Taboo Plaza

Added to You Tube 1/29/08, the video below demonstrates a couple of critical points to always keep in mind when dealing with the future.

The first point illustrated- in this video- is that not everything in this world is simple to understand.  It would seem from all of the front line news organizations that the foregone conclusion is that global warming is fact.  It is happening and we're all going to die (by the way, that much is true- we are all going to die.)  The San Jose Mercury News quoted Stanford sophomore Sabine Bergmann saying that the study of global warming is "new and cutting-edge." 

So apparently it is not only dire, but it's also hip and cool.

Cheetos could only hope for a campaign slogan that cool.  Imagine how many bags of chips would move if you could sell the youth on Cheetos being "new and cutting-edge."  However, the argument made in the You Tube video seems reasonable.  Especially if you couple that information with our winter in North America this year. 

It's been cold. 

Atleast 60 deaths in China have been attributed to what's been called "the worst winter weather to hit...China in decades."  In Canada, terms such as "heavy snowfall," "brutal ice storm" and "intense cold temperatures" are being used to describe their winter.  In response, some Canadian residents are bracing themselves, being "crippled"  or "hoping to hit friendly skies."  In Midland Texas, apparently "locals shouldn't be surprised by any out of the ordinary arctic blasts."

Those are not the signs of a planet getting hotter year after year.  If my memory serves me right, a couple of winters ago it seemed that the planet might be getting warmer because little snow was falling.  In many areas this year, people don't seem to be complaining about a lack of snow.  Which leads to the next point...

The second point illustrated- in this video- is that anyone can baffle you with enough fifteen-dollar-words, pie charts and diagrams.  I don't pretend to understand anything that is being said in the video, but after watching it I have to say that it seems reasonable.  I don't know why, but it is reasonable in the same vein as the person who will debate that my observation on how cold this winter is really doesn't contradict global warming.  Someone out there has an explanation for everything and some of those people are charismatic enough to let you believe what they're saying. 

People are the key to all of this, because the world is revealed to people through our senses.  This doesn't mean we actually see what is really happening.  It simply means that our observations lead us to believe what we think we see, which seques to the third point...

The third point illustrated- in this video- is that people apparently love to panic and be afraid.  People feared our global internet structure crumbling due to the year rolling over to 2000 would cripple our civilization.

When I was a child the fear du jour was "Stranger Danger."  As I've grown older, I think I was supposed to be afraid of drugs, drinking & driving, recession, stag-flation, Ross Perot (actually I was a little bit afraid of that guy,) Crips & Bloods, nuclear war, Russians, Iranians, terrorists, Mike Huckabee, the Democrats, the Republicans, Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, George W. Bush, the president getting a blow job, hepatitis, actors ruining my children and the list continues ad naseum. 

This perpetuating fulfillment in fear (for lack of a better term) seems to suggest that my kids' kids should probably just discontinue feeling any emotion other than shades of fear. 

People apparently love fear.  The beauty of fear- from one angle- is that it is easy to implant information into the minds of a populace through a fear sugar coating.  If you doubt that statement, ask yourself how you feel about communism and then come up with a rational reason why you think it is bad. 

My 11-year old daughter said, "Because they tell people what to do." 

As if capitalists don't.

For me the fourth point illustrated (in all of this) is that I prefer to keep things simple.  I like to accept the proverbial gut check.  Does something make sense?  If it does- it's good.  If it doesn't- it's bad. 

Would this work on a worldwide scale? 

Go back to my fourth point and reread it.  "For me" is the key. 

Does it work on a worldwide scale? 

I can't help but think that if we move away from trying to control one another to focusing firmly and intently on ourselves and our own immediate spheres of influence then I it does work on a worldwide scale. 
To quote Lennon, "You may say that I'm dreamer..." 

I say that dreams make good things happen.  Show me a man who developed something good on a chalkboard and I'll show you the creator of the atomic bomb. 

That's life.

Don't be afraid to dream beyond your next point of purchase.

Current Affairs

January 14th the Messenger spacecraft took snapshots of the planet Mercury.  Pictures of the closest planet to our Sun began to arrive back on Earth early last week.  Scientists- and the world- can now see a side of Mercury that had previously remained hidden from human eyes.



This is our second unmanned spacecraft launched to take photos of Mercury.  Called the Messenger, this project launched 33 years after our last space project, Mariner 10.  The journey from Earth to Mercury spans 2 billion miles.  Scientists expect to have Messenger orbiting the innermost planet in our solar system by 2011.

Among the images delivered to Earth by the Messenger include photos of the Caloris Basin (upper left to center in the photo below.) 



The Caloris Basin is an impact site that's believed to spread more than 950 miles wide.  Scientists think the basin was created by a large asteroid striking the surface of Mercury.  Within the Caloris Basin sits the "Spider."



The "Spider" stands out as a remarkable geological formation because its type hasn't been observed anywhere else in the solar system.



The photo above spans 300 miles of Mercury's surface.






News from the U.S. presidential election front: John Edwards drops out of the Democrat race and Rudolph Guiliani drops out of the Republican race. 

On Wednesday 1/30/08, Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Mitt Romney took part in a four man debate from the Ronald Reagan Library in California.

On Thursday 1/31/08, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took part in a two person debate in California.





On the Republican side of the race, we have the ability to vote for Mike Huckabee or Ron Paul but it seems more likely that race has narrowed to a two man contest between John McCain and Mitt Romney (that is unless Paul and Huckabee supporters arrive to the polls in undetected quantities.)  Many have observed that the Democrat side of the ticket will make history if either of their candidates win.

If Barack Obama wins the presidency, he will be the first black man to hold the office.



If Hillary Clinton wins the U.S. presidency, she will be the first woman to hold the office.



However, history will be made if the Republicans take the White House as well.

If John McCain wins he would be the first U.S. President to have served and fought in Vietnam. 

If Mitt Romney wins he would be the first Mormon to hold the office.



This is an interesting election year. 

Get out and vote.




Our Nation is Now Dumber for This…Thank You for Your Participation!

Doing things is what I like to do.  I absolutely despise this ad campaign.

Don't get me wrong, I generally hate all forms of advertisement on general principle alone.  The primary reason being that I consider most ads to be nothing more than mind garbage that clogs up the intellectual atmosphere in America.  However, I really dislike Dunkin Donuts latest ad campaign.

Doing things is what I like to do.

Let's really explore that sentiment.  From the most efficient- and banal- aspect of the commercial as a form of expression, its primary function is to draw attention to a product or service.  Attention- in and of itself- is really not enough though.  When you pay money for an advertisement you don't just want people to know your product is there, you also want people to get on their feet and seek out your product for purchase.  So we can most likely agree that generating actionable interest in a product or service is the true primary function of an advertisement.  Now you don't want that actionable interest to be negative, because then people will destroy your product and you won't make any money. 

Keep in mind people pay money to create and distribute advertising. 

A commercial at its most basic level should generate actionable, positive interest in a product or service.  Doing things is what I like to do.  What does that say?  I understand that at the most basic level we are all doing things all of the time.  Even when we're not doing anything: we're still doing something.  So that must be included in the envisionable expanse of the message that Dunkin Donuts has accepted within their spectrum of actions to promote within its target audience.  People that aren't doing any-"thing" should buy donuts, because any-"thing" is really some-"thing."

Thing. 

It's such a vague word.  You might even consider "thing" to be an obtuse word.  By obtuse I mean, dull or unobservant.  What do you think of when you hear (or read) the word "thing?"  As far as "thing's" capacity to explain what we're doing, it never serves any purpose but to leave the recipient of the response with a clarifying question.

"What are you doing?"

"Some-thing.  No-thing.  Any-thing."  Those answers lead to some other question or confusion.  The word "thing" doesn't tell you any-"thing."

Now if the word doesn't tell you anything what kind of emotion will it generate in other people?  It's hard to say because the word is so vague.  Everyone may share the same positive or negative emotion when they hear "thing."  Everyone may vary on a scale of 1 to 10 in intensity of like or dislike for the sensation they feel when they hear "thing."

It's all their own baby and who could really hazard to guess how other people react to "thing."  I'm pretty clear on how most people will feel when I say "puppies," "baby" or "Charles Manson."  As an advertiser- or the purchaser of an advertising service- I would like to feel a degree of certainty about how the ad will make people feel.  Good or bad, I don't think I'd make a gamble on how my face will be received upon first impression.  I'd want to go with some tried and true methods if I'm shelling out cash.

Doing things is what I like to do.

My daughter tells me I'm way off base here.  She loves the commercial, but I intimidate her right now so she can't offer me a reasoned response for supporting why she likes the commercial.  (I think it's probably the melody of the song- it is pleasant but I can't get past the words.)

I hate television advertisements specifically as a form of advertisement.  I'm not saying anybody should do anything about them.  I just personally don't like most of them.  For the few that I see that I'm amused by, I wouldn't be sad if I never saw another television advertisement again.

The only thing worse than a bad advertisement is a bad advertisement that doesn't even seem to accomplish its primary purpose.

Doing things is what I like to do.



Questions of the Week

Who did you help this week?  Did someone benefit from your existence?  Did you benefit from your own?  Was it all worth it this week?

What will you do differently next week?  Would you describe that as a move forward or a move backward? 

(It doesn't matter how you interpret that last question just answer the question.)

Tip of the week



Don't bet on the horses.

Birthday Shout Outs (Feb. 3rd to Feb. 9th)

2/3

(1941) Dory Funk Jr.- He was the NWA World Heavyweight Champion back when being a champion meant something.  Some say he was the greatest. 
Personally, I liked his brother Terry better.
(1947) Dave Davies- The Kinks made a lot of great music.

(1960) Kerry Von Erich- He comes from an unusually tragic family, but he had thousands of people cheering for him on a regular basis. 
Personally, I liked his brother Kevin better.

2/4

(1913) Rosa Parks- She provides a wonderful example for what can be accomplished by simplying asserting your right.
(1941) John Steel- The Animals made some great music as well.

2/5

(1940) H.R. Giger- Although I'm not a fan of "Aliens," Giger's artwork is technically amazing.


(1962) Jennifer Jason Leigh- On this list solely for her work in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

2/6

(1564) Christopher Marlowe- Some believe he wrote the literature for which Shakespeare received credit.  It's really a crazy story of death and intrigue.
(1895) Babe Ruth- He inspired generations and proved that heroes don't have to be moral people.
(1911) Ronald Reagan- He was the 40th President of the United States of America.
(1931) Mamie Van Doren- She was a hottie.
(1945) Bob Marley- He's uplifted millions.

2/7

(1812) Charles Dickens- A brilliant writer.  His visions of Christmas still haunts people.
(1885) Sinclair Lewis- His book "The Jungle" is stark and depressing but a crucial read to honestly understand America's origins.
(1962) Garth Brooks- A very talented performer.

(1966) Chris Rock- He's a funny man.

2/8

(1924) Audrey Meadows- She was a central part of "The Honeymooners" success, although on some of those early shows I thought she was getting punched for sure.
(1961) Vince Neil- Motley Crue was a great band until they released their third album.

(1974) Seth Green- Another funny guy.

2/9

(1773) William Harrison- He was the 9th President of the United States of America.
(1943) Joe Pesci- "What do you mean by funny?"

 

Belly Laugh

Will Ferrell is up with Carvey, Murphy and Farley as being among the funniest guys to have ever been on Saturday Night Live.