A most inspired campaign gone VIRAL

This is THE best viral campaign that didn't cost even a nickel to create.  It is a beautiful showcase of all what is right about the layout, the images, peppered words, with a strong #socialmedia push .... it is very inspiring and really demonstrates what having all those key ingredients going for it ... plummeted with a witty idea that caught the net, IoT, social media, viral or whatchamacallit!


BEST VIRAL campaign of all time!  Only in Canada you say eh?

You can't be more inspired than this!  What I like the most is that it wasn't some "unINTENTIONAL" advertising magic trick that got everyone jumping aboard the train to share:  #RT LIKE TUMBLE instaGRAM PIN or you name it.

I can only relate by the fact that as a Blogger emerges within you, it crosses over pretty much into anything that you're watching, thinking about, or setting aside with skepticism :: you start thinking about a post or campaign :: because it is fitting :: in your mind, what you wanna say :: or just catch or start a fire.  

I can imagine that any emerging Blogger dreams of what they say catching on fire, resonating, being so believable or relatable, they just want to share, or accompany it with their own thought.  

When you think about it :: you don't have to leave home, fly somewhere, relocate, interview or apply :: you are just swept up and carried away but an audience that eventually evolves into fans.

If you are skeptical :: then you may as stop reading now because I am not a skeptical person.  I am of the "anything is possible" school of thought.  I can't be bothered to waste a breath on anything that has been tweaked, photo shopped, choreographed too hard.

Why? Because I sensed that someone was going to get the formula and get it right.  It is sure a lot harder to do than to take a video and uploaded it to YouTube where accidents happen to get people's attention.  

People are working harder these days while earning less and striving to maintain optimism, reach out for motivation, laugh at funny :: or of those combined.  Truly, a difficult feat.  

Cape Breton if Trump is escape at its finest.  An elegant presentation, with calming visuals, spiced but satorical humor!

Hurrah, Bravo, yipee haHOO!  Someone, a singular individual, just pulled off any predicessors that were created by a room full of think tankers (today's version of Mad Men)  tossing around ideas, while searching and surfing through their laptops or tablets.  

PLAY PICK OUT THE GUY WHO'S LATE  Hint:: he's trying to follow along with his smart phone.  He's feeling blessed with its high definition screen, larger than average, newly released and he is likely much younger by many in the room. The techno phobs can be identified by the spiral notebooks, the old fashioned way you'd go to meetings, to school or craft your "to do" list.

Get caught up by wandering through this marvelous and innovative site.  An inspiration to Bloggers evolving as writers alike. 

All joking and viral hits aside, this is an absolutely menu of delightful sights you will ever see online, even rarer because it was created by one individual, not an expensive army of creatives disguised as snobs.

A self-described knowledge junkie :: it appeals to those who greatest desire is to gather more intelligence than

 

 the average being.  Creating a sensation!

  

p.s.  It means the world to me that you actually took the time to read  .... This is the kind of support any gal would love, which I adore and so appreciate .... I love writing and even a quiet like is more than I could hope for ... thank YOU. Of course, more subscribers or a comment would indicate its appeal ... but as this webpage would show, that it has cluttered itself with viral likes, comments, etc. I admire that because it is wisdom unfolding, with its teaching, that you don't have to look like you have a lot of comments or clutter to take off into viral superstardom.

 

Telling you straight .... outta Compton

Granted, I'm Canadian, as many of you know.  What you may not recognize is that we do tend to pay attention to controversies, news and politics south of our borders.

My first reaction to the blasphemy gone amok everywhere would be the fuss over the white out of the Oscars this year.    I thought:

• let the best man or woman win.
• it is the academy, peers, who votes on the nominees
• color or gender should not sway nominees
• the best performances are recognized
• being nominated raises your value 
• movies you may not have heard of inspire you to watch 
• the big studios, i.e. most capital, gain the most attention
• above, except if you're Oprah Winphrey

I was wrong.  I watched "Straight out of Compton" last night and was really impressed for many reasons:

• I didn't know how RAP or HIP-HOP or GANSTA evolved until now
• While I was in my 20s in the 1980s, this phenomena was emerging
• The story itself is worth recognizing
• The evolving characters transformed into big names in the music business
• What they did for music was profound
• We need this kind of music in our world, as musical journalism per se
• There was a lot of racism, bias experienced these gifted musicians 
• They had to be dedicated and passionate to keep on no matter the struggles
• I like the music now (in the 80s I was probably tuned into David Bowie)

IMAGE COURTESY of http://www.hitfix.com

There was a grave oversight by the Oscar community to ignore this poignant film that is both historical and inspirational.  Although, I may not agree with the stand that black (that's what we call them in Canada since Afrocanadian hasn't been given as an option to African American) artists like Will Smith have taken by boycotting the Oscars.  By being there in person they ARE making a stand for artists of any color contribute to our entertainment.  Come on, we all have gone through days when we didn't want to go to school or work because we didn't agree with something, but we were forced to by our parents.  

You have got to be stronger than the issue at hand.  Don't align yourself with a statement that takes a side that you don't want forever to be associated with.  I vaguely recall Marlon Brando using his Oscar nod for creating sympathy for the cause of Native North Americans.  

Think about Leonardo Dicaprio's statements on Canada's oil just because he filmed at a location close to here.  All of a sudden, he is an expert.  Why not take a stand with class like Clint Eastwood did when filming his Oscar film "Forgiven" filmed close to my home in Calgary.  He captured the beauty and magnificence.  We aren't all roughnecks drilling for oil.  Some of us love where we are from and what that means.  We don't need a brief visitor like Dicaprio to insult the citizens of his host.

"Straight outta Compton" SHOULD have had some nominees for the Oscars.  It was breathtaking in its honesty and historical significance to how black lives mattered in bringing a whole new genre to our musical ears.  The cast transformed themselves into the heroes unfolded during the 80s, making a significant impact by its honest lyrics and reflection of the times.  Personally, the upheaval that groups like Led Zepplin and The Rolling Stones had on our older siblings, were lost until many years later.  We rode the short-lived disco wave but started the dance movement that allowed ABBA, David Bowie and Fleetwood Mac to be  forever iconic in our minds.  While many of us were watching those artist, there was a musical revolution going on that we were just too self-absorbed to have noticed.  Have a look at this brief trailer:

I'm really glad I watched this movie.  It brought so much reality to the bias, racism that these wonderKIDS plowed through and brought the gift of musical journalism:  a voice of what was REALLY going on around us.  I agree, it shouldn't have been acceptable.  While it is easy to glance back shamefully noting that we may have been more than ignorant to the plight of these citizens.

I  stand behind Paul Giamatti's portrayal of a sleezy white manager who filled his own pockets long before his clients ever did:  I can just imagine how widespread this was.  I like how the film brought into the fold how wrong it was.  Some of us may have been aware, but not at the same capacity that black musicians and artists were ripped off.  For that fact alone, this film should have more widespread recognition for its statement alone.

"Straight outta Compton" is definitely worth a watch.

How Sean Penn is re-inventing himself

One can't help the past couple of days two headlines featuring Sean Penn, as an interview:  first with kingpin druglord and then squashed interview with ISIS Chief (as reported by The New Yorker):

ISIS Chief Abruptly Cancels Meeting 

with Sean Penn

BY ANDY BOROWITZ

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CREDITPHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS

HOLLYWOOD (The Borowitz Report)—Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the terror group known as ISIS, has cancelled a long awaited meeting with the actor Sean Penn, a spokesman for the group announced on Sunday.

The spokesman gave no reason for the abrupt cancellation, but said that al-Baghdadi no longer felt that meeting with Penn would be “prudent.”

A publicist for the film actor said that he was “disappointed” by the sudden termination of his appointment with the ISIS chief, and noted that Penn had gotten himself outfitted in brand new desert-camo attire in preparation for the meeting.

For his part, the ISIS spokesman said that al-Baghdadi hoped that Penn would harbor “no hard feelings” toward him, and emphasized that he remained an “enormous fan” of the actor.

“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi loves all of Sean’s films, even that one he did with Madonna,” the spokesman said.

Sean Penn Under Fire for ‘Crazy’ El Chapo Interview

Sean Penn Interviews Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ While Fugitive

“Why didn’t Sean Penn ask El Chapo how many real journalists his organization has killed?” a New Yorker reporter writes on Twitter

Sean Penn is taking heat on multiple fronts for his bombshell interview with Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Rolling Stone published Penn’s interview on Saturday night, one day after Mexican authorities recaptured the Sinaloa cartel boss. In his article, Penn detailed traveling to Mexico with actress Kate del Castillo to sit-down with El Chapo, but not everyone was impressed.

“If one of these American actors who have benefited from the greatness of this country, who have made money from our free enterprise system, want to go fawn all over a criminal and a drug trafficker in their interviews, they have a Constitutional right to do it,” Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “I find it grotesque.”

Also Read: 7 Takeaways From Sean Penn's Rolling Stone Interview With El Chapo

During Penn’s interview, El Chapo talked about GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who has described Mexican immigrants in the U.S. as “rapists” and “criminals.”

Trump appeared on NBC and Fox News on Sunday, but the conversations were taped and did not include his reaction to the article. However, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough did weigh in on the story.

“It poses a lot of very interesting questions both for him and for others involved in this-so-called interview, so we’ll see what happens on that – I’m not going to get ahead of it,” McDonough told CNN.

Also Read: Sean Penn, Kate del Castillo Sought for Questioning After 'El Chapo' Interview

The journalism world was much more critical of Penn and Rolling Stone.

Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron took aim at the Hollywood actor, by tweeting a link to an article that said real journalists who cover Mexican drug traffickers often end up dead.

New Yorker writer Ben Taub tweeted a similar response: “Why didn’t Sean Penn ask El Chapo how many real journalists his organization has killed?””

Also Read: El Chapo's Favorite Sean Penn Movies? Hollywood Weighs In

Meanwhile, New Yorker editor Nicholas Thompson called Penn’s story “crazy.”

“Every single sentence here is crazy in one way or another,” he tweeted.

Read below for a compilation of tweets.

Is Sean Penn's interview with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the next issue? https://t.co/zIJQo77ac3

— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) January 10, 2016

I still don't understand how Sean Penn, of all the possible writers, is who secured the only interview ever with El Chapo.

— deray mckesson (@deray) January 10, 2016

Every single sentence here is crazy in one way or another. https://t.co/hJdnrWZhIA pic.twitter.com/mjouhCX5e0

— Nicholas Thompson (@nxthompson) January 10, 2016

El Chapo contacts Sean Penn thru @katedelcastillo because he wants to make a movie????? Resulting in his subsequent arrest. #hollywooddreams

— Gabriel Salvador (@RealGSalvador) January 10, 2016

The pen is mightier than the sword. Unless it is Sean Penn's pen.

— John Lurie (@lurie_john) January 10, 2016

Sean Penn can’t write.

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 10, 2016

I don’t think it was worth @RollingStone giving up editorial control to a murderer for Sean Penn’s diary entry and a short Q&A at the end.

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 10, 2016

Why didn't Sean Penn ask El Chapo how many real journalists his organization has killed?

— Ben Taub (@bentaub91) January 10, 2016

Good moment to remember what happens to real journalists who cover Mexican drug traffickers https://t.co/xb7OASMTNe

— Marty Baron (@PostBaron) January 10, 2016

_________________________________________________________

Personally, I like how Sean is stepping out and recreating himself.  That is a healthy mode for survival in this topsy turvy world we live in where what matters can spin on a dime.  

I've enjoyed his ground breaking roles that have made us all go "WOW" at some point.  He appears to be anti-establishment.  He plays by his own rules, and makes them up as he goes along.

It takes courage to be true to oneself.  You have to develop a thick skin when you put yourself out there.  Controversy definitely sells.  However, my first reaction when I read about his meeting with El Chapo:  he's preparing for a role.  Why not?  Villains have been made into film since the beginning of the industry.

Now, I think Sean Penn is shedding Hollywood's skin and getting really comfortable in his own.  It is a great example for those trying to sort out their greater purpose.

If you're curious about something or someone, why not try to interview them?  If your career isn't going in the direction (or no direction) you want it to be, take a risk and just go for it.  It worked for Dennis Rodham meeting with basketball fan Kim Jong Un didn't it?  

Granted it was short lived.  Who are we to judge when so many would love a chance to have a chat with these unique villains of our day?  It sells ads, newspapers, magazines and television ratings.  So why not take a chapter out of media and make your own mark.  

Have a listen to this great Canadian group:  The Sheepdogs from Saskatchewan, an emerging favorite of mine:

Farewell 2015, bring on 2016

So close, yet so far away .... the count down to 2016 and the farewell to 2015.  Time to fold up the bitter thoughts that may have lingered and shed its unproductive head.  Syonara baby to all the naggy little irritants that floated above my head, ready to *PUFF* and become a cloud, waiting to pour the negative imaginations.  Take a snow blower to the tenacious icicles that make you freeze, instead of live high on life.  Hit those memories like a volleyball.

You know you have some, we all do.  Granted, some seem to have more than others.  Is it because they exhaust them, some appear to be too willing to share their grief?  When so many others, will bottle it up and without a leak, the smallest of shaddow will egnite an explosion of rage, or rant, or retaliation.  How calm those can seem unless you are around when it catches alight.

You wouldn't be harboring any resentment towards anyone or anything per chance would you?  Sometimes masked in blame, you gurgle and ripple when a reminder flickers before you:  a transit bus sign, a song soothes you before it reminds you of a time, when things were less complicated.  

The burden of security.  Laying in our minds in varying capacities.  To one it may mean safety, while distinctions apart:  a warm bed to sleep in, a healthy meal to eat, the last drag on the cigarrette and the final withdrawal of a needle.  Where being clothed is always a choice and having clothes to wash and change is always a blessing instead of a chore.  

To have hands to pick out vegetables or fruit because we are grocery shopping.  The littlest things gone missing.  New ones to be discovered.

Let 2016 be a time of peace.  A peace of mind, a peace sign, a peaceful time.  Void of explosions, where those in need are given safety and men and women are only friends.  

Rejoice in the peace sign.  Let it be renewed symbolism of hope.  Those who want * P E A C E * have their wishes granted.  Let art and music along with all means of expression carry that one unified theme * P E A C E * to you, to me, to your neighbour, to mine, to your church, to my prayers, to your job and all that entails:  be paid, love what you do, help others become better.

2016 brings about a freshness and spirit.  Avoid casting a noose around your neck called "Resolutions" that are high, wide and difficult to reach.  Instead find steps you can make in that ultimate destination.  Health equals exercise, mental health, security, love, vegetables, fruit and food we can learn to like.  


Replace "Resolutions" with absolutions.  Things that are possible for you to accomplish one minute, one hour, one day, one month, arriving at another year.  You have cast aside the negative in 2015's wind, to allow the sun to shine on optimism, hope, pride, and opportunity.

Look into your left hand.  It is almost time to blow the molecules left of 2015 away.  Your right hand trying to force you to look ahead.  Don't look down, look up.  The horizon is changing with you at the wheel.  Of your destiny.