Saturday, December 27. 2008
The Economy - Not On Purpose. Just a relaxed oversight - of a growing mess.
Burn After Reading – a terrific movie. By no means as hilarious as described - instead it’s about "how it happened" - the economy. Not the subprime mess, not even greed - just a basic corporate need to "keep it simple" - "fit in" and "be on-side".
Script is smart. Not fast moving, but a growing story of related incidents. And as they grew with some parallel – the opportunity of tying it together was refused, defused. Closed. Next.
So simple its scary. As would be expected - it’s the conclusion that’s dryly hilarious.
Script is smart. Not fast moving, but a growing story of related incidents. And as they grew with some parallel – the opportunity of tying it together was refused, defused. Closed. Next.
So simple its scary. As would be expected - it’s the conclusion that’s dryly hilarious.
Friday, December 26. 2008
Laugh, cry or be stunned?
2 Great or maybe dumb radio spots
Start of December, car radio on – break in the music – for commercials. And these two ran back-to-back.
Spot #1 – “Ho Ho Ho.” Why is this man so happy?"...asks the voice over….and then he provides the response….”you’d be happy too, if you only worked one day a year"….somehow it did a segue-way to a “Santa Sale”.
Huh? Today we can all think of those who likely don’t see the fun in this lack of work concept commercial. Topically funny maybe, sensitive to the times? Horrid no – but a commercial is supposed to at the very least create an Ah-Ha. Not cause an 'ouch'.
Spot # 2 – A private community college, likely with some government funding for retraining runs this in the Toronto market…"Get Certified as a Licensed Auto Technician now…there is a shortage of……"
now I would’a gussed – jobs? BUT no, the commercial went on to claim – "a shortage of candidates for these high paying positions in a growth industry.”
Governments across the board tell us they’re going to make massive investments in “re-training”
TIP FOR FUTURE HAPPINESS - The next growth industry: “edu-macation”. Fortunes are about to be spent on the promise of a new future, for ‘wrongly skilled, previously valuable workers”.
“Quick – where do I get a license to open a Re-Skill Ya Centre?”
And just who is it that going to ‘have the call’ on what the courses and strategic direction of this retraining will be?
Start of December, car radio on – break in the music – for commercials. And these two ran back-to-back.
Spot #1 – “Ho Ho Ho.” Why is this man so happy?"...asks the voice over….and then he provides the response….”you’d be happy too, if you only worked one day a year"….somehow it did a segue-way to a “Santa Sale”.
Huh? Today we can all think of those who likely don’t see the fun in this lack of work concept commercial. Topically funny maybe, sensitive to the times? Horrid no – but a commercial is supposed to at the very least create an Ah-Ha. Not cause an 'ouch'.
Spot # 2 – A private community college, likely with some government funding for retraining runs this in the Toronto market…"Get Certified as a Licensed Auto Technician now…there is a shortage of……"
now I would’a gussed – jobs? BUT no, the commercial went on to claim – "a shortage of candidates for these high paying positions in a growth industry.”
Governments across the board tell us they’re going to make massive investments in “re-training”
TIP FOR FUTURE HAPPINESS - The next growth industry: “edu-macation”. Fortunes are about to be spent on the promise of a new future, for ‘wrongly skilled, previously valuable workers”.
“Quick – where do I get a license to open a Re-Skill Ya Centre?”
And just who is it that going to ‘have the call’ on what the courses and strategic direction of this retraining will be?
Tuesday, December 16. 2008
OH GARTH
Today, Garth Turner in trying to express that ‘a certain thing is less than clear said - "I think it's obfuscation of reality" in reference to CREA’s new Weighted National Average For Sales on the MLS.
Reminds me of the first time a teacher told me to stop or she'd ostracize me. Huh?
Please Garth, if you’re trying to say CREA is “confusing things” say something like, “less than clear”, or maybe even, “they are reinventing reality” – but I think you “obfusticate” when you use words like: obfuscation, to explain what you think happened – to the, may we call it the New WNAPfSMLS ?
Now maybe I’m just upset, or maybe happy - about Garth’s admission in a recent Globe and Mail Article of December 13, 08 – How High Risk Mortgages Crept North.
Excerpt from Globe & Mail Dec 13, 08.
Shortly after the hearing, Mr. Turner said he was approached by Mr. Flaherty's parliamentary secretary, Diane Ablonczy, in the House of Commons.
"She came to my desk where I was computing away on my laptop," Mr. Turner said, recalling that she told him to "get onside."
In the end, no one raised a single question about the prospect of 40-year or zero-down mortgages. The bill sailed through the committee - including a vote of support from Mr. Turner.
"At the end of the day I sadly acquiesced," he said, adding that he regrets voting the way he did. "At the time it was politically difficult."
Thanks for that admission Garth. We got into this financial mess by wanting to be “on side” with the club. Me too. See there, now we’ve both admitted. Only I didn't hold a public office.
Reminds me of the first time a teacher told me to stop or she'd ostracize me. Huh?
Please Garth, if you’re trying to say CREA is “confusing things” say something like, “less than clear”, or maybe even, “they are reinventing reality” – but I think you “obfusticate” when you use words like: obfuscation, to explain what you think happened – to the, may we call it the New WNAPfSMLS ?
Now maybe I’m just upset, or maybe happy - about Garth’s admission in a recent Globe and Mail Article of December 13, 08 – How High Risk Mortgages Crept North.
Excerpt from Globe & Mail Dec 13, 08.
Shortly after the hearing, Mr. Turner said he was approached by Mr. Flaherty's parliamentary secretary, Diane Ablonczy, in the House of Commons.
"She came to my desk where I was computing away on my laptop," Mr. Turner said, recalling that she told him to "get onside."
In the end, no one raised a single question about the prospect of 40-year or zero-down mortgages. The bill sailed through the committee - including a vote of support from Mr. Turner.
"At the end of the day I sadly acquiesced," he said, adding that he regrets voting the way he did. "At the time it was politically difficult."
Thanks for that admission Garth. We got into this financial mess by wanting to be “on side” with the club. Me too. See there, now we’ve both admitted. Only I didn't hold a public office.
CREA steps right into it.
The real estate market has changed, and continues to change - no kidding? As the world rode the wave of press releases about increasing home prices up, we all smiled and felt warm and tingly inside. The Real Estate Industry collectively trumpeted these facts of splendour - more, more, up, up ...
The US has taken an obvious lead in market value and activity decline. NAR, the collective voice of Realtors in the US, long ago recognized the need for straight talk – ‘market in change’, then finally in reverse – decline – this was open transparent admission and reporting.
CREA just invented a new standard. Claiming “House prices are skewed” CREA just reported the Weighted National Average Price for Sales on the Multiple Listing Service. Baaaad timing. In a world looking for transparency – who are these wizards of imagined standards? Hey people up there – look to NAR …lets report the facts so they are measurable, comparable…twisted any other way, your leadership as the credible source of information may in today’s new world fade.
Today as always – “average” is just that, “average information”. For exceptional information – hopefully people will rely on their trusted full-time professional that will share information as facts and trends instead of – sugar coated, credibility busting – invented terms to hide the obvious – we live in new and changing times.
The US has taken an obvious lead in market value and activity decline. NAR, the collective voice of Realtors in the US, long ago recognized the need for straight talk – ‘market in change’, then finally in reverse – decline – this was open transparent admission and reporting.
CREA just invented a new standard. Claiming “House prices are skewed” CREA just reported the Weighted National Average Price for Sales on the Multiple Listing Service. Baaaad timing. In a world looking for transparency – who are these wizards of imagined standards? Hey people up there – look to NAR …lets report the facts so they are measurable, comparable…twisted any other way, your leadership as the credible source of information may in today’s new world fade.
Today as always – “average” is just that, “average information”. For exceptional information – hopefully people will rely on their trusted full-time professional that will share information as facts and trends instead of – sugar coated, credibility busting – invented terms to hide the obvious – we live in new and changing times.
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