Uwe's blog

It's father's day...

2009-06-21T14:09:00.001-07:00

Reflections

2009-05-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to connect with my German heritage much more. Usually, immigrating to another country forces you to focus on the new language and culture. But, having been in Germany quite a few times last year, I started to miss the language and culture. I wish I could live in Europe for a while, connecting with the culture, living a more European lifestyle.

This is not to say I'm not happy with my life in the US. But it feels as if some part of me doesn't get the American lifestyle, doesn't get the whole culture and sometimes I'm just shaking my head, thinking: 'WTF'.

Since a move back is not in the cards, I started to connect with German culture again, read more German online publications, speak more German and listen to more German music.
One of my favorites has been and still is Herbert Groenemeyer (You might recognize him from 'Das Boot') He doesn't have much of a voice and not the biggest charisma. But he gives you an insight into the German soul.

The song below was written in 2002, 4 years after the death of his wife, Anna Henkel. The lyrics tell the story.

THE WAY

I can no longer see
Don't believe my eyes
any more
Can hardly believe
Feelings all turned around

I'm much too lazy
To give up
Besides it would be too soon
Because there's always a way

We were bound together
Would have died for
each other
Bent the rain into a bow1
Lent each other our trust

We tried to
Turn while
schussing
Nothing was too late
But much was too soon

We have shoved each other
Through all the tides
We got sidetracked together
Loved desperately

We denied the truth
The best we could
It was a piece
of heaven
That you exist

Every room you
Flooded with sun
Every frustration
You turned around

Nordic noble
Your gentle goodness
Your untamed pride
Life isn't fair

Danced the movie
In a silver room
From a golden balcony
We stood in awe of eternity

Helplessly sunken, drunken
And everything was allowed
Together in time-lapse
Midsummer-Night's Dream

Every room you
Flooded with sun
Every frustration
You turned around

Nordic noble
Your gentle goodness
Your untamed pride
Life isn't fair

Your confident stride
Your true poetry
Your serene dignity
Your unshakeable
grace

Your destiny
You defied
You never betrayed
Your plan for happiness
Your plan for happiness

I'm not leaving here
I've extended my stay
New time travel
Open world

I have you safe
Inside my soul
I'll carry you with me
Until the curtain falls

I'll carry you with me
Until the curtain falls

Perspectives

2009-04-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

When we went to Coachella, my little devil was taught by our friend Daniel how to use my iPhone as a camera. And, off she went. I love these images because of the totally different perspective she brings to taking pictures. She doesn't care about main objects being in the middle, doesn't focus on the obvious. And, more often than not, her foot is part of the composition.

I love this image. It's the background on my phone.

Horizon

2009-02-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

We were two detectives,
hats low over our faces
all streets endless
there were no barriers for us at all
You and I, that was
simply unbeatable
a couple like lightning and thunder
and always on a burning hot trail.

We were such true friends
for eternity, it was obvious after all.
We didn't see the clouds
on the horizon until it was dark,
and then it happened,
I didn't get it.
It all went too fast,
but two people like us
can't ever lose each other!

Beyond the horizon things go on,
a new day
beyond the horizon on and on,
Together we're strong,
things with us went so deep,
that can never come to an end.
Something so great just doesn't pass by.

You and I, that was
simply unbeatable
a couple like lightning and thunder
but two people like us
can't ever lose each other!

Beyond the horizon things go on,
a new day
beyond the horizon on and on,
together we're strong.
Things with us went so deep,
that can never come to an end.
Because two people like us
can't ever lose each other!

Beyond the horizon on and on...

25 random things about me

2009-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't stand memes, I can't stand people asking me to do memes but I'll do it this one time because my wife tagged me and I'd be happy to make an exception for her.

Okay, so here are 25 random things about me:

1). I'm a re-trained left hander: I do everything with my left side (Kick balls, open doors, drink, etc.) except for writing. My mother thought it was a good idea to train me to write with my right hand. And, yes, I can't draw because of that.
2) My first pet was called: Chirpy-Chirpy-Cheep-Cheep. He died a few days later.
3) When I go to Starbucks or Coffee&Bean, my name is Bob. Who can pronounce Uwe?
4) I'm a Gemini. I like to do 10 things at once.
5) I wrote 3 screen plays. One was made into a TV movie in Germany. Nobody important to me has ever seen it.
6) Providence is my favorite restaurant in the world. Gary Danko is a close second. I'd do almost anything to have a good tasting/wine pairing evening there.
7) We still sit on the same couch in our living room that I purchased for a few dimes 13 years ago. I feel like a student.
8) I get up each day at 4.30 am. And stop working around 9pm. I'm crazy.
9) I can't sleep unless I'm listening to talk radio in my headphones. Call me weird.
10) Even though I didn't have contact with my father for more than 10 years, I miss him a lot. There's a huge difference between not communicating and being dead. I have no ways of connecting with him ever again. And that's a heart breaker.
11) My dog has allergies, stinks and is annoying. But I love her to death.
12) I love my daughter so much, it hurts.
13) I used to play games for hours. Flight Simulator, Civilization, Donkey Kong - whatever. I can't even remember the last time I played a game.
14) I think gapingvoid.com is one of the most unique voices out there. You should consume everything he produces. I also love that he lives in Alpine, TX.
15) The worst thing that ever happened to my life was the commute. It drains all the life out of me to drive to work and back each day for more than 2 hours. What a waste of energy. And life.
16) I love, adore and respect my wife. I hope she feels the same way.
17) I never thought I would become a marketer. I always believed I would fly planes or heal people. To make up for my sins as an advertiser, I'm focusing on Social Marketing.
18) The first time I visited Los Angeles I couldn't believe anybody wanted to live here. Now I've been here for 13 years
19) My favorite drinks (in that order): Nonfat Latte, Dirty Martini Ketel 1, Syrah.
20) Losing weight was easy. Staying below 160lbs is a daily battle. I'm winning.
21) I miss a few European things: Walking, interacting, city layouts. I don't miss the European mentality of thinking that the future will be worse and we all should just shut up and endure. I always loved how Americans grabbed the bull by the horn. Or the bear, to stay in the current economic scenario.
22) Basically, I stopped watching TV. Yes, a bit of Weeds, Lost, Survivor and Mad Men. But TV has lost its draw. Everything is digital.
23. I still feel an emotional connection to music. But it's being drowned out by constant flow of information.
24. Cleaning my teeth at night takes at least 10 minutes.
25. I feel misunderstood.

The most astonishing piece of creative

2009-01-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

You think Ogilvy, BBDO or even W+K could create this? Almost 900,000 views on YouTube, try topping that. The acting itself is pure magic.

Enjoy!

The audacity of hope

2009-01-20T04:34:00.000-08:00

"It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!"

Barack Obama, 2004

8 years of Bush - What has changed

2009-01-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Click here to get the full map.

Outdated. And so good.

2009-01-14T21:11:00.001-08:00

Iggy Pop playing Candy. With lyrics like

Candy, candy , candy I cant let you go

All my life youre haunting me
I loved you so

Candy, candy , candy I cant let you go
Life is crazy
Candy baby

you can't go wrong. Cheesy, lame but so cool. Never got Iggy Pop; always thought of him as the guy who cuts himself. But this song rocks.

Wave of Suicides

2009-01-07T19:06:00.001-08:00

We're starting to see a wave of suicides from executives involved in the financial crisis: Adolf Merckle, Kirk Stephenson and Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet. Japan is bracing itself for a massive wave of suicides.

The father of former girlfriend told me years ago that he went bankrupt in the 50's and when he went to church after the filing, many churchgoers asked him quietly why he didn't commit suicide since he brought shame to his family. This was in the 50's in Germany and I thought we were over this kind of thinking. I guess, I overestimated our culture.

Your job, your income, your bank account should not be tied to your self-worth. What you make doesn't make you a good or a bad person. Yes, it is embarrassing, frustrating and depressing to lose your job, to lose all your savings, to have to start all over. Maybe even stop at the jail for a while. But how far have we gone with our love for money and status that when both disappear, we want to disappear as well?

Bittersweet Symphony

2009-01-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

During Live8, Chris Martin invited Richard Ashcroft to perform 'Bittersweet Symphony' with Coldplay as the backup band. Coldplay's Chris Martin introduced Ashcroft - "this is probably the best song ever written and the best singer in the world, Mr. Richard Ashcroft." A pretty big statement coming from one of the most successful bands of this year.

Johannes Mario Simmel

2009-01-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

Johann Mario Simmel died yesterday. I'm sure no American has ever heard of him. He wrote a few German/Austrian classics, none of them will be remembered as literary jewels. He was a mainstream author, accessible to almost anybody willing to read. I remember him fondly because he was one of the few authors that kept you interested in an 800 page book from front to end. Not many authors have that gift. And I read a lot of his books when I was in my early teens. His themes were fascism and the fight between good and bad. By selling more than 73 million books, he can compared to bestselling machines like Grisham.

But, I don't want to diminish his work. Too many times do we negate the work of an artist just because they are extremely successful: If everybody likes the book, it can't be good? As he said: "The easier it is to read a book, the harder it is to write it."

And about death: "I'm afraid it could go on after we die. (...) When I die, I want it to be over."

My year in music

2008-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

This first song stands for the first 5 months of the year: It felt new, we saw Santogold at Coachella in April, the world was a very happy place for us: Astrid started pre-school, Rose a new career, I was planning my next chapter.

Then life happened. Or better, death. Both of my parents died within a few months. I travelled to Germany three times for a funeral, to see my mother for the last time and to find some closure. Surprisingly, my father's death hit me harder. As a mother's boy, I expected the opposite but sometimes we don't know ourselves that well.

A weird choice? Absolutely. After I saw my mother for the last time, I visited a dear friend in Hamburg, his kids were carrying around small speakers from McDonalds with this song on. Listening to it reminds me of these few months where old, scarred wounds were opened and I just felt raw. Observing my kid playing with his kid gave me a lot of hope and the necessary strength to deal with whatever was thrown my way.

Shortly after that, the economy tanked. I was in New York a few times during Lehman's bankruptcy, saw people leaving offices with boxes and plants in their hand, felt the despair in the air. And while everybody was frozen in fear, I started to feel hope. Sure, the Obama election helped. But, it was more of a personal feeling. Hope that out of the bad will come something really good. Something amazing. Something new. I don't really know yet what it will be but I'm confident about the future. Sure, 2009 will be a tough year but it's our job to seize opportunities: Opportunities to become closer with our family and friends. Opportunities to be helpful and add value to people's lives. Opportunity to make this world a better place. As Obama said: "This is the time." 2009 is here. Let's make it count.

A few more tidbits:

- Best movie I saw this year: Slumdog Millionaire
- Best performance: Richard Jenkins in The Visitor. Such a subtle performance, showing how one single person can change one's destiny. The last scene when contemplates about what could have been and takes it from there to make it his own is just brilliant.
- Biggest physical achievement: Dropping my waistline from 34 to 31
- Biggest personal achievement: Staying sane
- Best concert: The Police at the Hollywood Bowl. They finally delivered what they promised when they reunited.
- Best meal: Birthday surprise at Sona.
- Best purchase: A puzzle book that kept Astrid entertained for hours while traveling the world with her.
- Best book: Lush Life
- Best TV moment: 8pm PT, November 4th. Enough said.

Time to take in the last few moments of 2008. And create new memories.

Why I love to travel

2008-12-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

It gives me perspective. About the events shaping our lives. About the things that seem so important at home and ridiculous a thousand miles away. When I travel, I step away from myself and take a fresh look around. It's good for your mind; it opens you up to new experiences. The goal is to keep that openness around as long as you can. Even after 10 hours in the office and 2 hours on the freeway.

My favorite Christmas moments

2008-12-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

- When I was around 6 years old, I was asking Santa Claus to bring me a train set. When we unwrapped our presents, I realized that there was no big package for me and there would be no train set. It took all my strength not show my disappointment or even start crying. My father asked me if I could get him a bottle of wine. While walking to the kitchen, I heard the faint sound of a train zipping around in circles. Yup, my father had fooled me. I can still smell and feel the heat of the train and how much fun I had with it.

- Going to midnight mass in the snow (happened just a few times) and walking through the quiet and empty city at 1 am.

- Going to the library and leasing the biggest books they had (War and Peace, Ulysses) and actually reading them.

- Extension of a Christmas holiday due to an ice storm. We couldn't go outside for days, there were inches of ice and people were breaking bones left and right.

- Stollen!

- Hearing my father's bad imitation of a Santa Claus voice, asking my mother: "How did the kids behave this year?" And, even as a teenager, awaiting the answer with anxiety.

- Reading Herman Hesse's 'The Glass Bead Game' at the age of 12, not understanding everything but comprehending I read something really amazing.

- Wir warten auf's Christkind (We're waiting for Santa Claus), a TV show that ran around 3pm on Christmas Eve, especially designed for kids impatience awaiting the presents. (In Germany gifts are opened on Christmas Eve.)

- The lights.

- The worst Christmas record ever: Slow, boring and so perfect for Christmas Eve.

These are just some memories that I came up with while waiting for my wife and kid to come home. Just to create more memories. I hope yours will be very positive this year. We all deserve it.

Merry Christmas.

That's how it's done

2008-12-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's sad to post a last farewell to laid-off employees as something positive one day before Christmas. But I wanted to share this because Charlie Rose, classy as always, shows everybody how to treat departing employees with respect and dignity. Every manager should learn from him.

Best Movie Opening

2008-12-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

I saw this movie by myself at a midnight screening in a small place in Hamburg. It was one of those little theaters on the Reeperbahn (Red Light District) at a time when you could still smoke and drink in certain establishments in Hamburg. It's a rather annoying place to watch a movie, people come and go, talk and make stupid remarks and the smoke is just everywhere. But once I saw this opening, I was hooked and watched the rest of the movie without even knowing where I was.

What's your favorite movie opening? Here are a few choices

Dramatic changes

2008-12-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

We tend to believe that changes happen slowly: growing up, mature, aging. Slow and steady seems to be the typical pattern but real-life events tend to challenge our assumption. Early this year, we didn't know that Wall Street would never be the same, that a young challenger would win the US presidency in a landslide and that we're moving again into a polarized world with the East battling the West.

Reminds me of West-German politicians sincerely communicating the durability of the German Wall for the next 1,000 years, just to see it fall a few days later. Reality is, we have problems understanding change. The complexity involved in major changes is too much for our human brain to grasp and understand. We hear many people say that things will never be the same after the failure of Lehman. Do we really mean it or do we just say it because it seems so complex and so hard to understand that we proclaim these changes without understanding them?

When the credit crunch was at its height, consumers heard about the problem but continued with their buying behavior because they didn't understand the implications. Once Paulson and the Bush administration played the dramatic fear card, everything came to a halt. Go to a mall now and you'll be often by yourself. It might not be a rational response to the crisis but who said human beings were rational?

This year's viral campaign?

2008-12-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Nice idea by Disney: Create a video, let people customize it and let it spread by offering embedding in your site or blog. Since one of my client's (Fleming's Steakhouse) new restaurant just opened in downtown LA, I thought they deserve their own video.

When life is slowing down

2008-12-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving I burnt myself: When I took the turkey out of the stove, the aluminum pan folded under the weight of the turkey and the juices splattered all over me. My left knee and foot and, more importantly, my right foot were burnt. The right foot was badly burnt, so bad that 11 days later I'm still limping and the pain is always present. I can't stand for a long time, need my right foot elevated or at least level all day. These minor inconveniences change your life: Suddenly a 5 mile run is an unattainable goal. Getting up in the morning takes 10 minutes more because of the impending pain, you stay longer in the bed, frightfully expecting the pain when you start moving. Little things like walking to coffee shop or entering a mall become major adventures. Everything just becomes a little bit harder, a little bit more arduous.

And, then you slow down. And you make choices: Do I really need to stop at the grocery store? Do I need the second coffee from Starbucks? Do I really need to run to this meeting or can I skip it? And, suddenly, you start to focus better. You take the time to read a book. You watch that movie you always wanted to see. You lay in bed just thinking.

It's basically the body taking control of your existence. Just like when you have a cold or any injuries: the body has needs and it will take whatever it needs to ensure healing. Makes you think about the body-mind connection and how we are normally controlled by the mind. Just in emergency situations do we allow the body to take charge.

Ironically, it's good for your mind as well. Too often do we forget to be grateful for what we have. To be able to run 5 miles, to be able to walk around without effort and enjoy the surroundings, to be able to wake up in the morning and jump right into to life - that's an incredible gift. I guess living through these experiences gets us ready for old age: Life will still be grand but things take a bit more time and effort.

I can't wait.

Cheech and Chong Stock Indicator

2008-12-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Minyanville just published a fascinating piece, explaining that the popularity of Cheech and Chong is inversely correlated to the movement of the United States stock market. Or as Minyanville says 'the more popular Cheech & Chong are, the less popular stocks are.'

Cheech and Chong Reunion Tour tickets went on sale 8/8/2008 and the resurgence in pot humor has been devastating for stocks: Down by 37%.

The article closes: "After a mind-numbing move of that magnitude, I would love to say that the Cheech & Chong indicator is finally forecasting a bottom for stocks. But no. These guys keep adding dates! They've got a concert film in the works. Creeping Jesus, they were actually roasted on television last Sunday night by Martha Stewart and Wilmer Valderrama! Where will it end?

With concert dates scheduled through at least February 2009, the Cheech & Chong Stock Market Indicator is telling us the end of this bear market is at least several months away."

So, please: put the bong away, throw away the joint and tear up your Reunion tickets. It's time to get serious and stop the bleeding on Wall and Main Street. Think about it: When Tommy Chong was in prison, the Dow Jones was around 10,000. How would you and your 401k like that right now? We should start an immediate investigation how those two stoners are rigging the markets. Treason charges should be looked into. Enough is enough.

One day we're gonna live in Paris

2008-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

One day we're gonna live in Paris
I promise
I'm on it
When I'm bringing in the money
I promise
I'm on it
I'm gonna take you out to club showcase
We're gonna live it up
I promise
Just hold on a little more

This song just hits a nerve. Always wanted to live in Paris. I mean, really live there. Remembering our Monster Europe Trip (8 countries in 2 weeks), the one place I always come back to is Paris. Just so lovely to have a quick coffee/drink at a bistro, getting your cheese and bread at a local store. While, at the same time, you can eat at the best restaurants in this world.
We tend to spend a lot of time in Amsterdam and look back on Berlin, remembering an amazing experience. But Paris is just something that sticks closely to my heart.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

My favorite holiday. No expectations. Just good food. And drinks. Time spent with the family. It almost feels like paradise. Or a slice of it.

This has been a tough year, in many regards. For everybody who follows me on the blog, you understand. But I never forgot how grateful I am for everything I was able to experience and share with my family and friends. We all came out stronger on the other side. So, for everybody who shared this year with me: Thank you.

And for everybody else that helped others, smiled when things were tough, dedicated your life to other people: I don't even know what to say. Except a heartfelt Thank you.

New York, New York

2008-11-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

A few things I learned on my last business trip to New York:

- The recession is bad when the cab driver gets excited about the authorization of my credit card.

- Tropical Thunder is a very funny movie.

- When you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t check your email. You might not get back to sleep again.

- I love JetBlue and Virgin America but it’s such a relief not being able to watch the stock ticker or CNBC. Instead, catching up on my New Yorker’s and books.

- Does Starbucks own Manhattan? New Yorker’s need a caffeine intervention.

- Why are remote controls in hotels always out of juice? Does nobody bother to replace them?

- In addition to shampoo, conditioner and lotion, hotels should supply toothpaste as well.

- A swimming pool in the lobby is cool. But there’s a reason this hotel changed ownership twice in the last year.

- No matter how important your business trip is, how much you’re going to change the world: Always talk to the cab drivers. They are the heart and soul of each city.

- There’s so much to do. So much to see. So much to experience . Life is just too short. Way too short.

Trust

2008-11-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Besides the fact that Henry Paulson is an awful speaker (How was he the CEO of Goldman Sachs? What does it say about that company?), he violated the basic principles of trust: Reciprocity and Transparency.

Reciprocity: We wanted Mr. Paulson to speak to us about the immense economic challenge in the language we are most comfortable with. Yes, we know that he has his own agenda and the public has problems understanding the severity and depth of the current economic crisis. However, he should have communicated to us as if he wanted to help the public through the crisis, thereby allowing the public to give him real support and instill the desire in us for him to succeed. We know that he was an utter failure in that regard. The whole language of bailout and Wall Street and Main Street was just such PR disaster, tons of books will be published just about these few days in October.

Even with this bad start and the US public completely distrusting the Bush administration, the majority of US citizen felt no choice other than trusting Henry Paulson. A bad speaker, a bad PR person, a bad communicator. But we felt he tried to do the best job. He tried to use all his knowledge, all the experts he could talk to, all his resources to get us out of this mess. And he came up with a plan. Flawed, sure. But a plan that worked its way through the public, the Congress and we accepted it. But while we were still digesting the enormity of this package, he switched gears. Changed the plan. And he didn't tell anybody about it. Just his cronies. And that's where transparency comes in.

Transparency is a means of building trust. Transparency is based on 'Show, don't tell." Yes, he told the story bad but now we wanted to see the execution of the plan. And we heard that the execution of the plan is confidential, and, by the way, the whole plan had changed. We took his word for it in October and now we wanted to judge ourselves if the plan was working. Instead, he changed his plan in secrecy and now his word means nothing anymore. I'm not here to judge if it was dishonest. It certainly undermined our trust. Or even destroyed it. And that's the at the core of this crisis: Lack of confidence and trust. He made it even worse. Maybe the best intentions.

As Albert Camus said: "The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding."

Do you miss Circuit City?

2008-11-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

So, Circuit City is toast. And the public doesn't seem to care. I typed in Circuit City in search.twitter.com and most comments are negative, reminding others of the layoffs of 3,400 'overpaid employees' (just followed by the golden parachute of its outgoing CFO), asking for the future of their extended warranties and overall complaining about Circuit City as a brand with sub-standard service:

"No one ever waited on me when I went to Circuit City. I'd just walk around and leave."
"Why are they even still around? I have a pretty long list of useless retail stores. They're on it."
"The sales people seemed to eager."
"Dear Circuit City, I never loved you. You never made me happy. Now I'm leaving you by the side of the road (at a strip mall)."

Just like many other electronic retailers, Circuit City was a company that never considered service as part of their core offerings. The advent of the Internet made these stores almost obsolete, maybe with the exception of big ticket items like flat screens and dishwashers. Laying off the majority of their overpaid (meaning: most qualified) employees dramatically increased this severe lack of professional service and focused the company on car dealer like sales techniques.

When you reduce your competitive advantage to 5% off and other direct sales approaches, you reduce your business to a flea market. A flea market filled with deals and no-name vendors that have no storefronts, no fancy advertising, just Google on their side.

I feel bad for all the employees and vendors owed money by Circuit City (HP and Samsung are owed more than $100 million each.) The layoff of 3,400 seasoned employees should have given you an indication of things to come. Cutting to the bone might have been a good thing in the 80's when companies had huge bureaucracies. We've been living in lean times for a while and cutting the juiciest parts out is a sure sign of a company in distress and close to failure.

White House 2.0

2008-11-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Image by Asger Carlsen

Adam Cahill, SVP/General Manager at Carat Boston, writes a brilliant piece in today's Ad Age about Obama's Social Media approach and how he should extend it to his presidency.

In this current fear climate, a President's main job is to calm the public down and get us focused on the task at hand. There's no need to panic but there's a huge need for hard work, innovative thinking and, dare I say it, community building. This crisis needs more than a partisan solution, it needs everybody be involved, everybody to participate. A Wiki approach to government might sound far-fetched (Do I hear Red Tape, Socialism and Craziness?) but in these times when the government has to basically buy banks, the biggest insurance company and is on the verge of buying up GM and/or Ford, we should ask ourselves: Don't we need lofty goals? Lofty ideas? New thinking?

And, just to be clear: Let's stay away from the poll-driven politics a la Clinton. But let's come together as a nation and discuss seriously how to get this country back on track. Roosevelt's fireside chats were then. White House 2.0 should be now.

Yes, it was a good evening

2008-11-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

And we're living in a new country.
Yes, we did.

Today is the day

2008-11-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

I admit it: I'm a political junkie. Days like today are like the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA final combined. I've been a political junkie all my life. One of my heroes is a politician, I was even partly named after a statesman.

Growing up, election day was always an important day. Elections take place on Sundays in Germany and it felt like a really nice ritual to accompany my parents in our best clothes to the voting booth. Around 5pm we gathered around the TV with a cup of coffee and cake, waiting for the polls to close and the first results to come in at 6pm. (It helps to live in a country without time zones.) Being a Social Democrat, there were bad days and there were really good days. But election days and the fallout always gave me this feeling of the natural changes in life: There are good days. And there are bad days. Days when you're on the victorious side, days when you're on the losing side.

This is the first election since 1990 (the first election after the Reunification) where I feel very enthusiastic and excited about going to the polls. And I feel this excitement everywhere I go: in the coffee shop this morning, in the faces of people standing in line. There's a deep-rooted sense that America has lost its ways and we can take this country back today and start on a new course. With a new crew. A new captain. And a public that stands behind this exciting endeavor.

Yes, I'm a US citizen now. We don't vote on Sundays, we vote on a Tuesday. But it's still this amazing feeling that we, the people have it in our hands to change. To improve. To be better. It's going to be a good day.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Firefighters save lives and hearts. This little firefighter kept us safe from ghosts and monsters.

We're almost there

2008-10-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Elections are about ideas and connections: Connecting ideas with people. Connecting ideas with people's problems. Even staunch Republicans must admit that Obama did a much better job understanding the current psyche of Americans and connecting them with his ideas. I wish him well for his presidency (Yeah, I know this is written 4 days before the results will be published but I don't have any doubts about the outcome. None.) and I hope he continues to show sober and informed judgement when dealing with issues and doesn't succumb to ideology.

While Obama will have his hands full, I hope the Republicans will take a long break and reflect upon their current situation and where they're trying to take the party, and, ultimately, the country. Republicans used to stand for defending and maximizing freedom.

Just like the word liberal shouldn't have any negative connotations (to liberate), the word conservative shouldn't be a negative word (to conserve). Conservatism has mutated into an ugly display of slogans, petty social causes and being against something, instead of being for something. (That's why the Kerry campaign ultimately failed: He stood for nothing, except not being Bush.) I hope the Republicans re-discover their Goldwater roots and, once again, stand very soon for minimal government, fiscal responsibility and personal freedom. Add to that list conserving our planet.

The country needs the real Republicans back.

GM/Chrysler Merger

2008-10-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

So, here we are: the Big 3 turned into the Detroit 3 last year and it's very likely that within the next few days we have to get used to the Detroit 2. But, should be there a Detroit 2 or just Ford?

It's almost impossible for me to understand the attraction for GM to merge with Chrysler: Both have a comparable product line, too many truck factories, Chrysler's 3,500 strong dealer network and Chrysler doesn't have any exciting product launches in the pipeline. The proposed merger is just a scheme by GM to survive the foreseeable future because Chrysler has $11 billion in cash, while GM has around $20 billion and burning monthly through $1 billion. The deal would allow GM to stick around longer and hope for a changing environment, another 'Too big to fail bailout' and more leverage when dealing with the administration.

While the banking system is at the heart of our capitalistic world, car makers are not. Yes, they provide millions of jobs but the world as we know it won't end if GM fails. Ultimately, it might be best if GM would just file for bankruptcy and start over again as a much smaller and more focused company. A merger will prolong the pain. I wish the administration would send out DNR orders to GM to let them know that they are on their own. Either continue your shell game with a merger or start radical cuts immediately. To build a sustainable business for decades to come. But, I guess, I'm just dreaming.

Law sometimes leaves little room for compassion

2008-09-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Wheeler, 84, is out on bail. The charge? Attempting to kill his wife.

I stopped by his daughter's house in Carpinteria and he greeted me at the front door, ready to talk about what he intended as an act of mercy.

Wheeler shook my hand and led me to the dining room table. A pleasant smile was fixed on his tanned, lined face, but he was dabbing at his eyes.

And then he lost it on the first question.

I asked how he met his wife, Betty, whom he calls Beckie. He sobbed, his chest heaved and then he began his story. They were students at UCLA, he said, his memories still fresh. He never saw her on campus, though. The first time he laid eyes on her was at the beach in Santa Monica.

She was with friends, but they were invisible to Jimmy.

"She was cute, she was smart, she was happy," he said. "And she had a nice shape."

Wheeler drove a Model A station wagon painted UCLA blue and gold, and Beckie agreed to ride back to campus with this lanky young poli-sci major. He looked a little like Jimmy Stewart, with piercing blue eyes.

They were married two years later, at the height of World War II. Soon he was off to fly bombing missions over Europe. After the war, he finished school at Oregon State and got a graduate degree from Stanford. Jimmy then found work as a petroleum engineer, and he and Beckie raised a son and daughter in Carpinteria.

This is a love story, of course. The attempted murder notwithstanding.

It's a story many of us find familiar in one way or another, particularly we boomers with ailing parents. I couldn't stop thinking about -- and talking about -- my own parents as Mr. Wheeler and I chatted.

A hundred times in the last year, my siblings and I have wondered whether we're intruding too much, or not enough, into our parents' lives. Is it time to insist on home care? Should we insist it's time to surrender driver's licenses?

We're much better at the questions than the answers.

Wheeler and his wife have been married 64 years, and they've enjoyed what he called "a wonderful life." But Beckie, 85, has Alzheimer's.

Jimmy Wheeler took good care of his wife, stealing all that he could from what was left of normal. They kept traveling, one of their great joys, until her illness made that impossible. Until quite recently, he and Beckie could be seen walking down the street to the beach, holding hands like young lovers.

But Beckie was fading into solitude, the world around her a growing mystery, and then finally Jimmy was a stranger to her.

"She wakes up in the morning and doesn't know who the guy in bed with her is," Wheeler told me with wet eyes, capturing perfectly the horror of watching a loved one disappear into a fog.

In a way it's crueler than death itself, because there's no moving on for the survivor. There is only this ghost, a constant reflection of love and loss.

"Are you OK?" Jimmy's son-in-law, Stan Scrivner, asked him one morning when he came to the door in obvious distress.

"No," Wheeler said. "Beckie's gone."

Scrivner asked what he meant.

"She's gone," Wheeler repeated. "She doesn't recognize me anymore."

Wheeler couldn't bear to see her like that, and eventually he came up with a plan.

"She said she wanted to be with Jesus," he said. "I just wanted to be with her."

Although he has pleaded not guilty, the basic details of what happened next aren't in dispute.

One night earlier this month, he turned on the gas burners in the house, according to authorities.

"It was Romeo and Juliet," Scrivner said.

Except that it didn't work.

Plan B, authorities said, was to run a hose through a window and into the house from the exhaust pipe on Wheeler's '99 Olds.

Wheeler wrote a suicide note and included instructions for cremation of the bodies. He left a check to cover the cost. He advised loved ones on how to handle his estate, says his attorney Steve Balash, cautioning them to be careful about probate lawyers who charge too much.

The exhaust might have done the trick, but a neighbor saw what was up and called police. Jimmy Wheeler ended up behind bars, charged with attempted murder and elder abuse. He slept on a mattress on the floor of the overcrowded Santa Barbara County Jail.

A county prosecutor called Wheeler a threat to himself, his wife and the neighborhood. Superior Court Judge George Eskin listened to that argument but at a recent bail hearing he said the case called for "compassion and understanding."

"I am aware of the tragedy of Alzheimer's," Eskin told me by phone. He noted that unlike other countries and the state of Oregon, California has not embraced legalized options -- including assisted suicide -- for people nearing the end.

Eskin allowed Wheeler's release on $100,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing Oct. 8, and ordered him to be supervised and undergo grief counseling.

"He's not going to do her in," Eskin reasoned, so the judge's emphasis was on making sure Wheeler gets help to see if "he can find the strength to go on."

Even if California had passed a death with dignity bill (the bill has failed three times, with strong opposition from doctors and organized religion), the Wheeler scenario wouldn't have come into play. The proposed bill, patterned after the one in Oregon, would have required a terminally ill patient to be of sound mind and to self-administer the lethal drug. Alzheimer's is not considered a terminal illness, and Beckie was in no shape to make the decision to end her life.

"Somehow they have to figure out how to create a new area of law that's about compassion and mercy," said Jeff Wheeler, Jimmy and Beckie's son.

With good reason, he finds it incomprehensible that his father is being treated like a common criminal, prosecuted the same way as, say, a spurned boyfriend who gets a revolver and goes gunning for his girlfriend's new love interest.

After three swings and misses, Assembly members Lloyd Levine and Patty Berg have given up on a death with dignity bill in California. But they now have one before the governor that would require doctors to give terminally ill patients information on all their options, including hospice care and sedation.

Let's hope Gov. Schwarzenegger signs it. But still, it would be a far cry from what they've got in Oregon, and Californians might go on using bridges, guns, toxic cocktails and underground suicide options. Or they might make botched and bungled attempts like Jimmy Wheeler's.

Kathryn Tucker, a lawyer with Compassion & Choices, says that patients in Oregon can sign an "advance directive" stipulating that in cases of progressive dementia, they would want no steps taken to keep them alive.

Here in California, we've got the prospect of an 84-year-old grandfather going to jail if a jury finds that he tried to lie down beside his wife and die with her. Sure, you could argue he had no right to decide for his wife whether she should go on living. But prosecuting him aggressively and sending him to prison would be a miscarriage of justice and a waste of tax dollars.

"I'm trying not to think about that possibility," Wheeler told me.

I asked if he had considered taking his wife to a nursing home -- she's in one now -- instead of trying to die at her side.

"My sister is in one of those convalescent homes," Wheeler said. "Those people are just passing the time of day, not knowing what's going on. That's no kind of life."

And what would he want to happen to him, I wondered, if he were as sick as his wife?

"I'd want to be gone," Jimmy Wheeler said.

I understand completely.

If I ever get to where I don't recognize the people I care about, I wouldn't want to hang around. And I'd be grateful to any friend or family member who helps me move on.

I'd consider it an act of love.
...

From today's LA Times

Moving on

2008-09-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been 6 years with Genex and this Wednesday was my last day. An opportunity to spread my wings, get intellectually challenged and form new relationships. I'm excited.

Thanks to Krink for the image.

Lori Roode 1933-2008

2008-09-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's me. Don't laugh. I know, I know, not a cool Calvin Klein outfit. But, when you're six, you don't have that many choices. And not a lot of say in the clothes you're supposed to wear.

Looking at this picture makes me very sad. No, it's not the haircut. It's the feeling of a lost opportunity. The sadness of something that could have been. But never was. When this picture was taken, I might have been as close to my mother as I've ever been. I read her Astrid Lindgren's 'Children of Bullerbu' each and every day while she was preparing lunch. And she enjoyed being with me. For once.

You have to understand, my mother was a tortured soul. She had to deal with bipolar disorder and all the medication the 70's, 80's and 90's provided her. In industrial sizes. In any shape. Or form. Or strength.
In exchange, our family had to suffer with her. Through crisis after crisis after crisis. And we all felt imprisoned, tortured and sad. I responded through rebellion, didn't speak to both of my parents for decades, denied their existence.

Having a kid and her being severely sick for the last year, made me reconsider. And I'm glad I did. I'm glad she saw her second grand daughter, was able to enjoy her. I'm glad she was able to meet my beloved wife. And I'm glad I could hold her hand and give her some kind of emotional support in her darkest times.

My mother died this Sunday. I'm glad she didn't have to suffer any longer. It's a cliche, but she's in a better place right now. Her life in the last few weeks was just pure torture. I wish I could make it out to the funeral but, on the other hand, I'm glad I was able to have Astrid and myself to be with her before she passed away. I hope I gave her just a glimpse of our presence and it made her feel a little bit better leaving this world.

It's very sad when both of your parents die within 2 months. No matter how close you are. It's a big blow. Something I've problems dealing with.

But, real sadness creeps up when I look at this picture. Thinking about what could have been. What we could have had. How much love there could have been shared. How much more love and joy we could have brought to this world.

She will be buried this Friday. My heart will be with her during that hour. I hope she finds the peace she was looking for all her life. She deserves it.

In case you were wondering...

2008-08-16T13:40:00.001-07:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We said goodbye to my mother, hoping for her suffering to end soon. We spent some time with my father at his grave and felt a strange connection between him and Astrid. She just loved being there (We went to the grave 3 times) and checking out the lovely hearts, windmills, ladybugs that decorate his beautiful grave. We connected with family, saw strong connections there. We tried to help family through despair upon hearing that one of our closest family members is battling inoperable cancer. We laughed with friends. Made new friends. Spoke a lot of German with each other. Tried to make each other comfortable and happy. While being parent and daughter at the same time. We fed goats. Walked through my old world. Experienced the first summer rain of her life. Missed mom, wife, best friend etc. desperately (While she worked herself to death at home)

Basically, we helped each other through these very strange and intense times. While my heart is still heavy, my mind cleared up. Traveling does that to you. And it made me ready for new challenges. Change is imminent. Stay tuned.

That's why I started out as a copywriter

2008-08-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

A stroke of the pen can change perceptions.

Fourth annual Short Film Online Competition - Cannes 2008.

Director : Alonso Alvarez Barreda
Running Time : 04:50
Year : 2007
Country : Mexico/ U.S.A
Category : Short film

Ready to take on the world

2008-08-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

I had to travel to Europe one more time for an emergency. This time I took my fellow road warrior and precious daughter with me. Yes, we look super tired and it's a challenge to maneuver through the world with a 3-year old, 2 suitcases and a gazillion small bags. But I feel privileged to be with her for almost 2 weeks.

I appreciate what you gave to the world

2008-07-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

RIP Randy Pausch.

It will affect your life

2008-07-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

1 in every 2 male Americans will get cancer. 1 in every 3 American females. Cancer is an under-researched illness and we need to increase our efforts to eliminate this disease. It has killed dear members of my friend tribe and family.

Do me a favor and watch this video. Jimmy Valvano was a coach for Rutgers and an ESPN basketball commentator. He was diagnosed with cancer and 2 months before he died, he received the Arthur Ashe award at the ESPY show in 1993. Supported by ESPN, the V Foundation was founded on the day of the speech and is getting stronger and more impactful each day. If you have a dime to spare, donate.

Don't forget: Cancer will affect your life. That's guaranteed.

Book Diet

2008-07-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

The week went too fast, we had some problem with the food in our destination and caught up on sleep. And we had a lot of time to read. Netherland and While they slept confronted me with a few episodes and overall situation during my childhood. Lush Life took a long time to get off the ground but I loved the dialogue and overall pacing.

It felt good to catch up with all the New Yorkers, Atlantic and magazines I never seem time to find to read. And, more importantly, it was good to catch up with some thoughts. And reflect.

Gone fishing

2008-07-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Our little family is taking a trip: A lot of flying, a lot of rest, a few good books, good drinks and food. Hopefully new experiences and a lot to report.

Be back soon.

And now to something completely different

2008-06-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hilarious and worth the 10 minutes.

(My question: Why do get IT guys such a bad rap? I guess it's because 99.9% don't really understand what they are doing. And when we don't understand the trade/prices/challenges of another trade, we tend to feel they're cheating us/are lazy/not worthy. Just like the plumber that charges you $500 for something that takes him 10 minutes. But that's another topic.)

Hope you get a laughter or two out of this one.

Why I love Steve Martin

2008-06-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

He describes his father's life and death so perfectly. I could hug him.

How much Bocholt is left in me?

2008-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was born in Bocholt, a small town close to the Dutch border. Frankly, during my teens I realized how much I didn't like living there. I think it was more the circumstances that made me dislike Bocholt. It's a town with a lot of green, very bike- and kid-friendly. But I always felt under siege in this town.

When I visited a few weeks back, I took this shot at 1pm on a Wednesday. All cars parked in order, almost no humans around. Mind you, this is a street close to the town center...

I went to my father's favorite Yugoslavian restaurant and ate a mixed grill plate. 5 pieces of meat piled on top of Rice Pilaf. And I though TGI Friday's had huge portions. I barely ate 1/3 of the meat. But the beer was good.

A window in the restaurant stating: "There's no place better than Bocholt." When we took bus tours with our school or went on summer camps, we always sang a similar song, claiming Bocholt to be the best city in the world. And I always thought: "Is that really true? How depressing."

The small river running through Bocholt, called Aa. No, not AA, just Aa. Don't ask me why they would name a river like a plumber who wants to be first in the Yellow Pages. Many evenings were spent staring at the river. Can I swim out of here?

My elementary school is in the background. I was baptized as a Lutheran, a minority in Bocholt. The school to the right was Catholic. We started religious wars when we were 6. Even though we were in the minority, our Protestant brotherhood lead to many bloody victories. Don't ask me why. I guess just a wish to be different.

That's the view from the balcony of my father's last apartment. Bocholt doesn't have a lot of buildings with these views. You can see the water tower in the distance and some churches. I'm glad he had a way of looking out in the sky. Feels liberating.

The old city hall with the Europe fountain next to it. Originall built in 1618 and restored right before the Nazis took charge. Behind the fountain is one of the best Italian Ice Cream parlors. Or so I felt when I was 6. I didn't taste their offerings a few weeks back.

While walking through Bocholt, I was asking myself: How much of Bocholt is in me and how much did I leave behind? Is it worth continue trying?

Fritz Roode - 1930-2008

2008-06-15T16:15:00.001-07:00

Lieber Vati,
when I heard about your sudden death thousands of miles away, I knew immediately I had to pay you the respect you deserve by being part of your final journey. Yes, we haven't seen each other for more than a decade but deep down inside I knew I had to be there for you for the last time, together with your family and friends.

Maybe it's because you were there when I entered this world, held me, took care of me, were the best father you can be. Or maybe it's because I just felt both of us needed some kind of closure to move on to wherever destination we're going from here.

That we didn't speak for so long is nobody's fault. We both did our best. Your job as a father and my job as a son was to develop this little bundle of joy you held on his first day into a responsible, loving adult. This can be done in numerous ways. Unfortunately, I had to do it on my own, had to move away and take care of things without anybody's help. I know I hurt your feelings by doing it this way but, frankly, I had no choice. The challenges that our family had to face when I grew up were so serious that I had to take charge of my own life and make sure to become the best I can be.

This doesn't diminish anything you accomplished as a proud father: You instilled in me a strong work ethic, took Monday afternoons off to teach me swimming (just to make up the work hours at night), you were there at all my soccer games, always cheering me on. And, most importantly, you always answered the call: starting a family with nothing, getting an education after 12-hour days at the factory and you were always cracking a joke in the worst circumstances. Trying to make the best out of bad situations.

Vati, I hope you understand that I always respected you and were proud of your achievements. In your professional and personal life. And you should be proud that you helped myself becoming a happy person with a fulfilling work life, a happy marriage and an amazing kid. I regret that you never met these two most important people in my life. You would have loved both of them with all your heart and it would have been such a joy for you to play with Astrid and trick her, just like you tricked and amused me when I was a kid.

My heart was aching when I followed the coffin with all your family and friends to the last resting point. You deserved an easier life, a life filled with contentment. And I wish I could have done anything to make it easier for you. But fighting was always your strongest principle and you might not have wanted anything else than a fighters life. Walking with you on your last journey, I stopped wishing for a better life and started appreciating the life you had. And the joy you spread to others.

And when the funeral was over and everybody headed to the restaurant, I snuck out and bought two coffees at Tchibo, one of your favorite places in the world, and returned to your graveside to have a last coffee and chat together.

And while we were having a coffee, I finally could forgive you. More than that, I understood where you were coming from and just felt love for you. I felt our souls connected for the first time in a long time and I hope this gave your soul more peace and helped you with your final send-off.

Vati, you might not know it, but today is Father's Day in the US. Now it's my job to help my kid to become a loving, responsible person. To teach her swimming, be there for her whenever she needs me, be the best father I can be. It's going to be a lot of work. And a lot of fun.

You did your job. You worked hard all your life. You deserve to leave this world and rest for a while. You must be tired.

No worries, we'll take care of things. You don't have to fight anymore, we'll take the fight from here. Just know that I love you. And miss you.

I hope you understand.

Uwe

Lost in Amsterdam

2008-06-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

After flying for 15 hours, I finally arrived in Amsterdam. Saw in shock the exchange rate: 165 Euros for $300. The first time Rose and I went to Europe almost 7 years ago the exchange rate was almost reversed.
Found my hotel, took a quick shower and headed out. A beautiful day filled with orange soccer fanatics, coffeeshops and bars that serve pancakes. Most of the evening was filled walking around the city, just trying to get my bearings and adjust to the news I'm still digesting. In the end, I just felt lost. Thank God it was in Amsterdam.

Little update

2008-06-12T01:21:00.000-07:00

I forgot the cable for my digital camera, so no images until Sunday. I'm in my hometown Bocholt now, feeling like an actor in the Twilight Zone. Almost nothing has changed here, the little corners that I used to hang out as a kid are still there, the snack shack with chicken and fries.

I moved away from here more than 20 years ago and time has stood still. I see names in telephone books that I recognize and I wonder: Would we have anything to say to each other if I picked up the phone? I doubt it. I went to a restaurant yesterday that my father loved to frequent and the menu is still the same. It almost felt like I was a small kid again, asking if I could get the mixed grill plate.

My father wanted a colorful funeral. I brought my black suit but I will go shopping for a crazy tie today. Red/Purple - whatever. And, as an avid coffee drinker, he wanted coffee beans in his grave. Bizarre? Sure. But this wish has a very endearing quality to it.

10 things i learned (re-learned) while being in Europe

2008-06-12T01:16:00.000-07:00

1. The US Dollar is worth nothing. I exchanged $300 at Schiphol and got 165 Euros back.
2. Coffeeshops are basically done starting July 1 when the smoking ban will become effective in the Netherlands
3. I had no idea how ugly my hometown was.
4. People in small towns stare at strangers. For a long time.
5. The strongest Wifi signal can be found at McDonalds
6. National pride of a European nation rises and falls with their wins/losses in the European cup
7. Too much meat in Germany.
8. German radio stations blow.
9. The sun is up until almost 11pm. It rocks in Europe, would hate it in Los Angeles. Can you imagine not having the merciful darkness taking over during 90+ degree days?
10. German Beer is good.

Thoughts while flying to the funeral

2008-06-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it: For a lucky few, life will be a business of evenly rationed suffering: horrible parents to start off, the typical humiliations at school, common injuries throughout puberty, the love of your love doesn’t want to bother with you or cheats on you, maybe another love affair gone terribly wrong, even a marriage busted. Our parents die, we face our own steady demise. Sure, that’s enough suffering for a lifetime. The lucky ones will only have those few torturous moments. The rest will have to face the unspeakable – rape, murder, child abuse, dead children, torture. As if your daily world turned into gates of hell. Through no fault of your own.

Whenever we face suffering, most of us grew up with the idea that your pain is punishment for sinful behavior. Nice theory but not really worth discussing. Feels very Stone Age and too simple for all this complexity surrounding us. And whenever I read stories about dictators living swanky lives, I continue to believe that this theory might work intellectually for primates but not for humans.

So, when I entered the dark ages AKA puberty, I started to subscribe to the notion of suffering as a test or something to improve me, make me a better person. Frankly, this thinking helped me through a lot of surgeries, broken bones, broken hearts and lonely nights. But, in the back of my mind, I knew it was another bullshit theory to keep me from going nuts. When one of my best friends died of brain cancer, there was nothing redeeming about it. Nothing improved because of his suffering, nobody learned anything from it. It was just horrible to see him dying. Period. There goes that theory out the window.

Well, last but not least, there was still the hope that al our suffering is rewarded by eternal life in Heaven. Or as the bible says: “Heaven is where God will wipe away all tears from our faces.” At this point, I subscribe to Marilynne Robinson’s quote: “It takes nothing from the loveliness of the verse to say that is exactly what will be required.”

Given all the suffering we experienced on a personal level and all over the world throughout my lifetime, I can’t even imagine how Heaven is going to make up for it. It might be a good idea for someone (God, Allah, Jehova, whatever) to wipe our tears off now. Or maybe I’m just going to peek over to the other side and check out this atheistic thing. Sounds pretty rational to me. And often more promising than waiting for Heaven.

My father died

2008-06-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my father passed away this morning, German time at 8.50 am. I will be heading out to Germany to attend the funeral. As you can imagine, it's a confusing and rather painful time. I'll use this blog to write about my experience going back to my hometown: a lot of pictures, a lot of memories.

Stay tuned.

That's love

2008-05-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

A couple that supports each other in two wildly different career paths, a million books in 11 buildings and an amazing passion for books. What's not to love?

A demented Norman Rockwell

2008-05-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Gregory Crewdson stages events in photographic art, blurring the distinction between reality and fiction. He utilizes the suburban landscape and presents a disturbing view of everyday American life. A critic called him a "demented Norman Rockwell."

I saw his work at the Luhring Augustine a few weeks ago in Manhattan and was immediately fascinated and sucked in by these staged images.

Being a fan of Blue Velvet, my mind always wanders through Crewdson's and Lynch's imagery when driving through beautiful and wide streets in Pasadena - perfectly manicured yards and Old Town USA feel. What happens behind those drapes? What is hidden behind the inviting smile? I wonder.

This is just plain awful

2008-05-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'm a big Obama fan but all three candidates embarrassed themselves while appealing to the WWE crowd. Are Presidents running for Class President now? What's next? Hillary making out with The Bachelor? McCain on Survivor? Obama on Big Brother? I'm disgusted and appalled what's some call American Politics.

Well, Obama, since I intend to vote for you, consider my following hobbies/affinities: Electronic Music, Wine and Running. Let's run at Griffith Park for an hour, head home, open a bottle of wine and you spin some sweet Obama music at sunset. Deal?

Twistori

2008-05-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Wefeelfine, Twistori explores the Twitterverse, pulling tweets containing keywords such as I love, I think, I hate, I believe, I wish and I feel. Explore the feelings of the Twitterverse here.

It's been quiet lately

2008-04-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

A lot of traveling. thoughts to share.

I'm in New York now. When I opened my room door today, I saw the USA Today on the doorstep. Why would you read the USA Today in New York? Isn't there a quality, local paper available? It's a mystery to me that USA has record circulations and insightful papers are losing readerships left and right? Don't you get all the news in the USA Today hours before on the Web? I don't think there's a lot of analysis happening in the colorful fish wrap. Or is it our snack mentality that makes USA Today so attractive to people?

How German am I?

2008-04-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

Neat little test, comparing my lifestyle with the average Hans. Let's see (I took the male test):

- I get up before 6am. Germans get up 6.23am
- I take 10 minutes in the bathroom, the average German more than 26 minutes. German women take only 3 minutes more
- I'm optimistic in the morning. 79% of Germans as well
- I can cook. Just like 80% of German men.
- I watch around 2 hours of TV a day. Germans watch 3.5 hours
- Biggest shock: I think women should continue working after having a baby. Only 38% agree with me.
- I participated in demonstrations. Only 44% of Germans did the same
- I wouldn't defend Germany in the case of a way. I'm in the minority: 62% of Germans
- I go to be around 10.30 pm. Almost average: Germans go to bed at 10.47pm

Well, I only scored 4 points. I'm not an average German. I should give my passport back. Oh wait...

Social Media Rap

2008-04-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

Chuck at Pop Labs raps about social media:

I surf the web, I used to watch TV
now I'm logged into Joost, it's commercial free
lets see where I want to go
and who I want to know
connecting people with people with web 2.0
I don't use email unless I'm at my job
want the next post, I subscribe to the blog
I'm easy to find
I'm always online
social networking sites, I think I have nine
I use myspace to promote my music
I get friends and album sales that's how I do it
but tell me have you heard
about the new word
something like myspace but they call it virb
always something new, I'm a start creatin
I'll make a brand new facebook application
uploading pictures and mp3's
update my profile and hit ctrl D
can't stop what I started, it's getting ridiculous
social book mark it, add it del.icio.us
some can't take it but I just can't quit
go to Imeem and listen to my playlist
watching videos on my You Tube channel
clickin so much, my mouse smoking like a candle
I'm online for hours, addicted to the power
10 tabs open on a firefox browser
I must be going crazy cause I can't get enough
I guess I'm addicted to social media

What seems small to you might make a big difference

2008-04-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

When you work in media, you receive a lot of junk during the holidays: Cups, mugs, blankets - you name it.
Yahoo! sent me a certificate for a charity and I donated $100 to a school through DonorsChoose.org. The second grade classroom needed literature for their classroom library. The school itself doesn't have a library and no books. (Don't get me started on the state of the US education system.) The teacher asked for $580 for books on tape, classroom library furniture and a listening center.

Last Friday I received a little package from DonorsChoose.org, containing Thank you letters from the kids and pictures.

It warmed my heart that this little donation made such a difference.
$100 can buy you a nice dinner for 2. Or change lives.

Thanks for the concern

2008-04-02T10:50:00.001-07:00

I received quite a few emails about my cruel April Fools joke. We're not going anywhere. Above the reason why we stay. (A trip from LA to NY compressed in 4 minutes.) Who wants to leave such a beautiful country?

Going back to the roots

2008-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

It took sleepless nights, evenings filled with discussions and a lot of thinking but we finally decided to leave the US and move back to Germany. No, it's not the beer or the sausages or the amazing German humor. It's more the realization that I miss the homeland quite a bit and I would love for my wife and daughter to experience Germany first hand. We'll see where our journey takes us. But for now, the first stop will be Germany.

Stay tuned.

Autism and Second Life

2008-03-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Since the first wave of Second Life mania has subsided, the virtual world starts to be utilized by various groups for what it really is: A platform to communicate with other people. Above is an incredible story how Second Life helps people with autism. I'm hopeful Facebook will become less of an advertising tool and more of a people tool.

CNN Story

Are you ready?

2008-03-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

March 29 has always been an important date: Cy Young and John Tyler were born. The last US soldiers leave South Vietnam in 1973. And the War of the Roses basically ends in 1461.

But March 29, 2008 will be even more monumental. Actually, it's your job to make it monumental:

Just like Joseph Jaffe a few months ago, The Age of Conversation will bumrush the Amazon charts on tomorrow.

If you don't know about 'The Age of Conversation', get all the details here and find more about the Bumrush on Drew's blog.

And, please help the bumrush by checking out this Fresh Peel Post.

Most importantly, buy the book tomorrow.

Stupid client quotes

2008-03-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

Didn't get your daily fill yet? Check out Clientcopia for more than 6,000 stupid client quotes.

Hilarious

2008-03-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Charlie Brooker from BBC 4 comments on the biggest c***s and she-c***s in advertising. (Note: Strong language)

It gets even better.

Insights

2008-03-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Let's be frank here: Insights are basically the understanding of human insecurities. (Some would call it exploitation.)

Just think about the Wonderbra and the current beauty ideal of silicone-enhanced models. Or cars that help you get over your insecurity that you never became the man you wanted to be. Or the advent of energy drinks in a world that expects you to be on 24/7.

Brands can help people deal with their insecurities. Once in a while we all need a crutch. Unless the crutch becomes more important than the individual, we have nothing to worry about.

Love you can smell

2008-03-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

When we put love into our work, it changes everything.

I used to like Starbucks coffee but since I experienced Intellegentsia Coffee, I'm a changed person. Everthing in their store is full of love and passion for coffee. Somehow, when they prepare my latte, their passion is transferred to the end product. (No, I don't get paid by them. Just want to make sure everybody will try their excellent product.)

I feel the same when people cook for me or just make a plain cup of coffee with a french press. Same is true when I go to a local butcher or farmers market. There's more to it than the product, I can take the emotion they put into the product home.

Sure, nobody can create excellent meals each and every day. But just a little effort and thought goes a long way. Small pieces of tomato sprinkled around a plain spaghetti dish can change everything. Or freshly pressed OJ in a champagne. These little things show appreciation and passion for your loved ones. Or your customers.

Authentic

2008-03-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

One word came to mind when I saw Obama's race speech yesterday: authentic.

Sure, he's a great speaker and, for many people, very inspiring. But his real strength is authenticity: Knowing his background of a lifetime of walking the color line, his remarks yesterday felt real.

If you ever need a case study why authenticity is so important, go back to this speech.

RIP Resume

2008-03-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Seth writes that resumes are obsolete. I agree.
Sure, most jobs require a resume to be even considered by HR.

But, that's because we tend to think resumes are the only way to communicate between prospective employers and employees. In reality, resumes are fairly useless, they have become a ticket stub: The real action is happening afterwards.

Seth mentions blogs and references. Instead, why not create one blog with one post just dedicated for your job search? Make it entertaining, engaging, put your heart into it. One such blog post will get prospective employers to call you very quickly. And very often.

Honda is a Doer

2008-03-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

This looks and feels like Honda: Simple, positive and inspiring. Honda was always a brand that walks the walk, not focusing on talking the talk. The doer theme is a perfect match. Another homerun from W&K.

As you might remember, I didn't really care that much for the puzzle creative but the new commercial is a homerun. I was looking and hoping for an online extension, to no avail. If you find it, please send it to me.

Spokeo

2008-03-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many people hate me right now. Just tested Spokeo (pretty impressive, now I can continue my journey as an online stalker) and for some reason the site sent out invites to my complete address book. Thanks for nothing. Highly doubtful I will return.

As to the wrath of my friends: I will spend the night in an undisclosed location.

March 29 - Mark the date!

2008-03-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

March 29 has always been an important date: Cy Young and John Tyler were born. The last US soldiers leave South Vietnam in 1973. And the War of the Roses basically ends in 1461.

But March 29, 2008 will be even more monumental. Actually, it's your job to make it monumental:

Just like Joseph Jaffe a few months ago, The Age of Conversation will bumrush the Amazon charts on March 29.

If you don't know about 'The Age of Conversation', get all the details here and find more about the Bumrush on Drew's blog.

Stay tuned and tell your friends.

The house that beer built

2008-03-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

in 20 years, John Milkovisch emptied 50,000 beer cans (Falstaff was his favorite.) and used the remains to shade his house.

Just like the Watts Tower in Los Angeles, art doesn't always come from professional artists and big museums. Art comes from the heart. Yes, you can be passionate about beer cans and art at the same time.

Creativity

2008-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

This is the latest masterpiece from my kid. She's in pre-school now and a pattern evolves: The schools believe you need to box creativity. As you see above, forms are being created that kids are filling in with their color ideas. (Obviously, my kid did an amazing job!)

My idea of creativity are more unruly and unconventional. Yes, I like the flower above and see the value of it. But I find it much more charming and innovative to invite our dog to a session of Yoga. As parents we walk this fine line of telling our kids what to do/not to do and, at the same time, nurture their abbility to learn this world new (After all, we didn't do such a good job so far.)

Reminds me of the new marketing reality: We need to take our learnings from the past but apply new thinking and ideas to evolving opportunities. Exciting times all around.

Facebook Fatigue

2008-03-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

The backlash is growing: Beacon, Superpokes, etc. We have seen this before. My Space, anyone? For the first time, Facebook is facing headwind. Above video illustrates what many people are feeling when they return to Facebook: Not a lot to do, except being annoyed.

Should they have sold a few months ago or will they adjust? Time will tell.

Hat Tip to George Parker.

This is my 500th post

2008-03-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

Wanted to share one of my lifelong dreams: To walk around the graveyard of planes in Tucson. I just found out they offer tours now.
Hope I'll report about it before my 1000th post.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate your attention.

You can call me the Universal Ruler.

2008-02-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

That's the meaning of the name 'Uwe'. I'm pretty sure my parents didn't intend to name me to become a dictator one day. Actually, they had two inspirations:

This rather stern looking fellow, a highly regarded politician in the 60's. (I'm still working on that stare.) Kai-Uwe von Hassel was member of the Christian Democrats, my parents always voted Social Democrats. Did they try to push me into a certain direction???

And, more importantly, one of the most beloved soccer players in Germany, the always smiling Uwe Seeler.

Because my mother felt that Uwe was too short, they called me Uwe-Karsten. (Thank God not Kai Uwe, that was the second choice. Whew!)

Little did they know that their son would migrate to the US one day and thereby create a dilemma: How can I convince Americans that my name is Uwe and not Huey, Ooov, Hoover, Hover, etc.? Well, I decided to go for two different tactics:

- For friends, co-workers, people I interact with very often, I help them out pronouncing my name correctly. It might take 20 tries, 2 months, 5 years: at one point the 'Uwe' sounds almost right. Almost is good enough.

- For Starbucks, restaurant reservations I work with my second ego: Bob. Bob grew up in some little town in Kansas, played football in his younger years, studied at some State College, drank too much beer in his 20's, always had a clear career path in mind, one day drove to Los Angeles to make it there or anywhere. Kind of the opposite of me. (Except for the beer.)

Bob and I live peacefully together. Uwe never ordered a cappuccino at Starbucks. Bob always does it for him. Bob doesn't have any friends (besides Uwe), just baristas, hosts and strangers on the phone he meets once in a while.

So, when you meet me and I introduce myself as Uwe, you already made a big step from a stranger to somebody I value enough to explain at length the origin and correct pronunciation of my name. (and Bob will retreat into his solitary existence.)

Which reminds me, my maiden last name is even more unusual. When I got married, I took my wife's name. Call me progressive. Or just lazy.

Who said this?

2008-02-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

"I get satisfaction of three kinds. One is creating something, one is being paid for it and one is the feeling that I haven't just been sitting on my ass all afternoon."

"I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said."

"I would like to take you seriously, but to do so would affront your intelligence."

"Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could."

He died yesterday.

Whenever I saw him on 'Firing Line', I was amazed by his eloquence and precise vocabulary.

Yes, William F. Buckley said many despicable things. (Calling the Civil Rights Movement a 'Negro Revolt' is just one of them.)

But he was also able to have civilized debates with people on the opposite end of the spectrum, such as Noam Chomsky. Something we're missing today. Desperately.

The Candy Store

2008-02-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

Having a kid reminds us of the wonders and miracles of childhood. New things happen to you every day. Amazement through small, little things. The world is your oyster.

Every time I see my kid experiencing new things, I'm reminded of my own career. It started out in advertising (the best copywriter ever!), continued in marketing and now I'm at the intersection of advertising/marketing/branding. My excitement comes from the new world of marketing/advertising. Learning new things every day. Experiencing changes every day. Trying to change the marketing reality each and every day.

While my kid explores the world one Duplo, puzzle and book at a time, I'm delighted to explore this new world one blog, Twitter and RSS feed at a time. I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

Relaunch

2008-02-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

Starbucks Nation is in uproar because their beloved Java won't be available this pm. I don't care about Starbucks, prefer really good coffee like Intelligentsia. (Best coffee I ever had.) But I think it's a good move by Starbucks.
Instead of just changing out some advertising or signage, Starbucks signals very strongly that they're willing to change. Works better than any new tagline or fancy ad. I might even give them a chance again.

The art of storytelling

2008-02-25T11:12:00.001-08:00

As shown in a Monster Commercial

East Germany

2008-02-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

I visited East Germany once. It was a scary, yet fascinating place. On the border you were treated like a felon: Your passport was taken away for a while, extensive searches, drawn guns.

My most memorable moment? Standing on a platform in West-Berlin, looking over the Wall to the other side. While West-Germans were able to touch the wall, spraypaint it, damage it; East-Germans had to stay away at least 150 feet, the Dead Zone (as they called it) filled with landmines and automatic machine guns. Looking over the wall, seeing East Germans in the distance living their lives reminded me of a zoo or some exhibit: We can do whatever we want, they are trapped in their dreary existence forever.

I grew up with the wall being part of life. It was there before I was born, it will be there when I'm gone. Many people of my generation cried when the wall came down. But we didn't want to reunite with East Germany. They were strangers to us. I had so much more in common with Dutch, Australian or American citizen. Nothing in common with East Germans. Yes, the language. Well, not really. Their language was different. Old, dusty, depressing.

I'm glad I was in the minority. My wife and I went back to Berlin a few years ago and it was so inspiring to feel the heart of Berlin beating in the eastern part. That's where innovation and ideas come from. Berlin is one of the few European cities I could live in. So much energy, so much drive.

Above pictures are from Thomas Steinert, an East German photographer. He was not a communist but he believed in his country's strength, hoping that one day people would look at his pictures and say: "We made it through these times." Instead, these images are a historic document to a country and societal experiment that failed miserably. A testament to a time when ideologies and processes were more important than humanity. These human insights into an inhumane time make these images so powerful.

See the rest here.

Do you know this guy?

2008-02-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

His name is Momus, a Scottish artist. Why should you know him?
Because he moved us from Andy Warhol's 15 minutes of fame to famous for 15 people:

“The future will be a lot of musical shrapnel… The old unifying stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson will be seen as the last of their kind, global monoliths, relics of an age of monopoly capitalism which has been smashed to smithereens.”

Putting his own spin on Andy Warhol’s “fifteen minutes of fame” adage, Momus suggested a different dynamic. In the future, he wrote, “Everyone will be famous for fifteen people.”

This idea of microcelebrity is fairly new and Clive Thompson describes it really well in his December column:

"Adapting to microcelebrity means learning to manage our own identity and "message" almost like a self-contained public relations department. "People are using the same techniques employed on Madison Avenue to manage their personal lives," says Theresa Senft, a media studies professor and one of the first to identify the rise of microcelebrity. "Corporations are getting humanized, and humans are getting corporatized.

You could regard this as a sad development — the whole Brand Called You meme brought to its grim apotheosis. But haven't our lives always been a little bit public and stage-managed? Small-town living is a hotbed of bloglike gossip. Every time we get dressed — in power suits, nerdy casual wear, or goth-chick piercings — we're broadcasting a message about ourselves. Microcelebrity simply makes the social engineering we've always done a little more overt — and maybe a little more honest."

In general, I agree with his small town assessment. Growing up in one myself, I remember those little social signals that turned into gossip and categorizing people.

There are good reasons for people to social engineer their social media experience: The mother that doesn't want to show pictures of her neighborhood, fearing possible stalkers. The entrepreneur who's fallen on hard times and doesn't share his problems with his audience because his blog was meant to be inspiring and uplifting. The social media blog that doesn't criticize specific clients because, well, they are clients.
That's social engineering.

But there's a fine line between social engineering and self-censorship. Sure, not everybody can be as open and honest asGeorge Parker (Is there a better word in the English language than Douchenozzle?) but are we censoring ourselves too often? I do. Often for good reasons, often for not so good reasons.

I think it's mostly a maturation of the blogosphere and social media space. We're still learning. And exploring how to interact with each other. And the world.

You thought you had an important day?

2008-02-20T12:11:00.001-08:00

My daughter's day was monumental: First day in pre-school.

"The principal goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done." -Jean Piaget

On to new things.

This makes me happy

2008-02-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

Michael Globisch is a friend of mine. Sure, I might not have seen him in more than 15 years but he will always be my friend. He is a talented artist, has a very deep soul and a big heart. While I moved from city to city, trying to find my place in the world, he had go through a lot of suffering and pain.

Many people think artists need to suffer to create good art. I don't agree. Some artists don't suffer and create great art. Others suffer and, despite that pain, create great art.

Artists have power: Their work offers humanity, help the human spirit grow and celebrates its power. Great art comes from a combination of observation, consideration, deliberation and a passion for understanding outside of society's norms.

I'm so happy that Michael was able to get back into the game and create art that inspires and transcends.

That's what he was meant to do when he was born into this world. He went through so many battles and still persevered, as you can see above.

Michael, you should be proud of yourself.
I am.

Another 50% off day

2008-02-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

The biggest difference between Europe and the US?
Holidays in the US are marketing events.
European holidays are family events.

I guess the patriotic duty during holidays is to buy. And then to buy more. 25% off, 0% APR, etc. My favorite deal currently is the Lasik deal: 2 eyes for the price of one. And I thought eyes always come in pairs. I need to meet the marketing manager who came up with that idea. Much more brilliant are those fake pupils above that let you sleep at work or in class while others think you are wide awake. Too wide awake for my taste...

Well, let's move away from marketing today, honor Washington and Lincoln on this special day and remember Lincoln's quote:

""Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way."

Reflections

2008-02-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

"Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it." - Budha

Follow your passion. If you follow your passion, you follow a path that was always there for you. Once you follow that path you'll live the life you're supposed to live. Once you follow your passion, you'll meet others that are as passionate as you. They will open doors you never knew existed.

Timing is everything

2008-02-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

We need a lot of data and insights to prepare a good plan. But taking edges off, not understanding where the disrupting force is makes campaigns and product bland. That's the challenge for good planners: How long do you keep the research head on and when do you switch it out with the dunce cap?

Timing is everything: Take the research hat off to early and you end up with a silly campaign. Take it off too late and you end up with a rational message that doesn't connect. My recipe has always been to start wearing both hats while the research and insights are being finalized. It helps to let silliness creep into the research process.

How Doritos lost its ways

2008-02-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

Doritos was the clear winner of the Super Bowl commercial arms race in 2007. The combination of product focus, innovative usage of UGC and refreshing ideas from semi-amateurs worked well.

This year they moved ahead with their UGC approach under title 'Doritos Crash The Super Bowl Contest'. They asked unsigned talents to submit a song, the winner, Kina Grannis, was featured in a Super Bowl commercial (above).

Sure, Kina scored a record deal with Interscope Records and the song was fine but the whole campaign didn't connect with the audience.

Why? People that didn't hear about the contest had no idea why Doritos featured a Folk Song in their commercial. Don't expect football fans at a loud party to read all the copy. It might work in a darkened board room, ain't working in a Super Bowl party madhouse. Most importantly, the product was not the hero. Last year's commercial focused on people's passion around Doritos, how they like to express their appreciation of the product to the world. This year? It's a song. Ok?

Let's look at the lyrics...

Don't break me, I bruise easily
The source of both your love and misery

I am steady, beating endlessly
While you are dozing, dreaming pretty things
Lovely things

I don't work for free
Please take care of me

This is a message from your heart
Your most devoted body part
Taking blood and making art
This is a message from your heart
Pounding away into the dark
You could thank me for a start
This is a message from your heart

Don't hurt me, I bleed constantly
My efforts leave me but flow back swiftly

My rhythm, soothing, like raindrops steady
On foggy windows when you gaze outwardly
Peacefully

Just a sappy song. No connection to Doritos or any product attributes.

I applaud Doritos for not resting on their laurels. But I gotta say that UGC without any product connection doesn't work. For me, that is.

Have we become assholes?

2008-02-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

People love to be part of tribes. The advertising community is not different. We have the traditional tribes, the digital tribes, the Web 2.0 tribes and and and.

In the last few months I've seen a lot of blog posts, heard many podcasts and overheard conversations where the Social Media/Web 2.0 guys sounded like arrogant hypocrites: The big agencies don't get digital, everything is about the 30 second spot, they're just trying to hold on to their riches. Traditional folks have become enemies. Outdated jokes we look down upon.

And, the digital guys are the Rambo's and Rocky's of the new era. We know the answer to everything, we know where the game is going, we know the future. In short: the traditional folks sit in dark-wooded bars sipping on their three martini lunches while we sip on organic fruit elixirs changing the world one pixel at a time.

By talking and acting like this, we have become the enemy. We act like arrogant 'know-it-alls' , stopped listening to the traditional folks and, basically, turned into the people we warned others about.

In the end, we need to understand that the advertising world is a community. Sure, there will be differences, discussions, fights, politics. And we will continue to see things from our point of view and will continue to struggle accepting the 'traditional' point of view. But we have to make this a productive process, not a destruction path that goes nowhere.

The advertising community has many problems: limited attention of people, dramatically changing media usage, overwhelming amount of channels - you know the drill. That's our real enemy (if you want to call it that), not the other side of the advertising community. High School attitudes and cliques won't get us any further in tackling this enemy.

Ultimately, we should take our own advice of listen and learn to the advertising community. It's not about who's right. It's about doing the right thing in this new marketing reality. At this moment, all of us are one eyed kings and queens. Let's work together to get the whole picture.

Puzzle Solvers

2008-02-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

Honda's UK work has been exceptional in the last few years, specifically the amazing Cog commercial.

Wieden & Kennedy's latest Honda work didn't do it for me. I really wanted to like it but it just didn't connect with me. The commercial is too long and, frankly, I couldn't give a hoot about all these engineers. If you want to solve puzzle, let people participate. Everybody is up for a good trivia quiz or a puzzle to be solved. But nobody wants to watch others solve puzzles. (Deep Announcer Voice: "Coming soon on Fox Reality - Puzzle Solvers. See Raymond Smith solve a 25,000 piece puzzle.")

But it could work really well in the interactive space: Introduce the puzzle idea through video and then let people focus on the companion unit, allowing them to solve their own puzzles. Since Honda is a brand for the people, an interactive solutions feels closer to the brand and the engagement interests people have online.

It's the little things in life...

2008-02-07T04:57:00.000-08:00

When you stay at a hotel, you expect a nice bed, decent bathroom, all the amenities. But, it's the little things that tell the real brand story. The little things that a hotel pays attention to that guests will spread. Well, here's mine.

I've never seen a good stopper for bathroom sinks. They didn't do it aesthetically to me. Until yesterday.

This little plastic ball functions as the stopper at the hotel I'm staying at.

It withstood the hot water for a morning shave test. Now I'm looking to purchase this little miracle for my house. Where do I get it?

Voter Fraud?

2008-02-06T04:01:00.000-08:00

No, just my little daughter wearing proudly my 'I voted' sticker. It was very busy at our polling place, good to see the enthusiasm everywhere. My wife said she made her decision right at the polling place. I wonder how many people did the same. Is that the reason why the exit polls are so off?

Tsnuami Tuesday

2008-02-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Coming from Germany, elections took place on Sunday's. You either voted right after church or after your lunch nap. People dressed up to vote. It was an important ritual, almost followed by 90% of the population. Voting made our family feel good. We were part of democracy.

Living in California, voting has become a routine: Ballot initiatives, Propositions, recalls - you name it. Generally, I vote right before I go to work or I rush home to get it done before 8. Voting is a commodity in California. Most of the candidates get 80% approval, ballot initiatives are not that controversial.

Today feels different. Today feels like an important day. Today will decide (or at least set a direction) who will be leading either parties into the general election. So, today I will rush back home arround 4, get my wife and daughter and we will vote together. For once, it feels good to vote for a candidate and not against one.

Status

2008-02-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

In between the Superbowl and Super Tuesday, we're recovering today, looking forward to tomorrow. Everything seems to be in flux: Yahoo bought by Microsoft, economic signs are rather negative, the ad industry is in turmoil. Personally, I didn't care for any of the Superbowl commercials. Most of them felt forced, off brand and something I would rather fast forward to get to the exciting game. Sure, the big game is still one of the few moments where everybody gathers around the tube but our mind continues to opt out of advertising at an alarming rate.

It's fascinating to see and experience how quickly people are changing their consumption habits and how we re-program ourselves daily, destroying the old marketing/advertising model fast forward by fast forward.

For now, we have to live with change. No fear: Stick to the rules and you'll be fine.

In case you haven't heard...

2008-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

Still looking for additional logos...

The big debate

2008-02-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Scored a 7th row seat at the debate yesterday. Always interesting to see the media machine working: tons of satellite trucks in front of the Kodak Theatre, hundreds of Obama and Hillary supporters being silly and screaming their respective names, lines after lines, celebrity sightings (Stevie Wonder, Jason Alexander, Leonardo di Caprio, Christina Applegate, just to name a few) and Democrats doing a lot of self-congratulating.

When you're up close at that spectacle, you understand how hungry and how powerful the TV machine is. It's about the show, it's about the lights, the celebrities, the little tiffs, the looks between Hillary and Obama. Utter bullshit.

On my way home, I was thinking about the visionary Neil Postman and his book: Amusing ourselves to death - Public Discourse in the age of show business.

Here's his foreword:

We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares.
But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions". In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.

Social Media and Web 2.0 tools give me the hope that sometime in the future our votes will be based on real conversations about issues and challenges. Currently, we're discussing $400 haircuts.

What happened to the advertising industry?

2008-01-31T08:09:00.000-08:00

I asked myself this morning what happened to the icons of the advertising industry?

My liver is happy to report that 3 Martini lunches were before my time.

When I started in advertising, this bloke might have been around. From my experience, those 'advertising types' didn't really work that much. While we were slaving away, they hung out at the 'advertiser type' bars all night.

That was replaced with black for everything: Black designer glasses, black suits, black shirts. We just wanted to look serious and not like "advertiser types".

And that's the current state: If you're in advertising, you need to have a moleskin. Moleskins are the new black.

Find your own voice

2008-01-30T10:58:00.001-08:00

Why do too many ads read like this?

Because education told us so. Starting at home, we tell kids that's there a difference between the language they speak and the way they should write. So, when copywriters sit in front of the screen (does anyone still sit in front of a piece of paper???) we tend to hear the voices of our parents and teachers, instead of listening to our own voice. And bringing this voice to life. Everybody can be a critic. Not everybody can express their real inner voice and put it into a fascinating piece of advertising. Copywriters, that's your damn job.

Don't listen to me. Listen to the master:

"If you're trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular." - David Ogilvy

Sometimes you purchase a product...

2008-01-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

...just because the design or functionality interests you. When you discover that the wine is good as well, you will buy the product again. It's that easy.