Dexter Series 3
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Dexter is one of my all time favourite series on TV. I don’t watch much TV to be honest - most of it is total rubbish. Dexter stands out - great storyline, characters and really well produced.
It’s going to be appearing on US TV at the end of Sept, but soon appears online for download if you know where to look 
Here’s the trailer!
What are Your Favourite Blogs?
I’ve just been reading a fascinating post over on the SEOmoz blog, all about the world’s top blogs. It looks at their niche, are they .com or .co.uk, who are they owned by and some more great info. I recommend you have a look - well worth a few minutes of your time 
It got me thinking about blogs. I love reading blogs - it is easily my biggest source of information right now and will be for the foreseeable future.
From your 54 subscriptions, over the last 30 days you read 2,380 items, starred 697 items, shared 933 items, and emailed 72 items.
So, I subscribe to 54 blogs at the moment, and I try and whittle them down every week or so, but usually fail miserably. Hey ho. There are always ones I really look forward to reading, my faves, and I thought I would share a few with you:
thedieline - the leading package design blog - this is just superb. I am increasingly inspired by great packaging - it is SO important for a product.
twitturly - ok, not a blog, but I subscribe to it, and it provides tracking of all the urls being twittered around the web, which in turn gives me some great material and info
signal vs noise - from the 37signals boys, all about design and usability
Seth’s blog - a great read from Seth Godin, a marketing master
Amnesia Blog - from a big marketing agency in Oz - just started reading this one and it seems to have some good stuff
These are a few of my faves at the moment. Now, let me know what you are currently finding essential reading / subscribing please! Hit up the comments now!
Finally, linking on blog stats, have a look at which websites are used more heavily in the US - makes fascinating reading!
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Tim Ferriss Confirmed for the Do Lectures
OK, I admit it. I’m slightly star struck. Ever since I found out that Tim Ferriss was speaking at the do lectures, I have been smiling. A lot. And dipping into the 4HWW. HIs details have just gone up on the do lectures website.
I need to get some decent questions to ask him now!
PS Anyone else attending this amazing event? I’ve had a good search online and can find no one!
New flickr Slideshows
I’m a big fan of flickr and I was pleased to see they have updated their slideshows. Embed features and full screen and they seem much faster too, so good job!
Here’s a slideshow of a recent wedding I shot - a great couple and lovely venue (for those of you who don’t know, as well as Marketing Consultancy, I am also a photographer!).
Water is Running Out
A very quick post about an amazing, thought-provoking book called Blue Planet Run.
From the creators of the highly acclaimed New York Times best-selling Day in the Life and America 24/7 series, Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt, Blue Planet Run provides readers with a fascinating and thought-provoking look at the water problems facing humanity on every continent, as well as some of the hopeful solutions and courageous “water heroes” focused on alleviating this crisis.
This is serious, and has consequences beyond our imagination.
Spread the word and download a FREE PDF of the book here (link is within a box in the centre of the page).
Don’t Put It Off
Tim Ferris is one guy I am REALLY looking forward to meeting. He is the author of the best selling book, the Four Hour Work Week
He has recently done a great interview with Derek Sivers and is well worth reading. Something that resonated very strongly with me, and I am sure it will with you is this:
I heard this beautiful bit of advice once that said, “If you’ve got a list of 20 things you should be doing, pick the most important one or two and then just let go of the rest. You will never upload your music to every one of these sites. You will never contact every person. You will never enter every contest. Just take the one or two things that would make the biggest difference in your career, do those one or two, then stop. Turn your attention to the next one or two most important.”
Listen up, smell the coffee, give yourself a slap (I just did, ouch) - this is something to never forget.
(Oops, forget to say - I’ve just found out he is going to be speaking to us at the Do Lectures!). Hmmm… the website is saying he is not confirmed yet….
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YearBook Yourself
Hello Monday!
What a weekend - shooting an amazing wedding down in the Cotswolds and loads of client projects this week.
To start the week off with some fun, you must check out YearBook Yourself! This is just brilliant
I am sure I have some actual photos like this!
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The best work places in the world?
I am a firm believer that you work better when you are in a nice environment.
This is one area where most companies have NOT a CLUE. They don’t quite grasp that the work place is where their people, their important people, spend a large amount of their waking time. Where they are paid to work and be productive. Where they interact and engage with fellow colleagues and of course customers.
Now wouldn’t it be a radical, an incredible concept to actually make that workplace a cool place to be? A comfortable place to be? An inspiring place to be?
Damn, it’s not rocket science is it.
One niche of companies however, do seem to understand the importance of a decent workplace, and they are agencies. thisain’tnodisco is a superb site which showcases some of the finest, coolest, hottest agency workplaces from around the world.
And I am officially in awe of some of these….
Just check that out - now that is an office space. Unfortunately my ‘command centre’ as it is affectionately called is not quite up there yet or ready to be submitted to thisain’tnodisco. But I am planning some improvements. I need better organisation and I really need a better desk!
Current situation:
- rectangular desk which does not make use of small office space
- no shelves
- duff printer
- clutter on small bookshelf
- one low power desk light
Aiming for:
- L-shaped desk from Ikea to make use of space
- Better lighting
- 2/3 shelves
- Box files for paperwork
- Decent printer
- Small cupboard to store clutter
I think this will go a long way to being more comfortable where I work, and with the winter approaching, working in the kitchen with the doors open is not going to be feasible
The Olympics - Not very authentic
You would think that a spectacle, an event, so large and so important as the Olympics would be planned, scheduled and delivered in a very methodical manner, not overlooking any detail.
Well, China have not disappointed, delivering a staggering level of visual eye candy with the opening ceremony, employed rockets to disperse rain crowds and seem to have thought of just about everything.
Unfortunately, that is also their downfall.
Olympic bosses dumped “ugly” girl for a pretty one.
Opening fireworks were CGI enhanced.
Cheer squads used so the crowds look “right”.
All of these headlines do nothing for China’s already poor reputation. Firstly, I will tell you what I really feel - China should have never got the Olympics in the first place. There human rights record and their crushing of Tibet’s voice is truly shocking. Secondly, if they are going to try and make the best of it, then at least be authentic.
What started out as China trying to make their games be the best yet, has dissolved into people learning that they are yet again, trying to distort reality. Not only have their promises about human rights been broken (nothing has happened), but they are now doing themselves even more harm.
The lessons from this for any brand, any business, and in fact any person are:
- Don’t be false
- Don’t try and pull the wool over people’s eyes - you will be found it
- Keep your promises
- Do admit that you are wrong, and say sorry - people will respect you for this
- Try and be authentic - there is nothing worse than subterfuge and deceit
On a slightly happier note, check out Google’s video showing the Olympic site on Google Earth - very impressive!
Sunday Catch Up
It’s been a manic few days - driving down to Somerset to shoot a wonderful wedding, staying in the worst hotel I’ve seen for a while and driving through torrential rain to get home. It really makes you value your house / home and especially, my wonderful fiancee who has been such a star this week :-) You are the best!
The coming week is also looking pretty busy - 2 big web projects, a PPC / lead generation campaign project with one of my fave friends and clients, some work for a company in Canada (this is looking amazing) and lots of wedding photography processing (not forgetting an amazing wedding on Saturday! Phew!
One thing of note, Karoo, our wonderul ISP went down for over 7 hours yesterday so I will be placing a call with their marketing / pr lady tomorrow - I feel some compensation coming on.
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