AboveGround

Washington Post & Joshua Bell Perception Experiment

2011-12-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Gene Weingarten and the Washington Post we now have an answer to the question "what happens when you put a world famous musician playing one of the most intricate violin pieces ever written in a subway station instead of a normal street musician playing "The Entertainer"?

Check it out, there's video at the bottom as well.

"HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L'ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by. Almost all of them were on the way to work, which meant, for almost all of them, a government job. L'Enfant Plaza is at the nucleus of federal Washington, and these were mostly mid-level bureaucrats with those indeterminate, oddly fungible titles: policy analyst, project manager, budget officer, specialist, facilitator, consultant. Each passerby had a quick choice to make, one familiar to commuters in any urban area where the occasional street performer is part of the cityscape: Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment?

On that Friday in January, those private questions would be answered in an unusually public way. No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities -- as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?

The musician did not play popular tunes whose familiarity alone might have drawn interest. That was not the test. These were masterpieces that have endured for centuries on their brilliance alone, soaring music befitting the grandeur of cathedrals and concert halls.

The acoustics proved surprisingly kind. Though the arcade is of utilitarian design, a buffer between the Metro escalator and the outdoors, it somehow caught the sound and bounced it back round and resonant. The violin is an instrument that is said to be much like the human voice, and in this musician's masterly hands, it sobbed and laughed and sang -- ecstatic, sorrowful, importuning, adoring, flirtatious, castigating, playful, romancing, merry, triumphal, sumptuous.

So, what do you think happened?"

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc

Vendetta Creators Now Backing Occupy Movement

2011-12-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

Interesting read from Wired. Alan Moore and David Lloyd are going to be creating a series of comics that will financial support the occupy movement, perhaps lending credibility and maybe. . . leadership?

"Lloyd signed onto the growing Occupy Comics project last week, as did Madman’s Mike Allred and American Splendor’s Dean Haspiel. Occupy Comics will eventually sell single-issue comic books and a hardcover compilation, but an innovative arrangement with Kickstarter means that funds raised through pledges of support can be channeled directly to Occupy Wall Street’s populist ranks now."

Creativity and Snow (or lack thereof)

2011-12-02T12:41:00.002-05:00

Check out this pretty intense video from All I Can. Great production value, very creative line through a suburban setting, obviously very high level talent. "Urban Skiing" anyone?

From the Sherpas Vimeo page:
"See All.I.Can Official Teaser --> vimeo.com/16442800
See All.I.Can Teaser 2 --> vimeo.com/29320702
See All.I.Can Teaser 3 --> vimeo.com/31835595

Press reviews:
- "The best movie in skiing." - Jamey Voss, ESPN es.pn/pPxkbQ
- "Like listening to a Zeppelin song." - John Stifter, Powder Magazine: bit.ly/nl0JiT
- "The Sherpas are firmly in the lead of a new wave of filmmakers that are changing the face of ski films for good." - Leslie Anthony, Skier Magazine: bit.ly/mVaYsy
- "Captivating. Fascinating. Life Changing." - Todd Heath, BombSnow Magazine.

All.I.Can Awards:
"BEST FEATURE-LENGTH MOUNTAIN FILM" - Banff Mountain Film Festival 2011
"BEST DOCUMENTARY" - IF3 Film Festival Montreal 2011
"MOST INNOVATIVE VISUAL FX" - IF3 Film Festival Montreal 2011
"BEST SKI FILM" - Adventure Film Festival, Boulder 2011
"BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY" - ESPN Fan Favorites

...An unparalleled cinematic experience: All.I.Can is a stunning exploratory essay that compares the challenges of big mountain skiing to the challenges of global climate change. Shot on 6 continents over 2 years, the world’s best skiers deliver inspirational performances while ground-breaking cinematography expands our vision of the natural world.

Journey through Morocco’s majestic desert peaks, Greenland’s icy fjords, Chile’s volcanic craters, Alaskan spine walls, and more. Join the revolution and experience one of the most spectacular, captivating, and thought-provoking films ever created in the action sports genre.

This segment directed by Dave Mossop & JP Auclair
Huge thanks to Arno, Joey, Cal's family, Peck, Bone, Bordo, and the Walker and Depster kid posse - thanks for all the help!!
Location: Trail, Rossland, and Nelson, BC.
Notice anything at 0:44?

Music: Dance Yrself Clean, by LCD Soundsystem.

..if you liked this, check the award-winning 70min film, "All.I.Can." by Sherpas Cinema
iTunes Download HD: itunes.apple.com/us/movie/all.i.can.-by-sherpas-cinema/id470509338
Blu-ray and DVD: order from sherpascinema.com"

America's Cup stepping up to help the world's oceans - but does it matter?

2011-11-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a great read from the Huffington Post about how the America's Cup is working on expanding public knowledge about how humans are impacting the ocean.

For those of you out there not familiar with sailboat racing (which is 99% of you), this event is worth checking out. Like chess, at high speed - with a risk of drowning.

Further, what Larry Ellison has done to revamp this event is nothing short of amazing. Although of course it will never be a mainstream sport, perhaps more American's will realize this particular trophy is something we should all be proud of.

It has been returned home by Ellison & Co after a few year hiatus - and this new series is leading up to the next challenge to win it on San Francisco Bay in 2013.

Android Phone Spying on you? How secure are we?

2011-11-30T15:14:00.001-05:00

Trevor Eckhart has discovered something very disturbing for all of you Android users. Many mobile devices running Android are also running a background service that logs your keystrokes, usage statistics, location, and even passwords allegedy encrypted via https.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/11/secret-software-logging-video/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social+media&utm_campaign=Facebook+clickthru

Great T.E.D Video - Dance your Phd

2011-11-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

Very Poignant, ecspecially his cheeky barbs at the US government's expense.

Great Read for Hockey Fans

2011-05-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

"Although I'm aware that more than likely it's physically impossible, I still believe that during the second period of Tuesday night's Red Wings-Sharks Game 6 I managed to go the first 13 minutes, 32 seconds without taking a breath.

Even now, I'm still not sure exactly how to describe what I saw: It was relentless, frantic and exhilarating; the skill and speed was mesmerizing; I saw sea creatures flying, bodies flipping, sticks splintering, fillings loosening and wave after glorious wave of breathtakingly violent action.

In other words, it was just another typical night of the NHL playoffs. Have you been watching this?
The first real break in the action didn't come until the 6:28 mark, when Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard flicked his glove and snatched a slap shot out of thin air to trigger a whistle, a faceoff and a much-needed oxygen break. At that very moment play-by-play extraordinaire Mike 'Doc' Emrick muttered, under his breath and almost to himself, "Oh my goodness."
My sentiments exactly.

(OK, I think I actually said "Holy s---" but I don't have a PhD., like Emrick.)
So that was the first on my list of 50 Things I Love About the NHL Playoffs. Completely floored by what has easily been, night in and night out, the best sports action of the last year (or two), I grabbed pen and paper and began compiling the rest of the list you see below."

Read on. . .
David Fleming's 50 reasons he is addicted to hockey.

Entertainment Media Delivery Methodologies: Apple iTunes, Amazon Kindle, and Netflix Streaming Video

2011-04-07T16:07:00.000-04:00

All three of the major media channels (audio, print, video) for public consumption have evolved in a major way in the last decade. This rapid evolution has been accelerated by a paradigm shift to digital distribution technology. In turn, the market share has in some cases shifted to companies that weren’t even previously in the industry they now find themselves leaders in.

Apple iTunes & Mp3/M4a

While Apple did not pioneer the digital distribution of music (real networks did, remember them?) they perfected it. They also threw their substantial weight behind the technology needed to legitimize it, and make the RIAA take notice and realign its internal strategies.

Clearly the digital format for music is superior in every way over its predecessors – almost. For audiophiles this technology is not the same sound quality as the original recording due to compression. Other “lossless” algorithms (FLAC) have surfaced that true audiophiles primarily utilize. For consumers however, the portability, lack of physical media, and cost savings associated with digital distribution far outweigh the compression setback.

Given how widespread music is listened to, traditional mediums have not been totally over run. People still purchase CD’s and collectors still trade and purchase vinyl. Nor has it supplanted the live experience. Fans all over the world still flock to concerts. Even given those facts, you are still much more likely to see someone with an iPod than a Walkman walking down the street. In fact, Apple’s marketshare is 66% of all digital music.

Amazon’s Kindle & eBooks

Like digital music, the concept of digital books was thrown around and experimented with for a long time before the general public adopted it. This adoption can be accredited to Amazon’s Kindle E-Reader. This slim, lightweight device is smaller and lighter than a book, with the bonus that it can store many books on it, and download new ones on the fly. Its passive display doesn’t irritate the eyes like a normal display, and can be viewed from any angle, even in direct sunlight.

This technology is much newer than digital music, and has not yet replaced books and periodicals as the primary means of reading. When travelling or at the beach you do see a fair amount of people (early-adopters) using a Kindle rather than picking up a paperback, but it is certainly not a majority of the people reading. That being said, Amazon maintains that it sold 8 million in 2010 – not a small number by any means. With the addition of the iPad and other tablets to the eReader marketplace, eBooks are rapidly rising in popularity.

Netflix & Streaming Video

There was Beta vs. VHS, then DVD vs. Laserdisc, followed by HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray. That battle was barely won when Netflix introduced its streaming service and ousted Blockbuster in the video “rental” market retaining 20 million subscribers at the end of 2010.

The advantages with streaming video are similar to the advantages digital music provides the consumers. Your ceiling high rack of DVDs? Unnecessary. A giant hard drive to store all your digital movies? Superfluous. Particularly as Netflix expands its library of material, the consumer simply needs to sit down in front of their TV and select anything out of the library to watch instantly – in high definition when available. The one rub is if you don’t have good broadband service in your house, then this technology becomes less applicable.

This technology is so new that it has not even come close to replacing Blu-Ray. In fact, Blu-Ray was still so new it hadn’t replaced DVD’s when streaming video came to market. Collectors will not be happy about the streaming arrangement, but this technology has legs. Soon you may even see iTunes adopt this streaming model for music (Amazon just announced a similar technology).

All three of these technologies revolutionized their respective markets, but they did not really drastically change the way each product is marketed. For the large part, movies, music, and books are still marketed through traditional means. The shift to digital (at least for music and books) does allow a company to send consumers a link straight to download or purchase the product immediately. Additionally all three shifts allow the consumer to control the product without ever having to go to a brick-and-mortar establishment.

At the outset of each of these initiatives the main challenge facing marketers was convincing consumers of the viability of their digital product. Once the early adopters scrutinized and adopted the technology, and most importantly – gave it the thumbs-up, sales skyrocketed as it was more widely adopted by the general public.

Mobile Application Design and Social Media Platform Integration

2011-03-13T16:57:00.000-04:00

Three of the most prominent social media platforms today are Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon. Any start-up company that is trying to break into a market needs to be cognizant of how these platforms can be utilized to maximize the return on their marketing dollar. In reality, even well entrenched companies should be exploring this new area of marketing in order preserve their existing market share.

While Groupon is the smallest of the three platforms – it is the fastest growing company in the world according to Forbes. Essentially this company has taken the Priceline model and expanded it from a website to a robust social media platform covering the web, mobile devices and email. The company procures deals with other businesses based on its sheer user base, then Groupon members benefit by getting savings on products, services, and other goods. From a digital marketing strategy perspective, if you have a product that you are trying to expose and drum up sales – this is your first stop.

3 Tips for Groupon:

- Do not make the mistake of not having the infrastructure to support your “coupon” – as one Japanese restaurant did.

- Make your offer compelling. In today’s world of daily digital coupons your offering needs to stand out. If you’re a restaurant consider a buy-one-get-one entrée deal. The word of mouth publicity generated will offset the loss (if there is one).

- Utilize Groupon’s ability to target demographic groups. If you are a bar targeting college kids, there is no reason to send an offer to the entire city – targeting your desired demographic will prove more cost-effective.

Twitter is a different beast altogether. As a platform it provides very little conventional marketing inventory. Marketers are well advised to think out of the box creatively when planning a campaign involving Twitter. MTV’s Video Music Awards provides a useful case study in how to integrate Twitter in a brilliant marketing campaign.

3 Tips for Twitter:

- Consider their traditional marketing option – sponsored tweets .

- Offer exclusive promotions that are only available to twitter followers. Promoting these deals other media can be an effective way to generate a following on Twitter.

- To more rapidly grow your following, also offer a reward for “re-tweets”. This type of campaign offers users a bonus for recruiting their friends and family and promotes your product in a viral style.

Facebook is the best-known social platform in the world. They offer a myriad of options for marketing as they strive to open revenue streams and grow into a more profitable business model.

3 Tips for Facebook:

- Even the most basic strategy should incorporate a “page”. In addition to user profile pages, Facebook offers “entity” pages that users can then “like”.

- Facebook also offers an advertising engine that can target very narrow specific bands of democratic groups. You can target users based on keywords, geography and a plethora of other options. Your ROI will be much higher if you are a widget company and you can target users who openly proclaim their love for widgets in their profiles.

- Similar to the tip for Twitter, offering exclusive deals through your Facebook page to people who like it can drum up a loyal following as well as brand recognition.

Breaking into the Mobile Application Market

2011-03-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

The mobile application market has literally exploded in the last two years, opening the door to entrepreneurship to a huge range of professionals – namely, me. The business I have been building over the last year - AboveGround Applications, is focused on bringing creative, compelling mobile applications to market. Our 1^st product, NearBeer, is set to launch on April 20^th, 2011. It will leverage user generated content, geo-location, and social media to generate an active user base.

My professional network has been essential to building the company and the product. My investors all come from within this network, and without them there literally would be no company. As I have been learning everything I possibly can about developing mobile applications my network has rapidly expanded to include project managers, developers, lawyers, accountants, and a host of people in various creative fields. Without this network for support the project most likely would have stalled and died. It would have made it hard to get on the road to establishing myself as a player in the mobile application marketplace.

Breaking into the mobile application and gaming market offers ample opportunity to utilize digital media to kick-start one’s career. Having an online presence via Youtube, facebook, and LinkedIn is essential. Personally, since I have a video editing background I also maintain a Vimeo account in addition to my Youtube account. Whatever your professional field there is bound to be a social networking site that focuses on your interests, and you should leverage this asset. Lateral Action and Spyre Studios offer an index of creative and professional networking sites that are a great place to start exploring what is out there.

Another option is to start a blog (like the one you are reading). By managing your content properly and keeping your writing style professional and career oriented can demonstrate your expertise in the field. This has the effect of making you stand out against others also seeking to break into the field. By keeping the blog witty and up to date, it is possible to grow a loyal following of readers and build your reputation.

Depending on the field, a podcast might be an appropriate avenue to pursue. Similar to a blog, a podcast allows you to disseminate your expertise and build a following via digital audio distribution. Professionals on the move today use their time in the car or gym to listen to things they want to learn bout or interest them but don’t have the time to pursue on their own. You can utilize this push technology to build your reputation in much the same way you would with a blog or newsletter.

Hello world!

2011-03-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

An appropriate inital post into the blogosphere.