Categories
What I Think

Missed Again

Link: Australia 2020 – www.australia2020.gov.au.

So Prime Minister Rudd has announced the list of 1000 Australians to join him for the 2020 Summit on April 19 and 20, 2008. The first that strikes me is the list is only 887. What’s up K.Rudd; couldn’t find another 117 mates to fill out the ten tons?

And there lies the biggest problem. Far from this being a summit to consider Australia’s future, the 2020 gabfest is nothing more than a big thank you to supporters of the government during the Nov 07 election, with a few intellectual types thrown in to make the show look good.

Where are the big thinkers? There’s not a single person on this list that could hold their own at a TED Conference. And that’s what Australia should be aiming for.

Categories
What I Think

A Brilliant Ad

But it’s an even better ad for why advertising is the best way for you to lose money. Imagine your product is the subject of this ad, and the basketball is the crazy mixed up world of marketing.

Categories
What I Think

Scarlett Johansson’s $42,000 date – Film – Entertainment – smh.com.au

Crap photo but an absolute bargain.

Link: Scarlett Johansson’s $42,000 date – Film – Entertainment – smh.com.au.

Categories
What I Think

More Fruity Porn

Link: Apple – MacBook Pro.

New MacBookPros and MacBooks released earlier today. Exxxxcellent!

Categories
What I Think

.com.au and 2 idiots

This is an extract from the SMH Tech Section 26th Feb 2008

“Australia Post executive and auDA board member Joshua Rowe agrees with Mr Delzoppo.

“I don’t think a million dollars is realistic for an Australian domain name,” he says.

“I see it as a pure real estate. If you think of buying domain names as like buying land, then what you are buying is ‘traffic’ – or the number of people who are coming to visit that site. That might be because they’ve typed a guess at the domain name directly into their browser, or come via a search engine or even got there by clicking on links from other sites. But what you’re paying for is the value of the traffic. And compared to the US sites the sites using Australian domain names don’t attract anywhere near the same level of traffic.”

Bruce Tonkin at Melbourne IT has a rule of thumb for comparing the prices of US and Australian domain names: divide by 100. “We’ll probably be offering a new service to our customers where we can help them to try and sell their domain names, if they don’t want to renew them. And, generally speaking, Australian domain names are worth about 100th of the prices people are paying for dotcoms.”

Mr Tonkin also cautions that the prices reported for domain name sales out of the US are often prices that include the website built on that name.”
—————————————————————————————————-
Right then. I have to things to say here. Firstly, Joshua Rowe is an idiot and proves that any one working for Australia Post knows nothing about the internet. Domains names are not like property and do not bring traffic. Domain names are your electronic brand on the internet. If a website owner is good enough at web marketing and search engine optimisation then traffic will come. If this wasn’t the case we would all go to amazon.com to find out about the biggest river in South America!

Fool #2. MelbourneIT’s Mr Bruce Tonkin believes .com.au domains are worth just 1/100th the value of a .com name. Well if that’s true you fucking thieving bastard, why does MelboureIT charge $70/per year (pro rata, because you can only by in 2 year blocks) when a .com domain is US$9.95 from someone like godaddy.com? Worth 1/100th. Costs 7 times more.

Thieves and idiots. On the internet they can be found everywhere.

Categories
What I Think

Scary

Categories
What I Think

iPod Touch Fee Free Upgrade Petition

Link: <a title="
Free APP For iPod Touch Petition” href=”http://www.petitiononline.com/freeappi/”>
Free APP For iPod Touch Petition.

Sign the petition to encourage Apple to make the 1.1.3 iPod Touch upgrade free for all!

Categories
What I Think

One of the worst movies ever made

I recently ‘won’ tickets to see a Mystery Movie at Palace Verona last night. The previso was I had to complete a survey about the film at its conclusion. The movie was Be Kind Rewind starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow directed by Michel Gondry.
This is not a review of the entire movie because I walked out after an hour which was 30 minutes after a lot of other people.
The first hour was confused, slow moving and stupid. Would the next 35 minutes be any better? I assumed not. When asked to complete a survey about the movie by the movie’s Australian distributor, Roadshow, I simply wrote “RUBBISH” over the top of the page.
Who ever green-lighted this production should never be allowed to approve movie production again.
Utter crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

Categories
What I Think

The Swashbuckler’s Code

I was fortunate enough to meet George Betsis in 1992, the very first year he (with Phil Atkinson) ran The Advertising School. The model for TAS was then adopted by AWARD but that’s another story altogether.

Being a legend in advertising, George was interviewed regularly by the trade publications but one article in 1996 stands out from all the rest. In this Q&A session George outlined the Swashbuckler’s Code; 13 rules for men to live their lives.

For many years I lived my life by these rules until, over time, the seriousness of life takes over from swashbuckling.

From this day forth I re-pledge myself to the Code (although #9 I’m still working towards)

With no one’s permission, but my thanks to George, here be the Swashbuckler’s Code:
1. I live life with passion everyday.
2. I devote at least 10% of my time to creating unforgettable adventures.
3. I dream big dreams, and take big risks.
4. I am magnetic, and inspire other people to swashbuckle.
5. I follow my heart, and trust my instincts.
6. I am a lover and a romantic.
7. I am a gentleman and a rogue.
8. I have a sparkle in my eye, a swagger in my walk and fire in my loins.
9. I am strong, fit and super healthy.
10. I love life with every fibre of my being.
11. I take photos and collect trophies.
12. I have no regrets and make no excuses.
13. On observing me in full flight, others think ‘my, he’s a thrusting chap!’

Categories
What I Think

Is Radio Really Dead

Yesterday was a interesting 24 hours in the media cycle. In the morning, I get an email announcing radio was dead. Although I don’t listen to any commercial radio anymore, I was surprised to hear it was dead. But then again, this story seems to come around every year or so. And still I’m pretty sure that there are still radio stations out there.
Link: RIP radio? – Technology – smh.com.au.

But just hours later I got an email from AdNews saying radio adverting revenue was up on the previous year. A dead service making more money than before? Fascinating. Are radio stations making all their money from podcasting? I think not.