(Psssst…between you and me, you can watch the first minute then skip to 7:25. Even then it’s not great. I got really bored and wanted to turn it off at about 3:45. How about you? Via the marvelous people at the Denver Egotist.)

I’ve learned a bunch of things from my three-year-old son, but the most helpful has been the power of the never-ending question.

It goes like this:

‘Daddy, why do I have to put my socks on?’
‘Because we’ve got to go out soon.’
Why?’
‘Because we’re going to the cinema.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you wanted to go and see Up.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you liked the house with the balloons when we saw the poster.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. You liked the bright colours.’
‘Why?’
‘Ummmm…because bright colours make you feel happy.’
‘Why?’
‘I have no idea. Interesting question though.’

I like the fact that questions never really end. When you’re an adult you are conditioned to accept things as convention presents them, without probing further.

But that’s a crappy way to go about things.

The perpetual question ‘Why?’ is a great way of getting to the root of the matter and working out whether it should be done a certain way or reappraised and improved.

It also helps to work out questions such as illustration vs photography, or director A vs director B.

Or ‘Why have I written a blog post just like one of Dave Trott’s, only with less insight?’

Hand from Above from Chris O'Shea on Vimeo.

And here’s a poem about Roman Polanski.

And I think all the other Oscar contenders can just pack up their stuff and go home. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner:

And from the excellent Escape Pod blog:

I haven’t watched this yet, but the combination of it being recommended by someone whose taste I trust implicitly (thanks, A), and the fact that it’s Rory ‘I never do anything even remotely shit’ Sutherland, leaves me no option but to chuck it up here anyway.

UPDATE: I’ve watched it now. It didn’t let me down.

I’ve just found a really nice house I’d like to buy:

Unfortunately, it costs $2,395,000, or £1,511,041, which is currently a little expensive for me.

However, it does have five bedrooms (you can check out the floorplan on this link), so by my reckoning, that’s only £302,000 ish for each of five people sharing.

Pros: designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; the most beautiful house in the world; in California.

Cons: a bit close to Fresno (crystal meth capital of the US); long commute to London.

If you’re interested, drop me an email and we’ll see what we can sort out.

If you’re at a loose end on Wednesday, why not get yourself down to the Newburgh Street area (it’s that cobbled street parallel to Carnaby St with the White Horse on it)?

If you do, you can take part in this:

Newburgh street advertising agency Dye Holloway Murray are embracing the Autumn weather by organising the first Newburgh Quarter Conker Championship. The event is open to anyone who would like to play this quintessentially British game. To get involved grab a conker and pop down to Newburgh Street at 1pm on Wednesday 14th of October. There will be rosettes for the winners, cider for the losers and certificates for every competitor.

Anyone else who wants a mention on ITIABTWC (Missing cat? Want to sell a pair of trainers but can’t work Ebay?) feel free to email me.

It doesn’t appear to be on YouTube yet, but here’s a link to it on Shots.

I think it’s been well shot and puts across a good point in a way that makes the most of the medium.

(Interest declared: the creatives were my friends Steve and Jo. Well done, guys. The director was Benito Montorio who I have never met, so he’s no friend of mine, but you know, maybe if we went for a pint or something that could all change.)

I received an email today from a ‘senior account manager’ at M&C Saatchi.

He wanted to know if I’d spread the word about this 24-hour film thingie they’re organising.

Well, why not, I thought.

So I wrote this post.

(By the way, the thing that really swung it for me was the involvement of Alan Yentob as a judge. I’m impressed. Not that the other judges are shabby, but he’s really quite famous for proper things, like being Creative Director of the BBC.)

Frank Budgen’s new ad for Fallon Minneapolis (thanks, L):

And this, which was the best script this year, and has fortunately turned out to be the best ad (thanks, H):

(Shot by Matthias Van Heijningen)

UPDATE: More umbrella ‘magic’, this time from Rupert Sanders (Thanks, S).