The online self publishing service Blurb has been around and well known in the do it yourself communities, but we thought with the summer heat wave killing us here on the East Coast, you might find yourself stuck indoors more than you’d like, with more time on your hands to unleash that inner creative being. The Do It Yourself series focuses on sharing tools and technology that make the traditional crafting realm spread its reach far beyond your corner sidewalk sale or flea market and take it to the masses and endless channels of the web.

Granted this may be a strike against the nature of DIY culture’s founding pillars, more and more artists have been embracing up and coming technologies and the web as a way to spread the reach of their once isolated zines and self published projects and publications. Like it or not, the argument is there, and technologies like Blurb are helping artists, and non-artists alike, do it themselves, tell their stories in refined and professional ways and change the landscape of what it means to share and creative exchange information. Check out their site and this little demo below which explains the book editing software they have created which you can use to publish your books (or for the more design savvy they recently started accepting adobe templates).

Getting Started with Blurb Booksmart from Blurb Books on Vimeo.

The hottest season of the year is classically associated with broken air conditioners, crowded pools, mad ice cream dashes, and other desperate measures to stay cool. Summer is also a time, however, when many cities celebrate certain films by showcasing them, typically for free, at prominent locations. Going to an outdoor movie is a great activity to do with friends, family, and even as a date. Here’s our rundown of the best places to see an outdoor movie in a major city near you!

Boston

WBZ Radio graciously sponsors “Free Friday Flicks” at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade every friday night, a hit with local Bostonians. Moviegoers usually bring blankets and picnics to these dusk showings (the schedule for which can be found here: http://www.celebrateboston.com/free-friday-flicks.htm) and getting there a little early to pick out a good spot is definitely a must.

The Boston Harbor Hotel’s “Movies by Moonlight” series is a fantastic opportunity to see some great classics down by the waterfront. Films are shown every Friday night (also starting at dusk) and include some great flicks, like Field of Dreams on the 16th and The Raiders of the Lost Ark on September 3rd. For the full schedule, check out, http://www.bhh.com/pdf/SummerSeriesBrochure_10.pdf

New York City

Rooftop Films is definitely a great place to start if you’re interested in the outdoor movie scene in the big city. With over 11 outdoor venues and constant showings, not to mention music performances, a great website, and even the opportunity to rent equipment for your own outdoor showing, RF is a fantastic activity for anyone without something to do on a nice summer night. Showings are typically on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, and a full schedule is available at http://www.rooftopfilms.com

HBO and Bryant Park have teamed up again to offer the “HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival,” which consists of movie showings every Monday night at around 8 or 9pm. The lawn opens up a little earlier for picnicking and the movie choices are fantastic (Monty Python and the Holy Grail on the 26th). The full schedule is available at http://www.bryantpark.org/plan-your-visit/filmfestival.html

Chicago

One of the more extensive city-run outdoor movie programs is Chicago’s “Movies in the Parks,” which prominently features family-friendly and generally excellent blockbusters in parks all over the city, and on almost every night of the week! Unfortunately, the website doesn’t allow one to search for movies based on a specific park, but the list is so long (over 160 screenings) that you’re bound to find something you like, at a convenient location. As is the trend, all movies are free and begin at either 8pm or 8:30pm each night. Check out http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/events.results/object_id/b85d63cb-6aec-45f0-8cdb-9c38d0a57e19.cfm for the full listings!

San Francisco

The website isn’t too strong, but the movie offerings definitely are. The San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation and Pop Secret have teamed up to offer six summer movies at three different parks around the city, all starting at dusk. The small number of shows means that there isn’t much flexibility (more of a planned activity than a spontaneous one), but the schedule is definitely worth checking out at the SFNTF website: http://www.sfntf.org/

Washington D.C.

D.C. has over TEN, that’s right, TEN different organizations playing movies outdoors this summer, in locations like the National Mall, the NoMA, and at the National Harbor. A full listing of all the locations and films is available here (courtesy of Suite101.com): . “Screen on the Green” seems to be the most popular D.C. tradition, offering four movies throughout the month of July and in the beginning of August. Take a look at the Washington Post’s review of the screenings for the schedule and details: http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/misc-events/screen-on-the-green,1044011/critic-review.html

Hey guys. Today I will finally venture away from the third person to write about my departure from Street Attack. I’m Preston Landers, and I’ve been an intern at Street Attack since February. On Monday, I leave for a semester abroad in Australia’s University of New South Wales. I’ll be a stones throw away from the Great Barrier Reef.

As a member of the Street Attack creative team, I contributed dozens of experiential and digital promotion proposals. In my time at the head of Street Attack’s social media, I increased our Twitter followers by nearly 100 and created the Facebook account that I have since helped to gain over 330 fans. Yet, beneath it all, it’s not the proposals I have written or the virtual friends I have amassed that I am most proud of – it is the actual experiences I participated in and the great friends I have made.

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity Street Attack has given me and this internship has most definitely influenced where my marketing career will head in the years to come. Street Attack has proved the perfect forum for me to “flex my creative muscles.” I’ll surely be attacking streets long after I’m outta here.

Preston

(Also, I managed to sneak a pretty great recipe for smoked salmon on this blog a few months ago. I recommend you find it and try it out. )

What is your education worth to you? At the Trade School in New York City, it can be anything from a mix tape of your favorite music to homemade bread to a “Magic Purple Pen.” The Trade School is an organization that allows for professionals, or those knowledgable in a particular subject, to teach anyone who’s interested a variety of classes, such as Business School for Artists or “CAVIAR: Demystified”, all in exchange for items like the ones described above. On the website, people can sign up to teach classes, take classes, offer space, or even partner with the organization.

Trade School first began as a collaboration between two organizations, OurGoods and GrandOpening, and was initially funded by Kickstarter, an organization we’ve featured on earlier blog posts. If anything, Trade School opens new doors in what it means to educate and what, exactly that education is worth, no matter the subject. If I were teaching a class, here are some things I’d ask for in return:
A list of some things you like to do for fun in the city
A fresh mango
A guitar lesson
Any freshly baked pie
A Dr. Seuss book
Help installing a “borrowed” copy of Photoshop on my computer (I hope nobody reading this works for Adobe)
For more information visit their site.

The advertising campaign making all the noise at last week’s Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival – even dubbed as “the future” by some judges – was Gatorade Replay. Blurring the lines of traditional advertising categories, Gatorade Replay pitted two high school football teams against each other. The interesting part? The teams weren’t filled with 17 year old students, but with 30 year olds ready to revisit a historic tie-game between the two rival teams in 1993.

The work of advertising agency TBWA, Gatorade Replay took the function of public relations, sales promotions, endorsements, advertising, and, of course, entertainment. 10,000 game tickets sold out in ninety minutes, Peyton and Eli Manning served as assistant coaches, and the event was even followed on SportsCenter. With just $225 thousand worth of paid media, news coverage earned Gatorade the equivalent of over $3.4 million worth of media.

Gatorade was most effective in tapping an untapped market. After high school, most of us discontinue the athletic activities that defined our afternoons. For many of us, a lack of exercise renders Gatorade unnecessary. With Gatorade Replay, a 100 year rivalry was rekindled along with the active lifestyles of the team members. The Gatorade Replay promotion inspired adults over 30 to engage in active lifestyles, which effectively expands Gatorade’s potential markets. And if “the future” entails encouraging exercise in adults to increase sales, then we’re fine with that.

The Fun Theory, a website sponsored by Volkswagen, aims to change people’s behavior by making an ordinarily mundane activity more fun. Seems pretty simple, right? Once some of the technology components are worked out, it’s amazing to see how, in fact, something so simple (and fun) can make a difference.

These days, everyone can recognize and understand the potential of a viral video. In this case, the Volkswagen brand is not predominately featured in each video (they aren’t driving VWs or wearing branded apparel). Instead, a small logo at the end is really the only thing that associates the car company with the idea and concept of the Fun Theory. In my opinion, this is rather admirable of them considering the level of branding in many of today’s YouTube videos, TV shows, and movies. If there’s a lesson to be learned from this campaign, it’s that some of the most successful marketing is often the simplest, and most importantly, the most fun.

Street Attack: Vision is the visceral manifestation of our eyes and ears on alternative culture, lifestyle, technology and experience. In this episode, we visit The Floorlords, a Boston-based b-boy group that has been changing lives and making move for nearly 30 years.

Street Attack: Vision Episode 2 The Floorlords from Mykim Dang on Vimeo.

The power of the people: in many topics, Wikipedia is officially more accurate than most encyclopedias. They even say that if you asked 100 people the weight of a cow, the average answer would be more accurate than a butcher’s guess. The masses have changed laws, sparked revolutions and, of course, started memes. But can we use the power of the people to help the people?

Thanks to the recent popularity of corporate social responsibility initiatives, the masses can unite under an organized head – like an international brand such as American Express- to rapidly make a difference. Lately, a few of these initiates have proved successful, benefiting the brand and the world alike. Check out our favorite brands using social action networks to produce a positive impact that goes beyond their consumer base:

American Express- Members Project
American Express is donating $1 million every three months. They’ve given us the responsibility of choosing the most worthy cause. Check the website at http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote to choose your favorite charity in the five categories to which they’ll split the $1 million prize: Arts and Culture, Community Development, Education, Environment and Wildlife, and Health and Wellness. American Express is also encouraging donations, and they’re even giving Membership Reward points to those who offer to volunteer at the competing charities.

Pepsi-Refresh Project
You probably missed Pepsi this Superbowl. Pepsi is known for putting out at least one multi-million dollar Superbowl ad every year. For this year, Pepsi decided to place that money into something a little more worthwhile: the Pepsi Refresh Project. Pepsi’s project is a lot like American Express’s – but anyone can submit any proposal. The best ideas will receive funding. And you can tell these initiatives were crowd-sourced as they represent hyper-local causes (like a high school’s video game club). Voting ends June 30th. Check it out: http://refresheverything.com

Crispin Porter + Bogusky
This Miami and Bolder based advertising agency is known for it’s crowdsourcing attempts. They even spawned a crowdsourcing-based advertising agency, Victors and Spoils (http://victorsandspoils.com/). After spurring up some crowdsourcing controversy in which they tried to crowdsource a logo for Brammo (the problem being that crowdsourcing talent devalues the designer), CP+B may have finally mastered the art of the crowdsource: they are asking us the best way to clean up BP’s oil spill. Seems like an ambitious idea, but at least CP+B is out to make a difference. And with our help.

Check out some of these absolutely stunning art pieces:

The cool part? They were made with alcoholic beverages. No, not under the influence of alcoholic beverages, but by taking extremely close-up photos of your favorite drinks.

http://bevshots.com sells these beautiful prints, and they come in dozens of flavors from beers to cocktails to wines. They’re made after crystallizing an alcoholic drink on a lab slide, then taking a detailed photograph with the help of a microscope – a process developed by a professor at Florida State University. Each piece actually takes a couple months, and the results speak for themselves. The website can even help you find the best beverage to match your home wall. So… what’s your favorite drink look like?

White Russian:

Margarita:

Rum and Coke:

Pina Colata:

We’ve all seen the commercials that match you to a “compatible” member using questionnaires about how spontaneous and funny you are, or if you like scary movies, etc.  Online dating websites, or “connection sites,” in a way, help people get in touch with like-minded individuals who share passions and interests that may not come up in a first conversation.  Although these websites may seem ridiculous to the lay-user, a niche market indeed exists for their services.  Who knows, maybe a website for “that thing you’ve always wanted to do, but were afraid to bring up” is out there somewhere, too.  Here are some ones we thought were innovative, curious, and a little humorous.

Cheekd.com distinguishes itself from many other sites out there because it combines a real-life “first impression” with a follow-up interaction online.  Members pay for a pack of 50 business cards which display a personalized code that the recipient then enters on the Cheekd website to get more information about you.  The cards, according to the site, “charm and pique the curiosity of your intended.”  How you choose to dole out the cards, however, is up to you.

For all of you Apple fanboys with your nifty iDevices and Steve Jobs screensavers, Cupidtino.com gives you the chance to watch your Apple TV with someone who likes those products just as much as you do.  The website, itself, closely resembles Apple’s, so you’ll feel right at home!  An Apple device is even required to make an account, to keep all the riff-raff (PCs) off of the site. You might even find a priceless Apple employee who can help you out with that discount you’ve always wanted (one-year warranty not included).

In the same satire that the website is known for, personals.theonion.com “is the eclectic online community for people who already have a life!”  This site approaches online dating with a little more humor than some of the other ones out there, and is probably for those individuals who aren’t afraid of a little joke at their own expense.

Womenbehindbars.com is a professional service that sets you up with “women who are incarcerated in prisons all over America.”  Since these women don’t have access to the Internet, all correspondence is done via snail mail.  The website advertises these women as looking for, “love, marriage, penpals, and a good solid relationship with men and women in the free world.”  If you’re the kind of person who likes to get to know someone (for a couple of years) before entering into anything serious, this may be the site for you.

420dating.com: Forget these other dating sites – they’re half-baked. 420dating is the go-to personals site for those of you hazily thinking, “Why toke alone?” While 420dating doesn’t advocate the use of any illegal substances, the site provides a “smoker friendly” atmosphere and – we’re guessing – one of the best forgotten-password-retrievers in the industry.

City folks just don’t get it! FarmersOnly has 100,000 registered agricultural lovers, cowboys, and livestock owners, 200 of which have already married. “This is not a geographic area,” says founder Jerry Miller, “this is a slice of America with good old fashioned traditional values, values that were never lost by the farmer.” The site was started after a few cowgirls had enough with the popular ‘city-folk’ dominated dating sites.

Pounced.org: We told you there’s a dating site for everyone. Only the dating site era could spawn a visible congregation of an entirely secret and disturbing community: the Furries. Pounced.org is THE dating website for those singles who could otherwise never bring up their love of animal suits on a date (or on their work shift at Disney).

Are you a vampire? Are you a human who wants to date a vampire? Well, there’s a dating site for that: Lovebitten.net.

I hope you caught that last one. Truth is, despite our culture’s new love of all things vampire and Twilight, there’s no such thing as vampires. So why’s there a dating site? HBO crafted the Lovebitten.net site and commercials for their viral promotions of TrueBlood, a show about – you guessed it – vampires.

Chances are, nothing has caught your attention for Apple fan-boys, farmers, or …furries… like the idea that an online community exists to support them. Dating sites represent vibrant communities that would be otherwise ignored, and seeing a dating site about an unknown society sheds a new light on your day-to-day interactions. That’s how HBO hopes to keep TrueBlood on your mind, and that’s why Internet dating sites are so successful. Yes, they remove that much-needed opening awkwardness and the importance of a spontaneous connection, but Internet personals skip the awkward stuff and head straight to that make-or-break personality trait. So whether you’re using a dating site to connect with thousands of people who wont fault you for a passion or you’d just like to use the idea of the community to spur interest, the power of a network is undeniable.