on the shore of the ultimate sea

Important announcements are afoot, gentle reader:

First and foremost, I’d like to give a hearty handshake to my first donor, Nick Stableski. In addition to being a fine bocce player, Nick is always there with a considerate and humorous remark or link in his Gmail. Nick came through in a major way to get the snowball tumbling down the hill with a great donation to the effort. While I’d like to be able to congratulate Nick for singlehandedly coming up with the dough to cure blood cancers, there’s still a lot of ground to cover. There’s plenty of time for you to hop into the action and sponsor me.

Or you’d prefer to have few drinks too, come and hang out at our team fundraiser on July 8th at 6:30. Angela Carola, another member of our motley band, put a bar night together to help Team Crain reach out to our industry pals.

Ang sez:

…we will be holding an Industry Social at Red Sky on East 29th between Park and Madison on Wednesday at July 8th at 6:30pm.

We will charge attendees $20 for a bracelet when entering.  Anyone wearing the bracelet will have extended happy hour prices for drinks; all of the money from bracelet sales will go to Team in Training.  To help fill the bar with his industry friends and fans, Ken Wheaton has agreed to guest bartend from 6:30-7:30.

Details:

Team Crain TNT Fundraising Event for Lymphoma and Leukemia

featuring guest bartender, AdAge’s Ken Wheaton

Wednesday, July 8, 6:30-9pm

Red Sky  http://redskynyc.com

E. 29th btw Park and Madison, Upstairs Bar

$20 Donation plus cost of drinks

So that’s the skinny. I’ll be wheeling out my finest party tricks, except for the one that involves the cocktail stirrer, that was retired. Here’s the event’s Facebook page, if you’re into seeing who’s coming and a handy ical reference. Hope to see you there!

6/21: 9.3 miles, trails, ~10′ miles, AM

This was a fun run.

My dad’s a big runner–he’s done a ton of marathons, and is still fast as hell as he enters his sixth decade on this earth. I was back in Detroit, and it was Father’s Day, so I decided to finally humor him and do something I’ve been avoiding for, oh, say a dozen years–go running together.

It isn’t that I’m worried about my dad showing me up. He’d never try to make me feel bad or run fast and leave me behind. I’ve just never really been interested.

So early on Sunday, with my legs still very sketchy after 48 holes of disc golf at Hudson Mills the day before, we broke out and went over to Island Lake State Park along with one of my dad’s running buds. We did almost ten miles on the trails, up and down hills, through mud and sunny fields–the farthest I’ve ever run before. And we didn’t even go terribly slow.

6/23: Interval training, ~2 miles alternating 200m lengths with fast pace and recovery, PM

I like doing intervals. It’s fun to test yourself, and, as is the goal of this half marathon, train your body to go faster. I’d prefer to do them on an oval, though, because my mind tends to wander and I need some sort of heavy visual cues as to where to go. Case in point this time; every 200m we had to alternate between a very brisk pace and a recovery pace, but I forgot to turn around at the nearly invisible designated point and went on doing the push-recovery sets for another half mile or so, until I got to the bottom of the hill. I jogged back to see the others and finished things off but my absentmindedness really threw off my rhythm.

6/27: 6.7 miles at ~ 73, 11′ miles, AM

Had a good run and chat with Angela of team Brooklyn after we couldn’t bring ourselves to head to Manhattan to work with the rest of the group. Fun, light run, no music, just chit chat, two loops at Prospect Park on a hot day.

6/30: Interval training, ~3.5 miles alternating 400m lengths with fast pace and recovery, plus an 800m at the end, PM

Phew, more intervals. It was pouring rain as we got started, but cleared up significantly as we went. Coach Jim gave me some good tips on mechanics, namely to move my feet quickly without jacking my whole body and pumping my arms furiously. I think he described it as “bounding.” I thought that’s how you were supposed to run fast–I guess there are more efficient ways when you’re preparing to run fast for a long time. At any rate, Jim’s tactics made my running feel more like a speedy shuffle, but at the same time felt much lighter and were less of a general strain. This was much better coaching on my running form than the last advice I heard, from a lacrosse coach some 15 years ago: “You run like a soccer player. Cut it out.”

Ah, so I’m adding weight to this log–I’m at 191 lbs. I’d like to drop 5-7 to get down to fighting weight, so I’ll keep you updated on how that goes.

Want to help? Leave some words of encouragement in the comments or sponsor me!

So, yeah, I’m running the Hamptons Half-Marathon in September, along with some coworkers and pals, and I need your help.

A Half Marathon?

Yeah, what’s wrong with that? What, are you already giving me grief because I’m not doing the full? Well, more on that later, but goodness gracious.

I hate running. I always have, since I first detoured from the Husky section at Mervyns to buy soccer cleats and got anxious about the windsprints at the end of practice. I think it’s boring. Why run for an hour when you can play a game? Cycling is a much more efficient transportation method, and I burn way more calories playing an hour of squash.

So Why the Hell Are You Doing This?

“Because I never have before” is usually a lame reason, but it’s one of many in this case. I’ve never been in a race. Like I said, I hate running. But I come from solid stock (my dad’s gym is littered with medals and trophies from running accomplishments) and want to take this challenge on.

But there’s a much more emotional challenge too, stemming from a desire to focus time and effort towards a goal of doing something good. In training for and running this race (and, accordingly, you supporting me) we’ll be doing something very important: sharing concern.

Sharing Concern…

The training has actually been pretty easy–after all, it’s just running, a really basic human thing we’ve been doing for eons.

It’s even easier when you think about friend and neighbors and people who’ve had to endure lots more. Luckily, someone who’s got a tougher challenge than me came along to help keep the real focus of what we’re doing in mind.

I’m raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through its Team in Training program, with the goal to pull together $5,000 toward research and experimentation to eradicate blood cancers.

I truly believe in my lifetime we will find a cure for cancer. The process will be directly accelerated by funding for related scientific initiatives.

…With Friends and Neighbors

I’ve known Jack Cheng for a little while, but only met him a few times. We first met at a Likemind morning, and I kept up with him via his blog, where he’d deliver occasional well-thought-out nuggets of inspiration couched in awesome, clean design.

A couple weeks ago, Jack posted on a dilemma. I’m interested in dilemmas, because there’s never a good solution; a dilemma, contrary to popular belief, is a choice between two equally unpopular options. It turns out, though that the hypothetical Jack wrote about had tangible roots, and it was bad news about his mom. I’ll let him explain:

Those of you that follow me on twitter know that I’m in Michigan for the summer. I’m here because a couple months ago, my mother was diagnosed with stage 1A Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Quick cancer lesson: Hodgkin’s is a blood cancer, and typically more predictable than its non-Hodgkin’s cousin. There are four stages, with the lateness of the stage reflecting how far the cancer has spread. The ‘A’ designation means that Mom wasn’t showing any outward symptoms like night sweats, fevers or weight loss.

…

The day Mom scheduled the times for her two-plus months of chemotherapy and radiation, she was finally able to land an appointment with a fourth, well-respected hospital she had previously (unsuccessfully) tried to get time with. Here’s where things got complicated: the doctors at the fourth hospital reviewed the previous tests, conducted their own, and came to the conclusion that there wasn’t enough evidence to call it cancer at all! Their recommendation? No treatment, just monitor the situation closely.

We had to make a choice — in one scenario, we would (and were about to) endure chemo and radiation (no stroll in the park by any means), and in the other, we’d take the risk that it really wasn’t cancer and pray that nothing happens (or if something does happen, that we don’t catch it too late). Like in my thought experiment, it was a choice between the certainty of shorter-term suffering and the uncertainty of a possible longer-term, severe suffering.

The Chengs chose to go through with the chemo, and Jack’s mom Jane Zhang is currenty receiving chemotherapy treatments at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, one of the top cancer centers in the world.

This past Monday, Mom, had her first of four chemo sessions. Parts of the Detroit-area hospital doing the treatment look like they were taken from the interior of a spaceship designed during the cold war. They hand out buzzers in the waiting area like they do at Shake Shack.

…

We’re still learning and getting used to the side-effects of chemo. Some days go by like nothing happened at all, while on others Mom says it’s like she’s pregnant all over again. My little brother flies in at the beginning of July and I’m looking forward to spending time with him too. This summer is going to be one of the most difficult of our lives, but I think, at the same time, we can make it on of the best.

I’ve never met Mrs. Zhang, but Jack’s message arriving the day I started my training revealed a strong point to me–anyone can get sick, and when they do, it’s up to us to display solidarity and do what we can to help.

I’m honored Jack was stoked when I broached the topic of running in support of his mom; I think she’s doing the right thing by heading off any potential problems at the pass with chemo now, and I’m absolutely certain the professionals at Karmanos will do their best to help her get better. If the knowledge that some random pal of her son who’s running a half marathon is keeping her in his thoughts helps her tough this out one iota, then the race is won, so to speak.

Jane Zhang, in front of the Bird's Nest in Beijing

What Can I Do?

A few things, actually. I’m after your time, your effort, and your connections. Or any combination of them.

If you’re short on time but have some effort (or, what your effort produces) to spare, please donate to help me reach my goal of $5,000. You can see how I’m doing here. I’ll keep you posted on how things are going on this page, and personally check in a few times during the training to keep you updated.

Be certain: I understand the value of money, and the hard work you put into earning it. But this is a worthy cause, and you can make a difference.

If you’ve got plenty of time, (or you’d prefer to have few drinks too) come and hang out at our team fundraiser on July 8th at 6:30. Angela Carola, seen above, put it all together to help Team Crain reach out to our industry pals. Ang sez:

…we will be holding an Industry Social at Red Sky on East 29th between Park and Madison on Wednesday at July 8th at 6:30pm.

We will charge attendees $20 for a bracelet when entering. Anyone wearing the bracelet will have extended happy hour prices for drinks; all of the money from bracelet sales will go to Team in Training. To help fill the bar with his industry friends and fans, Ken Wheaton has agreed to guest bartend from 6:30-7:30.

Details:
Team Crain TNT Fundraising Event for Lymphoma and Leukemia
featuring guest bartender, AdAge’s Ken Wheaton
Wednesday, July 8, 6:30-9pm
Red Sky http://redskynyc.com
E. 29th btw Park and Madison, Upstairs Bar
$20 Donation plus cost of drinks

If you’ve got friends or colleagues who might want to support us, please let them know. Send a link to this page, give us a social network shoutout.

As they say on the subway, penny, nickel, dime or quarter, all are appreciated. Blog post, Facebook update, Tweet or link love, all are welcome.

This just came over the e-wire regarding Barack Obama’s presidential campaign winning Integrated and Titanium Grand Prix awards at Cannes over the weekend…

June 30, 2009

Statement on receiving Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Grand Prix Titanium and Integrated Campaign Awards:

“The Obama Media Team is honored to accept these amazing awards in recognition of the outstanding work done by so many people at the Campaign, in particular the New Media Group, alongside the multi-agency consulting team led by AKPD Message and Media and GMMB.

“The communications agency roster includes: Dixon Davis Media Group, Murphy Putnam Media, Shorr Johnson Magnus, Squier Knapp Dunn Communications, Message, Audience and Presentation, FUSE, Blue State Digital and The Strategy Group. Research firms include: Benenson Strategy Group, Anzelone-Liszt Research, Bendixen and Associates, Bennett, Petts and Blumenthal, Brilliant Corners, David Binder Research and Harstad Research. All of these firms and the Obama for America staff share in this incredible honor.

“But we couldn’t have done it without all those volunteers, who knocked on doors, hosted events, made phone calls, contributed whatever they could afford and stood in line on Election Day to make their voice heard. Most of all, we must thank President Barack Obama, the best client anyone could ever hope to have.

“It is humbling to receive this recognition among so many groundbreaking campaigns around the world.”

In addition to being the highest profile political campaign ever awarded at Cannes, it is likely the most collaborative. I count 19 communications and research firms sharing the Lion, at least the ones that were mentioned on the email I got. Maybe the trophies will travel around like the Stanley Cup to each partner company, but if I were running a political communications, design or research agency, it would be worth the €1999.00 to get advertising’s highest honor for the office shelf¹.

Someone may have left Chicago’s Mode Project off the list, though–according to Mode’s website it had a pretty big role: “[Mode Project was] one of the main creative partners in the campaign, assisting its longtime client and the lead agency, AKPD Message and Media. Mode Project oversaw the design of the now famous Obama logo and produced more than 200 broadcast commercials and additional digital content during the course of the primary and general election.” You may remember them from this space previously, as they commissioned one Aaron Draplin to collaborate on some recovery logos.

It’s a conspicuous absence, and maybe strikes at the heart of the creative-versus-rational debate Bob Garfield gets into here when the cool, interesting company that designed the logo is left out of the celebratory dogpile: “the messaging was as creatively barren as it was tactically brilliant. There was no ‘Morning in America’ in this campaign. No ‘Daisy.’ No any single thing that stood out. Cannes has just awarded two Grand Prix to a back office.”

Well, a very talented back office, with political geniuses David Axelrod and David Plouffe running the show, but still one that required the iconic ‘O’ (that ironically headed the email as you see here, yet whose creators weren’t given any dap). Mode Project even produced the video that introduced David Plouffe’s Cannes appearance, made possible by Omnicom’s DDB (watch it at the studio’s site). The Guardian’s Mark Sweney reports here Plouffe dispelled the myth the campaign was 2.0–Plouffee called it “old school,” surely one for which a logo is integral.

So, I’ve asked the spokesperson from GMMB (also an Omnicom agency) a couple more questions about its Cannes strategy and will see if the Mode snub is just an oversight. Maybe it is. Hopefully this isn’t this year’s BBDO-Big Spaceship credit fracas; it would be a shame to ruin the further celebration of optimism and choice with squabbling and politics.

Funnily enough, in the course of dashing off this post things seem to have developed. A colleague received an emailed release from Mode just a few minutes after I received the release from GMMB:

OBAMA FOR AMERICA CAMPAIGN WINS TOP PRIZES IN CANNES
Mode Project, Creative Partner to AKPD Message and Media, Part of the Winning Media Team

Chicago, IL - (June 29, 2009) — The advertising and marketing campaign that helped propel Barack Obama into the White House has been honored with the two top prizes — the Titanium Grand Prix and the Integrated Grand Prix — from the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

Chicago-based Mode Project was one of the main creative partners in the campaign, assisting its longtime client and the lead agency, AKPD Message and Media. Mode Project oversaw the design of the now famous Obama logo and produced more than 200 broadcast commercials and additional digital content during the course of the primary and general election.

Of the Cannes win for Obama for America, Mode Project’s Colin Carter says, “We were honored to be a part of the Obama for America campaign and congratulate everyone on the Obama Media Team in this historic, game-changing endeavor. The Cannes honor is the highest in advertising and knowing we contributed to the successes of the campaign gives us a sense of accomplishment, second only to the election’s outcome.”

Mode Project (http://www.modeproject.com/) is a Chicago-based creative production studio providing motion design, production, editorial and interactive solutions to agencies and brands such as AT&T, ecko unltd, Obama for America, Sunsilk, Tropicana, Kellogg’s, Gatorade since 2002.

So, got any info as to why different agencies and companies involved in the historic campaign may be playing politics in the wake of the Cannes awards? Or is this just an innocent, simple oversight where the email I got was the one that forgot to give praise to the creative parts of the campaign, reserving that for another PR list? Let me know…

1. maybe that’ll help the Lions keep the lights on after this year’s fest was reportedly off some 40%, but surely they had some cash salted away [↩]

The Team in Training guys are great–coaches, motivators, mentors, all of ‘em. So much so that this has been a breeze. Should I step up and do the full marathon? I guess we can decide that down the road. But here’s how it’s going so far.

6/9: 2.43 miles at 30:00, 12′30″ pace, AM

Phew. Get the lead out, slo poke. For my first run in a while (maybe six months) I took it slow and went up to Prospect Park and back with mylady Juno. I dislike running, so much so that she had to practically pull me out of bed to get going. But once we were moving, my blood started circulating, and it became an energizing start to the day.

6/11: 3.34 miles at 30:09, 9′01″ pace, PM

I think I might run a little better at night. I pushed myself and ran a little further and faster than Tuesday. Similar track as last time, up through Prospect Park. The night was warm and foggy and as I ran I’d go face-first through low-hanging branches and leaves and get a cool splash of condensation.

6/13: 6.2 miles at 63:10, 10′16″ pace, AM

Today was my first practice with the group. We ran out to Red Hook. We started early, but it got hot quickly and by the time we got out past IKEA and Fairway and onto the old cobbled streets I was wishing the NY waterways were safe to swim in. It would be unfortunate to get a terrible disease training for a run to help cure terrible diseases. Over six miles, eh? That’s the longest I’ve ever run!

On a related note, I got some new shorts that are definitely running shorts, meaning shorter-than-any-other-kind-of-shorts-except-Daisy-Dukes-shorts. “Pics or it didn’t happen,” you say. Hold tight, my threshold for humiliation is gradual.

UPDATE: Look at this killer photo of Team Crain BKLYN. What a group of crazy athletes! (from left: Abbey Klaassen, me, Tim Dalbey and Angela Carola)

6/15: 3.5 miles at 32:58, 9′21″ pace, PM

Good run, up to Prospect Park and around through some of the paths, then cutting back onto the main path to head home.

Ran without headphones; not listening to music wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be–there were plenty of birds chirping and sounds in the park to keep me listening.

Want to help? Leave some words of encouragement in the comments or sponsor me!

UPDATE: Last night’s meeting went great. I schlepped on about becoming a better geek, Matt from McCann introduced some tools to make anyone into a rabid Twitter fiend and James from Saatchi poked the crabby bear that is the age-old debate on advertising’s merits as art and the ethics of creative borrowing. Good times. Hopefully the ladies enjoyed as much as we did.

check out the slides and resources links

As we approached our CaT: Creativity and Technology event last week (which went swimmingly, thanks for asking) I began to think more and more about the prevalance of augmented reality in the panels and presentations that we were putting on. AR, along with data visualization, was one of the day’s most discussed topics; at least four of the presenters on the agenda spoke of the technique.

We had a few practitioners together, so I wanted to ask them what I’m sure many attendees were thinking: Is this a fad, or what? I’ve seen the rumblings and mutterings to the same effect, and a post today by Iain at Crackunit is prompting even more debate.

While I’m in general tilting toward the cynical side when I see a tool get hyped quickly, I’m pretty confident as we extend the size and strength of mobile data networks, get larger screens at home and become more comfortable interacting with webcams that we’ll see applications of Augmented Reality move away from cool visuals and into a realm of great utility. Already, mobile apps like Wikitude are making use of the technology but once data streams there get larger expect even better stuff. (Tangentially, I talked with the creators of a bunch of apps for a recent Creativity story.)

Obviously, as in everything, advertising professionals stand a good chance of ravaging the practice, but I don’t think that’ll matter. Even if they do, useful, interesting applications stand stock apart from tawdry gags. The USPS box simulator Tait mentions from AKQA is a good example of this and the Ikea example below it is great and traditional as well.

My.IKEA from Robin Westergren on Vimeo.

But what are they keys to deeply significant AR projects, other than a growing infrastructure of fast mobile connectivity, increase in display size and webcam adoption?

• Coordination with product/package design across multiple areas to create unique activators: Consider being able to pullall the Kraft products from your cupboard, place them with their tags facing the webcam and then seeing the different hot meals you could combine them to make. The sort of heavy interplay across multiple product lines that’s necessary for this to be good won’t come from a one-off project, though.
• Dynamic, rapid interplay with other backend parts on the visualization tip: Wieden + Kennedy did a virtual Easter Egg hunt in its office with Photosynth and Google Street View’s just introduced Smart Navigation. Both services are good at imitating 3D-like experiences from flat images. I can’t imagine we’re far from finding a bridge. Imagine going to Disneyland or a National Park and being able to bring your trail map to a viewer location and pop out an AR map to note landmarks and see what you’re in for. This won’t work, though, unless the stuff in back comes together seamlessly.
• Useful and compelling content and interactions: This last one may be the most obvious but it’s also the most important. Any Crystal Pepsi/Pet Rock scenario begins with people thinking of the AR applications as tired and a waste of time, developing a resistance to the technology and ignoring it. There are already a few barriers to engagement, namely the amount of time and technology it takes to fire up the interaction. As those come down, you’ve got to make sure what’s on the other end counts.

Wikipedia has an exciting list of potential AR stuff (such as, when projectors get really cheap, you can do cool stuff like this: “Any physical device currently produced to assist in data-oriented tasks (such as the clock, radio, PC, arrival/departure board at an airport, stock ticker, PDA, PMP, informational posters/fliers/billboards, in-car navigation systems, etc. could be replaced by virtual devices that cost nothing to produce aside from the cost of writing the software.”)

Thinking AR stuff will quickly go away or decline in quality is a normal cynical reaction (and one I had at first), but it doesn’t seem like, in this case, it will. Advertisers will certainly make thorough use of the novelty and entertainment aspects, but the rate of innovation inside the AR community will allow more and more meaningful interactions should brands choose to dedicate resources to well-thought-out projects.

I was quite surprised yesterday when my colleague Ann Christine Diaz told me about a story she was working on—Jason Rohrer, renowned champion of the indie videogame movement, signed to be repped by a commercial production company.

In this case, Rohrer’s one of three big new hires by Tool of North America, which traditionally represents TV commercial directors, but is making a foray, along with most anyone in the space concerned with keeping the doors open, into digital creation.

Rohrer’s a very interesting guy, who’s cited by many as one of the top game developers working today, especially among the indie/artsy set (he was also honored as part of this year’s Creativity 50–and that’s no small beer). Esquire magazine had a great story recently about his commitment to craft as well as honorable ideals concerning our relationship with nature and the advancement of an equitable and responsible society. (To be succinct, he’s something of an ascetic who fought to preserve his family’s yard as a meadow, eats vegan food and doesn’t refrigerate anything.) He’s got the values I wouldn’t have thought to be attracted to working in advertising.

‘Ho ho,’ you say, ‘This is interesting, another artist brought under the spell of the wicked advertising industry. How soon we’ll be seeing him leave, jaded, when his true genius is squandered.’ And you’re right to think that way–it’s a bit like Thoreau writing Quaker Oats spots for Wilford Brimley.

what does Rohrer signing to Tool mean for gaming? and ads?

I was a little surprised this morning to see one of my favorite blogs reference Do I Need an Umbrella, a site that, conveniently enough, answers the question Do I Need an Umbrella?

Turns out, Do I Need an Umbrella? (left) is a downmarket version of Umbrella Today?. Perhaps the most popular single-serving site out there. Umbrella Today? does the exact same thing (and more), was established earlier and has since become immensely popular. In the case of Umbrella Today? versus Do I Need an Umbrella? the former’s brevity of initial query and the quality it suggests shines through in all aspects, making the site, in every way possible, better than its more literal stepchild.

But, despite Do I Need an Umbrella? appearing to be a knock-off, it made me think. A few weeks ago, someone I know wrote something like “I didn’t like the weather report, so I just kept looking at other places until I found one that was suitable.”

So why not check and see if they agreed, and if not, which one was correct? I was after all, in the mood for something to tell me whether to bring an umbrella.

They didn’t agree. One told me I needed an umbrella, the other said I didn’t. So who do I trust?

I didn’t want to just toss it up between those two, so I hit my F12 and checked the old standby, the easiest weather report, the one I check nearly every day. My dashboard widget showed a thundercloud; the only icon for the day was rain. It’d have to be an umbrella day.

I hedged one more time–Weather Underground. My old standby said I could get away with not carrying an umbrella until 5pm, when the storms rolled in. (All these tests were done by inputting my zip code within a span of five minutes.)

Done, right? The binary yes/no nature of the Umbrella sites was conflicting, and Apple’s weather widget wasn’t detailed enough. With a better forecast I could make the decision.

But it’s interesting that the uniquely internet phenomenon by which we tend to select our news and choose only sources that are similar to our bias, say electing to receive only news that’s been run through a liberal filter, has extended to something that should be mildly scientific. I don’t want to carry an umbrella on a Saturday, so I’ll look around until I find evidence to support my position.

Meteorology is by no means an exact science, but we can now ask dozens whether it’s going to rain and get different answers. That sort of thing never happened down on the farm.

So, to that end, wrapping up this non-item item (really, blogging about the weather is about as prosaic and time-filling than talking about it) someone needs to develop an optimist’s Umbrella Today?, which will only ever answer with an emphatic “No” and indeed, additionally, let us know it’s going to be a beautiful day where we’ll get closer to our dreams then we ever imagined.

And we can curse the weatherman on the odd days it’s not correct, unless of course we want a spectacular summer storm and wind up getting one. I’ve been hoping for thunder and lightening from 5pm onwards today and Weather Underground has yet to deliver.

UPDATE: Never content to let an idea easily executed languish on the Internet unfulfilled, Noah Brier slapped up doineedanumbrellatoday.com, your one-stop shop for permanently sunny weather news. Another version of this whole affair came up recently when I was reading James Wood’s How Fiction Works. Speaking about the protagonist, Ricardo Reis, in Saramago’s The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, Wood writes “He reflects fondly on the story of the ninety-seven-year-old John D. Rockefeller, who has a speciall doctored version of The New York Tmes delivered every day, altered to contain only good news. ‘The world’s threats are universal, like the sun, but Ricard Reis takes shelter under his own shadow.’”

I ran into an old pal of mine from Flavorpill, Yancey Strickler, last year at an entrepreneurs meetup. I was there researching a story but he had was looking for practical intel for a new venture. We caught up later and he told me about the site he and his partner were working on; It sounded promising then, and I’m pleased to say it launched last week: it’s called Kickstarter, and has a noble aim.

The site is modeled around people outlining creative projects, setting funding goals, and then soliciting pledges from fans to help them create. As the process evolves, fundees give their fans exclusive content in the form of updates, behind-the-scenes peeks and general bonus bits. When the project reaches its funding goal in the allotted time, then fans have to pony up what they promised. The site’s got some great backers, smarts coming from the likes of Waxy.org’s Andy Baio, and an Internet full of folks yearning to make things and help others in the process.

When I initially grabbed beers with Yancey and his partner Perry Chen I dug the idea; I’d just read Kevin Kelly’s Long Tail-informed essay “1,000 True Fans” and realized creators have lots of latitude to reach myriad potential enthusiasts on the web to sustain their efforts. Kickstarter seemed like it’d not only create a platform for those ideas, but also serve as the carrot to keep people focused on their creative goals. (After all, knowing someone you’ve never met in Phoenix pledged $20 and wants to read stuff you cut from your screenplay or video updates on how your harmonica practice is going is a pretty good carrot to keep you from drifting to another thing.)

So far, there are some interesting projects going, from indie games to an amazing-sounding, massive crossword puzzle.

Yancey’s got invites if you’ve got something brewing and like their infrastructure. I’m sure if you ask nicely on Twitter he’ll help you take the first step to working up the wherewithall to making your pet project a reality.