The Film Strip That Started It All
I owe a huge part of my love for Halloween to a simple filmstrip (look it up, kids). This elegantly-modest film strip featured Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre” married with the ghostly watercolors of Harold Dexter Hoopes. The images are truly haunting and gloriously fun.
I must have watched it every year from first grade through sixth and loved it–just loved it. So, here it is again…from YouTube. All that’s missing is the BEEP! sound between frames. So, if you were born before the 90s I’d say you probably saw this at least once in elementary school, too–if you were lucky.
Enjoy all, and until the garish sun breaks through the morning dew…Happy Halloween.
Writing and Publishing Your Own Book
Check out this interview I did with the Kansas City NBC affiliate about the road I took to independently publishing my novel, Pilate’s Cross. The reporter had read an earlier blog post about my decision and thought it would make a nice story. I think he did a great job and thought you might enjoy watching it–whether you’re into marketing, writing, ebooks, mystery thrillers or just PR guys with very small offices.
I’ve enjoyed writing and marketing my book. Several book clubs have read it and it has received generally favorable reviews. As I work on the sequel and other writing projects (when work and life allows) it’s really gratifying. Sales have been okay (I had a book signing in Omaha–what a blast!), and though I may not be getting rich I’m having a great time.
So to all you “Someday I’d like to write a book” folks out there…there’s never been a better time to do it and actually have a shot at getting your work in the hands of potential fans. Go for it.
RIP The Flip?
The announcement of Cisco Systems’ discontinuation of the Flip Digital Video Camera has Flip fan Alex Greenwood feeling “flipped off.”
(This post filmed on a Flip digital camera. So there, Cisco.)
UPDATE: An email from Flip clarifies what’s next, support, etc.:
Cisco recently announced that it will be exiting the Flip business and support customers and partners with a transition plan. Cisco will continue its focus and commitment to deliver best in class solutions that extend the network as a platform, from businesses into the home through its Linksys products and consumer TelePresence solutions with ūmi. More information can be found at Cisco’s consumer website.
Flip Future
Thank you Flip fans for all your support and comments about Flip and our team here as we begin our transition plans to close the business. However, do know we will continue to provide technical support for Flip video cameras until 12/31/2013 and Flip cameras will be available through our online and in-store retail partners as well as our Flip store while supplies last.
We know you have lots of questions for many of you have inquired about what is going to happen to Flip in the future; if FlipShare software will still work; and if we will continue to support you in the use of your Flip? We have many of these answers for you today and will continue to update you here on our site.
Flip Support:
First, we want everyone to know that if you own a Flip or are considering buying one, we will continue to support you within the terms of our warranty which is 1 year from purchase date (US and Canada). For customers that have issues that are not covered by our warranty or that are outside their warranty period, Cisco will continue to provide support for a nominal fee until 12/31/2013. E-Support will also continue to be complimentary and available until 12/31/2013. Details and updates about our support and service as well as our warranty policy can be found on our website.
Using FlipShare:
FlipShare software will continue to be fully functional and will be supported until 12/31/2013. After that time Cisco will no longer support the application though it may remain functional as a software for offloading videos, editing, organizing and archiving. Video sharing will no longer be supported past 12/31/2013. Continue to check back here on updates on FlipShare.
Flip availability:
Flip will continue to be available through our online and in-store retailers as well as our Flip store while supplies last. If you are looking for a customized Flip you can still order here at our website while supplies last.
If you are looking at buying a video camera – it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the easiest to use video camera in the world! We will continue to honor our support and warranty commitments and FlipShare software as mentioned above.
The Flip Team:
The teams have been reading your comments from emails and our social media community pages and are touched by the overwhelming number of thoughts and messages. We hope you will continue to have fun with your Flip video camera, and we appreciate your loyalty and business.
The Flip Video team
PR Tip #324: The Internet is Forever
The internet is forever. What you say and do matters…perhaps for eternity. Case in point, the self-styled independent author Jacqueline Howett, who handled a bad review in her own special way:
The American-based author – whose previous works include short story, The Secret Passion of Twins, and a book of poetry, Amorphous Angelic – viscerally responded to the reviewer’s claim the novel (or his early review copy of the novel) was littered with distracting typos and grammatical errors which detracted from the book’s overall quality.
Howett criticized the review’s writer, prominent indie blog scribe BigAl (http://booksandpals.blogspot.com) in the comments section where she copied and pasted the words of other reviewers to demonstrate the four and five star ratings she received for her work.
After a long series of odd comments to Big Al’s post–egged on by hundreds of others–Howett dropped the F-bomb. Repeatedly.
You have to read it to believe it. The comments are almost as sadly funny as the prose in her novel:
“Don and Katy watched hypnotically Gino place more coffees out at another table with supreme balance.”
As an indie author myself, I can only cringe when I see what this person may have done to set back the image of self-published writers.
As a public relations consultant, I cringe even more deeply because whether Ms. Howett was having a spectacularly bad day or really is a dimwit with delusions of grandeur doesn’t matter. She’s effectively ruined her credibility as a professional writer. As long as the internet is extant her bizarre rant will survive. That’s the kind of PR that will be pretty tough to fix. (Some posit that she did it as a publicity stunt. I don’t think so, and neither does Big Al.)
Time for a nom de plume and a very good editor, Ms. Howett.
Your PR tip: Before you send that nuclear email or make that passionate blog comment: get up, walk away, have some tea, make a phone call, take some deep breaths…then ask yourself if that response is proportionate, and what the consequences may be if you hit “send” or “post.” Try it. (I oughta know–back in the day I have sent an email or two I regretted.) You’ll thank me.
Extra Credit? Student designs New J.C. Penney Logo
Talk about extra credit…
Imagine creating something that will be seen by millions of people. Something that will personify a more than 100-year-old company. Something that is crucial to the success of the business. Now, imagine making this design before you graduate from college.
That’s exactly what happened to Luke Langhus, a third-year graphic design student at the University of Cincinnati. He created the new logo used by the 19th-largest retailer in the U.S. J.C. Penney Co. Inc. was looking for a new logo after launching new merchandise offerings and brand partnerships, including Sephora inside its stores and the exclusive launch of Liz Claiborne and Claiborne apparel and home merchandise.
via University of Cincinnati student designs new J.C. Penney logo | Business Courier.
New logos for venerable brands are tricky…
…just ask The Gap or the Democratic Party.
But if you have the guts to open up your creative process to people who aren’t the usual suspects, you can reap great rewards.
What do you think of the new J.C. Penney logo?
Where’s the Beef? Taco Bell Sued Over ‘Meat Concoction’
UPDATE: The Bell wins!
Turns out the stuff I used to turn to after a wild Saturday night–aka the Beef Burrito Supreme at Taco Bell–may not have much beef, so says a lawsuit filed in Alabama:
“Our government, through the USDA and FDA, provides definitions, standards and labeling guidelines for ‘ground beef’; What Taco Bell is representing on their restaurant menu as ‘ground beef’ does not meet any of those definitions, standards and labeling guidelines,” explains Beasley Allen attorney Dee Miles. “This product does not qualify to be considered ‘ground beef’ and many of the seasoning ingredients are in fact binders, fillers and coloring. These ingredients increase the overall volume of this product, reducing the actual ‘beef’; content per serving. It is against the law in this country to take someone’s money for a product that is misrepresented. This lawsuit seeks to put a stop to that type of conduct and practice,” he says.
One reason I stopped eating at Taco Bell was I noticed it increased my overall volume. But I digress.
Taco Bell chimes in with this response:
“Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We’re happy that the millions of customers we serve every week agree. We deny our advertising is misleading in any way and we intend to vigorously defend the suit.”
What remains to be seen is how vigorously they’ll fight this allegation in the court of public opinion. Though this is certainly no finger in the chili or booger on the pizza, it can’t help the brand any if the suggestion that they aren’t using actual beef–or are using a lot of fillers–takes hold in the consumer mind. (The lawsuit’s use of the term “meat concoction” is going to be tough to overcome if it catches on.)
For the moment it appears they are weighing legal options. Their public response is (I assume) forthcoming….unless it truly is “We’ll see how this comes out in court.” That, my friends, is a dangerous proposition. Lawsuits take time, and in the interim between a court filing and a verdict, all that could be left of the Bell’s reputation may be an empty (taco) shell.
Without knowing if they have been caught doing something wrong or not, it’s tough to say what I’d do, other than be as transparent as legally possible as soon as possible. Tricky.
I’ll keep an eye on this one–at the very least their advertisements might get pulled or altered. In the meantime, assuming this lawsuit’s allegations are correct, what would you say if you were Taco Bell?
I had a comment from a loyal reader who fears this might change the future:
The aRT of the RT: Enthusiasm Levels
Mike Brown has nice handwriting. RT that.
I often meet my friend Mike Brown, the guru over at the Brainzooming Group, for coffee. Actually, Mike doesn’t drink coffee and cannot abide a place that smells like coffee, yet somehow we manage to meet at a local coffee spot every now and again to talk business, collaboration, creativity and the absurdities of life in general.
Speaking of absurdities, Mike is pretty active on Twitter (as am I) and a while back we were discussing the Art of the Retweet, or “RT” as it’s known on Twitter. If you’re into Twitter, you know that when you see something pretty cool that might be of interest to your Tweeps (readers, followers, etc.) you “retweet” it.
Example:
RT: @PRWeekUS Poll: Did Ricky Gervais misrepresent the Golden Globes as a host? http://www.prweekus.com/online-polls/section/990/
RT @MEAndersFit Looking at Pilate’s Cross by J. Alexander Greenwood @A_Greenwood at #smashwords http://smashwords.com/b/6806 Cannot wait to read this book! <This rocks! Thanks!>
RT @Brainzooming Blogging Challenges? Ideas for When You Find Blogging Difficult http://bit.ly/hLCaHJ #blogging #sm #writing #creativity <snarky>
