Norman Mailer's Harlot's Ghost

After my last post Marcus left a comment that 'people should read more' and mentioned Norman Mailer's Harlots Ghost. Now that got my attention. I was living in Germany as a 23 year old. I worked on an American military base in Giessen about an hour north of Frankfurt and bought that book either at one of the Bahnhoffs in either Giessen or Frankfurt. It was  a brilliant read and became oddly interwoven with my own real life which moved from pedestrian to flat out madness.

Turns out Marcus (we both grew up in the same city a couple of hundred meters away  though we never knew each other) was reading the same book at the same time in the same country an hour or so away from each other, and we may have even bought the book at the same shop. 

We met pretty much on the internet later on in 2006.

I remember the book had the improbably odd synchronism in my life including a mirroring of some parts of the story with among other things a remarkably unusual harlot. I think I need to go to the Amazon site and get the reviews in to brush up on things. It's got me thinking.

Time Theory Part II

80's Music from Marcus Brown on Vimeo.

This is kind of weird but when I mentioned to Marcus that I really liked what he said, I got an email pointing towards this video he made about it when he was going through his rubber gloves period. It's a fun way of reducing my self indulgently long and pseudo intellectual post about drugs and quantum physics. Marcus has a nice little body of social media work if you go into his video channel over here.

We also grew up about 200 metres away from each other in Southampton, hung out in the same parks yet never knew each other. Which is a good thing because I would have probably not appreciated him so much and I know my record of keeping contact with people from my youth is not strong. This is the quid pro quo of an international jet set gypsy lifestyle. There's always a quid pro quo.

Jetzt Geht's Los

Our beloved Marcus is hitting the road. He's walking from Munich to Hamburg to meet Peter Figge of Jung Von Matt who I have it on good authority is an absolute top geezer. Put the internet's best story teller on the start of a long journey and who knows what's going to happen? I don't but I'll be hurling twitter abuse at him along the way. It should be interesting. 

The story starts here. 

Characterising The Internet

14 characters that live on the Internet

View more presentations from The Kaiser.

A few moons ago, but not so many that it's a distant galaxy, I met Marcus Brown at The George on D'arblay Street in Soho London where he made a special trip to come and see us from his home in Munich, Germany. One of his comments that rang out then and applies even more so, to this day whether it's transmedia, digital or otherwise was 'it's all storytelling'.

I don't think anyone does it better than Marcus including his latest offering Jack The Twitter. In any case, he's gone and done a presentation of his portfolio in the last couple of years for us and I don't think there's a better example of character-development versatility on the internet. Take a look and see if you know someone in your marketing department who is looking for something fresh that stands out. He's the champ.

Through Ficken Fin (Some thoughts on social media)

When is Germany going to wake up to the genius that is Marcus Brown?

The Kaiser's Toilet

I was offline for a week or so and missed most of these, so I've been catching up. Marcus is an Englishman who lives in Munich. Actually we grew up a stones throw from each other in Southampton, UK, though I don't think we ever met even though there are a few parks and beaches we both used to spend time at and have both coincidentally gone on to work in Germany. A place we both love.

Anyway far more important than that is his work which is all over the internet under different names which makes it difficult to list but the Vimeo productions are a great start.

The Storytelling Experiment

Marcus is starting a storytelling experiment today. There's more information at his blog over here. We've been having some fun on Plurck in the last few days, but I'm in no rush to replicate the Twitter experience. I'd like to keep it lazy and less noisy because that's the bit I'm enjoying most. I've yet to have a human being contact me from Twitter despite some of your best efforts so thanks again for all your support again.

Tweet Readings

If you haven't been following Marcus' official Tweet Readings on Vimeo you're missing out some of the sharpest lampooning of social media on the net. Marcus has consistently squeezed out top notch engaging content on the net and has chosen blogger, entrepreneur and cartoonist Hugh Macleod for this official Tweet Reading, the sixth in a series that has been going on for the last two weeks. The official Tweet Reading channel is over here.


Official Tweet Reading VIII: Hugh MacLeod from Marcus Brown on Vimeo.

I did get to meet Hugh over here along with Faris, George (who has a new advertising book out) and Ruby Pseudo. Hugh kindly drew me one of his famous cartoon cards, which I will blog shortly because even though we had both washed down a few cleansing ales after PSFK he summed me up rather splendidly.

Those of you who might have seen me present last week at the marketing to low income customers conference will recognise at least one of Hugh's often profound cartoons below.

AnD aS IF yb ChAos

Stunning work by Marcus who now has started his own business with Patrick. Germany has easily got some of the best people in the business down there in Munich.

Tasty Delicious Enable Happiness

I've been tagged twice in the last week or so with two memes and it really is only sporting to participate. The first occasion started with the gifted Marcus in Munich and with whom despite inevitable titanic struggles over the meaning of meaning I'd love to work with some day. I just know we could push ideas further than I''ve ever had a chance to push before. So I'm crossing my fingers on that one. In the mean time Marcus has asked me to name five bloggers that I'd wish to be a little more like. Also I've been graciously tagged by Johnnie Moore who really is quite brilliant and curmudgeonly in a likable-professor way. I also suspect that he's closer to the meaning of it all even though he'd probably dislike that compliment.

Johnnie has invited me to share eight random facts/ habits and pass the meme onto a further eight. Well in the interests of symmetry and breaking rules (The best to the brave) I'll only do five and intersperse those five facts and five cross-meme links with some snaps I've taken today. Just in case that has confused those I've linked to it means that ideally you should pick up the meme mashup and do both as well.... if you like of course. So here goes.

First off is the admission that I was born in Germany and have a Maltese mother and an English Father so truthfully I don't really buy into any nationalism at all and see the planet as all mine wherever I choose to tip up. It's kind of liberating to discard a passport and inherit a planet. I also see how easy it is for different countries to start saying the 'we' word when lets face it, 'we' are all in this together. Particularly as the planet heats up. So shape up. I'm tagging Rob Campbell on this one simply because on top of living in Singapore and loving Asia like myself, he's given me some of the best laughs on the net if only for the comments section on his blog which is just ace.


Second I guess I can fairly admit to taking off more time than any planner I know and have made good use of tropical beaches, tropical rum and more books than I should have really ever had the time to read. I majored in Politics during this time and had just one of the best mentors to guide me on which books to read and where. I also picked up my McLuhan habit around during this period and can't see why he hasn't been canonized. Its all there in much the same way that Stephen King inventor of planning's writings were more pure from reduced clutter and yet at the same time so prescient. I'm linking to Faris on this one because its one thing to be super clever, its another thing to be a regular and likable guy with that much brain power kicking around. Duty of Genius and all that.


That's bubbling sugar above, and is used to make those toffee fruits I've talked about. I think I'd like to share my favourite place in the world. Its Luang Prabang in Laos. Laos is an unreconstructed Communist country and possibly one of the richest (spiritually) countries in the world. The people unlike those in Thailand have been sheltered from breakneck economic growth and is the only place in the world I've seen folk on motorbikes tugging friends along on bicycles at a sedate pace while holding a conversation. This is when I realised that a slower life is what we're all looking for. All I need are a few books in Luang Prabang and I'm content. My next tag is John Dodds. John is a top bloke with one of best marketing bullshit detectors as well as a good sense of humour. Even if he does do work on the side for MI5.


What else. I've quite a track record in marriage and relationship guidance. Even though I'm a walking disaster at managing my own relationships I seem to have a face that enables people to confide in me in a way that suggests my advice is valuable and I'm grateful for that because it makes me feel that I can be trusted. I hope its because I'm a bit more direct than is good for me in most instances but its fair to say I've rescued more relationships than I care to think about now that I start to dwell on the matter. I'm going to link to Charlie over at Tantramar for this one because he's one of the cleverest and most creative people I know. Now that I think of it he's just the sort of person that What If should be talking to because he's done more stuff than any of us put together.

Finally I think I want to share that I once had a gun pulled on me in Stringfellows nightclub in the 90's. Its one of those improbable stories that litter my life and was completely unanticipated but I remember thinking how sobering it was to be on the end of a barrel and how for once in my life I just kept my trap shut in the interests of not making it onto the front of the tabloids the next day. Good story though if you ever catch me with nothing to say. I think my last link for this occasion and completely unrelated to that little factoid should be Fiona because she needs a little prompt now and again and is shaping up as a lovely blogger.

Wanna See My Lunchbox?

In a dramatic turn and subsequently bizzare twist of events it turns out that the owner of the mysterious Hello Kitty Lunch box over at Robs was in fact none other than Marcus Brown of Munich (formerly Southampton). The Kaiser, not widely known for his sweet 'Kawaii' side 'fessed' up that the lunch container was his regular victuals pack with a sheepish face over here . The scandal dubbed 'Kittygate' in the raggedy end of the digital press has rocked the male dominated blogosphere with underhand and pernicious jabs that Marcus is a pussy, so there was little else a chap could do for a chum other than come to the rescue with a picture of my own lunchbox. Beef noodles or no beefnoodles. Barbera who took this snap with an unsteady hand from laughing about the rapidly expanding waistline had to be coaxed into keeping a aim so do excuse the indulgent smiles that come about as middle age spread takes another innocent victim.

Sunny

Nicky Hursell

While watching the world cup last year in a tropical bar, before setting off to India, I got into a conversation with a creative who made a very acute observation about England's performance.

She informed me that the English could never really hope to win as we struggled to beat Costa Rica. A side from a country where the national squad makes 150 dollars a month and the population is under five million.

Psychologically we Brits are fond of rooting for the underdog. I thought this was a good insight for our complete lack of killer instinct against a side who were otherwise better known for playing the pan pipes after a hot and sweaty game in a Latin American climate as I wrote about here.

Anyway I've watched these online votes go peaches up before. First John Grant cast the winning vote for the pedestrian Um Bongo, against the infinitely hipper Kia-Ora over at Beeker's. Then Bacon lost out to Sausage, when we all know that Bacon is proof that God exists. So here is a chance to redeem ourselves.

The Kaiser over in Munich (who started the iPod singing craze here, here and here without anybody asking him some months back) has taken on The Northern Planner asserting that The Smiths are rubbish. His first pick for German opposition was Kraftwerk but The Northern Blouse crumbled at this suggestion and so sportingly Marcus (crazy like a fool) Brown (The Kaiser) has plumped for Boney M. The loser has to sing a song from the opponents music on Youtube and post to their blog. I've never seen NP sing, let alone do "Brown girl in the ring". So please hold that visual in your mind while I make this request.

I think we all know deep down who is the underdog here. I ask for nothing less than your votes for Marcus while leaving you with the awesome string arrangement on Sunny.

God is not a woman

I always thought that God is surely a woman but I've been proved wrong. He's live and unleashed, and more importantly he's blogging in his capacity as universal CEO and tackling big issues such as "Jerusalem is a problem worth talking about". Here's what he has to say in his introduction:

With 22 operational subsidiaries employing the services of over 11800 Million members of staff, most of whom spend a lot of time trying to kill each other, it’s easy to loose touch with the needs, fears and desires of 6.6 billion potential customers.

The purpose and mission of this personal blog is to offer both staff and customers a behind the scenes, no hold barred look at the way I, the Lord God Almighty, go about daily business; offering more transparency, more accountability and more visibility to my mysterious ways and explore some of the challenges facing a modern day deity.

Hell, it isn’t easy being God. Benchmark me.

Check him out over here

Public Showers

Jonny Baker

If you haven't come across Rob Campbell's blog yet I'd always suggest nipping over there and see why getting a good public shower is actually very important to some people. Musings of an opinionated sod is in a class of it's own. Sure he's got a hardcore, vocal and devoted fan club including me; yes he's very funny, generous and seemingly gets no sleep judging by the number of posts he does while holding down an important planning job and being a partner in cynic - a conversation starting company. But more importantly than that he's got a good heart and that counts for something in my book. Go check out this post and see why artists from Australia, Dead Artists from Germany and London Punks are sticking their thinking caps on and jumping in to help out with a mission that is not the usual fare in advertising and planning blogs. Get stuck in. Life is to short to count your worth in the currency of your choice.