April 20, 2008
Space Junk. Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, approximately 4,600 launches have placed some 6,000 satellites into orbit. Today, it is estimated that only 800 satellites are operational. This is a photo of debris objects in low-Earth orbit (about 2,000 km above the Earth’s surface). The debris is comprised of inactive satellites or fragments of spacecraft that have broken up, exploded, or become abandoned.

Space Junk. Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, approximately 4,600 launches have placed some 6,000 satellites into orbit. Today, it is estimated that only 800 satellites are operational.

This is a photo of debris objects in low-Earth orbit (about 2,000 km above the Earth’s surface). The debris is comprised of inactive satellites or fragments of spacecraft that have broken up, exploded, or become abandoned.

April 19, 2008
No other company has proven as adept at giving customers what they want before they know they want it.
How Apple Got Everything Right by Doing Everything Wrong, an interesting read in Wired
April 18, 2008
Looking for streetwear that’s both crunchy and delicious? Then check out Kellogg’s new brand extension - hip and edgy licensed streetwear now sold at Under the Hood. From Satchel of Gravel: While you probably think that we’d be heavily critical of this foray into food-wear, it’s CEO Jon Huntley’s mission statement that puts our skepticism at ease. Here’s an excerpt to show how he and his crew live the same life we do. Genius brand extension? Or a desperate one? Either way you must check out the look book.

Looking for streetwear that’s both crunchy and delicious? Then check out Kellogg’s new brand extension - hip and edgy licensed streetwear now sold at Under the Hood.

From Satchel of Gravel: While you probably think that we’d be heavily critical of this foray into food-wear, it’s CEO Jon Huntley’s mission statement that puts our skepticism at ease. Here’s an excerpt to show how he and his crew live the same life we do.

Genius brand extension? Or a desperate one? Either way you must check out the look book.

April 15, 2008

Desert Survival

The experts (source: Human Synergistics) rank the items:

  1. Cosmetic Mirror: the most powerful tool for communicating your presence. In the sunlight, a simple mirror and generate 5 to 7 million candlepower of light. The reflected sunbeam can be seen beyond the horizon. With the mirror you’d have an excellent chance of being picked up within 24 hours.
  2. Topcoat: You need to slow down dehydration. 40% of body moisture that is lost through dehydration is lost through respiration and perspiration. Moisture lost through respiration can be cut by remaining calm. Moisture lost by perspiration can be cut by preventing the hot, dry air from circulating next to the skin. Top coats are the best available means for doing this.
  3. Quart of Water: You could survive for 3 days with just the first 2 items. The quart of water will not significantly extend survival time, but would help hold off effects of dehydration. Once dehydration begins, however, it would be impossible to reverse it with the amount of water available here.
  4. Flashlight: It’s the only quick, reliable night signaling device. With it & the mirror you have 24-hour signaling capability. During the day, the reflector & lens could be used as another signaling device or for starting a fire. The battery container could be used for digging, or could be a water container in the distillation process (with the plastic raincoat, later).
  5. Parachute: the parachute is a shelter as well as a signaling device. Double or triple folding the parachute would give shade dark enough to reduce temperature underneath it by as much as 20%.
  6. Jackknife: This would be useful for rigging a shelter and cutting through cacti and innumerable other uses.
  7. Plastic Raincoat: By digging a hole and placing the raincoat over it, the temperature differential will extract some moisture from urine-soaked sand to produce condensation on the underside of the plastic. By placing a small stone in the center of the plastic, a cone shape can be formed to cause moisture to drip into the flashlight contained buried in the center of the hole. Up to a quart a day could be obtained in this way. Though helpful, this would not make any significant difference.
  8. Pistol: The pistol could be used as a sound signaling device, and the bullets could be used as quick fire starters. The international distress signal is 3 shots in rapid succession. The butt of the pistol could be used as a hammer. It receives its low ranking because the advantages of the pistol are counterbalanced by its very dangerous disadvantages. Impatience, irritability, and irrationally all occur as dehydration increases; the lethal tool constitutes a real danger to the group.
  9. Sunglasses: In the intense sunlight, photothalmia & solar retinitis (like snow blindness) could be serious problems by the 2nd day. The dark shade of the parachute would reduce the problem, as would darkening the area around the eyes with soot from the wreckage. Use a handkerchief or compress material as a veil with eye slits cut into it to eliminate the vision problem.
  10. Compress Kit with Gauze: The desert’s low humidity makes it one of the least infections places in the world. There is little danger from bleeding unless a vein is severed, since blood thickens with dehydration.
  11. Compass: Aside from the possibility of using its reflective surfaces as a signaling device, the compass is of little use. It could be dangerous in that it might give someone the notion of walking out.
  12. Air Map: it might be helpful for starting a fire or for toilet paper. Could be used for head cover of eye shade.
  13. Book: Any energy extended in hunting would be costly in terms of potential water loss. If caught, the intake of protein would cause an increase in the amount of water used to process the protein in the body. As a general rule of thumb, if you have water, eat; otherwise do not consume anything.
  14. Vodka: Consuming vodka could be lethal in this situation. The body loses 2 to 3 ounces of water per ounce of alcohol. The vodka could be helpful to start a fire or as a temporary coolant for the skin. The bottle might be useful, but overall the vodka represents more danger than help.
  15. Salt Tablets: Even the man who developed salt tablets no maintains that they are of questionable value except in geographic areas where there are salt deficiencies. With dehydration and loss of water, blood salinity increases.
April 14, 2008
need a good presentation deck?
Probably not. But I do. Here’s a great little resource for slideshow themes & ideas.
April 12, 2008

10 Businesses Facing Extinction in 10 Years

A 2007 article from Entrepreneur.com discusses the odds of survival of ten industries. They are:

  1. Record Stores
  2. Camera Film Manufacturing
  3. Crop Dusters
  4. Gay Bars
  5. Newspapers
  6. Pay Phones
  7. Used Bookstores
  8. Piggy Banks
  9. Telemarketers
  10. Coin-Operated Arcades
April 11, 2008

Desert Survival Case

I did this for a class and it was pretty interesting.. Play along if you’d like.

You’ve just crash-landed somewhere in the desert southwest United States. You and four other people have survived the crash; the plane has burned and only the airframe remains. Just before crashing, the pilot was able to notify you of your position - you are 70 miles south-southwest from the nearest known habitation, and 65 miles off the flight course. It’s mid-August and the last weather report indicated temperatures would reach 130 degrees F. You all are dressed in light-weight clothing.

Your group was able to salvage 15 items from the plane, as listed below. Your task is to rank these items according to their importance to your survival, with 1 being most important and 15 being least important. All items are in good condition. Assume your group has agreed to stick together (and you will adhere to that agreement).

  • flashlight
  • jackknife
  • sectional air map of the area
  • plastic raincoat (size large)
  • magnetic compass
  • compress kit with gauze
  • .45 caliber pistol (loaded)
  • parachute (red and white)
  • bottle of salt tablets (1000 tablets)
  • 1 quart of water per person
  • book entitled “edible animals of the desert”
  • pair of sunglasses per person
  • 2 quarts of 180 proof vodka
  • 1 top coat per person
  • cosmetic mirror

I’ll update later on with what the experts say.

April 10, 2008
This ad, meant “for Mexican eyes only,” spurred quite the controversy in the US. From Absolut’s blog: This particular ad, which ran in Mexico, was based upon historical perspectives and was created with a Mexican sensibility. In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues. Instead, it hearkens to a time which the population of Mexico may feel was more ideal. Talked about this in Marketing this week. Geographically targeted ad campaigns are becoming increasingly difficult since the dawn of the internet. Although brand awareness spreads so much faster, I think lack of geographic segmentation makes the job of some marketers (obviously, like those at Absolut) much more difficult.

This ad, meant “for Mexican eyes only,” spurred quite the controversy in the US.

From Absolut’s blog:

This particular ad, which ran in Mexico, was based upon historical perspectives and was created with a Mexican sensibility. In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues. Instead, it hearkens to a time which the population of Mexico may feel was more ideal.

Talked about this in Marketing this week. Geographically targeted ad campaigns are becoming increasingly difficult since the dawn of the internet. Although brand awareness spreads so much faster, I think lack of geographic segmentation makes the job of some marketers (obviously, like those at Absolut) much more difficult.