PHIL GRIBBON
I live in London, I work in Notting Hill, I design things so that the internet will work better, I have a lovely wife, my hair grows at an alarming rate, and that's about all you need to know. ok thx bye
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On the Web, there are two main kinds of companies: marketplaces and attention economies. Marketplaces operate by connecting one group of people to another group of people and allowing them to conduct a transaction, of which they take a cut. Etsy connects buyers to sellers; Kickstarter connects creators to backers; Airbnb connects travelers to hosts; OkCupid connects daters to daters. Marketplace companies build tools to solve problems that exist in the world. At their best, they operate like healers — mixing up medicine to answer a need. Attention economies operate by convincing users to spend large amounts of time online, clicking many things, and viewing many ads. These companies often masquerade as “communication tools” that help people “connect”. But in attention economies, most of the “connecting” happens alone, while you’re staring at a screen, and it often leaves you feeling empty. Attention economy companies operate less like healers and more like dealers — creating addictive experiences to keep people hooked.
The Farmer & Farmer Review . Modern Medicine . Healers & Dealers (via dontoverthink)
It doesn’t have to be that way. The same way someone you meet in the street isn’t necessarily trying to rip you off or bore you to death. Sometimes that happens, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
(via, in turn: whileyouwereout, classics, bildungsroman, pterodactyls, thakker)
That right there is a revolution brewing.
I think the artist, even more than government, has become the one who is doing long-term thinking about what’s happening, what are the implications, what are we doing to ourselves? And they’re some of the only ones, really. An artist’s job is to sit outside what’s happening and reflect back to us where the human is in this. I think it’s a very valuable exercise. It’s just the opposite exercise of what most people probably think it is. It’s not for technologists to realize the visions of artists. It feels much more like it’s for artists to contextualize the visions of technologists.
Douglas Rushkoff (via azspot)The Wheel of Worry
By Andrew Kuo, for the NY Times Magazine, via Aesthetics of Joy
via beenthinking:
Movie review ideas I wish I’d thought of…
Subject: A movie you might like p.s. CALL YOUR MOTHER!!!
to: mydarlinggrownupdaughter@aol.com
from: mommamia@rocketmail.com
4:17pm (7 hours ago)
SWEETHEART,Tried your cell (2 calls 2 texts) but I guess it’s not on, or perhaps you’re too busy to respond to your dear old mom?!!? I went to the movies today, with Zelda from work. You remember Zelda, she had gall bladder surgery last year? She says hello! She picked the movie – Wanderlust. I hadn’t heard of it, but Zelda said she saw the poster on her walk the other day and it looked cute. Jennifer Aniston is in it. I love her on Friends! The male star is Paul Rudd, who you may remember was also on Friends, as Mike, Phoebe’s husband. That was such a funny relationship. I never thought Phoebe would settle down, but then she met Mike, which I guess proves it can happen for anybody. So don’t give up hope yet sweetie, HA HA HA HA.
I don’t quite know what to say about Wanderlust, but it seems like the kind of thing you might go see. You’ll probably like it much more than I did. You always like such strange things. It’s about a woman and her husband (“Rachel” and “Mike,” can you imagine if they got married instead?!) who leave New York City because they can’t afford their tiny apartment. At the beginning I thought it was going to be about them moving to Atlanta and making a new start, but the movie takes a big detour as the couple takes a detour (hahahaha, I should review movies! Watch out, Siskel and Ebert!) to a commune. The commune is full of Phoebe-types who smoke drugs, play acoustic instruments, hold “truth circles,” and go potty with the door open.
The first big sign that this was NOT the movie we were expecting from the poster was when a naked man appeared on the screen. What’s that called? Full-frontal nudity? It was full side-al and full back-al, too! Did I ever tell you about the time your father and I ended up at a nudist resort in Sedona? We thought it was just a nice couples retreat, but none of the other couples wore clothing. I don’t want to go into too much detail, let’s just say there’s a chance you’re not our natural child. JUST JOKING SWEETIE!! But we were invited to “join” another couple in the hot tub. Of course we didn’t do it, though to be honest, and I don’t know how much you want to hear about this, but I guess it’s e-mail so I can ramble on if I want, the hot tub invitation was a little bit tempting. As you know, your father is the only man I’ve ever been with, and frankly I do wonder sometimes what I’m missing. Of course, he’s an excellent lover, I’M SORRY, but it has to be said.
Speaking of free love, at one point in Wanderlust Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston agree to try it, and Jennifer sleeps with a man on the commune (spoiled you alert!). I don’t know who the actor was. He had a beard and long, brown hair, and he was in wonderful physical condition. Do you know who I’m talking about? The actor with brown hair and lovely arms? His character was very odd, but he did a great job saying all his lines. I predict he will become a big star, and as you know, I’m a little bit psychic. Which reminds me, I had a dream the other night that you were in a horrible skydiving accident, so please avoid airplanes for a while, okay hun?
Wanderlust was a bit more crass than I was prepared for. Maybe it’s just not my kind of humor. There was a lot of language, and sex, drugs, loud music, and naked bodies all over the place. And perhaps most offensively: terrible child actors. They’re cute, but I just hate to think of their lives in Hollywood. What kind of parent puts their kid in the movies? I’m glad we started you early on piano lessons and swim team. Of course I wish you had stuck to either one; you might have more options now that you’re grown. BTW how is the job search going?! I’m not nagging, I’m just asking an honest question, don’t get upset. Do you need any $$$? I’ll send you a check FOR ESSENTIALS ONLY. Marijuana is not an essential!!! Not that I didn’t puff once or twice in college, myself. Okay, and in Sedona, but THAT’S IT.
I did laugh out loud twice during the movie. The first was when a horse unexpectedly stuck his head in a bedroom. You know how much I love to see animals in unexpected places! The second was when Alan Alda turned up as the “elder statesmen” of the commune. What a lovely surprise that was – I had no idea Alan Alda was in this movie. He is still so handsome. Unfortunately, the director or make-up people did not do a very good job styling him. He looked VERY old. I know what you’re thinking, but he is not really that old. If Alan Alda is old, that makes me old, now don’t you say a word.
Do you remember when we used to watch Same Time, Next Year during Dialing for Dollars on KTVU? I loved watching afternoon movies with you when you were little. You were so bright and sweet then. Where did we go wrong? HA HA HA just joking, I love you, my darling only baby in the whole world! Alan Alda was wonderful in that film.
He was wonderful in Wanderlust, as well, but he could have been on screen a whole lot more for my taste, and honestly, they could have shaved his neck beard or let him stand up once in a while. I will say that his motorized scooter looked fun and relaxing. I’ll have to get myself one of those some day – BUT NOT YET! YOUR MOTHER IS STILL YOUNG AND VIBRANT!
Anyhow, Wanderlust just didn’t make much sense to me. The story didn’t have any story, that’s how Zelda put it. A lot of things happened, but it’s hard to point to one major point. I guess it did have a message about finding your place in the world. There is a running joke in about Jennifer Aniston’s character believing she can fly, and Paul Rudd telling her he believes she can fly, too, if she can just get her act together. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but her character reminded me a lot of you! One good line in the movie was when Paul Rudd told her “it’s hard being married to somebody who’s still trying to pick a major.” You know I love you very much, but I do wonder if it’s time for you to settle on one profession. Maybe you just need to spend a month at a commune!!! Not that Wanderlust makes it look like a good idea, except in the end maybe it is? Spoiled you alert again! Anyhow I’m sure it’s easier to get along in life if you look like Jennifer Aniston. I wonder what kind of moisturizer she uses, do you know?
Do you remember the episode of Friends when Rachael is helping Ross move his couch and he keeps yelling at her to pivot? “PIV-AHHHT! PIV-AHHHT!” Now THAT was funny!!! Maybe the writer of Wanderlust should have spent more time watching Friends. Zelda owes me one, that’s all I can say. Can you imagine a sweet old lady like that choosing a dirty movie like this? I told her that next time, I choose the movie, and it’s going to be rated PG-13 or below.
I LOVE YOU,
Your Mother
Your Mother wishes you would call more often. Elisabeth Geier thinks you should probably just do it already.
inky:
o mg
NO-ONE should have to go through what I did just to build a simple koi pond
I don’t know one person in real life who actively promotes investing more in space exploration. Which is a shame, as it’s the most awesome idea ever.
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- Dear everyone, come hear Neil McSweeney play at the Electricity Showrooms tonight in Hoxton. Listen first: http://t.co/T6d5klXZ
- For everyone ditching Addison Lee today, Hailo for iPhone is awesome.
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- My wife is fiercely wonderful.
- Although I always had every intention of buying Ymuno tickets, it took until I was well and truly drunk to actually buy them. You should get drunk today and do the same.
- I think I'm allergic to cheese on toast.
- Very jealous of Helen
- Have to find a new flat, sharpish — should I stay East? New work offices are going to be in Notting Hill
- Going home.
- Today I cleaned the oven and bathroom.
- I've had Sufjan Stevens' The Age of Adz on repeat all freaking week. I blame Dan Flint.
- drunk again. the wife's absence is turning out to be embarrassing.
- Laura Gribbon is heading out of Cairo with friends Jonna-Lena Seemann and Clare Victoria Lofthouse til things become a little clearer.
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Egypt
