Thoughts from a sleep deprived mind…
Jan 16th
I really should be taking advantage of these years. At work, I’m the youngest in my office, which gives me a rather unique lifestyle that isn’t shared by the majority of coworkers. One of the things that, at least in theory, I cherish, is the sense that outside of work hours, I’m my own man.
A spouse and/or children, seem to be the triggers that have made everyone else in the office better people – less selfish with their time, more thoughtful of others in scheduling their lives, etc. I, on the other hand, proudly tout my ability to live almost purely for myself outside the office – I shun plans lest they encroach upon “me time.” And I take pride in the times I’m able to get more than 8 hrs of sleep, knowing so few of those older than I are able to. I haven’t yet reached that point where I can honestly say that I’d be happy to give up my selfish ways for another but I know that this happens to most people at some point, so I’m embracing it while I can. But, like I said earlier, this is just theory lately because while I’d love to sleep away my “me time” I’ve been robbed of the ability.
I can’t fall asleep quickly anymore and, what’s worse, is that I’m scared that this whole “less than 8 hrs” trend is going to persist. There are few thoughts that leave me feeling more empty inside than that my best nights of sleep are behind me. I wake earlier and earlier on the weekends lately – feeling a desire to get up and be productive – which has cut, at least, 2 to 3 hours off my Saturday and Sunday sleep-ins. And during the week I’m waking earlier and falling asleep later, losing probably another 2 hours per night. So far, I’m losing anywhere from 14 to 16 hours of quality sleep a week that I’m at a loss as to how to reclaim them because, the cruel nature of this affliction is that I’m not even napping anymore. With these types of core sleep hour losses, it would be irresponsible and dangerous to risk a nap further interfering with my sleep cycle. Taking a nap or two out of my week, and suddenly I’m sleeping 18 hrs, or more that TWO full nights, less per week. A travesty, to be sure.
Some people out there – the kind that love the double-shot of espresso coffees and sharing their life-betterment tips without solicitation – will undoubtedly argue that I’m reclaiming productivity hours for my day. They’re right. And maybe having kids makes those hours of sleep truly worth losing.
But, as I don’t plan on that happening anytime soon and will cheerfully continue my selfish, “me time” centric lifestyle, I’m going to use those hours to be cranky and despise myself for the time wasted awake. I may be more productive and attentive to others in my life, but I don’t have to be happy about it. Yet.
Eh? Oh? Canada says no.
Jan 13th
In what I swear won’t become the theme for my blog, today I’m inclined to voice my displeasure with another advertising campaign and question who it is, really, that green lights these things? I’d really like to know.
I haven’t yet, but I’m sure if I popped the title of my blog into Google, I’d find a ton of results saying the same thing, or a variation thereof. In fact, let’s try that riiiiight now…..
Yup, as I thought
Yup, just as I thought. Well, that’s just Google and it’s really hard to get any good answers out of it, right? Let’s see what people are saying on Facebook! Oh boy, that’s not particularly kind either. But still, there must be fans, right? Less than 2000 combined? Ouch. This is getting embarrassing.
So, what went wrong for Pepsi in their noble quest to unite our fair country under one, common, cheer? At least two things, I’d say.
1. They created a problem where one didn’t exist. If communities already exist and bringing them to your product/service is your goal, a common way to do so is by solving a problem for them or meeting a need. Build credibility and initiate a relationship with your customer, simple. This campaign, however, assumes that the community that is Canadian National Team fans, i.e. damned near ever person in this country and many outside, needs uniting. In fact, however, Canadian hockey fans have never had trouble showing their pride. We don’t need a cheer other that “Go Canada Go!” or, often, “Awesome, we scored again!” And if we were, as a group, going to adopt a new cheer it most certainly wasn’t going to be because of….
2. Pepsi, the corporation. It has absolutely no prior credibility as a Hockey Canada supporter. They may have advertised to the fans before, but Ads don’t credibility create. Signing up as part of Cheer Nation can get your name put on the wall at the Hockey Hall of Fame but the whole campaign has looked a desperate attempt to gain some cred and now it’s co-opting a Hall of Heros to do so. It’s a lot like that guy who doesn’t watch the games until it’s for the Gold but then showed up to your house wearing a jersey and name/stat dropping like he’d been into it all along. It’s annoying and it’s pretentious. No one likes that guy and no one seems to like this cheer.
Taken on it’s own, the cheer is no better or worse than many. It was open to submissions, voted upon, and it was deemed the best by the fans. That’s all well and fine for an online poll but cheers are voted on in the stands by the fans that are willing to sing them loud. Cheers are supremely viral (which I assume misled you toward this idea, Pepsi) and are organically created from a need to express support on a grand scale. This cheer is a solution in search of a problem – one that I see as non-existent in my lifetime.
When you have a Facebook fan base of 135,000 and 85,000 strong are coming out against your major Ad campaign, you know you’re off the path. And, if I may, this isn’t a path that should be sought by a corporation, at least not like this.
Budd Light, you’re the worst.
Jan 11th
Don’t let anyone tell you that Andrew Rains hates beer. They’d be a liar and clearly up to something sinister for trying to mislead you so. I love a good beer and now and again, I find myself enjoying a Light beer too. A man that appreciates quality needn’t necessarily dislike the watery stuff – especially on a summer’s day, at the end of a night, or at lunch (…kidding.)
When I worked in the States, I often found myself out with co-workers enjoying 25 cent Bud Lights at BAR. At that price point, surely almost any beer is great, but I can’t say I ever caught myself thinking “this is shit beer.” A couple years later, and back in Canada, I have come to think that something Bud Light is, in fact, shit – their “Keep the Good TImes Going” campaign. I hate it.
I have to offer an apology for the actor cast in the role of Budd Light. Acting’s tough, and if you can score a recurring gig in a national (international?) ad campaign, well go do your thing! I have a great appreciation for acting and the talent required to pull off a believable character – and make no mistake, you pull off a believable jerk with the best of them. I’m sure you’re happy to pay the bills, but there’s no way this campaign should’ve been green lit. And I know it is meant to be over-the-top, funny isn’t often lost on me, but this smarmy character is beyond dislikable. I couldn’t if he’d been my brother, former best friend, that saved my life twice. I really feel that strongly about it.
The fun-loving party scene is the market for Light beer advertising – Coors Light isn’t much different in a lot of ways with their party scenes and ridiculous antics – but what they leave out is the unlikeable jerk, and because of that, I can turn off my brain and get into their campaign. Give me a couple guys hiding as shrubs getting tackled by security, and I’m digging your message – “you like fun, I like fun, let’s have a beer.”
Hanging out with Budd Light seems like it’d be a terrible time. I’d refuse, unconditionally…and as soon as his free beer dried up I’d tell him.
And, just to prove my unbiased appreciation for good advertising, here are some commercials for Light beers that I don’t like, but whose Ads I enjoy:
and, Bud Light, even this one:
The whole World sings All You Need is Love
Jan 3rd
Well, I missed this when it came out but I’m truly happy I’ve come across it now. Anyone that knows me knows I absolutely LOVE the Beatles – and so whenever I see their name or a song out on context, say on Gizmodo, I get very excited.
This is a video where performers from 156 countries recorded All You Need is Love simultaneously, at the same tempo, and then joined the recordings to make one track. The cause was to raise awareness for the (RED) initiative and the result is just amazing.
And, if you are worried…
Dec 15th
Gawker has posted a comprehensive and updated guide to Facebook’s new privacy settings.
It’ll walk you through locking down all your information, if that’s your thing, so take a look – especially if you have no idea how much information you’re sharing with the world.
Nanny Andrew worrying too much
Dec 15th
Once upon a time, not so long ago, the name of the of the design game was to go big. The idea seemed to be to cram as much into bloated software or websites as possible – whether it be services, advertising, code, graphics – it was overkill more often than not. Part of making the web a more social, interactive experience, was to focus on the experience of the user and a lot of good has come of so doing. Recently, the breeding ground for innovation has been platforms; whether we’re talking about mobile apps, those new services in gaming consoles, or those on Facebook, the name of the app game seems to be integration into the platforms.
Today I got a call from a friend, in a panic, saying Facebook had made a big change – according to him, FB was allowing you to see who was checking out your profile the most. Needless to say, the implications would be huge – FB Creeping being exposed would forever change how the site is used. My assumption, walking up Yonge at the time, was that he’d installed an app at some point that monitored his interactions with Friends.
I was right – and not at all shocked – upon getting home to discover he’d installed My Top Fans (certainly not recommending it.) Afterall, FB needs to keep users on the site, thereby increasing pageviews for them to make money. Discouraging users by outing their most private actions would therefore be a terrible idea, and I know I would personally question each successive photo album click. So, FB not being an evil tattle tale, the issue then becomes that users are installing apps in auto-pilot, taking no note of the Terms of Use, the implications for their privacy, and whether the service is native or added by a third party.
The savvy web user won’t be fooled often, but for everyone else we’re already seeing the implications of integration. The better integrated, the less the average user will notice, the more confusion. What’s the solution then? Compartmentalization? Disintegration? These words seem all wrong given the current trends. But are they necessary?
The Reluctant Big Person’s Christmas List
Dec 11th
I haven’t been good to the kid in me lately – in fact, I’ve been downright negligent to him. And, really, if you can’t be good to your inner-child around Christmas, when can you expect to be? In previous years, I’ve been adamant that little Andrew be heard – when it comes to Christmas Lists I’ve ask for iPods and Nintendo Wii, gadgets and gizmos that will allow me to tinker and play come Christmas morning. I’ve delighted in the fact that, in my mid-twenties, I still had the joy of unwrapping that one, last, present that sat under the tree as the pinnacle of Christmas-morning joy.
So, this year, when it came time to provide a list to those that are unfailingly generous to me all year round, my mind started racing with possibilities:
A PS3? Nope, I have a Wii and though the PS3 has Blueray, it’s not something that I have to have.
A new Apple gadget? Nope, I have an iPhone that has left 3 previous iPods collecting dust. And I’m still waiting for the mythical Tablet/E-book Reader/life changer to be released.
Something else for my home theatre, then? For the amount of time I actually get to sit and watch TV or movies, it’d be a waste of money to add to it. So, nope.
Little, inner Andrew isn’t happy. Big Andrew learned, somewhere along the line, the difference between Wants and Needs, and though Christmas is surely a time when Wants should be indulged, sometime Needs need to come first. With that in mind, and today being so discouragingly cold…
Big Andrew needs a new winter jacket. Though it won’t keep him busy playing on Christmas morning, it’ll keep him warm in the months that follow. I’m disappointed to let the little guy down, if I’m honest, but though he throws tantrums and fits, he has always moved on after some pouting. My mom, I’m sure, is exceedingly happy that I’m asking for something she’ll actually approve of for is practicality and sensibleness. She hates the coats I choose for light weight over warmth and will likely delight in the knowledge that as I trample through the snow, I’m as well bundled as she had me in the snowsuits of the 80s made famous by Thomas. After all, she’s just wants her (always) little Andrew to be looked after.