Expert Professional Advice

2010-2005

 

Star Geek: The search for sustenance, Star Geek: world pizza

The Star Geek character generally acts as a “reviewer” type of format; however, in this episode he has been tasked to locate sustenance for the crew in a sci-fi theme. It pokes fun at the typical representation of a space adventurer who encounters a new environment in an attempt to recover the “target.”

 

There is also an alternate SUPERBOWL commercial version. The original is below:

Another alternate brand sponsored approach with Star Geek had him on a Search For Savings, which added humor to a more mundane situation to prime the link to the Home Décor category.

 

News without News:

Critical news commentary regarding stupid news tricks & TV news journalism/reporting with positive reviews in the MetaCafe community.

 

Unnerving? Imminent attack broadcast February 1, 2010.

 

News Without News – Unnerving?

News without news (Fox5 CL car fraud – CBS Fort Hood)

 

News without News: CBS Foolcast

 

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3747199/news_without_news/

News without News – youtube

 

 

PR Crisis:

A series of videos depicting Tiger Woods, Spitzer, Imus, etc. who experienced dramatic negative publicity and how their responses could have been shaped to address the backlash more positively – example below is PR Crisis – Michael Vick.

PR Crisis – Michael Vick

Horror in the office?
Taking the book one step forward into a film…

Bailout Champion: The Game

Using humor in a video game format…

Expert Professional Advice themed webisode series:Drawing positive response from MetaCafe, it saves the viewer time and investment in reading books of little to no value that the reading community can do without – using humor to poke fun at inconsistencies and author logic.How to Act Like a Ceo Vs Think Like a Ceo

Youtube link here.

 

 

Navigating the investment world? Advertising has it’s own agenda…

Expert Professional Advice: Investment ads: Long-term = wrong-turn #2

 

Or for more of an emotional push of what advertisers say about their funds:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3053273/fall_in_love_with_stocks/

 

 

 

A show about walking?

 

The ART of Walking is a show idea I had during 2008 around the same time as Ford Models garnered five million video views for simple videos showing several of their models in individual videos shopping for clothes, handbags, shoes, accessories, etc.

 

The ART of Walking was more about the act of being in motion, coupled with the potential of brand sponsorship for the bags, cosmetics and other items the “characters” on the street interacted with… it was also going to be less commercial since I had experimented with art related themes for the gals to cross-over into – an art show, exhibition, etc. and it was also about comfort – something the Walking Company could relate to… (if you’ve seen their catalogs, you’ll know what I’m talking about – properly designed this could have been developed around the Walking Company as an anchor sponsor).

 

This walking tour is global in nature… after touring around different countries the idea is not too different from the street fashion photo blogs, which also were very popular in 2008… but again, being in motion is the first element, with the fashion and shopping as supportive elements within an art theme.

 

*** Whether you are looking for model types or average Janes reach out to us for more info on branded content documentary/reality and dramatic programming for your branded entertainment project.

 

Selected posts from 2007:

I think the nation is in a state of crisis because our politicians aren’t great leaders.  They know how to use the system but none of them shows any expertise at utilizing the system for the benefit of the people.  During Thanksgiving a lady said to me, “If Hillary gets into office, I’m leaving the country!”  Well, I’ll visit her from my little hole outside the country.  The thing that bothers me is that there are great women in our nation that are very capable leaders.  And they have more experience and could more effectively represent our nation, but instead, it seems all we’ve got is fourth-rate uninspiring candidates and politicians, not leaders.  Obama may be different.  At least some of us want to believe he’s different.  I was on the subway and got into a discussion with the guy next to me, he said, “Even if Obama was to become president, how’s that going to help me?  Aren’t the police still going to look at me like a black man, with no difference?  Won’t it be the same for me on the street?”

 

 

In the New York Post there were several comments about one of Chris Rock’s comedy routines where he said, regarding Hillary Clinton, “Just because you’re married to someone doesn’t mean you can do their job.  When I get on the plane, I don’t want the pilot’s wife flying it.”

Obama should silence her at every debate by saying, “Pilot’s wife.”

 

 

 

In a crisis, everyone lets you down

Bill Moyers released a special news report called “Buying the War” and it showed speeches of politicians in September 2002 that were yelling for us to go to war.  Hillary was one of them beating the drum for war.  Senator Ted Kennedy gave a speech clearly stating that it would be a disaster in foreign policy and that our government has shown no persuasive evidence of WMD in Iraq.  “Buying the War” illustrated that our major newspapers and media outlets were compromised.  Freedom of the press vanished.  The report even showed a clip from an Oprah show where she had on a guest advisor and showed footage that indicated that Iraq had WMD and needed to be dealt with.  At one point, a lady in the audience voiced her concern and said something like, “Sometimes in the news I’m hearing that there is WMD and other times that they haven’t found anything.  I’m feeling confused and I just don’t know what to believe.”  Oprah cut off the conversation and said, “I’m not telling you what to believe.  I’m just telling you what is.”  When we needed it most, no one that we turn to for “great” advice was there to offer a reality check.  Not even Dr. Phil.  That was Dr. Phil’s chance to “prove himself”, and distinguish himself as a man of his own, without Oprah, but… I don’t think he was up for it.  Who gives Dr. Phil a good talking to?  And the church, did important members of the church speak out?

 

 

False success chasing is our national pastime

There are so many non-fiction books and speakers preaching some trash about how we should go about our life.  I’m sick of it.  They just love to promote some silly idea like it’s a form of gospel.  Can we analyze their approach by auditing their tax returns/income statements?  Oh yeah, if we did that we’d see that they didn’t have much success until they put together some crappy book and propelled it into high-priced speaking engagements.  So the secret to success is not really to have success, it’s to get some people to pay you for talking about your ideas on success.

 

 

Selected posts from 2006 to 2005.

 

Dealing with extended warranties

When I’m at the electronics store I let the salespeople talk about the benefits of the products and then I ask for the best one, as in, the most reliable model, because I’m willing to pay more for the absolute proven best.  “I don’t want to have any problems with this one if I buy it,” I say and the salesperson will say, “Oh, no, you won’t have any problems with this one.”  When I get to the checkout the salesperson offers to sell me an extended warranty.  “You just assured me I’m buying the model that wouldn’t have any problems.  So, what am I going to do with the warranty?” I ask.  I then begin walking away and when they try to sell me I ask, “How can I buy it now?  Either the one you recommended isn’t the most reliable or it is and you’re interested in selling me something else that I don’t need.”  The salespeople usually have enough at this point but some of them hang in there to make another sales pitch so I’ll say, “If I was to buy this extended warranty, it acts as an insurance policy in case something is wrong with the item.  And that extended warranty will cost thirteen percent (or X percent, I calculate whatever the cost is) of the purchase price of the item.  Look, what’s the number one asset you have that you want to protect?”  They might answer a home, car, computer, TV or other electronic item and then I’ll say, “No, your life.  Nobody is going to worry about some electronic item you bought when you are on your death bed.  I’ll bet you don’t have life insurance.  Your life is the number one asset that you need protection on.  If your family members rely on you… here, let me show you a brochure.”   

 

 

 

Other times after buying an inexpensive item I’ll get offered an extended warranty.  I’ll ask how much it costs.  “So, for ten dollars more I could just buy a brand new item?  Why wouldn’t I do that?” I ask.  “Well,” the salesperson will say, “it’s a precaution because if anything was to go wrong with the item you can get a replacement.”  I then say, “If it breaks I don’t want to have the same piece of crap as a replacement.”  That usually ends things but if the salesperson persists I’ll ask, “What items have you purchased extended warranties on?”

 

 

My other approach, when I don’t feel like talking to the salesperson about an extended warranty, is simply to put my hands on my ears and shout, “La, la, la, la, la!”

 

 

Prices are negotiable.  When I was eighteen I bought a computer at the Wiz and the salesman tried for fifteen minutes to talk me into buying the extended warranty for $80.  The price of the computer was a thousand dollars.  After I kept saying I had no intention of paying for a warranty, he wrote the sales slip as, computer $920, extended warranty $80, so that I got it for “no charge.”

 

 

 

Laugh if you want but I will proudly tell you that I am a Windows 98SE user. It does exactly what I need without all the overhead.

 

 

Something to ponder from The Dilbert Future

If your view of reality is flawed, then your strategies for succeeding are also probably flawed. If you change your assumptions, you also have to change your plan.

Assumptions about reality:

1.      Time goes forward

2.      Objects move

3.      Gravity exists

4.      A “cause” can only have an “effect” on something it physically contacts, directly or indirectly.

 

 

The falsehood of experience

As Roger Falk points out in his book, The Business of Management, many people have who are supposed to have, for example, ten years of experience really only have one year of experience repeated ten times.

 

 

Unlimited Wealth by Paul Zane Pilzer

The book espoused the belief that we live in an age of unlimited physical resources, and that over the short term advances in technology increase the supply of the existing physical resources and in the long term it changes the definition of physical resources as new ones are discovered. The author believes that this book failed to directly confront a theological belief that prevented most people from understanding, and thus achieving, unlimited wealth. I think it failed on multiple levels, but regardless, don’t waste your time – a discussion on wealth doesn’t provide it.

 

 

God wants you to be rich:

How and why everyone can enjoy material and spiritual wealth in our abundant world.

If only a book could fulfill that claim… and yet the Bible gets tossed aside, as if anything God has to guide us is not enough.

Here’s the most interesting part of the book, it’s a compelling comment and lesson from the author’s father, “True knowledge is understanding how little you know. Each peak you climb becomes the foundation for another, previously unknown, higher range of mountains.” I like it so much I’m going to write it down on an index card and take it with me everywhere I go. The only other part of the book mentioning wealth can be summed up as follows:

Principles of economic alchemy

1.      Technology is the major determinant of wealth because it determines the nature and supply of physical resources.

2.      The advancement of technology is determined mainly by our ability to process information.

3.      The backlog of unimplemented technological advances (the technology gap) is the true predictor of economic growth for the individual and society.

 

 

Building wealth: The new rules for individuals, companies, and nations in a knowledge-based economy.

 

I’m getting tired of all these wealth books. But here are some interesting tidbits:

Annuit Coeptis: God favors your undertakings

Novos Ordo Sellorum: Prophesies new order of wealth

 

The book states that knowledge is the new basis for wealth. This has never before been true. I wouldn’t agree that it has never before been that way. I would agree with the statement in the book about the control of knowledge being extremely important. Don’t waste your time reading the book, if you are just curious about the rules, here they are:

1.      The rich see opportunity to work and invest in situations where large disequilibriums exist.

2.      Successful businesses must be willing to cannibalize themselves to save themselves. Destroy the old while still successful if you wish to build new before it is successful. If they won’t destroy themselves, others will destroy them.

3.      Businesses that would grow rapidly with high profits margins must take advantage of technical disequilibriums, exploit development disequilibriums, or create sociological disequilibriums, all other activities are slow-growth, low-rate-of-return commercial business.

13. Luck is necessary. Talent, drive, and persistence by themselves aren’t enough to get wealthy.

 

Not all of the rules are interesting… but this ought to make clear the importance of luck… it is essential… and yet there’s not a thing we can do about it. And the part of taking advantage of a lack of equilibrium in the marketplace, well, that happens all the time, just look at Hong Kong, it acts as the gateway to business with China and a lot of wealth is created for those in Hong Kong that act to exploit the market imbalance or inefficiency. These books generally aren’t written by people that have direct experience with creating wealth in the marketplace, nor do these authors have great insight in fully understanding the concepts they espouse, if they did, they could have achieved wealth by simply stocking up on Dell or Microsoft stock. This would have vindicated their powers of perception about their own wealth generation rules and concepts.

 

 

The great thing about truly financially wealthy people, people that have millions upon millions and never need to work is that they don’t need to impress me, nor are they interested in my money… so it’s less likely that they will hand out foolish advice and they don’t have an incentive to rip you off. The important lesson to be learned is that genuinely wealthy people don’t have to waste their time trying to make money with traditional investments, and trying to find ways to short-cuts to boost themselves.