Blue Sky

Coley Porter Bell hold an annual competition called 'Blue Sky' which encourages entrances to explore a passion, one that is likely to in some way be connected to creativity. Past winners have created an adult, retro ice cream brand, explored the role of colour on buildings, looked at the effect of billboard ban in Sao Paulo and even explored fear. Here is a link, and here as well. The winner gets £3000 and two weeks off to spend on their Blue Sky project. They have to give a presentation to the company once completed. The entries are submitted anonymously, so the selection panel are judging on the merit of the entry.

The winning entry for 2006 was to write a book. This is it, written, printed and complete with blurb and quotes on the back cover, a 400 page plus parody of the branding industy:

A Good Thing About Europe

One of the best things about Europe is the old and the new sit (mostly) happily side by side. Perhaps the most famous example is the Louvre in Paris. When it is done well it really works. I had a mini-example of this in Maastricht earlier this week. We ate in a simple, traditionally Dutch bar, the Poshoorn, with is dark wooden interior and intimate warm atmosphere (excuse the trusty Blackberry camera):And we stayed in a decent modern hotel called, perhaps a little self-consciously, The Design Hotel with its minimal chic:This is a shot of the lobby. Neither of the two places were particularly expensive, or out of the ordinary, which is just the point. They co-exist happily and many people, including myself, can no doubt enjoy each one for what it does well. In fact walking directly from one to the other only heightens the effect.

Afternoon in St. Albans

That lovely time in the afternoon, when the sun is making its way toward the earth, casting long shadows over a crisp Autumn day. This was taken at 2.34 pm on the trusty Blackberry camera.

It's Absurd

People turning and shielding a free newpaper away from someone sitting next to them on the train so they can't read it.

The Native American and The 15th Century Clock Tower

Native American pan-piper plays in front of 15th Century English church. One for the cultural benefits of our globalised era then.

This clock tower had a mechanical clock from the beginning, a great rarity at the time. It also was used by the Admiralty as a semaphore station in the Napoleonic wars. It only took 5 minutes to relay a message to, or from, Yamounth. Faster than a slow email then! I wonder if the Native Americans could send smoke signals that quickly. Perhaps there is a kindship between the Native Americans and the Clock Tower in St. Albans after all, with early long distance messaging being the common thread.

By the way, as lovely as pan-pipes may be in the Andes, I have a particular loathing for them when accompanied by a pre-recorded backing track of AOR.

Misty Cathedral

St. Albans Cathedral in mist early last Saturday morning.

Public Spending

This is a really bad picture of some really well laid out information, the Guardian's graphic depiction of the UK Government's 2008 public spending. Instead of endless lists of numbers it has been laid out in circles, that represent the pound amount, where the money goes. Tufte would approve, I am sure. To look at the chart in its full glory, go here.

The Romance of British Train Travel ll

This shot was also taken on 26th September 2008 using the blackberry camera. It is of St. Albans station taken through the scratched window of the train I was sitting in.
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Madonna and Guy Ritchie are to divorce.

The Romance of British Train Travel

This picture was taken with a blackberry camera on 26th Sept 2008 on a First Capital Connect train from St. Albans to London.
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Today, the US government agreed to use some of the $700bn bail out money to buy equity in the major banks, following the UK model.

I Don't Know But It May Help

"That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

I don't know about that, but there are probably some times when it helps to think there may be something in it.