The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Then they expect you to eat this:

So fortunately for you all, I’m away running workshops for most of this week and then am off to Portland for most of next so this could quite possibly be the only post for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I say that, but given some of my workshop exercises involve me getting the participants to spend 2 hours doing stuff so I can go and potter about, maybe I’ll find the time to write some more inane drivel … at least for this week.

Anyway, on the off-chance my client reads this and insists I stay in the room for every minute of every hour of every day … I thought I’d cram in a little bit of fun and do a ‘BEST FOOD AT CHRISTMAS’ challenge.

I was going to do it like the classic ‘best meat’ competition of a few years back, but as that involves setting up agendas and specific polling booths, I thought I’d do it the easy way.

Below is a list of classic Christmas grub.

We have main course, dessert and – as a mindfuck [because I’m crazzzzzy] a christmas cracker … not the ones you put cheese on, but the ones you pull for a crap gift, crapper joke and stupid hat.

I was going to add in peanuts, brazil nuts and quality street, but I decided I couldn’t be arsed.

Anyway, all you have to do is vote for which one you think is the best/most important item that makes the food on the plate a meal of ultimate Christmas joy and if you want to give an explanation why in the comments, then be my guest.

If you have blogs, maybe you’d like to write something about it and try and get people to vote for your particular favourite – see how big we can make this – but I know it’s pretty weak and you have better things to do with your life, so feel free to ignore this final request like you ignore pretty much everything I say.

So ladies and gentlemen, start your forks and taste buds and decide which food item deserves the title ‘KING OF CHRISTMAS GRUB” and I’ll appoint the winner on my return this Friday.

The video below is almost 2 years old and for those with good memories – or no life – you’ll remember I’ve talked about it and posted it before … however having read Martin’s post, I came across it again and thought I’d put it up, because it’s always interesting to evaluate what someone said would happen with what actually happened and without doubt, there’s some elements of this ‘facts about the future’ video that are about as questionable as a $2 reading from Gypsy Rosie Lee because some of the ‘data’ they’re using has obviously been chosen with the intent to shock rather than give contextual understanding of what’s really going on and what’s possibly going to go on.

Future gazing is a very clever strategy for people who want to big themselves up, however like death & taxes, the future always ends up as the present and when that happens, the claims made with such gusto a few years before, can be held up to the light and seen for the flimsiness of substance that so many of them had.

Are you listening Mr K Roberts?

I’ve discussed the reasons – and the folly – of this many a time, but every now and then something happens that means even they can’t live in their little delusional and illusional bubble and one of those times has just happened with Susan Boyle being number 1 on the American Billboard chart.

Susan Boyle.

The ugly duckling who turned into an ugly swan.

Number 1.

Ahead of artists such as Rhianna, Kid Rock, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Nelly … American mega-sellers.

Now, while this demonstrates America’s alarming lack of musical taste, it also shows how in the ‘real World’ … the World that so many in adland views with scorn and ridicule … real people don’t always want the latest and the greatest, don’t all aspire to designer homes and dinner parties … don’t care about being the most popular person in the room.

Believe it or not, that was not my intention, it’s just a couple of things have happened to me recently that has resulted in me feeling the need to write this … and it’s not just the fact my review is coming up, ha!

Right, let’s get it over and done with.

W+K is an amazing place to work … and I’ve worked at a few amazing places with more than a few amazing people.

OK, so I’ve only been here about 4 months so who knows how the future may alter my view … but given the way they have handled my “idiosyncrasies” – as well as my gob – I can honestly say it’s a place that lets you be yourself and encourages you to do the best work of your life.

But here’s the thing, the best work of your life means the best commercial work of your life.

I must admit I get a bit fed up hearing people talk about wanting to work here because they think they can do stuff regardless of the clients needs – I mean, who the hell do they think provides the income that would allow them to get paid?

Don’t get me wrong, we’re not going to do stuff we don’t believe is right just because a clients ego or fee is pushing for it, but by the same token, we’re not going to do stuff we don’t believe is right just because our ego or profit margin is pushing for it.

Sure we have a lot of internal projects that are about individual freedom and expression … sure there’s people here who want to do things that will end up having nothing to do with the ad industry … but while we have fun, we don’t lose sight of why we’re here and the people who just see it as a home for indulgent, creative freedom are not just wrong, but – at least in my eyes – the enemy.

Just because Dan Wieden hasn’t sold the company to a mulitnational doesn’t mean he doesn’t like money. OK, so he’s hardly eating bread out of a dumpster in the back streets of Portland, but his business head knows that without the profits his clients give him for creating, producing and delivering interesting, exciting and effective work … his bigger plans and goals for the company could be severely impacted and for a man who has achieved so much, he still has a lot of hunger for things he wants to try.