March 27, 2005

Sun 27th March : Dropping The F Word

It started only recently. I mean, two years is almost coming up and it's only in the last couple of months she asked me to stop. Stop opening my mouth and using a perfectly brilliant little word.

At first I thought she wanted me to stop using the F word in the apartment. My reaction was to tell her that she was restricting my right to express myself effectively, but then I thought: well she does pay the mortgage and feed me lovely grub. I could keep quiet at home, no problem.

Then I found her asking me to stop using the word when I was walking down the street explaining what happened last night, or was it about something on TV. I don't remember. I bit my tongue.

Then she stopped me swearing in the pub....

I had to sit and think about that for a minute and then it dawned on me. "You want to stop me swearing because you think I'll use it around our children (if we ever have any)."

She smirked. My god, I was right! My foot took another slip on that oily slope away from youth towards something quite adult and very alien.

How could I stop this? I thought.
"Oh well, at least I can still use the C word," I grumbled.
"You were banned from using that 2 years ago," she told me.

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Thur 24th March : Passer Out


Passer by girl
Originally uploaded by GuyBrighton.

There I was in the Passer By on Friday night (2am). I was having a great time. Maybe it was that Chilean tequila at 6pm - I stopped dancing like a fool at one point and turned around to find that I was the only one dancing tonight.

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Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

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March 26, 2005

I'll tell 'em you're in jail

Sometimes when you're researching on the web you come across stories that make you want to ship out and live in Maryland. Take Jefke's little story that includes stuff like this:

The running woman has to return to the scene as apparently running man,whilst doing the running the swinging and the getting his ass handed to him,  had her car keys. Her last words were "i gotta go back to work, i'll call your work and tell them you'll be in jail."

Jefke's Post On "take 3--who says working from home is boring?"

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March 24, 2005

Wed 23rd Mar : Nichelle Hunting

As some of you may know, there's a blogger out there in NYCland that goes by the name of Nichelle. By all accounts, she seems to be some 'bon vivant'  - flittering from one party to the next to enjoy cupcakes and kudos.

Now Nichelle has got me in all sorts of trouble: she's got me on stage, she's got me in Gothamist and she's even got the Lady asking, 'Who's that blog woman who emails you?'

The thing is, I have never met her (despite various Dodgeball pings) - but last night....

So, on a whim I went to the NYC Photoblogger of the year type event at the Apple Store. Packed full of folk - a whole mixed lot, those bloggers. All snapping pictures of each other.

Anyway, as I stood at the back on the left and watched these blog-heroes present their work I noticed a familiar face along the far wall. It couldn't be, could it? Oh, my goodness! That might be Nichelle Newsletter! I tried to take a photo, but no joy.

<to be added>

I decided to stop her at the end. Some of my favorite photo-bloggers presented (including Joseph Holmes, Jesse Chan Norris)and as for Youngna - I've seen her around, snapping all the time! And she never took a pic of me, either!!! Anway, the event drew to a close and I popped my head up like a good meercat and where was Nichelle? Gone!

I rushed to the Merc bar - surely she'd be tempted by the Gothamist free drinks. But no, she wasn't there.

I returned home in the sleet and slush and thought that maybe I'll meet her by chance another time.

The Lady and I had a pleasant evening - curry and a movie - The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover - a film about a woman who has an affair with a guy - and then went to bed to sleep.

At 12.45am in the morning I awoke to my phone buzzing : It was one of those Dodgeball messages (how do you stop those things?). It told me Nichelle was out and about somewhere very far north.

I deleted it and the Lady asked - 'who was it?'
'One of those dodgeball thingies from Nichelle.'
'HUH?! Are you having an affair with that girl?!'
'No, it's Nichelle. I've never met her. Honest!'

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March 23, 2005

A 'Friend' Is Looking For Work In NYC

Square Peg For Hire : Piers Fawkes

Piers Fawkes For HirePSFK founder, Piers Fawkes, is looking for some new challenges. Need a little advice? A whisper in the ear? A hint? A suggestion? A full blown plan? With over 13 years experience, Piers has developed innovative brand and  marketing strategies with some of the world's leading brands (and their agencies) and now he's looking to hold the hands of a few more.

Involved in the start up of several marketing consultancies in Europe and North America, Piers also launched one of the first buzz-marketing agencies in Europe called Set Loose. He has developed advertising, CRM, online, PR, event and direct marketing solutions in every sector known to man (well almost/sort of) and has even been involved in fashion, music and film (in 2004 he produced the short 'It's OK To Drink Whiskey' that was screened at the Sundance Film Festival).

Need a creative strategist? A planner? A blogger? A trend spotter? A writer?

If you enjoy the energy, enthusiasm and eclecticism that is PSFK and want to see if you can apply it within your company or agency (where-ever you may be), give Piers a mail today: piers@psfk.com!

Piers Fawkes lives in New York City. His services are also available through PSFK's check.

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March 22, 2005

A New Service For PSFK

As some of you know, I write for the PSFK blog. This is a new set of services we are trying to flog:

Introducing check, Our New Insights Service

Check From PSFKHaving browsed through PSFK Trend's site, you've had access to a wealth of news and analysis surrounding the cultural trends shaping the world today.

Have you ever wanted a PSFK of your very own?

PSFK has launched a service offering brand owners and their agencies their very own set of PSFK insight tools. We called this service: check

Created specifically for each subscriber, check reports on what's important now and what's going to be important next in every vital cultural area.

check comes in four formats: private my-PSFK blog; one-off qual investigations; a bi-monthly trend PDF report; and target-customer diary.

 

Check From PSFKcheck online                                     
check online is a dynamic online web-log that provides real-time insight into the universe that engulfs a specific geo-demographic market.                

Written in an informative yet refreshing tone, check online's content will be specifically selected for your company and made available via a password and through a bi-monthly newsletter.

 

Chk3check_1

check lite
check lite is a bi-monthly report that is packed full of trends and foresight for a specific geo-demographic market.

check lite is sent to subscribers as a PDF six times a year.

 

Check From PSFK

check deep 
check deep is a service that offers clients one off investigations into the target market off their choice.         

You brief us, we go check deep, we give our opinions, you get the answers.


Check From PSFK

check mate
check mate brings your target market to vivid life.

Do you charecterize your customers? Do you even give them a name, Sally or Ray for example? PSFK can bring them to life with a frequently updated online diary for your private consumption. Find out what they do, think, feel and use with check mate.


check services are provided at a global level and in specific countries including UK/IE, US/CA, OZ/NZ. More info? Click Here

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Tues 22nd March : New Boy's Lesson

So I bump into Justin, out of the blue, the next day on the street and he says he found out where the new guy went last night. He went into the back room and had a couple of bottles of wine and what not - Cost him 3000 dollars! I don't think he'll be so keen next time I see him.

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March 21, 2005

Mon 21st March : Strippers

Was good to see an old Irish friend Justin in town - had a decent beer with him Monday night with a couple of other Irish - one I know pretty well Ade - nice softly spoken lad - the other guy is new to town. After steak and a beer in Old Town, new guy decides he wants to see some tits.

So we trundle off to a titty joint and I pay 40 bucks for 4 bottles of beer. Ladies come and join us and a dance is just 20 bucks, and everyone else is having one - of course, I think of the lady at home and I decline. I have to decline three times and with Easter almost upon us I feel a pang of guilt.

As Justin and I get to leave a blonge with well built knockers stops me and says that Ade hasn't paid for his 2 dances - he's gone off to the cash machine. Justin's yelling at her that it's not his problem - but I see the bouncer not looking too happy. I follow Justin to get my coat but luckily Ade comes back as the gorilla goes to seal the door. We can't find new guy anywhere. It's late we have to go.

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March 20, 2005

Sun 20th March : Persian New Year

Happy New Year Persian People!

In Iran, people spend the next two weeks visiting each other to say hello, give the young some money and generally party. One bunch of Persians in Philadelphia decided that it would be more fun if they squeezed this into one day. So the Lady and I went to the first house at 9am where there were about 30 other people from 10 different families wished each other happy new year. Then we went to the next at 9.45 - where the same people came too. Then we went to the next house. 12 houses in 1 day with all the same people in them!

The good thing was, that if I made a fool of myself (spillage, annoying the Lady, singing, dancing) in one house I could start all over again in the next!

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March 18, 2005

Fri 18th May : Getting Fired

Guess What?

I got fired!

I knew I shouldn't have dumped that burger costume with all the flyers in the woods!

It's spring this weekend - let's rock!

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March 17, 2005

Worlds Worst Web Ad?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you (a screen grab of) probably the worst ever created skyscraper banner.

Featuring an ever spinning Nokia 6630 camera phone - we guess the brief was, "Make it eye catching - never ending - so distracting that your eyes can't read anything else on the page you visited."

As found here.

Brand building?

(If anyone knows how we can pinch the Flash file and put it here, let me know)

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Thur 17th Mar : Putting Me Out Of My Misery

I just wonder when they're going to do it. When they're going to call me in. I've been sidelined, marginalized, frozen out, forgotten. But it's always been that way, maybe.

When the year started I used to come to work on Monday's wondering if this was the last week I'd be working at Jolly Roger Advertising but now a little birdie's had a whisper in my ear. They told me the writing's on the wall. They say I have no future. They say I'm not wanted. They say he doesn't want me working here.

But why am I here? The juniors are now presenting the projects I ran. They just ask me a couple fo questions here and there. So why am I not fired? To keep the boat steady. To not alarm the others.

My second American boss and I must admit how disappointed I am in the whole egomaniacal race.

Time for little bit of payback, maybe?

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March 16, 2005

Brits On The US Piss : Ian Brown in San Fran

Ian_brown_in_a_fight

From Bagel Radio:

Two-thirds of the way through the third attempt at "Made Of Stone,"
some idiot jumped up on stage and barrelled into Ian's knees, wiping
him out and sending him to the ground.  Ian, understandably angry,
started kicking the idiot.  And punching the idiot.  Ian was joined by
his bass player.  And guitarist.  And drummer.  And keyboardist.  And
percussionist.  You could say it was overkill, especially since the
idiot, laying on the stage, did not appear to be fighting back.

It looked like they were trying to kill the guy.

then...
 
 
One large, blond security guy peeled Ian off the idiot.  Ian and the
security guy exchanged words, then Ian tried to grab the idiot again,
and the security guy grabbed Ian again.  Ian attacked the security
guy.  Ian was joined in his attack by his bass player.  And guitarist.
 And drummer.  And percussionist.  AND as-yet-unseen trumpet player. 
Attacked by the entire band, the blond security guy (the only security
left on stage as the others had taken the idiot away) went down, and
the entire band proceeded to punch and kick him.  It looked like they
were trying to kill the guy.



then...



 



Twenty minutes passed before the crowd cheered the band's return... 



Before the first song of act 2, Ian made matters worse by asking if
anyone in the crowd wanted to fight.  He invited potential pugilists
up to the stage, even pointing out individuals, "You, with the
glasses, come up, I'll fight you.






then...






Then he took it a step further and asked if there were any members of
the security staff that wanted to fight.  






Read one disappointed fan's report here.






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Green envy



I woke up with my first mid wEek hangover in years, well a few weeks, and thought, that Davo is a lucky sod. Pints down the Toucan tomorrow lunch, everyone out on the pavement with their black gold.






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March 14, 2005




Corner Bistro 2



So I go to the Corner Bistro. It's Monday. It's got to be empty. But the line is outside the door. I look through the window and see a small gap at the bar.



I push my way through. Several folk refuse to budge - oh the friendly Upper West Siders visiting the West Village. I get to the bar. There'as gap there becuase there's a down and out guy who smells like old piss who's managed to get served. On seeing me he gives me room and clears off to the corner. 



The place is rammed. It's a good burger but why would you want to wait 30 minutes for it? I order take out and a McSorley's for the wait. If only the Lady could see me now.



Within no time, the burger is ready and I'm off out - pity I couldn't make it to gym tonight - but that doesn't matter, with the burger stuffed in my bag amongst my kit.






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Corner bistro



So I think about going to the gym but I've brought the ladies t. So I call her up and she's already having sushi. Where's mine?



I have to have a burger in retaliation then.






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March 13, 2005




Night Out To Newark's Little Portugal (or... 'Just Add Wine')



Night Out To Little Portugal 12





Pics Are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/search/tags:guy+brighton%2Cnewark/tagmode:all/?page=2 



Now I just have to write about it!



Night Out To Little Portugal 17






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March 10, 2005




Thur 10th Mar : Squeezin' Outa Seattle



I know I was feeling bad but it's all ok now. They sat me in between two rather huge ladies from Alaska on the way back to EWR. For a moment I was going to rant about airlines should have restrictions about bottom size but then they turned out to be very nice people - all 16 of the chubbies were going on an education tour of Europe. 



They hadn't traveled much. I was introduced as a guy who lives on an island in the East.... Manhattan island.



Thur





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March  9, 2005




Wed 9th Mar : Get Fit



So I came to Seattle and I'm sure work thinks I must be overweight. They put me in a guest room at the Washington Athletic Club. A 20 story building of which 10 floors is a giant gym. Everyone walks around in their sports kit. It even got me to got to the gym for a while - until I realised I had forgot my earphones for that bike machine. 



I weighed myself the day after and realized I am heavier than I have ever been. US living, eh?



I had a presentation to the Seattle Burger Company. The London research agency emails me as the meeting starts to tell me that they can't do the conference call - what's wrong with midnight I reply. I mean, your kids and your husband are asleep. Actually the hudband is away so that might have not helped. I read the bullets in stunted English, pausing at all the wrong spots. 



Then the partner here took me a coupla days later to the worlds best outdoor sports stoor in the world. REI. It has everything: kayaks, tents, a 40 foot climibing thing. Yeah, even skiing. It looked so good I decided to reject my life of grime and turn a leaf. 



When I left, I contemplated my week and broke out a packet of cigarettes. Time for a big weekend....






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March  7, 2005




Seattle



Back out west after the wedding in Florida. The town puts New York to shame. Every other bugger is running, cycling, speed walking their way home. Me? Taxi to the hotel. 



Hmmm.   Steak tonight?






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March  6, 2005




Sat / Sun 5th / 6th Mar : Wedding In Florida



So have had a hectic time. Went to Florida at the weekend to the Lady's cousin's wedding. Even though it was 72 hour family time it worked out well. A Persian - Columbian wedding. As the the couple were pretty young everybody helped out. The rehearsal dinner took place at the family house where we all had a drink up and danced to a mix of Perisan and Latin music. Met the grooms brother who was a little crazy and kept asking me to keep away from his wife - but other than than he as a great guy. I dragged them all down to Lousy Blues bar near the hotel. We had a German with us: Jeigermeister shots. A lot of them. And they're big over here. 



The next morning we helped set up the wedding receprion with chairs and tables. I wasn;t very productive and this was notices. The room was by the river and I kept sloping off trying to watch these storks pounce into the river for fish. I watched for hours then everytime I turned to see if I was needed I heard this splash behind me. Biggers must have been shy. Or thought I was going to jump in for a crack at the fish too. 

Wedding was a blast. A pretty informal affair held in English, Spanish and Farsi. The Lady told a speech that made everyone laugh then cry (no, she didn't mention my name). Luckily she made them laugh again. Everyone had a good time. It was amazing to see the Persian women dance to the Iranian music. They seem to get possessed and get led by an invisible pied piper to the dance floor by this ancient music to dances that must be held in their blood. The brother led the Tequila shots this night. He got so carried away the bride's father closed the bar... what is this England?? 



I took them all town Lousy Blues afterwards - including the bride and groom. Not so many Jeigermeisters there - but we all had a good knees up. 






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March  3, 2005




Jack



It must be an airport thing. When I went to miami the other week and got fully searched, the lady started her firm search by smiling at me and saying 'Do you know who you look like?'...






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Delta



So I must admit, I'm quite enjoying flying delta. I thougt they were going to be as faceless as continental - the planes certainly are but the staff see fun. 



One just chased me down the aisle shouting 'Jack?' I turned around and shook my head. 'jack black?' she asked again. Cheeky so and so.






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Bigsville



Woo. 

Steak Burger Coke Hot dogs And some friendly folk talking to me at the bar going to kentucky and Idaho. 

Big country






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Delta to Atlanta



Welcome to America. The guy next to me leans half over me reading his Spanish mag as the woman next to him US an extra from supersize me. 



She asked why her seat was so small and the back kept falling back...






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March  1, 2005




US vs UK Smiles



From the Times Online:
THEY say “tomayto” and we say “tomarto”. And now a study has established that the Americans and British also have different smiles. 



While we British smile by pulling our lips back and upwards and exposing our lower teeth, Americans are more likely simply to part their lips and stretch the corners of their mouths. 



So distinct is the difference that the scientist behind the research was able last week to pick out Britons from Americans from close-cropped pictures of their smiles alone, with an accuracy of more than 90%. 



The study by Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California in Berkeley, near San Francisco, analysed the 43 facial muscles used by humans to charm, smirk and appease. 



He found the British were also more likely to raise their cheeks when they smile, showing the crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes. This produces a more sincere, hard-to-fake smile. 



The most common British smile — restrained but dignified — is called the Duchenne smile after Guillaume Duchenne, a 19th century French doctor who analysed facial expressions. 



Keltner has nicknamed it the “Prince Charles”, as he believes the Prince of Wales has the typical British smile. 



“Charles shows his lower teeth fully using his risorius muscle that runs all the way around the mouth,” said Keltner. “It is a polite, formal expression of pleasure. 



“But it’s also very ancient, perhaps going back to the first smiles deployed by our ancestors when they invited other primates to co-operate rather than fight.” 



By contrast, Keltner found most Americans had the far less expressive “Pan-Am smile”, named after the defunct airline’s gesture of welcome. This depends only on the zygomaticus major corner-tightening muscle and has also been called the “Botox smile” because, like the cosmetic treatment, it leaves the muscles at the corners of the eyes motionless. 



Last week Keltner was able to identify correctly the nationalities of 14 out of 15 smiling mouths shown to him with the rest of the photo obscured. The one he failed to identify correctly was of Venus Williams. the American tennis champion. 



Keltner, who will publish his findings in his forthcoming book Understanding Emotion, said the average smile could be detected from 300ft away and lasted only three seconds. He added: “In that time you can reveal much more of yourself than you ever intended. Sometimes you give away big facts.” 



Tim Henman’s grin showed he was “genuine, coy and flirtatious”, he said, while David Beckham’s smile and jutting chin indicated he was “determined to win at any cost”. The smirking grin of Chris Tarrant, host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, suggested a man who “felt he was getting away with something”. 



Despite Tony Blair’s adoption of many American political techniques, Keltner said his smile retained many British characteristics. 



“I see a bit of the full risorius in Tony Blair, but the American political elite cannot do it any more, which is a bit sad,” he said. “They have lost that dignity. In blind tests George Bush’s smile emerged as cynical rather than pleasurable.” 



The genuineness of a good British smile is all in the eyes — Keltner has found that only 5% of people can fake a smile that uses this muscle. 



Infants use the Pan-Am smile when unknown adults enter a room as a gesture of appeasement and, Keltner says, so does the actress Julia Roberts. 



“She has a wonderful smile, but it does not often reach her eyes in public. By contrast, Angelina Jolie not only smiles broadly, and twinkles, but also tilts her head a little, which pushes the pleasurable body language into a higher gear. That is a smile which is impossible to resist.” 






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