Finland has a National Day of Failure. Yes, seriously…and as a country we often compare ourselves to, is it an idea we should embrace? For the past 10 years, October 13 is celebrated for failure, because (not unlike New Zealand?), screwing up is frowned upon by Finnish society. It was started by university students who … Continue reading Should we have a National Day of Failure?
Category Archives: punchline
…like requesting a picture framer to paint your portrait? There’s a reason we contract specialists to carry out specific jobs. We know they know their stuff. We back their expertise within their domain of knowledge. We’re confident their proficiency will deliver the best result the quickest. For example a General Practitioner doctor can help correct … Continue reading Is asking a designer to uncover your story…
Perhaps our election selection should be based on a slogan that is “least likely to offend”. Or how about the slogan generating the biggest yawn should get our vote. Then of course, we might blame language blandness on Covid. Because, and this might be a reflection of an older mindset with an increasingly more cynical … Continue reading All this wonderful language at their disposal…oh how our political parties disappoint
How do you counter bullshit? Around the world, attacking such hoaxes head on has repeatedly been shown to be hopeless, counterproductive. Well, there’s lessons for all of us in the way Taiwan’s dealing to Coronavirus misinformation. Instead of tackling fake news directly, the 23 million people country, (one of the few to have shoved the … Continue reading Fighting Covid fake news by being funny
We should avoid using the term self-isolating. Instead we should use self-containing. Why? Because the language we use provides a feedback loop in our brain which can either be positive or negative. And negative or positive – our reactions are also contagious…much like Coronavirus. So isolate means alone. Isolate implies looking inwards continuously. Isolate suggests … Continue reading Andrà tutto bene – everything will be all right
Ernest Hemingway was once apparently challenged (now believed to not be true) to write a story in six words. His supposed answer was: “For sale, baby shoes, never worn”. We fill in the dots, we figure out what must’ve happened, we feel a surge of sorry as we empathise with the parents. My partner brought … Continue reading A perfect story in four words – a true Million Dollar Message
It’s somewhat ironic and apt that Victoria/Wellington University’s name debate is now a political argument. Ronald Reagan can perhaps lay claim to the phrase ‘explaining is losing’ – and that is exactly what happens when you use the term Victoria University. (Reagan’s contention was that messaging needs to be as simple as possible, with as … Continue reading Explaining is losing – let’s kill the name Victoria University
Two words, two meanings and a demonstration of the power of the right question to…stop…and…make…you…think. You can’t help but flip between ‘over’s’ interpretation. It’s telling. Am I drinking too much? Am I sick of what drinking is doing to me? There’s no judgment, no high moral ground, no finger-wagging. There’s simply a little self-imposed jab … Continue reading A very telling two word question
A brand name by association can be a useful thing. Which is where Duckworth Lewis Accommodation has been clever in its nomenclature. This boarding house (formerly a pub) could’ve called itself Adelaide Road, Te Aro, Hospital Visitor Accommodation, or any number of lesser names. But, being located right beside The Basin Reserve (the home of … Continue reading A brand name that many will get…though some will go ‘huh’?
Perhaps it’s indicative of alcohol’s margins that they often have great advertisements. That is, they can afford to get their words right. So, and in no way condoning or encouraging alcohol consumption (though I do drink), here’s a very clever way to remind people Stella Artois has stood the test of time. “600 years of … Continue reading A more than beerly acceptable way to promote yourself