Estonia + Finland show the way to a better world.

New Post (177) : Estonia + Finland show the way to a better world.

An admirable duo … (these twin sisters) …

Anu Tali (born June 18, 1972 in Tallinn is an Estonian conductor. She started her musical training as a pianist, and graduated from the Tallinn Music High School in 1991. She continued her studies in the Estonian Music Academy as a conductor with Kuno Areng, Toomas Kapten and Roman Matsov. From 1998 to 2000, she studied at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory with Ilya Mussin and later with Leonid Korchmar. She began conducting studies in 1995 with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Anu Tali and her twin sister Kadri Tali founded the Nordic Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in 1997, originally named Estonian-Finnish Symphony Orchestra with Anu Tali being the orchestra's conductor and Kadri Tali the manager.

Old fashioned neighbourly --- Musical collaboration --- may well save the world. (by saving our souls first).

Even fierce enemies like---The 2 Koreas could take a tentative few steps towards peace by initiating musical (and other artistic) collaboration. Will they ?

Common folks want music in their lives. Not a cacophony of bombs exploding in their midst.

Is that too hard to understand !

Charlie Brown

Now that Osama is done…

New Post (176) : Now that Osama is done…

What next ?

Think tanks are abuzz with speculation that USA will move to set up a full military presence in Indian Kashmir in less than 5 years ……..i.e. before China becomes the world's largest economy in 2016..............as a sweetener India will be offered some "CHOCOLATES".

India is likely to take the bait under the weight of the goodies on offer.

What those goodies will be is a no brainer.

This high altitude base will put pressure on China and ..................(effectively)....break up the BRIC bloc.

Additionally with China in some dis-comfort, this will put Iran (too) in a “reflective” state.

Footnote: Holding on to the base in Okinawa is proving to be a diplomatic hard nut for the USA with the Japanese ever growing reluctance to antagonize a rising China (next door).

Makes sense to me.

Charlie Brown

Smart marketing by Beyonce’.

New Post (175) : Smart marketing by Beyonce’.

Missie Beyonce sez --- ‘Move your body” to fight childhood obesity.

Catch the video on You Tube.
It’s gone viral.

To fight childhood obesity try:
Eating timely
Eating healthy
Eating in smaller portions (under eat)
Drinking lots of water.
Walking as much and as often as possible.
Watching your breathing.
Getting all the sleep you need.
(overall) Taking it easy. One step at a time. Live the moment.

Enjoy her jig on You Tube. I did. For her moves and her shakes. Not for the message.

Charlie Brown

Caught in the cracks.

New Post (174) : Caught in the cracks.

The contemporary world is a wall.
The building bricks being --- aggressive commercialism, advanced technology, transnational migrations, institutionalized violence and rapid global environmental destruction…………….

Most common folks are just “caught in the cracks of this wall”. (You tell me. Do we have a choice ?)

What exactly is it that we are building ??? ...a brave new world for 1% of the people !!!

Charlie Brown

I’d love to fly on the Kulula airlines.

New Post (173) : I’d love to fly on the Kulula airlines.

Enjoy this “sampling” of in flight announcements that are “supposedly” made on Kulula airlines: { A no frills airline, providing low cost tickets.}
Very hilarious (indeed) … makes the prospect of flying with Kulula an experience to look forward to.

On a flight with a very “senior” flight attendant crew, the pilot said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants.”
On landing, the stewardess said, “Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you’re going to leave anything, please make sure it’s something we’d like to have.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing. If you can light ‘em, you can smoke ‘em.”
“There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane.”
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: “Whoa, big fella. WHOA!”
From a Kulula employee: “Welcome aboard Kulula 245 to Calgary. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.”
“In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite.”
Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we’ll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines.”
“Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and keep them with our compliments.”
“As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.”
Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what’s left of our airplane to the gate!”
Another flight attendant’s comment on a less than perfect landing: “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”
After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg, the attendant came on with, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.”
Part of a flight attendant’s arrival announcement: “We’d like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you’ll think of Kulula Airways.”
“Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride.”

Highlight:
All of the above cleverly released on the internet …is a super example of how to make viral marketing on the World Wide Web … work for your business.

My hats off to the marketing folks at Kulula Airways.

Charlie Brown

How to spread the good word around.

New Post (172) : How to spread the good word around.

Try using the SPI’s.
A Social Persuader and Influencer (or SPI). is characterized by:
-Being hyper-connected. Frequently at the centre of large, established social communities. (Both, on and off the net)
-Being credible. Habitually garnering useful information is key for an SPI type. [Hence they are more likely to be considered “experts” by others.]
-Being talkers. Especially about products and services {and even “IDEAS”}. [They are likely to recommend something they like, and when they do, they are more likely to tell lots more people.]
The 2 step challenge for marketing professionals (then) is:
-How do you find these “influencers” ?
-How do you “influence” these “influencers” ?
The chain reaction to follow thereon is pretty much on “auto-pilot mode”.
Think of SPI’s as “subsidizing” your marketing spend. (Or ‘multiplying” it’s efficacy manifold.)

Foot note: Excuse me (but) I am not an SPI.

Charlie Brown

A tidal wave of “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”.

New Post (171): A tidal wave of “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”.

In medical terms………

1. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) {also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and by other names} is a complex and debilitating chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems.

It affects the lives of those who live with it everyday.

In another context…………..

2. A variant of the chronic fatigue syndrome has assumed a collective affliction status………in country after country........in the Middle East and North Africa.

A simmering fatigue with failed governance that is now quite clearly on the boil.

3. No easy pill popping prescription will make it go away. Major sweeping change is inevitable. A new world order will emerge.

The victims have had enough and will not settle for any half measure appeasement.

Charlie Brown