Ok, maybe not right now as we’ve all got work to do. But I’m trying to make a point. Have you noticed a growing amount of “drunkenness” acceptability lately? I have. And as an Aussie that’s saying something.

I can’t remember exactly where this trend started formulating for me but we might as well start with the huge success of Texts From Last Night. The site where people submit the crazy drunken texts they find on their phone “the morning after” and the hilarity ensues. I remember watching as the site went from a simple blog roll to a slick revenue generating business.

Then there was a simple YouTube video that recorded people acting out historical events while drunk…hilarity, yet again, ensued. Fast forward to Funny Or Die getting involved and you’re watching A-list stars like Will Ferrell and Don Cheadle act out the rambling, then BAM, you have “Drunk History” on HBO!

Right now, I have to say that one of my favorite internet shows is Drunken Cooking.  If you have a spare moment, check it out. It’s a very simple but well executed idea: get drunk while making a cooking show.  There’s something about watching them struggle to work out consistencies when tripling a recipe that just cracks me up.

One of the most popular character from the alternative comedy “Tim & Eric Awesome Show” is Dr. Steve Brule -whom one can only hope is drunk.

And do you ever see the ladies of Slate’s Double X run an experiment on what it would be like to “drink like the cast of Mad Men” while running a magazine.  Their conclusion: It’s not pretty.

Are we all just checkin’ out a bit?  If not drinking away our own stress – then enjoying watching others do it?  Heaps of the articles “favorited” on DIGG seem to be drug or alcohol related. Are we Living Vicariously™ or being comforted by the fact that others out there are hitting it hard too?

What does this mean for say, advertising?  Maybe, Burger King could have actually capitalized on Hassellhoff’s drunken demolishment of that burger! Okay, that might be taking it a bit far (the video is actually pretty sad) but I’m just saying virals are always extreme.

The current state of the world obviously has something to do with the sharp rise in evidence in the Barely Legal™, Living Vicariously and Pacifiers™ Waves. To quote a Ben Harper song:

“Some drink to remember
some to forget
some for satisfaction
some for regret”

Can your product or service fill any of those needs? Or to quote the Pacifiers Human Truth™ “Make the World Go Away”?

When I lived in Japan, the notion of subway suicide wasn’t uncommon sadly. Tired, exhausted businessmen with no family and nothing to look forward to but more work were often associated with many suicides that occurred from train jumpers. But color may be trying to change all of that. East Japan Railway Co. has put blue LED’s in Tokyo’s most bustling subway system, the Yamanote line, which is used by around 8 million people a day.

Japanese color psychologists say that blue is often associated with sky and sea, and that it indeed has a calming effect on people, despite the lack of scientific backing. However if the showerheads that offer color combinations while you bathe are any example to go by, they definitely have soothing effects. All of this is to help an economy-worried nation avoid a record-breaking year in suicides, as Japan’s rate has gone from average to alarming on a rollercoaster of social and economic ups and downs.

“It was so affordable and patronized by many people that I was able to expand to 150 square meters in two months. Inquiries for franchising also came.”

The sheer nature of massages relaxes and comforts –so much so many consider them a form of alternative medicine and healing as hard times push people of all cultures to look for different ways to “make the world go away.” While no word has been out on spa centers doing economically well in the U.S., I daresay spas here continue to be viewed as a thing of luxury and not necessity…..yet.

And our Troops are not happy at meal times.
A hunger is never a good thing.  A hungry soldier is DEFINITELY a bad situation.

A special team of Australian military cooks had been rushed to Afghanistan to produce “Aussie food” after scores of soldiers complained about the Dutch-run mess at Tirin Kot military base, in southern Uruzgan province. “I think the issue is that it’s not Aussie food, it’s European food. It’s true that people have been quite strong in their views about the European food” Australia’s military commander Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston told lawmakers at a special defense budget hearing.

The Pacifier Wave is about “Life Cushions”. After long grueling hours of doing a job most of us would never want to do, a decent meal of familiar food should not be too much to ask for.  In fact Senator David Johnston called it “an insult”.

I’m not going to get into the finer points of the Australian palate here but suffice to say the Dutch-supplied food was reportedly lacking freshness and taste. “The least they could expect when they are deployed for six months is that they can eat proper food,” Johnston said.
As someone who is prone to tantrums when I get the tummy rumbles, I know food is one of the most satisfying pacifiers ever… so the defense spending on this cause gets a “thumbs up” from me!

It is true that our pets love us unconditionally, but it is also a brilliant observation of the new nature of people’s relationships with their pets. Dogs and cats have long been valued companions. Now, more so than ever, these creatures play an integral part in our emotional lives and in turn their needs are increasingly treated as near equal to our own, sometimes even more so. We have seen survey after survey showing that while consumers were willing to cut back spending in many areas, they were not willing to compromise on the quality of their pet products. We have come a long way since Jack London!

So, click here, break out the treats, cuddle up with your best furry friend, and enjoy.

But when does something go from being a “pacifier” to something more serious?

ie: A lobotomy is also a very effective pacifier too.

Some doctor’s know exactly where I’m coming from  They say: the procedure might also alter good memories and warned against an “accelerated Alzheimer’s” approach. “Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories. It may perhaps be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity.”

I understand the need to treat PTSD and other mental trauma.  I’m merely using this article as an example of how PACIFIERS have the potential to become “NUMB-ers” in our recession panicked, push button, pill popping, reactionary society these days.  It’s interesting to note the change of evidence in this wave over the last few quarters. It’s gone from gadgets to keep you warm at your desk to a huge spike in drugs and prostitution on Wall Street.  Just sayin…

Hello Kitty might be nightmarish to us for the same exact reasons Japanese females love the iconic cartoon feline: It’s cute, pink, and seemingly everywhere. In fact, its ubiquitous-ness is exactly what the director of Hau Sheng Hospital in Taiwan is hoping to bank on, emotionally as much as monetarily of course.

The entire hospital –from beds to furniture, blankets, appliances, uniforms, birth certificates, incubators, everything–is adorned in Hello Kitty. Director Tsai tsung-chi told Reuters he wished “that everyone who comes here, mothers who suffer while giving birth and children who suffer from an illness, can get medical care while seeing these kitties and bring a smile to their faces, helping forget about discomfort and recover faster.”

(Yeah Disney’s not jealous).

Soothing mothers and fussy newborns in maternity wards by throwing out the cold, neutral, stale, white of regular hospitals is one of those, “damn, why didn’t we think about that” ideas that come along from time to time disgusting us with their simplicity. And it’s simplicity that seems to resonate in life cushions. Pacifiers are about products and environments that take us away from the otherwise mundane and remind us of the happier things in life.

This year, retailers with a mix of emotional branding spots and promotional ads topped the list in a survey of consumers’ favorite holiday commercials. The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association survey finds Best Buy, Kohl’s, Old Navy and Toys R’ Us climbing the ranks this year, with Old Navy and Toys R’ Us cracking the top ten. –Ad Age

“Consumers are in an uncertain place this year, so they’re looking for warm and fuzzy,”

The holidays are already an emotional time and with budgets tightening and the economy shrinking there is a increased demand for things that comfort and soothe and the cheaper the better.

For many, the trips to the day spa, and expensive extras are going to be put on hold for a bit. So, we expect to see more and people looking for their creature comforts in smaller doses and a little closer to home.

Now is the time to think small. Small price, Small Portions, Small Indulgence,Small Distance, Big relief.

This evidence piece is a great example of how Pacifiers™ aren’t limited to just soft cozy safe comfort products and experiences. Comfort can come from sharp objects, loud noises, blunt force and a big mess. A truck in Japan called “A Place for Venting Anger” is selling itself as a place where you can smash plates. The sign in Japanese writings advertises it’s as 200 yen per session, the equivalent of about $2.19. We’re wondering if that means $2 a plate or you bring your own plates and they clean up the mess, because seriously that’s the only thing keeping many of us from breaking anything when we’re upset –the clean up. Otherwise, $2 to go crazy and forget why you were angry in the first place sounds like a pretty good deal to us.

Style blogger Suzy Bubble says:

I know I keep banging on about bloody Uniqlo but both the boyf and I have only recently roadtested the HeatTech range and with both of us sticking our cynical noses in the air at so-called ‘scientific facts’ (the fabric absorbs body moisture to create heat…), we were surprised and freaked out that they actually friggin’ work.  I’ve been jaunting around, standing at bus stops for long lengths of time in nothing but a longsleeve Heat Tech tee and actually physically feeling the heat on my back, whilst onlookers in puffa jackets are wondering whether I’m insane or a deranged Eskimo. I have one in nude and grey…I’ll be back for more…

Heat Tech gear is technologically superior to your average knit under-layer and it is inexpensive ( starting at around $12). The fabric helps keep you warm because the wicking action of the material removes moisture off of your skin and the fibers hold in heat by creating tiny pockets of warm air.

The Heat Tech line is rumored to be super comfortable and comes in a variety of great colors. Nothing Pacifies more than staying warm against the cold.