Manic Friday

Dear Wieden + Kennedy,
Thank you for the reminder of all the reasons why I won't be venturing into Target this Black Friday. Since being trampled by crazed, sleep-deprived hausfraus isn't on my Christmas list, I'll be sure to spend my day at home with the leftover turkey and get that external hard drive I need next week from Best Buy. Or, you know, Walmart.

Happy Holidays!

Drink Responsibly

I recently visited Starbucks, and noticed that they no longer automatically give you the cardboard sleeves... a step away from gratuitous waste that I was happy to see. But the Betacup project is taking the idea much further: they have created a virtual space where aspiring designers can submit ideas for a sustainable alternatives to the disposable paper cup. The prize is funded by the community at the moment (currently $2,842) and the site functions as a platform for constructive criticism and feedback that the designers can access and incorporate into ongoing modifications in their designs. The project seems like a win-win: a sustainable goal achieved through independent/grassroots creativity, funded by social philanthropy and facilitated through a community-building application of social media. I am looking forward to the day that the cup will no longer be a Betacup but a Starbucks cup, an office kitchen cup, a summer snow cone cup. Thanks Denuology for the tip!

P.S. For an example of a sustainable cup in action, visit the Fair Bean Coffee shop in Austin TX and sip some of their Red Espresso™ from a cup made of corn!