trying foods that you didn’t like at first. 69. Problems, when they arise, are rarely as painful as the experience of fearing them. 70. Nothing — ever — happens exactly like you pictured it. 71. North Americans are generally terrible at accepting compliments and offers of help.

72. There are not enough women in positions of power. The world has suffered from this deficit for a long time. 73. When you break promises to yourself, you feel terrible. When you make a habit of it, you begin to hate yourself. 74. A good nine out of ten bad things I’ve worried about never happened. A good nine out of ten bad things that did happen never occurred to me to worry about. 75. You can’t hide a bad mood from people who know you well, but you can always be polite. 76. Sometimes you have to remove certain people from your life, even if they’re family. 77. Anyone can be calmed in an instant by looking at the ocean or the stars. 78. There is no point finishing a book you aren’t enjoying. Life is too short for that. Swallow your pride and put it down for good, unfinished. 79. There is no correlation between the price of a brand of batteries and how long they last. 80. Breaking new ground only takes a small amount more effort than you’re used to giving. 81. Life is a solo trip, but you’ll have lots of visitors. Some of them are long-term, most aren’t. 82. One of the best things you can do for your kids is take them on road trips. I’m not a parent, but I was a kid once. 83. The fewer possessions you have, the more they do for you.

84. Einstein was wiser than he was intelligent, and he was a genius. 85. When you’re sick of your own life, that’s a good time to pick up a book. 86. Wishing things were different is a great way to torture yourself. 87. The ability to be happy is nothing other than the ability to come to terms with how things change. 88. Killing time is an atrocity. It’s priceless, and it never grows back.

Not Everyone's Free

2009-07-06T10:42:00.006-04:00

This weekend we celebrated the Declaration of our Independence. Just last week, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a declaration of independence in itself. The week before that, the death of an icon in Michael Jackson's passing. News of Michael's death brought heated debate over his worthiness of our condolences. Regardless, it occurs to me that if it was Stonewall that happened 233 years ago, that if today all people were free to love whomever they want, perhaps Michael Jackson would not have succumbed to the tortured lifestyle that imprisoned him. Perhaps he would have been free to declare his sexuality (whatever it was). Perhaps this beacon of raw love and talent would not have lived the last decade of his life as a pariah. Take some time today to declare your love. For whomever your heart desires.

Neda is Persian for Voice. Holla.

2009-06-22T21:16:00.009-04:00

The notion of world peace in the 22nd century hangs in the balance on the streets of Tehran today. So moved by the bravery and the commitment to peaceful protest, all in the name of change (yes we can). Any change in this region can be the catalyst that unites this tiny planet, generations from now. I'm perhaps most moved because these historic events are happening in my living room. Right now. On the 17" screen in front of which I spend (way too) much time. An infinite source of inspiring and brutal coverage. Which makes this uprising more than loud, it's connected. Via Facebook and Youtube and that thing no one understands called Twitter. (In one hour, a refresh search on #iranelection showed 87459 new results. Get it?) This uprising is informed. And that knowledge is power. Let's see what this social market can do.

(Peace, Neda. You will never be silenced.)

This I Can Use

2009-03-24T14:07:00.004-04:00

We all know the curse of the multi-tabbed browser. At any given time, I’ve got upwards of 1 dozen open tabs in my Firebox browser. At least six of those tabs are open to sites that I use on a daily basis. In no particular order: Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogger, YouTube and Flickr. Now, thanks to the geniuses at Fallon, I’ve got a desktop app that manages most of these most-visited sites for me. Say hello to Skimmer. Classified as a “life-streamer” it is a one-stop shop for me to manage (most of) my online profiles. What’s truly interesting is that this does not come to us from a hot tech start-up or even Google. It comes from ad agency, Fallon. This is the future of advertising. Nice job. (Unfortunately, it’s popularity has crashed the site today. Try again tomorrow.)

Update: Skimmer wins a Lion at Cannes.

Creative Ingenuity Never Ceases to Amaze me

2009-03-04T14:42:00.001-05:00

Just go. http://thru-you.com/

Facebook sure knows how to ruin a good thing.

2009-02-16T18:12:00.004-05:00

I like Facebook. I like finding old friends, staying in touch, casually eavesdropping on each other. I absolutely love the social experiment of it all. But then today, just when it was gaining phenomenal momentum — just when it was kinda getting good — Facebook went and threw the whole thing under the bus. I’m talking about their just-released Terms of Service agreement that basically says they own You (not you you, Facebook You). Naturally, I immediately stopped posting anything of value to me, as I’m sure many others will file suit. Soon Facebook will be a repository for stuff people care little about. And there goes the ballgame. Experiment over. Way to be an asshole, Facebook.

UPDATE: Too late, Facebook. We're creeped out.

I stink at this.

2008-12-05T00:47:00.003-05:00

I’m good at Scrabble. I’m good at crossword puzzles. I’m good at spaghetti and meatballs. I’m good at karma, right from wrong and doing unto others. I’m good at strategy and content and production; websites, banners, commercials, print ads. I’m a decent writer. And I’m no expert, but I know a lot about social media and have a good idea how brands will market in just five years. But this—the execution and maintenance of social media—I'm not so great at this. It's not for lack of passion or interest (I can bore you to tears over drinks, and send suitors scurrying at cocktail parties). But updating a blog, commenting on others', maintaining conversations on Twitter is hard work, a full-time job. It takes an amazing amount of discipline.

Happy Days are Here Again

2008-11-05T10:07:00.001-05:00

Today was a big day. Today I learned that 200 years of bad news can be swept away with one headline. I learned that my country can still bring me to tears, every time I hit play. I learned that I am not alone in my joy. I learned that the Onion is the most honest news agency, as evidenced back in 2001. I learned that much damage can still be done over the next 80 days. I learned that there is a plan – a real plan – for ending war. I learned that I have been depressed for the better part of this year and I know this now because, on this day, I am filled with hope and joy, a stark contrast to just 12 hours ago. Today, I learned that I am so ready, so willing and eager to start serving at the pleasure of my President Elect. Oh yes, this is a happy day. Cherish.

It Really Does Take a Village

2008-10-15T00:42:00.004-04:00

A 14-year-old girl from South Carolina ran away with her 17-year-old boyfriend (at least, we’re hoping that’s the worst of it). The girl’s father has a friend that uses Twitter. This friend tweeted about the missing teens. According to the unscientific but brilliant analysis performed by the guys at Ideas and Angles, the word of said runaways was being spread at a clip of 250 tweets every 5 minutes. Every single "retweet" coming from a virtual stranger (pun intended), with perhaps thousands of degrees of separation. This outpouring of good social cause is not an anomaly. This is the Twitter community at work. Just wait until they get organized. Fuck Wall Street. This is the new economy. And I hate to say it, but our fundamentals ARE strong.

Al Gore Made Me Cry

2008-10-03T13:17:00.008-04:00

In light of what’s been dominating the media lately, it’s interesting to me that this free movie download hasn’t gotten more attention in my little blogosfear. Michael Moore posted "Slacker Uprising" on the web for free, believing it so important that everyone should get to see it. Admittedly, I hadn’t watched the whole thing until today, mere moments before election day. And by far, it’s not Michael Moore’s best film. But boy, is it mighty relevant today. And honest. And infuriating. And heartbreaking. And about 27 minutes into it, at a Tennessee rally, a local man by the name of Robert Ellis sings a song: Al Gore Lives Down the Street From Me. The song goes on to say that, despite winning the popular vote in 2000, Al Gore currently lives in a house on this man's block. But in the final chorus, about 29:50, he changes one word of the song. And in light of what’s been dominating the media lately, in light of what could have been, that one word reduced me to tears.

There are No Overnight Sensations Here

2008-10-02T09:18:00.002-04:00

Like every industry, everybody wants immediate results. If I spend this much, how much will I get back, and when? Well, social media doesn’t really play by those rules. The foundational strength of social networking is TRUST. Trust takes time, effort, patience. Establishing trust in social media takes listening, participating, and sharing. Do it well, do it right, and you’ll see some movement in as little as six months time. In this “now next sooner” industry, 6 months wait-time is a tough sell. Unfortunate, because the results will definitely be worth the wait. (ED. NOTE: Worse, not investing the time today will be the death of your brand ultimately. Promise.) Beth Kanter did a great job of explaining exactly how much time it takes to “do” social media.

I'm a Contender!

2008-09-25T11:38:00.012-04:00

Right now, anybody with a name and a brain is launching their "personal brand" -- nothing more than a presence and an opinion, on a blog, twitter, facebook, youtube. The more presence, the faster they're becoming the bonafide authority on their varied subjects. They're perhaps as knowledgable as you or me, but they're passionate. And consistent. And rockstars. It's just another demonstration of how regular people are becoming the agents for the next generation of branding. Madison Avenue, you're on notice. For a swift kick in the ass, check out Gary Vaynerchuk. This guy kills it.

We Are Living in an Immaterial World

2008-09-16T09:51:00.004-04:00

Honestly, I never would have believed that intangible goods could make a splash in today's market, not beyond 8 year olds anyway. But right now virtual goods are a $1.5B market, with guestimates taking it to $7B by 2010 (yes, that's a B). So go ahead and plant a lil green patch, hatch an egg, send a hug, whatever. Enjoy those random acts of kindness with abandon. Because the really good ones are going to cost you. Just ask Marta Kagan.

Social Media Doesn't Take a Holiday

2008-08-31T10:04:00.010-04:00

A quick glimpse into the power of Twitter. Right now, with much thanks to @acarvin, people are putting great time and energy into organizing resources before Gustav hits, 140 characters at a time. I haven't read deeply, admittedly, but I see @thehomedepot is active today and I'm therefore reminded of that old commercial, when the Home Depot truck turns toward the approaching tornado -- powerful. And thanks to @ricksanchezcnn, I watched CNN last night for the first time since Wolf Blitzer cut off Bill Cosby to go to Paris Hilton arriving for her Larry King interview. That's two big brands that got my attention and got a reaction (with nostalgia, forgiveness and mention in this post, at least). And these branded tweeters were just being themselves, being human, being social. And it didn't cost them a thing. Watch this space.

I'd Buy a Used Car from This Guy

2008-08-26T13:34:00.007-04:00

I've come to know @cspenn on Twitter. Smart. Friendly. Great business card. He doesn’t sell cars, but he appears to know a lot about financial aid. Not that I'm looking, but if I were, I’d probably do my business with Chris. Why? I feel like I know him. He blogs. He podcasts. He posts comments. He’s honest, opinionated, helpful. He follows ME on Twitter. He demonstrates beautifully the practice of good social media, the etiquette, the investment in me, the user. So yes, I’m more likely to buy whatever he’s selling -- I'm sure I'm not alone. And THAT is the marketing power of a single social medium. We're not salesmen, we're advisors. And that is going to be huge.

Online Advertising is Not Social Media

2008-08-20T18:00:00.002-04:00

There’s a wave of “floggers” out there, aka fake bloggers. They start out seemingly legit, garner some following. And then, when the market plan kicks in, it’s revealed that these so-called blogs are the creation of an advertising team, trying their hand at this newfangled social media—at the same time demonstrating they clearly don’t get it. Social media is social. It’s a conversation, a relationship, a level of trust that traditional advertising can almost never achieve. There’s lots of talk about it lately, but Chris Kieff turned me onto it first.

Stop Using the Word “Viral”

2008-08-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

I’ve known this for a long time, but it bears repeating: every time the word “viral” is spoken, another piece of content loses its wings. And it’s all I can do to keep from cringing when clients and colleagues say it. Seriously, knock it off.

Chris Brogan Doesn’t Care

2008-08-11T10:25:00.002-04:00

The best line in a recent interview is when Chris Brogan was asked if Twitter will ever go mainstream. His response: I don’t care. Anyone who’s followed Chris knows he’s a sweet guy and not at all arrogant. What he means is Twitter doesn’t have to go mainstream to be a wildly successful platform or a wildly effective tool, especially for the small to medium business. And he’s right. About so many things. Check out his entire interview with the equally brainy David Bullock.

The Answer to World Peace: YouTube

2008-08-10T13:19:00.003-04:00

It’s true. When you consider a purely anthropological study of YouTube, you’ll find the dichotomy of this user generated experience is fascinating, inspiring. It allows us to be wholly revealing, while remaining completely anonymous. It gives us permission to publicly stare at others, and right back at ourselves. It lets us be completely individualistic all the while we’re tied deeply to a large community. Liz Strauss turned me onto this hour long video featuring Dr. Michael Wesch's conclusions, and it’s well worth your time.

It's Smart to Stay Dumb

2008-08-09T11:38:00.019-04:00

It's great being the dumbest person in the room. For one thing, I know I'm working with some pretty smart people. And B) I am in a position to learn something. And I'm happy to remain silent in that room and let people think I'm dumb, rather than open my mouth and remove any doubt. Stay dumb, my friends. Listen and learn. Had I not stayed curious, I never would have found Sally Hogshead.

My Future Looks Bright

2008-08-08T13:03:00.010-04:00

There are non-believers who will ring its death knell, but the very fact that these naysayers are commenting upon the notion of social media's shelf-life via social media outlets is all the proof I need to know: social media is working, growing, conquering and hiring. All the while pioneering the next incarnation of marketing. Did I lose you? Probably. Ben Parr explains it better.

Advertising is Sexy Again

2008-08-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

It was not that long ago (1995, perhaps) that creative advertising was a dying breed. The production of TV, print and mail campaigns were fast becoming more a labor of ROI than an exercise in creativity, and the advertising landscape expressed that. But then, someone threw an ad up on the world wide web, and my life changed exponentially. No longer were we limited to 30 seconds or 8 1/2 by 11 or first class postage. Advertising was exciting once more, my job got really cool, and (most important), my shelf-life in this business became interminable.

Point is, we in the marketing field are currently working in the single most exciting industry there is today. This game is changing everyday and your canvas is wiped clean every morning (no matter the client, the budget or the schedule). So spend an afternoon scouring the blogs and the portfolio sites. Dig into rich media, multi media, social media. Become a student of this incredibly fascinating medium. And tell me, what have you learned today?

How to Start a Blog

2008-07-24T21:59:00.009-04:00

Anybody that knows me understands how incredible it is that I am speaking to you via blog right now. No. Technical skills. Whatsoever. I started with Wordpress, failed miserably. Managed to pull off this here fancy Blogspot. Look! I make fire.