Tetris and the Art of the Pack

So a little while ago I decided to write a book about packing your suitcase. No, I'm serious. It's like a mix of a ''how-to-book'' with a coffee table book feel, littered with thoughts, comments, and picures from various musicians. Today I just finished the 3rd (of many) photo shoots for the book with the band An Horse.

I'm pretty excited about the book, actually, I'm really excited, especially since I am starting to pick up some momentum with it. Anyways, all this to say I'll keep you posted as to how it's coming. Oh and the reason for the surveys in the past (and the new survey up now) is all directly related to the book, so thanks for doing them.

Speaking of the new survey... Tetris... you know the old school video game, how do you feel about it?

Doritos; Brilliant.

Have you seen the new marketing campaign for Doritos? The white bag with a huge money sign on it? They are offering anyone a chance to name this new flavor of chips... oh and if they choose your name, you'll win 25 thousand dollars and 1% future (Canadian) sales! That's amazing, but more importantly, what a brilliant way to market a new product! I don't even like Doritos, but I couldn't help but buy a pack. I just had to taste them and see if I could come up with a clever name?!

I also forgot that Doritos came up with the best superbowl ad this year too, and once again, it was also a contest. Smart. Competition brings out the best in people I suppose, and when you have the whole world of talent to draw from... I could be wrong, but it may also be easier to pay for good work here and there when you don't have to pay salary to a mediocre in-house ad man?

Side note: Sara and I have really gotten into the tv show Mad Men; So do you think that maybe my 'marketing senses' are becoming hightened because of this?

TAP OUT!

Do you remember when No Fear clothing was a big deal? Do you remember when cool No Fear stickers were all over cool cars and cool trucks? I getting a sense that we have a modern day No Fear creeping up on us, and maybe not so creeping up either. TAP OUT is the new No Fear, just look around you. Picture anyone you can think of that may have worn a no fear shirt in high school, chances are they are now wearing Tap Out and have a decal on the back window of their vehicle. Cool high school kids? Tap Out.

No Fear was a trendy little slogan that spawned a whole bunch of things, much of which coincided with sports. Timing was key for them as I feel this was in the early stages of the world's acceptance to 'extreme sports' (Dirt biking, BMX, Surfing, Skating...).

Now fast forward 10 or so years to the newest, not to mention the most trendy of sports, mixed marshal arts and you'll see Tap Out right in there... along with No Fear energy drinks, of course. Other companies associated with MMA are definitely around and doing well also but I feel Tap Out is hitting up the general market. Scrawners like myself are the ones wearing these shirts to look tougher or at least 'knowledgeable' in the 'arts'. Actual MMA athletes tend to stick to companies like Affliction or Warrior. OK, this isn't totally true, but it does seems this way.

I could go on for quite a while, but I'll just leave it at that, as this should be enough to get you thinking. Oh and don't get me wrong, I have nothing against extreme sports, or fast growing companies even, I'm just pointing out my what I see. Agree? Disagree? Any other companies unafraid to take the torch?

... and don't worry, I'll tackle energy drinks (including No Fear's) next blog.

Why?

Why is it that the television series I tend to watch, all get canceled? A cliff hanger, season ending episode, is not how I want to end a series! Why wouldn't the network at least sign on for one more episode to finish it (pseudo) properly? Maybe if they did 'finish' the series with an episode or two, it would do better in DVD sales, since no one wants to start a series knowing that it gets canceled half way through?

I just finished watching the the fourth and final season of The 4400. I thought they knew they weren't doing another season before they were finished the filming the fourth. Apparently not.

I was really in to The Black Donnelly's when it came out. My wife and I would actually make plans to stay home and watch it on those nights. Then one night, it just wasn't on... "this weeks episode, online only!"... (if you were in the US). Canceled. Saw the "complete series" on DVD with 5 unaired episodes. Canceled half way through the first season, you'd think that they knew at least to finish it off?! Nope.

Carnivale. This one really hurt. I have never been more into a show than Carnivale, and it ruined me, with only two seasons, and the biggest turn of events, on the final episode. I ran into the niece of the head writer of the show while on a wine tour... seriously, haha, and she told me that they were scheduled to shoot 5 seasons, but HBO pulled the plug after being unable to negotiate a proper budget to continue filming for season three. "He could have written an ending for the second season, but they were all under the assumption they were doing a third."

HBO's Rome at least had an ending to it's second season. I didn't like how it ended, but nonetheless, it had one. Why can't they do that for all canceled shows; like it or not, at least it's something?

What other television series have ended abruptly and driven you mad?

Hampster Burial Kits and 998 other business ideas

Seth Godin is brilliant, and a marketing guru. I was reading up on one of his blogs and I came across an old post of his that I hadn't seen before. He was commenting on a challenge posted by billionaire Mark Cuban to send him "a business plan that meets certain criteria and he'll consider funding it, right here, right now." Seth went on to say, "you realize that in fact there are tons of ways to create a viable business in just a few months. There's no shortage of ideas worth stealing."

The end of the blog there is a link to where Mr Godin has gathered a bunch of his 'superpowered' friends to compile a list of 999 ideas for possible businesses, free for the taking! "Ideas are a dime a dozen. The money is in the execution."

Fascinating, entertaining, brilliant and stupid... they are all there.

I enjoyed just browsing through the list, but ultimately it got me thinking, and that's the key for me. So if you are into business and want a challenge, or maybe you are looking for a business to start up, I highly recommend you check out these idea's, and/or Seth's blog. Want to kill some time? Let me know what ideas you guys like of the 999? Oh and some do exist already but...

Hampster Burial Kits and 998 other business ideas

Do You Know This Man?

If you don't know David Suzuki, then you should.

Even though I feel he was part of my childhood, I know that there are many out there who have heard very little, or nothing, about him. In short, David Suzuki is a Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist. I don't really know what else to say, but I do suggest you look into him and see what he has to say!

check out his site, gain some knowledge.

www.davidsuzuki.org

Friday was the last official Tegan and Sara show for this album cycle. It was good, but kind of odd. First of all it was a random one-off, a month after the last official tour of The Con. Second of all it was put on by VanOC, the Vancouver Olympic Committee… for the Olympics a year away from now?! Anyways, the show went well and it was held in a great venue in Vancouver called the Orpheum… where multiple episodes of Battlestar Galactica where filmed. Do I have any other random facts from the show? Yes. It was dual billed with Broken Social Scene, and they were great. That was more of a statement followed by an opinion.

Ok but more important than the show, were the two days before that, where the whole band plus Chris Walla sat in a room for 7 hours and worked on the new material for the next album.

In closing,

Goodbye concerts, Hello studios.