Howies

I stumbled upon this British brand, Howies, through some network of blogs and the sort. And I've fallen in a bit of love with them. Why? Because they lead with an idea. Because they have a mission that is about more than just selling products (although their products seem awfully nice too). Because they have Little Voices Big Lectures series, like this one coming up that encourages people to DO something. Because they document their collective history, and they aren't afraid to call out their own stumbles and challenges. Because their site design is simple and classy, yet ripe with personality. Because you get the feeling, even from their table of contents, that the Howie's brand is build on more than just a business plan has more to contribute to the world than just clever t-shirts.

The Shape of My Heart.

Charming and playful, this video for The Shape of My Heart from Noah and the Whale makes me smile.

The Girl Effect.

Wow. Everything about this is incredible.

Who is Beautiful?

You are beautiful.

I love this organization and their simple intent to create positive self-realization.

And I love how it has generated momentum, even appearing on this trash can in the midst of Wicker Park.

There's Waldo.

Create a giant Waldo on an warehouse roof of an undisclosed location in Vancouver, and wait for Google Earth to pick up the image.

That's what one enterprising young student did for her thesis project.

Art meets technology.

So Clever.

Street Art?

This is the third time I've seen this character lurking around Chicago. With his goofy grin and fancy jacket, he looks like someone I'd like to know:



But what is he? Graffiti? Street Art?


Some of the more interesting discussion on this topic has centered around Banksy, the elusive British street artist. In 2006, he left his mark on Bristol with this installment showing a naked lover caught with his pants down, hanging from a window ledge:



The city council, whose offices look out onto the image asked the public whether or not to paint over the mural.


"We have to decide if its public art or graffiti", said a city council spokesperson in this article.


I like the democratic approach of asking folks what they think. Since technically the streets belong to the community, it makes sense that the community should have a say in whether the installment contributes to or denigrates their town.


Just this past January, Banksy made the news again with this installation:

This one was notable because the installation (on the side of a brick wall) was sold (by the owner of the wall) on e-bay for $400,000.

Wow. I think $400M officially makes it street art.

This I Believe.

I devoured this book earlier this fall.

The range of narrative and depth of insight is so powerful.

The thought that one writer, Ebod Patel, articulated has really stuck with me:

"Action is what separates a belief from an opinion. Beliefs are imprinted through action."

It's a powerful notion on behalf of a person as well as a brand.

And when I think about that notion, I inevitably think about how much I liked that book.

So, now I'm just delighted to find NPR, and their range of programming, on podcast via iTunes. The bite-sized "This I Believe" segments are terrific, as are the longer Ira Glass pieces.

I'm not exactly an "early adopter" when it comes to technology, so I fully acknowledge that these podcasts have likely been available for a few years now. But they're new to me, so the novelty is a treat.

Being an urbanite who walks most places, I don't have much access to the radio. The bulk of my NPR listening happens in the shower on the waterproof radio. The reality is that I don't end up hearing the programs that I may be most interested in, apart from the daily news.

But, now its all different! I can listen to the two minute podcasts of "This I Believe" while I walk to a client's office in the morning and have a new dose of someone inspiring who has imprinted their beliefs via action.

What a nice start to the day.