right now

I wish it was possible to post an environment to be shared
and felt. It’s absolutely beautiful out- ideal Sunday weather for
the comfortably aimless. Even the dogs are happier today, now that
the bare sidewalk : mounds of snow ratio is looking on the bright
side. And it’s (finally!) warm enough now that friends that brunch
can sit outside for so long that the cafes have started
transitioning to the dinner menu. I miss living in the LES but it’s
little things like this that make me more and more loyal to
Brooklyn. You can’t beat this kind of pleasant quiet and I swear
the air somehow feels softer. The absence of cabs. Perfect that
such a gentle sleepy Sunday will come to an end with the necessary
chaos that is the Steelers vs. Packers.

2011
02/06
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Because Tyra told me so

Confession: Yesterday, I got sucked into an America’s Next
Top Model marathon.

(the season where they shoot as bats in a tub of fake blood, and also end up in New Zealand posing with sheep.)

Anyways, there’s one girl who always has an excuse/blames others
when she gets critiqued. It’s easy to dislike her, even though
we’ve all been in that mode before, right? (I’ve been there more
times than I wish to count.)

During Ansley’s (sp)excuse #271, Miss
Lady Tyra cut her off and said “You need to listen better.”

I find that quote echoing in my thoughts today, so I thought I’d doodle it and commit to it. In 2011, I’m going to listen better: Be more
mindful. Leave conversations with friends/office mates and pause to
‘log’ what we chatted about, so I can pick up again where we left
off with a bit more ease. Try to dispense less advice or opinions
unless said friend/mate specifically asks for it. Impress my ma by
being able to have actually completed those wise things moms are
hard-wired to espouse.

If you’re reading this and run into me
offline, please judge me. Call me out if i seem like I’m not fully
honoring my Tyra-test. Because I love and respect you and I want
(and need!) to do a better job of showing that. much love, kp

2011
01/30
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an ideal first Monday of a new year

Over the holidays, I completely ignored the internet/email in order to get lost in books, magazines and movies. One of the most poignant articles I came across was ‘Coding for the Masses’ by Clive Thompson in WIRED. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/st_thompson_wereallcoders/

In the article, he referenced Douglas Rushkoff”s book ‘Program or Be Programmed’ which makes the case that learning the basics of coding should become part of mainstream curriculum.

But, while I’m eager to read Program or Be Programmed, I have a feeling it’s going to make me want to do > make > code > create > as soon as I finish the book. Problem is, out of the hundreds of resources out there- I have no clue where to start first. I’m completely uninitiated to all things coding and also highly intimidated by the thought of it. And I thought there might be more n00bs like me; willing but wondering where to begin.

So in the true spirit of coding, I emailed Clive himself  to ask how he would break down the dense process of learning to code into smaller, more manageable lessons.

Amazingly, (admittedly, the whole office heard me gasp when his response popped up in my inbox. I do love that the internet and all her latest platforms basically exist to endlessly dare you to reach out/start something, create something/ or just ask a burning question) he wrote back rather quickly with the following suggestions:

“I decided last year to try programming again and a
friend suggested I try Processing. It’s a very fun language because it’s
a) easy and b) specializes in letting you easily create interactive
visual things on screen.

There’s also an excellent how-to beginner’s
book — http://oreilly.com/catalog/0636920000570 — that I’ve been
using; it’s superb for the complete newbie. If you decide to try it I
recommend buying the book in PDF format, because it’s a lot easier to
cut and paste the bits of code than to laboriously re-type them out of
the paper book.

I’m maybe 1/3 of the way through the book and I’m having a lot of fun!”

Hopefully you’ll also find his suggestions worth test-driving, or maybe have other resources to recommend. But because doing something new is usually better with a buddy, my charming new mate Daniel Edmundson and I are planning to form a small group so we can work our way through the books & exercises while co-teaching our way out of n00b status. Bourbon will be involved. If you’re interested in forming clusters of aspiring coders, hit me up. Meanwhile we’re planning on posting our progress and any tips learned along the way, so more to come.

Aaaand because the universe has a dry sense of humor -  my attempt to ‘unplug’ only led me to a new hobby which will require me to spend even more time online and thinking about everything that occurs online, I’m OK with that. Following the Clive’s advice doesn’t exactly seem like a misstep.

Cheers

-kp

Happy online shopping:

http://www.amazon.com/Program-Be-Programmed-Commands-Digital/dp/1935928155/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

Note: Originally I titled this post as An Ideal First Monday Of a New Decade (rather than new year), which would have been incorrect according to Q Blog: “because there is no year 0, the  new ‘decade’ actually extends to 11.” See here: http://qideas.org/blog/ten-most-significant-cultural-trends-of-the-last-decade.aspx

2011
01/03
CATEGORY
InternetGoodies
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3 things I said to someone who taught me a lot

My former professor and 1st mentor wrote me asking for some thoughts about working as a planner, to  share with the current communication students at FSU.

For whatever it’s worth, here’s what I wrote him:
when it comes to planning, i think the three kinda ‘mantras’ I work off of, include:
a) I want to bring creatives an idea or insight they couldn’t just Google themselves.
that an inspiring thought came from me physically venturing out to places that aren’t part of my commute and talking to people outside of my social bubble.

b) to quote Gareth Kay: “Make sure the work, works.”
I love nothing more than predicting any possible question or doubt- and finding the answer to it. there’s not much better going to the client with the belief that ” This is absolutely the smartest way for you to spend money because only your brand can truly pull this off in this moment of time. And here’s why:______, _______, ________. “

c) research is the sexiest thing in the world. it’s watching people live life.
usually, people assume the creative is the sexy time and that research is a necessary chore. that is the biggest ‘unlearning’ i’ve gone through. i flippin’ love learning, observing, and supposing.

2010
08/10
CATEGORY
Words
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a hypothetical demon & a brilliant question

starting to read Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and the Introduction references an amazing passage in Nietzche’s The Gay Science:

“What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you:

“This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in you life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence – even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself.

The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!”

…The question in each and every thing,

“Do you desire this once more and

innumerable times more?”

would lie upon your actions as the greatest weight.”

pp273-274

I had to stop and put the book down to really think about that. (And type it out for you to enjoy too)

I am very curious to see how many times tomorrow I begin telling my office mates about this hypothetical demon’s question and see where those conversations lead.

But I’m even more curious to see for how long Nietzche’s idea affects my decisions, if at all. (Might make for an interesting looking-back post, to be written on August 11, 2011).

*On a slight tangent, I think that is so fascinating; especially considering the vast quantity of things we read online/offline, we don’t always know which quotes, ideas, articles will forever bubble up to our memory and which ones will forgotten.

At any rate, if the hypothetical demon ever finds me, I hope he looks like this:

And I hope your tomorrow (and remaining existence) are full of things you’d be happy to do innumerable times over & over again.

2010
08/10
CATEGORY
Inspire
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Facebook Facts: They’re Appalling, Comforting and… Akward

If extraterrestrials stumbled upon the entire contents of Facebook, would they understand us better than we know ourselves, or would they also be hunting for a giant “DISLIKE” button?

The good folks at onlineschools.org have compiled some new and new-ish facts about facebook. Personally, I’m wondering if this is a sign- I’ve been hovering in a cloud of indecision as to whether or not I should shut down my facebook account and spend ’8.3 billion hours’ roaming the more uncharted internet territories.

Facebook: Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Thanks to Dennis Ma for sending the infographic my way!

2010
05/18
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InternetGoodies
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from 14 to 9 // ode wk 11

It’s 57 degrees out.

This morning was my last run in my Asics GT 2140s before I replace them for a new pair. (Thanks to my Godparents for the birthday gift card to Richmond RoadRunners!)

In these particular Asics, I ran my first marathon and 35k trail run. They’ve crunched over snow, through freezing streams in Cumberland, darted through mud capable of sucking the shoes right off my feet, and helped me leap over fallen logs while keeping my eyes on trained on the white blazes that mark the trail.

In these I’ve passed fields with stalks of corn taller than me. I’ve caught more of Richmond’s sunrises and sunsets, only because it feels so good to put these 2140s to work. I’ve ran past highway exit signs that I normally blow by at 68 mph.

They’ve graduated from crisp white to the color of laundry water. When I bend them, the sole is so thin they curl up perfectly like a roly poly. <– clear sign it’s time to replace them.

In them I’ve solved brand problems, fixed a bruised heart, remembered to call my mom, noticed houses or trees I need to come back and photograph, and found the right words that seemed to elude me when I sat in front of my computer.

This morning, in my very last run before I trade up into a new pair, I glanced down at my watch and realized that when I first started running in Richmond, it used to take me around 14 minutes to reach a certain Boulevard. Today, I crossed it in 9:45. I’m so happy I glanced at my watch then- that proud little moment is the best way to kick off a new week.

It struck me that I only have 15 more weeks left of university. Knowing it will inevitably fly by- I wanted to do something that would help me remember the bits in the midst of the blur. I decided to write an ode for each week. As a way to teach myself to find the awesome, the simple, the beautiful or the unexpected. 15 snapshots of where my head//where my heart was in the last quarter before the jump-off. I have no clue what will stick out as something I feel compelled to write about – but I like the mystery involved.

2010
04/18
CATEGORY
Odes
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Tales from the Heart // an animated exquisite corpse

http://vimeo.com/9894754

It’s eerie, gorgeous and slightly disgusting. If I had a dream where Tim Burton and Aeon Flux met – I think this clip would sum up the encounter quite nicely.

found via http://sarah-daily.tumblr.com/

2010
04/17
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Thesis: WTF is the Internet Doing to Our Wiring?

Each graduating strategist is required to write an article on anything that fascinates us. We then publish a magazine called Cultural Standpoints that features all the articles, and our professor, Caley Cantrell, sends them to planning directors across the country. (Lots at stake here – will appreciate any/all of your feedback!)

My partner Ashleigh Edwards and I presented this paper last week to our class and it sparked a great discussion. I’d love to open it up to the web for comments since we have a week to take in any/all feedback and make necessary edits before it goes to print.

<<Long after our article gets published – I still hope to continue discussing this if you find it interesting. There’s no shortage of implications for the way we work. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve come up with your own system for balancing out you online/offline lives. i.e For me, cutting down on gChat alone has freed up more time for runs & face2face chats>>

<< click below the cover page to download our article >>

WTF_THESIS_FINALE

These are the dTO laptop stickers we created & passed out as a trigger to kindly remind ourselves to take a break from all-things-digital throughout the day. My partner and I discussed how we think 'signs of success' would be if people began posting 'dTO' on their gChat and facebook status messages as a form of social proof that as much as we all love the internet- we recognize that at some point we need to break from it.

2010
04/11
CATEGORY
Work
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sunset reset // ode wk 10

I shouldn’t have gone running.

Plenty of other things ‘I ought to be doing’ on my list.

But I did it anyways.

I passed all the dinners being cooked along Grove avenue. Someone was sauteing with basil, another neighbor grilling- hickory chips were involved, ice cold cans were cracked open.  Passed a grandpa looking forever young while he relaxed on a porch swing.

Saw tulips and blooms so vivid in color  that I promised myself I’ll stop complaining about the havoc Richmond’s pollen has wrought in my head.

Mapped out a route I need to return to, with my bike and my camera.

Every lawn I passed seemed to be between 5 o’clock shadow and beard length- the perfect kind of grass that begs you to roll out a sheet and read til you slip into a snooze.

Sunset falling on brick homes, sunset keeping my shoulders warm as the temperature dropped, sunset casting a softness that I’ve forgotten to look for over the last few weeks.

Surprise and delight. A full hour of running and finding surprise and delight in the littlest things. It’s become the favorite hour in my weekend.

I’ll probably be up a lot later tonight striking off items on the to-do list, but it’s well worth the escape from looking at the world through rgb-colored lenses.

It struck me that I only have 15 more weeks left of university. Knowing it will inevitably fly by- I wanted to do something that would help me remember the bits in the midst of the blur. I decided to write an ode for each week. As a way to teach myself to find the awesome, the simple, the beautiful or the unexpected. 15 snapshots of where my head//where my heart was in the last quarter before the jump-off. I have no clue what will stick out as something I feel compelled to write about – but I like the mystery involved.

2010
04/11
CATEGORY
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