Category / observations

What’s the one question Rainn Wilson doesn’t want you to ask?

We watched the SXSW world premiere of SUPER starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon last night. The movie seems to be unlike much of anything that has come before it (that I’ve seen, anyway). It has this odd way of being strange, insightful, darkly funny, tragic, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

When writer/director James Gunn was asked about it afterward, he said the concept for the film grew out of this idea that we have all seen and talked about Batman, and Batman essentially is a guy that goes out and beats up bad guys. He wondered what that would look like if you tossed a bucket of cold reality on it, and the result is SUPER.

Wilson was great as Frank, the every-day protagonist short-order cook turned hero, but for my money, Ellen Page (of Juno fame) absolutely stole the show.

Following the screening, the three of them hopped up on stage to answer questions. And–wouldn’t you know it?– the first question asked was the one that Rainn is soooo sick of hearing. Here’s what that looked like from our seats:

SUPER from Jim Cota on Vimeo.

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To whom should I turn?

I have a friend who is sick… again. I have another friend who is jobless. Another whose marriage is failing. Another who is far, far from home. And another… And another… Each of them are facing the future with all the courage they can muster, though a shallow fear may be lying just below the surface. To whom should I turn with my concern for each?

In contrast, I have found increasing abundance. There are a myriad of tiny blessings in every moment. When I reach out and pick up my child, hold her in my arms and feel her breath on my ear when she says, “I love you, Daddy;” there are a million facets required to experience something so simple yet so profound. They  should be duly noted, correctly attributed, and faithfully called out, each in turn. And then: appreciation. To whom should my gratitude be directed for all that I have; all that I am?  To what do I owe my undeserved fortune?

To God, perhaps? I think so. And maybe this gratitude is a simple act of faith and humility, courage and conviction, and the absolute surrender of any semblance of control. I am responsible for my own actions and reactions, but certainly not for anything else… Though I may work hard to understand and appreciate, I created neither the mind nor the heart that makes it possible.

I am reminded a quote I’ve heard only a few times but remember well:

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.”

– Abraham Lincoln

If Lincoln, accomplished and successful as he was, was driven to his knees to find solace, strength, and peace– especially in light of the crisis he was facing– that’s good enough for me, too.

[Ed. note: Speaking of Lincoln, I highly recommend this short piece by Jamie Stiehm discussing his “Farewell to Springfield.” It’s a wonderful, humanizing look at this eloquent man who could speak off the cuff as perfectly as if he’d been toiling over drafts for days… And here is yet another account of the entire day, especially noting the time spent in Indianapolis, well documented and artfully expressed by Ted Widmer of the New York Times.]

200 years of history, like you’ve never seen before

Hans Rosling on "The Joy of Stats"

Hans Rosling presents 200 years of world history in four minutes

I’m a big fan of Hans Rosling. Rosling is a Swedish physician, statistician, academic and director of Gapminder Foundation. I’ve written about him a couple of times, specifically the Gapminder tool, which enables you to envision complex statistics in ways that make them instantly understandable.

I recently saw a video where Rosling got together with BBC Four program called “The Joy of Stats” to perform some augmented reality tricks to make the data even more “real”. The entire episode isn’t available online, but you can see Hans go through 200 years of world history in four minutes. Pretty amazing stuff. Check it out:

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Starbucks rolls out new look for the future

I like Starbucks. Honestly, I know that likely puts me into one of two camps and may affect (adversely or otherwise) your opinion of me. But I dig the concept of the third place and I think they are one of the few places that seem to both get it and embrace it.

They have also made good strides in recent years to better understand their customers and improve both their communications and their offerings to meet the needs & wants of those customers. I believe this has much to do with the return of Howard Schultz and is a testament that having a marketer at the helm can be a boost to the overall organization.

So yesterday I got an email from Howard. In it, he thanked me for being a customer and told me that they were making some subtle changes to the Siren that has been a symbol of the company for the past 40 years. He says:

“Our new brand expression reflects our evolving freedom and flexibility to serve and connect with our customers in meaningful ways while continuing to represent the integrity, quality and consistency of the Starbucks Experience.”

Which, I think, is a testament that sometimes a marketer drinks way too much of their own Kool-aid. Or, in this case, coffee.

Still, I think the new look is fresh and certainly seems decidedly more modern than the previous version. It also drops the “Starbucks Coffee” designation, much like Apple dropped “Computer” from their name when it became apparent they were much more than a computer company. Take a look and let me know what you think:

New identity for Starbucks

This image shows the evolution of the Starbucks brand identity throughout the life of the company

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Guatemalan sinkholes say, “Time to move.”

In 2007, a 300-foot deep sink hole opened up in Guatemala City, leaving this view behind:

300-foot sinkhole in Guatemala City, 2007

300-foot sinkhole in Guatemala City, 2007

Pretty amazing. And you would think it would be a fairly rare occurrence for something this freaking big to just suddenly show up in the middle of the street. Until, of course, the next one opens up a few years later and swallows a three story building. Oh, and this one is about 60 feet across and more than 300 feet deep:

300-foot sinkhole in Guatemala City, opened 2010

300-foot sinkhole in Guatemala City, opened 2010

It seems obvious to me that aliens are perfecting their laser drilling from space.

Not quite the same, but two related stories: