Obsessive. Compulsive. Anything but Disorderly.

January 10, 2007 12:13 PM

Some people keep track of their receipts. Others keep track of their goals. And then there's Nicholas, an artist/designer and DJ who chronicled his 26,059 iTunes tracks played, his 859.5 social drinks (including 293 Stella Artois) consumed, his 30,724 airmiles traveled, and, yes, his 49 cat photos in his own personal 2006 Annual Report. (via Coudal)
posted by Alt F4 (27 comments total)

I don't know. I'm not sure I see any real improvement from last year's results.

Seriously, this is major OCD and kind of exhibitionist but also very entertaining. He can't spell "Sufjan Stevens", but I'll easily forgive him that.

Who needs blogs?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:21 PM on January 10, 2007

If he has an annual report, does that mean he's trying to attract investors? Or perhaps he has some?

I invest a lot in my children; perhaps I'll make them generate these reports, as soon as they're old enough to write their names.
posted by davejay at 12:31 PM on January 10, 2007

He doesn't quote his sources. How are we supposed to know if this is accurate?
posted by Roger Dodger at 12:33 PM on January 10, 2007

I had a teacher who did something similar, releasing a calendar of cars he had ridden in, and giving awards for his contact with people.
posted by drezdn at 12:40 PM on January 10, 2007

I tracked all the different beers I tried between the end of March until the end of the Year. 96 different bottles of beer on the wall. It is a strange thing to see a year of your beer.

[there would have been more but I exhausted the locally available options]
posted by srboisvert at 12:45 PM on January 10, 2007

Not really so much an annual report as an "annual report".
An Annual Report implies some communication of how an entity has evolved and some sort of forecast of how that evolution fits into the future. The way it looks to me these numbers are static and superficial. The pictures are pretty to look at though...
posted by Skygazer at 12:53 PM on January 10, 2007

What a great idea, as opposed to a personal diary, but as one's 'book'. However, is it just me, but the 'interface' sucks. Sucks I tell ya.

The combination of making it look like a printed piece cum web page... Go ahead, click on the 'books read'. Do you end up in books¿ No. You still have to tab right a few times to get to the printed yellow 'books' section.

That's not all, click on any 'book read'...you'll end up in 'Drinks'. A web page with a crap link...ooops.

Click on any of the page icons...all lead to the same spot. Foolin' with me eh¿

Hmm, hasn't read much.

If the purpose of any design is to be clear...this 'aint. A tad convoluted in a convoluted kind of way. What CD has the time to dig through that.
None.

Wait, it's meant as a printed piece, but presented with live links as a web page¿ I'm confused, what about the end user¿
Same confusion.
That's a campaign, shall we say¿
But good on him.

Love that cloudal though.
posted by alicesshoe at 12:59 PM on January 10, 2007

Hmm. Can't spell "Williamsburg". Doesn't read many books. Eats a lot of sushi and goes to a LOT of bars (29 in July!)

Intruiging really. I know a lot about this guy now. He knows people I know, even. Still, I don't think I'd like to hang out with him...

On the other hand, I'd definitely want to hang out with Mr Greenwood, er, srboisvert. Or at least have a beer with em.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 1:02 PM on January 10, 2007

#5 under "most played mixes" is pretty neat.
posted by juv3nal at 1:08 PM on January 10, 2007

Where's the really important information?

How often did he get laid? How many different sexual partners? How often did he get rejected?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:16 PM on January 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah and the navigation blows...
posted by Skygazer at 1:17 PM on January 10, 2007

Jesus, life is too short for such nonsense. Just live it, don't catalog it.
posted by caddis at 1:23 PM on January 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I liked the typefaces.
posted by contessa at 1:25 PM on January 10, 2007

Not really so much an annual report as an anal report.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 1:27 PM on January 10, 2007 [3 favorites]

where are you guys finding the links? you mean clicking on a page to go to "turn" the page? I can't find any links, or navigation, but it is pretty. But really, what kind of man drinks this much Stella Artois?
posted by headless at 1:32 PM on January 10, 2007

This is scary. This is awesome. I'm confused.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 1:53 PM on January 10, 2007 [2 favorites]

Seems like the social drinks tally would be somewhat inaccurate near the end of the night.
posted by smackfu at 1:58 PM on January 10, 2007

I'm not sure I see any real improvement

Indeed, he goes down in some areas ...
miles run: 181.5 vs. 218 (83%)
countries visited: 3 vs. 7 (43%)
airmiles: 30,724 vs. 59,572 (52%)
photos: 2,721 vs. 3,754 (72%)

But up in others ...
iTunes tracks played: 26,059 vs. 16,862 (155%)
web pages served: 278,871 vs. 107,929 (258%)



Personally, I thought the design was great, and really appreciated the data representation. Odd? Sure. But I thought it was interesting.

Those of you carping on the web interface must have missed the front page, where he notes "This year's report was conceived as a booklet to be distributed later this month. ... If you would like to receive a printed copy ..."

headless - the only links I saw were on this page. Some MP3s on the bottom-right.
posted by Alt F4 at 2:00 PM on January 10, 2007

ONLY 49 cat pictures? Lazy.
posted by wendell at 2:06 PM on January 10, 2007

if you focus on these statistics, can you force out all contemplation of the outside world? whatever spins your wheels, I suppose. I bet a decade of this and he could release his own personal version of 'trivial pursuit'
posted by Busithoth at 2:10 PM on January 10, 2007

I think if I tried to compile accurate statistics of everything I did and consumed I'd end up sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing so I could escape from the insane pressure of cataloging.

Except for then I'd have to catalog # of days sitting on couch, doing nothing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
posted by papercake at 2:26 PM on January 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I think if I tried [snip] I'd end up sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing so I could escape from the insane pressure

Not an uncommon behavior among people that actually are obsessive compulsive, papercake.
posted by teece at 2:37 PM on January 10, 2007

Timeline 2007: The North American present is totally consumed by chronicling the past and messing up the future.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:51 PM on January 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm still stuck on 859 "social drinks." Man, that's a lot of booze, and I'm a fan of all things booze. Plus, he went to 94 friggin' bars...94....what is he, Norm on Cheers?
posted by Muddler at 3:53 PM on January 10, 2007

I don't even drink really, but if I tried to sit down and think of all of the bars I'd been to in 2006, the number would at least make it to the 70s or 80s.

More importantly, this is awesome. The concept is funny, but the design is what made it really sweet. I've already emailed him asking how I can get a copy.

Also, to people saying this is mental masturbation, I would say that this is more compelling as autobiography than most, and definitely more informative than the committee-written celebrity memoirs.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:42 PM on January 10, 2007

Norm on Cheers?

I haven't watched Cheers, but didn't Norm only stick to one bar, the titular Cheers, where I'm informed everyone knows your name, possible as a result of a protracted identify theft campaign.

It is rather good. Don't be a hater.
posted by oxford blue at 7:28 PM on January 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

Is he going to give himself a $210M bonus?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:32 PM on January 10, 2007