Category: What I Think

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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.

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!’

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.

I don;t care what flavour your politics is or if you still have a hangover from last Saturday or are in therapy from the result, the best news to come from the election is this; Coonan has gone as the Minister for Communications – probably the greatest oxymoron since military intelligence.

The man in the hot seat now is Senator Stephen Conroy. I wish Senator Conroy well as he rolls out PM Elect Ruud’s promise if better broadband delivery around Australia and have a simple message for him: DO NOT FUCK IT UP!

Thanx Steve.

So glad I put off the purchase of an iPhone. Sometime next year we will have a proper version of the unit in Australia that will use 3G. I just hope our telcos haven’t moved to 4G by then.

Link: AT&T’s Stephenson: 3G iPhone – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).

Once again the rulers of the free-to-air networks see pending doom as technology delivers them another massive left hook. Now they want PVR manufacturers to add fast forward speed limiters to their boxes. This means if a manufacturer produces a device with a 30 sec skip button, or allows FF greater than x60.

All this really means is if yo do by a PVR you will need a small chid to help with the hacking.

I am again amazed by the lack of foresight of the Free TV Australia (still the most incorrect term for any organisation in the world) – it’s over boys. Sell your studios and put your cameras on eBay. You’ve lost.

Link: Networks want to nobble ad-skipping – Technology – smh.com.au.

This is an interesting interview with a guy who has given up everything (all his directorships, anyway) to campaign against Howard in his seat of Bennelong.
His idea is simple; Howard has put the environment last for 11 and a half years, now put Howard last next Saturday. He is not advocating any party, he isn’t even against the Liberal party, just Howard. Will be interesting to see if he makes any impact.

Download 702_071116_0844.m4v

Wow, I know I’m not the world’s most active blogger but a whole month has passed with not a single post. (In truth today is 16 Nov – woops!)

I do subscribe to an old advertising maxim when it comes to blogging; if you’ve got something to say, say it. If you haven’t, sing it. And I can’t sing.

This lag in posting gives me the opportunity to reflect on why I haven’t blogged for a month or so. There has been very little new stuff that has caught my eye, made me think and made me put fingers to keyboard. That is a sad statement too. I think it’s more a time/discipline issue for me. My ‘little’ business is growing fast. My ‘big’ business is growing too. My ‘little’ business is taking up a lot of time. A lot of time.

On Sydney Radio 702 from 9:00 to 9:30 the presenter opens the lines for callers to talk about whatever they want. I switch off. I have no interest in the great unwashed’s opinion of the Flag, the environment, the goverment, big business. Why? Because without exception there are no new ideas shared in this 30 minutes of radio. It’s always supporters of this v detractors of that. New new thinking. No new thoughts. I like to bring new thinking to this blog, be mine or reporting someone elses’

The linked article says that brands are starting to pull their spots from the show. I just spoke to Lachlan at Holden Australia. He read a prepapred statement saying that both 10 and Holden’s media buying agency stuffed up and that Holden didn’t want to be in the show to start with.

Why is that these religious bigots have so much power that they can put the fear of Dog into such big companies. Why is it that they don’t use this power for real good and get all the peodeaphiles out of the church. When they complete this task, I may start to listen to the moral crusading.

Fucking kiddies is fine – seeing tits though, well that’s the devils work. HYPOCRITES!

Link: AdNews.