war in dance

I love this piece of storytelling through dance. Napoleon Buddy D'umo and Tabitha A. D'umo, choreographers for TV's 'So You Think You Can Dance,' have captured the story of lovers split by war across two pieces. In the 4th season, the team (also known as NappyTabs) choreographed a piece in which the couple dancing learns that the man is heading to war. And in the 8th season, a second piece concluded the story when the soldier returns home. It's such a beautiful portrayal of one of the pains of war. Ironically, the most recent episode began late, as President Obama was announcing his plan to withdraw troops by September 2012.

Soldier is drafted, season 4:


Soldier comes home, season 8:

killer combo: advertising + detective work

The FBI used a clever ad strategy to discover a famous mobsters whereabouts.

Recognizing that the mobster’s girlfriend was a salon fiend, the FBI placed PSAs directed at women on daytime/soap TV. Their hunch that someone might recognize her from their last blow out at the beauty parlor was spot on.

My childhood dream of being a detective, meets my adult reality of working in advertising.

Check out the scoop: http://adage.com/article/adages/capture-whitey-bulger-feds-advertised-women/228386/

online dating idea

Had an idea for an online dating site - you create a mix tape to serve as your profile. We have niche dating sites, why not connect through music? Anyone know if this already exists?

I was inspired by the “Rapperina Mix,” a mix created for a ballerina who didn’t appreciate rap by a guy she’d gone on one date with. I once went on a date with a guy from OkCupid because we had both referenced the same old New Pornographers song in our profiles. We didn’t really jive, but he had a narly taste in music.

Here's that lovely choon:

trend: mental health focus

This is the best time of year to reflect, read the trend reports and forecast your own. There are a few trends that I’m thinking about, will post more eventually. One that just occured to me is health related. There are always a few major health-oriented things that people talk about every year. A couple years ago it was vitamin D, we’ve had high fructose corn syrup in the spotlight too.

I’ve noticed that as a result of the Arizona shooting, mental illness is getting thrown into the spotlight. 

Lawyer, Victoria Toensing of diGenova and Toensing LLP provides some background:

“Cloaked with the aura of enlightenment in the 1960s, lawyers successfully brought suit after suit to release the mentally ill from institutions and to raise the barrier for future admissions. In the main, those released and those who should have been admitted became the homeless. Some who should have been institutionalized became dangerous. Worse, the national psyche became “live and let live.”

Check these out:

Time Mag: Why are the mentally ill still bearing arms?

Rachel Maddow: Mental health care national issue

Wired Mag: Battle to define mental health

It’s interesting because the more we start to talk about mental illness, the more we realize that we know so little about these illnesses. We sweep them under the rug because we don’t understand them. It’s about time we put the broom down. 

Not fully baked on the implications of this one yet.