jonathannausner

jonathan nausner

in no particular order: ideas, creativity, inspiration, storytelling, strategy, planning, the blurry borders of analogue and digital, berlin, advertising and whatever will be next. about | books | links | archive
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World Cup 2010: I am ready

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I prefer to watch the video above without sound, theme songs were never a strength of FIFA Worldcups. I am in the mood for some football – especially after this last season with Cup title for Sturm Graz, St.Pauli and Newcastle United back in their highest leagues – and I have my Vuvuzela app, I have my app for real-time complete statistics of every game. Barbecue is scheduled for this afternoon. I am ready.

As for predictions, my tips are always spoiled by my preference of sentimental underdogs like Denmark, South Korea, Australia or New Zealand. All teams that have the same or less potential compared to Austria and still regularly perform better. I always rejoice when they annoy the big ones (Denmark 1992, DEN-BRA in 1998, AUS-ITA 2006, Korea 2002).

And then there is England. The team that must avoid penalties at all costs, or practice them for four years in preparation. And in this tournament they must not lose another player. How thin exactly the side is on some positions showed painfully in the first half of the Japan game. You will need all the luck in the world. Fingers crossed.

Looking at the BBC Team Tracker (highly recommended) I fear the worst for all of my supported sides. Some big ones will have to fall in the first rounds to make this interesting.

Ke Nako! It is about time!

links for 2010-05-27

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Persuasive Presentation

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Take a look at this video:

Nick Vujicic is a total inspiration.

You see, I have been thinking lately about persuasion. Especially the really complicated kinds that go deeper than selling stuff, but touching people and changing their attitude (about themselves or important issues). I believe there are many people out there who tell these kids exactly the same things as Nick, they probably use exact the same words, but their words could never as resounding. Why is that, I wonder?

I have written down some thoughts about this, but it needs more thinking.

PR 101: How to place yourself on the map

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So you are the President of a country whose name sounds like a veneral disease and everybody expects you to wear an iron mask and green cloak. But nobody knows that you exist nor where your obscure European country is actually located.

So you have tried everything: you brought the Chess World Championship to your capital in your position as the President of the World Chess Federation. You introduced mandatory chess lessons in schools, but still nobody really remembers you, your republic nor heard of a chess child prodigy…

Here is what you do: You go on television and tell everyone you have been abducted by aliens.

This is what Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President / Economic Dictator of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia did. And – Wow! – it worked. Because now I know where Kalmykia is.
In case you are interested, too: Kalmykia.

Only Freaks have no Guns (in Afghanistan)

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I just read an interesting piece in this month’s Geo Magazine about the U.S. Army’s HTS (Human Terrain System) program in Afghanistan. The HTS recruits ethnologists and sociologists and brings them to the war theatre to better understand the tribal cultures of Afghanistan.

Somebody figured out after four years (the HTS started in 2006) that it might be useful to listen to and learn from the people there what is important for them, what motivates them, how do they earn their living, what they want and what they need. Turns out it unravels actual insights into Pashtun communities, helps to understand why some sympathize with the Taliban and how to win them back.

However, the most intriguing quote for me was this one:

Many civilian ethnologists complain that their colleagues in combat carry guns. This would  contradict the scientific rule not to put opposites under pressure. These scientists obviously have never been in Afghanistan. A gun is the last thing that would intimidate a Pashtun. Instead, he will consider someone not carrying a gun a freak.

Important knowledge.