What we learned this week

• Data wranglers and printers are the true rulers of the world.

• An email written in text-speak, all caps and with multiple exclamation marks does not communicate or convey what you think it is communicating and does nothing to facilitate a dialogue to address whatever it was that made you write it in the first place. 

• There are no longer any seasons. Instead there is too hot, too cold, too wet, often in deadly combinations.

What we learned this week

• You should not wait until social media happens to you. 

• "39% of people surveyed said they would feel no impact if their local newspapers shut down. 30% said it would have a minor impact, but only 28% said the impact would be major, according to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. About three-quarters of respondents to the survey of 2,251 U.S. adults said they wouldn’t be willing to pay anything for online news if their newspapers failed to survive."

• It seems that beyond all the discussions of buzzy “branded journalism,” adding “game layers” to everything and replacing ironic air quotes with ironic air hashtags, the main reason to attend this year's SXSWi was to be able to get a brand new iPad 2 on the day of release at Apple’s SXSW pop-up store with a minimal amount of waiting in line. SXSWi is growing too big, too fast, for its own good.

What we learned this week

• The rebranding of Starbucks has infused their stores with a vibrancy and playfulness that wasn't there before. 

• The launch of the iPad 2 once again provided long, baffling lines at Apple Store's nationwide. 

• The Elements of Content Strategy by Erin Kissane is a must read for everyone. Really, everyone. Buy multiples and hand them to prospective clients with your proposals. 
• The story behind the success of Angry Birds is as fascinating as the game itself. 

• The massive earthquake that hit Japan moved the island 8 feet and shifted the Earth's axis. It goes without saying, the news from Japan continue to startle us. The destruction is almost incomprehensible, and the repercussions will not be fully understood for days. The Big Picture has some harrowing images. We hope all our Japanese friends and their families are safe. The Huffington Post has a comprehensive list of earthquake relief options and how to help.

It's 2011 and it is pretty much safe to say that at this point in the evolution of the human species we all know someone that is different from us, different race, different gender, different sexuality, different nationality. Just different, and yet all the same. Pain unifies us.

When I woke up to see the news of the earthquake I was overcome with a profound sadness and an immediate fear for the people I've met and worked with that come from Japan, live and work in Japan. Like everyone I know I jumped on Facebook and Twitter to try to connect maybe even help. It was obvious, it is still obvious that we are all sad and concerned. 

I wish we would all remember this feeling we are having for the people of Japan and afford each other the same level of compassion day to day. 

What We Learned This Week

• Douglas Coupland's idiosyncratic writing style is perfect for a Marshall McLuhan biography.

• All brainstorms should take place in a kitchen while someone is baking cookies from scratch. 

• Every meeting you've ever attended was a small version of Rashomon, everyone present experienced the whole thing differently.  

What We Learned This Week

• The titans of tech meet with President Obama and Microsoft is not at the table. Zuckerberg even wore a suit.
• You will pay for the 65 degree day in February with snow two days later.
• There is no pressure like sinus pressure.
• A project that's on time and on budget can turn into a project that's over-budget and three weeks behind within one short phone call.