P&G and men

The WSJ (subscription) had a brief article that discusses a sea change taking place at P&G – the broadening of its beauty business to include men and beefing up offerings for me beyond what's currently offered under Gillette and fragrances.

Having to address the needs of men will be a significant challenge, simply because the infrastructure isn't there, again aside from Gillette. I don't doubt that the company will be successful though. The rational P&G mindset will lend itself well to demonstrating to guys how a product can work for them. You can see that with Gillette's success. I know I would love to help out.

Sharing

Do you share all of your thoughts? What do you hold back from others? How do you decide what the line is? How much can you really trust your friends?

These are all questions that I am contemplating at this moment. It's full circle, really. When I was younger, people complained that I didn't share enough. That I was too closed. Over time, I realized this was damaging my relationships and so I began to share more and more. Now I wonder if I have gone the other way too far too fast.

Life can suck sometimes.

Mirror

MISTY MIRROR ..MIRROR ..
Originally uploaded by weirena

When you look in the mirror, what do you see
When you see yourself, what do you think
When you think about your life, where has it gone
When you go about your day, what have you done
When you do the best you can, are you happy
When you are happy, what do you see in the mirror

Business: Weekend Without Bernie - NYTimes.com/Video

Interesting video on Palm Beach and how it's weathering the economic double whammy of Madoff and the Financial Market Meltdown. Most of it is what I expected – stores closing, many homes on the market and charity galas pulling in less than before. The real surprise is that there's a store that one can buy $8000 blazers and $800 shirts. Bernie was a regular.

Top loading dishwasher

This is an interesting concept of a top-loading dishwasher for Fagor Brandt, along the lines of basket fridges and basket dishwashers. It's certainly easier for the disabled and those with bad backs.

Hat tip [Industrial Design Served]

Crazy week

I had a very busy week this week with lots of socializing now that the weather has improved. I'll be doing some on-the-spot posts today using the phone. My thumb is a little tired from typing so I may take a typing break.

Caddy by Toyota

Caddy by Toyota
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Thought the tail light of the new Prius looked a little 50's/60's Caddy.

Prius Futuristic Display

Prius Futuristic Display
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Love the futuristic way Toyota envelopes the passerby and engages them in the Prius story. I almost sat down. Very few automakers had areas like this.

It's a shame Toyota was near the entrance. It would have been better towards the back, where people could take a break from walking and learn more.

Prius details

IMG_0137
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Here I contrast Toyota's education approach with GM's Volt. Each section of the engine is labeled and it's clear what it does. I feel a lot more reassured with a Prius than the 'black box' approach of GM. Hope they are taking notes.

Ikea Infiniti

Ikea Infiniti
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I know austerity is important but the 'living room' set up at the Infinity display should have furniture that's a little higher end than Ikea. Maybe it's me.

Lexus Arcade Game

Lexus Arcade Game
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

You too can drive a Lexus, kids. Way to seed affinity in the under 35 market.

Miles from Fisker

Fisker Sedan
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I was sooooo disappointed with the Fisker area. It was one of the vehicles I really wanted to see up close. They treated it as a closed/by-appointment-only showroom, with the cars 10 feet from the ropes with buxom pitbulls guarding the vehicles from the riff raff. Not a good impression. It feels as though they took someone else's place.

Chevy Transformer

Chevy Transformer
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I admit that I didn't see Transformers so I'm unclear of the connection with Camaro. But it sure looked cool. And people got their picture taken with it. Score.

Scion Peakaboo

Scion Peakaboo
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Scion had one of the best displays at the show. Each panel contained a rolled up screen, likely a projector or an LCD. Behind each one was a car. The panels opened and closed, revealing different cars. I also liked the fact that they didn't show any basic models; they showed tuned versions of all of their cars. Very hot.

Chevy Volt Powertrain Breakout

Chevy Volt Powertrain
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Check out this display with another one from Toyota earlier on. I liked how Toyota labeled all of the major areas of the powertrain. This one just looks like parts on display without signage.

Kia Soul Boombox/display

Kia Soul Boombox/display
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

This is the first in a series of pictures from the NY Auto Show.

I'm less focused on the cars and am more interested in the marketing / displays, which makes sense given my communications background.

Received splashy goodness

recieved splashy goodness
Originally uploaded by Dunny

I think it was Oprah (!) that said that people reveal themselves pretty early on in a relationship – be that friendship or romantic. Even as babies, our personalities remain remarkably similar to the 1 month old version; ask any mother. Are we prone to fussiness? Anger? Good natured?

My recent falling out with a friend of mine took place in a spectacular fashion and just now I remember an incident that occured when we really started our friendship.

In my life, I've never seen anyone throw a drink in someone's face. I thought it was something that only happened on television or movies – a sprinkling of drama, so to speak. But that's what my friend did in the early days of us spending time together. On a warm summer Tuesday night, said friend did that to a stranger who resented my friend's intrusion into his conversation. I thought to myself – wow, did that really happen? I was so dismayed and embarrassed, I didn't know where to look. I thought – I wonder if that will happen to me one day.

And so it did. Funny thing is now it kinda feels like this picture.

I'm not someone that needs to be the center of attention, although I can work the spotlight quite well when it's on me. I tend to be pretty easy going 99% of the time and indulge those who do need the spotlight. But over time, it's hard not to get angry when the spotlight pees on your feet repeatedly. You know, setting up a plan then changing everything to indulge that person's quirky schedule that just can't be changed. Or conversations that always seem to end up being about the spotlight, no matter what the topic.

There could be a bit of sour grapes. We are all susceptible to the green eyed monster, especially when things have been difficult. I think all friendships change when one person does well while the other is rebuilding. But I always thought that stuff like that shouldn't get in the way of a friendship – especially when things were down before they were up and that friend was there for you both in the bad and the good times. Looks, money and power are all fleeting. Just ask Madoff's victims. If you let it go to your head, you will eventually lose. I've seen it first hand many times.

Alas, there comes a time when breaking free from someone else's orbit is a good thing – no matter how painful it is and how close you used to be. I'm sorry to see such a close friend go. But our relationship needed to change in order for it to be sustainable. I'm sorry it had to happen in such a dramatic fashion. But maybe dramatic was the only way it was going to end.

Que sera sera.

Sleepwalking the NY Auto Show

I visited the NY Auto Show this past Friday. Sedate would be the word I would use to describe it. The last show I visited was about 6 years ago when I worked on Mitsubishi. Three or four years ago I went to Frankfurt. Compared to both shows, this one was a snooze fest. All I remember is rows and rows of similar looking cars.

I guess everyone got the memo that due to 'these times,' one must pull back from any major displays. Gone are the days of thunderous video and lighting shows. In fact, few automakers had what I would call a distinct branded area. Ones that come to mind are Scion (awesome), Chevy (meh), Mercedes (snooze), VW (minimalist) and Smart (cute). The Mini display felt typical Mini, only smaller.

I understand the need for austerity in these times but it seems like false economy to cheap out on displays at such a major industry event in one of the most important car markets in this country. I was surrounded by the general public of all ages. The buzz factor from a show like this is huge. And yet so few automakers really made an impression, which is very disappointing.

I will put together a Flickr group on pictures I thought were of interest. Stay tuned.

Fun weekend

It's been almost non-stop for the last few days, which is good. Takes my mind off of other unfortunate events. Nothing that I had planned to do occurred yet I still had a great time. I have a pictures on the Auto show that I will post shortly. As well as a few picture posts containing snapshots of this weekend. Fun times.

FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful

It speaks for itself.

Blueberries yum

IMG_0117
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

This post will kick off a 'eureka' moment. The launch of a new blog focused on blueberries called 'Blueberries Yum.'

It will discuss all of the different ways of using blueberries in yummy and maybe not so yummy ways. Cooking, drinks, pictures, etc. All dedicated to my favorite berry. I will cross post some stuff to the GSlashMitch blog, don't you worry.

This cocktail was devised by James, a new bartender at the Temple Bar on Lafayette. Great period-ish bar.

Update: It appears that blueberry yum (yum) is also a variety of wacky weed. Hmm...

Distance

I'm standing

On one side of the bridge

and you are standing on the other

we used to meet in the middle

and now we are far apart

the fog comes in and obscures the view

but I can still see you in the distance

then bit by bit

stones fall

and soon the bridge collapses

I can't touch you

I can't hold you

And soon you disappear

it's over

over

over

Chinatown Starbucks

Chinatown Starbucks
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Every so often in this city, you turn a corner and you see something that shakes your reality.

Often times, it's new juxtaposed with new. In this case, it's the merging of two cultures. At the ground floor of this Chinese building lies a Starbucks. Classic.

Death & Co

IMG_0080
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Entrance to a club in the East Village. They did a great job. Anyone been here before? Another picture soon.

Awesome new camera

I've found my camera, the new Canon T1i. I had purchased (and returned) a Canon XSi, which is a great camera but I really wanted to have something that integrated great quality still pictures and great quality video. This new Canon does that. Can't wait for it to hit the market in April. I'll be first in line.

Scarpar: the all-terrain hoverboard

I must admit that I am not a big snowboarder but if I need to learn to be able to ride this thing, I will. Can you imagine cruising the streets of NYC on this? Or anywhere really. SWEET!

Hat tip [Gizmodo]

Putting one's eggs in one basket

Easter Basket
Originally uploaded by BCharmer

I thought that title was apropos as Dell's external in-house agency Enfatico is now under the Y&R umbrella. I won't go into the politics behind it, which I am sure was quite nail biting.

When I heard about the idea, I thought it ridiculous, to be quite honest. WPP bent over backwards for Dell but I had serious doubts Dell would look after the Agency as handsomely. It took forever to find a CEO because most people know relying upon one client is a dangerous game. When the bubble would burst, which it did, the agency would suffer, which is has.

Dell's billings were almost 25% lower than last year. Enfatico had to let go of 8% of its staff.

Reaching out to other clients is a no-brainer but that is more difficult than it appears. It's very difficult to sell a purpose built agency structure to another client, who likely wants their own structure.

Why WPP pushed for this, I have no idea. It already has IBM at Ogilvy so it's not as though they couldn't have known how cyclical the computer business can be. If the agency were in-house, there would have been different business units that could have supported it. If it was part of a network, it could use the network's tools to get new business. Come to think of it, that's just what they did.

I feel bad for CEO Torrance Boone. But not that bad. I'm sure he's paid quite well for WPP's mistakes. Hopefully he can leverage it into something good.

Loss

Loss
Originally uploaded by biccu

Last night I lost a friend.

Not in a physical sense but an emotional sense. Will our friendship return? I don't know. Maybe we had been drifting apart and didn't realize how few threads connected us nowadays. Or maybe it was due to excessive alcohol consumption.

All I know is I'm sad. I feel empty. The space he lived won't be filled any time soon.

The Power of MySpace

When MySpace plays a pivotal role in the skewering of a public figure, you know it's powerful.

Palin Deception

Wonkette

Vortex by Jose Jorge Hinojosa Primo

Speaking of vehicles... I like this buggy. It's a street racing vehicle so it's not for road use, but I like the look. It there's any way for the GM/Segway PUMA to be as daring and rakish, they would have a hit on their hands. Double plusses for colored tires.

Hat tip [Industrial Design Served]

P.U.M.A.

Picture: Engaget

GM and Segway have introduced the PUMA concept, a sit-down version of the Segway that travels up to 35 mph. I will be checking it out at the NY Auto Show this weekend, for sure.

My gut reaction when I saw it was – gosh it looks silly. But reading further, this is just the frame. It will be prettified in some shape or form. I hope so. I can see this being useful – especially here in NYC – but given the variances in weather, a glorified scooter is not really practical in areas where there's, you know, seasons.

I can see this being a cheaper Smart car and for urban dwellers only. There's no way it can handle anything more. But who knows what will come about in a year or two when they tweak the motor. This would be great with fuel cells, I must say. I'm excited to take a look at it.

I also think this makes a wonderful mobility vehicle for the disabled. My Mom has MS and it would be great for her to have this to dash to the grocery store around the corner.

Calvin Klein coat F/W 09

Calvin Klein
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I'll be looking for a lighter colored coat next season. Right now I have a navy pea coat and a navy overcoat but this winter needs to be lighter and more fun. Here's an idea from Calvin Klein.

Hat tip [Men's Style.com]

Band of Outsiders tan coat

Band of Outsiders
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I don't know which season this is from but I really like this combination.

The camel toggle coat looks simple yet sophisticated. Pared with the bow tie and the deck shoes, I think it could be fun. It's not likely that I'll adopt the bow tie but a pair of dark red shoes would work.

Hat tip [Men's Style.com]

P.S. Sorry for the low res of these pictures. iPhone limitation.

Calvin Klein warm grey suit F/W09

Calvin Klein
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I don't have many suits. In fact, I have one. It's not because I don't like them but I rarely have the occasion to wear them – what with me working from home and communications being a business casual industry.

I've been reading about warm grey being a good color for men to adopt. This suit looks like a great candidate. I like the drape and the color.

Hat tip [Men's Style.com]

Calvin Klein pants/shirt FW09

Calvin Klein
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I believe the pants are made from the same fabric as the jacket and coat posted earlier. I like this color grey.

Hat tip [Men's Style.com]

Calvin Klein jacket

Calvin Klein
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I blogged about the coat earlier on in the year. Here's the jacket. I need to check out the store here in NY. Love it.

Hat tip [Men's Style.com]

Michael Kors orange/tan color combo

Michael Kors
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

Thanks to Style.com's iPhone app, I had the chance to check out some of the men's shows. These are some looks I'm interested in working this fall.

Hat tip [Men's Style.com]

Lose It!

So my quest for an insane body for summer has been given a HUGE boost by the calorie counter app called Lose It! from a company called Fit Now. While I read random things about it online, I got turned onto it through a friend who is undergoing her own transformation. Last time I saw her, she looked amazing.

I've never been much of a calorie counter, having usually lost weight through just exercise alone. But I thought doing this would be a good exercise. I remember I did a post some time ago on 'life tracking' – keeping track of the stats of one's health. So while I have a motive in mind – Speedo this summer – I also wanted to understand my eating habits in general. In addition, I worked on a diet product recently and I began thinking about how and what we ate. It's sad seeing so many people

Overall, I eat a lot better than I thought. Where I fall off the wagon is at night and on the weekends, which is common for most people. I'm also a little concerned on my sodium intake so will be making adjustments there.

Even if you don't need to lose weight, it's a well-designed intuitive program with a great database. It's also easy to add your own items. Many recipes now come with nutritional information but there are many sites – such as this one – that help you calculate that information based on the ingredients and the number of servings. Fun!

Maybe I'm getting too anal. But I'll worry about that when the summer is over.

Yellow

Yellow
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

I used an iPhone program called ColorSplash to produce this picture. It allows you to selectively add/subtract color from an image.

I found the process to be surprisingly easy to manage, considering I did the entire thing using my finger. I think that's one reason the iPhone is capturing the imagination of artists and photographers. The ability to pan/zoom makes the device quite powerful.

I'm looking forward to the arrival of a higher resolution camera, as whispered by the iPhone gossip blogs.

Daffodils

Daffodils 2
Originally uploaded by mitchsfo

It's hard to snap a picture on the move but spring has officially sprung. It got up to 65 today. Would have felt a little better were I totally healthy.

Finally, attractive solar panels

I've been sick, which explains my prolific postings today. I'm watching Renovation Nation, with Steve Thomas, of This Old House fame.

In this episode, he profiles an innovative solar panel company Atlantis Energy, that produces solar panels that are mounted to slate roofing tiles. That way, someone can have a solar roof without the ugliness that typically comes from solar panels. As you can see, it looks almost indistinguishable from a normal roof. Fantastic work.

Cornflower

Cornflower
Originally uploaded by chrissie2003

Someone put together a 'what color are you' quiz on Facebook. Cornflower blue is my color. So this posting is in honor of this 'colorscope'. The listing is below...

"Hey it's ok, don't be fooled by this powder blue color. One first sight people look at you and think you are just good looking and they're right, but there is much more they dont see on the surface. You enjoy life and know how to have fun, but when you have a job to do, you get it done and never falter"

Speed Painting in iPhone Brushes app _www.xoanbaltar.com

A 'behind the scenes' look at drawing on an iPhone. Wow.

joker

joker
Originally uploaded by salvatifrancesco79

Can you believe this was drawn on an iPhone!!!!

IMG_0369

IMG_0369
Originally uploaded by sugale

More artwork from the 'Brushes' iPhone application. Incredible.

Inuit Throat Singing: Kathy Keknek and Janet Aglukkaq (long)

Wow... had no idea this existed. What an amazing 'instrument.' And to think that people program sounds like these.

Hat tip [Boing Boing]

Iowa

By now I'm sure my readers will have heard about the Iowa Supreme Court's decision legalizing gay marriage in an unanimous decision. Unanimous. Far from the supposedly bleeding hearts of the coasts. I'm stunned. But then again, after Iowa's sweeping Obama victory, maybe I'm not that surprised.

I'm sure there will be lots of challenges and counter challenges. But three states have legalized marriage.

This country seems so very different than from eight years ago. I barely recognize it. That's a good thing.

Blueberries - inspired by breakfast

Blue Berries
Originally uploaded by juliegrath

Juicy morsels
Delicate sweet and sour
Indigo

Top Shop opening

Was Marc Jacobs and his husband at a Top Shop opening dinner yesterday? Really? Top Shop? Really??

New York has gone Top Shop crazy. I intend to check it out myself in a week or two, once the broohaa has simmered down a lot. At least another cool store has opened in my neighborhood. Whether it will be my neighborhood in a couple of months, remains to be seen.

Anyone else think these two look like twins? Well, twins separated by a few years.

Swoopy chair

I've never been a huge fan of these kind of chairs. Those made of plastic tend to look a bit too glossy and uncomfortable. I love modern but they look toooo modern and 70s pop-glam for my taste.

I could live with this one though. It's wood so there's a limit to its glam. And I love the curvature, giving it some human contours. I don't think it's something I would have in my home – not a small one at least – but I appreciate the design.

Hat tip [Swipe Life]

Changing business world

I'm in the middle of a project right now, talking to business audiences of all sizes. It's interesting to hear how businesses of all sizes are adapting to the new environment. Small businesses in particular have been slashing headcount left and right and throwing people into unfamiliar roles. It's quite extraordinary. More insights as I happen upon them.

2009 Toyota Venza Bluetooth Streaming Audio

Wow. That's all I have to say.

Well I'll say a little more. The next gen iPhone supports Bluetooth streaming audio. For cars and car stereos who have that function, it means one is able to stream audio directly from their phone to their car stereo. No more cables. Well no more cables to the top of the device. One will still need a charger since doing so wastes precious battery life. Awesome news though. Look forward to its' implementation. And a car in which to use it.

Hat tip [TUAW]