Breaking News: Karl Rove says we found WMDs!

That's one of the more interesting and inflammatory things I heard at last night's Speaker Series held in Chicago. Charlie Rose moderated as Rove and Carville volleyed. Rove didn't come off as diabolical as I expected (or wanted). A lot of discussion was spent talking about Iraq, much of the same old stuff I've been reading for the past six years. Of course Rove continued to justify Bush's rationale for Iraq. Rove said the efforts were productive--as we did turn up Weapons of Mass Destruction! In Libya--with Kadafi. Yeh, Momar was so freaked about our intentions to uncover Sadaam's WMDs, Kadafi voluntarily turned over his WMDs over to us. Carville questioned whether it was worth the trillions of dollars or the 130,000 troops expected to be stationed in Iraq until 2019?

Rove was "generous" to Obama at one point, saying he was happy Obama overturned his campaign promise to pull out of Iraq and keep 50,000 troops in Iraq. What transpired with our Iraq strategy reminds me of that old sign posted in my childhood days of the dimestore: "You touch it, you break it, you bought it, SOLD."

I was most interested to hear Rove, a master strategist speak. Last night gives us clues to where the Republicans are going to go strategically in the next election: Job Loss and Creation. Rove said Obama is behind on his promise to create 5 million new jobs and is keeping tabs on his website. As Carville said, "the guy has only been in office for 140 days!"

The thing that disappointed me was that there was little reference to Chicago, and our city's connection to politics and policy. After all, our new President: Chicago. Mary Matalin, associate to Rove and spouse of Carville: Chicago (a southeast-side girl, daughter of a steelworker, began her career at a beauty parlor!)

New Thoughts on Peonies: Chapter Two

After seeing the fabulous Cy Twombly Peony Paintings at the Art Institute, I "stumbled" into another artist's work now featured in the lobby of the Prudential building (next door to where I work). Just think--Peony Paintings flank Millenium Park on the south and north! Happenstance or the purposeful juxtaposition of a clever building manager? (or whoever decides to showcase art in building lobbies).

The artist of this painting is Anna Jaap, who simply had to have been inspired by Twombly.

New Thoughts on Peonies: Chapter One

Last week's big opening of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago featured a mind-blowing exhibit of Cy Twombly's Peony Paintings. Perfect timing, as it is indeed peony season in Chicago. In one painting, Twombly riffed on the writings of Takarai Kikaku, who wrote a poem inspired by the 14-century samurai Kusunoki:
AH! The Peonies
For which
Kusonoki
Took off his Armour

Tyombly scratched the word and "Amour" into the wet paint and then squeezed in an "r" to create a delightful pun and tension between what we expect of a warrior (his armour) and what we don't expect (amour). The word "lyrical" came to my mind as a way to describe the power of this work, how the sounds of these words married to the visuals makes such a powerful use of visuals and language.

Seeing these Twombly works reminded me once again of the power of art to move, inspire, shake the soul with a moment of truth. It may sound like artsy BS, but it's truth. (I once witnessed a women with "super-Stendahl who fell to her knees when she saw the Vatican painting of St. John the Baptist beheaded, but that's another story).Who would have thought truth could be found in such lovely, deligtful and friendly flowers like peonies.

The Zeitgeist Now?

This wonderful video retrospective by Slate shows how GM tapped into the zeitgeist through the years of its advertising. GM's latest campaign shifted to what Yankelovich has defined as a key, defining value of our times: "Civic Renewal." Consumers coming together for the collective good. A new focus on community life and civic re-engagement. A time where we re-prioritize what's important. A new context for how we consume and give back.

The Millenial generation is on the cutting edge of this new value realignment. Yesterday, I read that most of the 2009 graduates who worked on the Harvard Crimson have decided not to enter journalism, a major shift from previous classes. These grads know journalism is in flux, Many are deciding to "wait it out," by enrolling in civic programs like Teach for America. For these kids, it's not all about altruism. For the very few who have decided to enter journalism, they are keeping it quiet among their peers because they don't want their peers to consider them "schmucks." And for those who are choosing community goodwill, they see this as a productive way to ride out the recession.
Source; Slatev.com, GM The Telltale Heart of America

Obama Logo: the Tell All Story

I love stories about ideas that get left behind and the ones that move forward. This is probably one of the greatest design successes of our time.David Axelrod the design team two weeks to develop the Obama campaign logo. Sol Sender, one of the designers, talks about what inspired the design and the surprise in creating something that then consumers began to mash-up.

The new design: Visualizing Data

In the age of powerpoint, I've found it challenging (ok--blasted difficult) to visualize info in new and interesting ways. I've bought the Edward Tufte books...too complex for my little brain. For inspiration, I try to tear out the graphic maps that appear in the Sunday NYTimes. Just last month, I felt I had a breakthrough when I used a cloud tag to microencapsulate findings from consumer ethnographies.

Last week, Michael Cannel wrote for Fast Company that visualization of data is the next frontier of design. "It reflects the complexity of the world in simple terms. It is a window onto the world, in all its digital complexity." The article and folks commenting on it provided some helpful resources, including "Wordle," which I used to create the cloud tag (above) from mom interviews about feeding the kids. Cool.

www.wordle.net/create
NYTimes visualization lab: http://vizlab.nytimes.com/

IBM's Many Eyes public graphic tool: http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/

MIT's open source tool: http://www.simile-widgets.org/exhibit/

Sources

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/michael-cannell/cannell/visualization-new-frontier-design

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=161675

The Color of the Year: Mimosa Yellow

Pantone’s color for 2009 is mimosa yellow, which showed up in various shades throughout the Kitchen and Bath show held in Atlanta over the weekend ."The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation" according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Mimosa showed up in various shades throughout the show. Sunbeam calls it “yellow pepper,” while Fiesta Dinnerware has “marigold," and added lemongrass, inspired by Michelle Obama’s inauguration dress. Others in the home industry note a new source of inspiration for color: HDTV and its vivid colors.“ Pantone chose the color because of these sobering times, believing yellow helps generate feelings of hope and optimism.

No wonder I've been seeing "yellow" on the covers of home mags and Pottery Barn. I thought it was a daring choice to go yellow for my boudoir last year. Guess that makes me "pre-trend."

More from Pantone:

"Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. Mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. Look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue."

Food in Bits

FoodTV has just launched (softly) another online food channel targeting younger cooks who are less skilled but nonetheless foodies. The future "celeb chefs" are all twentysomethings, like the dynamic duo of Kelsey & Spike. Or Man Kitchen hosted by The video how-to's are made to order for the Millenial generation. Bit-sized. Fast-cuts. Fast talk. Short ingredient lists. Cheap to make. I have to believe part of the marketing plan is do to some social apps. The network is already signed up as a user with last.fm, flickr and of course twitter (1796 followers as of now).

Last summer, I had the pleasure of talking to Ken Obel (of Cgo's famous specialty retailer Fox & Obel). I told him social networking was still ripe territory for the foodie world since it hadn't reached its full social potential (he scribbled notes as I talked). I think Food2.com has the potential to change the game, just like FoodTV revolutionized food culture back in the 1990s.

Strange Times on Fifth

There's something magical about the streets between 55th and 57th on Fifth in NYC. A microcosm of fashionistas, celebrity, business elite and the wealthy. Before you think me elite, this is also a big stage for the hoi polloi, those of athletic-shoe-touristas taking pix with the doorman at Trump Tower. There's been an energy on the sidewalks from 55th to 57th that I haven't really felt duplicated anywhere else in the world. Red-carpeted stairs of the Plaza. The Revolving Golden Doors at Trump Tower. Harry Winston's windows. The Apple Store and FAO Schwartz.

This weekend, there were whispers and twisted smiles among sales people on these streets. Just by chance, sales ladies from three different stores mentioned to me, in low tones, how concerned about whether their stores can make it through the recession. Bendel's has already made the decision to change their model. No more apparel. Downsized footprint. Accessories and cosmetics only.

I feel like the Millennium version of Edith Wharton--observing the changing of the guard of the last Gilded Age. I swear, I was just window shopping (just like Holly Golightly).