Goal Achieved!

Happy New Year!

I started this blog in 2008 and been writing, on and off, since which helped me discover my passion for writing. In January 2020, I had set myself a goal to have 10K views during the year (for a total of 70K) and ended up with multiple times that amount (total, as of now, is 108212 pageviews). It's not a big milestone to some but it is to me and I'm confident that the views will keep increasing as I'm getting better at writing and sharing my content.

I've had more views this years than in the previous 4-5 years. There are a few key reasons for this. Those are:

• My writing is consistently better.
• More crawlers have found my site than ever before which, apparently, counts towards the blogger views (but not Google Analytics).
• More people stumbled on my site during the lock-down.
• More people have been sharing my content on social media.

Don't get me wrong, I know my monthly pages views are mostly due to crawlers and the true number is much less than what I got but if more crawlers can see my site then more of you will be able to as well.

2020 was a great year thanks to you but 2021 will be even better! Stay tuned! 

100K views for the year 2021!

Bad Publicity

Ever been on a website where an ad just started playing in the background? The ad is a video and it shifts the content you’re reading or takes over your entire view area. Aren’t those annoying?

Not all publicity is good: there is such a thing as bad publicity. If the goal of an ad is to paint a positive picture of a company then this kind of strategy is failing. The feeling I get, from those type of ads, is one of frustration. I’m asking myself “Why are you pushing this on me?” Is this the type of feeling those brands are looking for in their potential future customers?

I doubt it.

The goal of an ad is to make people happy and to associate that happiness with the brand. I shut off when ever I see these types of shady tactics being forced on me.

Is it the same for you? Do you just shut off when you see these types of ads or do you enjoy them?

Advertisement Robs Us

"The individual, it is said, should be free to pursue his own interests as long as he keeps the peace and does not interfere with the rights of others. He should be free to make as much money as he can and to spend it as he sees fit. There is a need for men who are industrious, resourceful, thrifty, and self-reliant, and who have initiative and a spirit of adventure." -Harold H. Titus / Marilyn S. Smith

The goal of an advertisement is to plant a seed in the mind of consumers to buy a product. We don't buy a product as much as we buy the advertisement itself. The best product in the world, that's advertised poorly, won't sell as good (initially) as the worse product in the world with the best advertisement.
After a product as been release, word to mouth usually takes over and bring the advertisement hype to the level of the product.

Advertisement sells but it also creates an artificial need in the consumer's mind effectively removing some of his freedom to choose. They appeal to our emotional being. Sure, we might think that we're in control; that we decide what we want but if we look around our home, we'll likely find items that we did not intend to buy but that are there none the less due to an advertisement that appealed to our emotional side.

Orrin Woodward created a rule in an attempt to remove emotional purchases. The rule is if the item is more than 100$, he waits a day to see how he feels about it the next morning. Often, if we take a day to think about it, we realize that we don't really need the item. Maybe we should all apply this rule?

I Wonder What It's Like To Be A Bird

The guys at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in London, attached a GoPro camera to the back of an eagle in an effort to protect endangered species. While I don't understand the relationship between a GoPro camera on the back of an endangered specie and the protection of said specie (to build awareness perhaps?) ... it's still pretty cool! Many London landmarks are shown like never before. Check it out here:

Video originally found on IO9.

The Christmas Truce

The Christmas truce was a series of widespread, unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914, during World War I. The soldiers exchanged handshakes, played games and gave each other gifts.

The below video is a heartwarming commercial about this event.

Poor Princess Leia

It's not everyday we see Princess Leia walking downtown ... it's even rarer to see every Star Wars character trying to hit on her. It's exactly what's happening in this video! Check it out here:

Big Eyes

This upcoming film is based on a true story about a female artist, named Margaret Keane, who was abused by her husband (Walter Keane) and forced to paint for hours. Her husband would then take the paintings, sell them under his name and keep the money for himself.

Thankfully, his charade was brought to an halt and Justice was eventually served! Check the trailer out here:

For more information, check out this Gawker article!

Universe Simulator!

Ever wanted to explore Deep Space? Now you can with the free Space Engine! This universe simulator is based on real data, when possible, making the experience as accurate as it can possibly be from a computer chair. If you can see it, you can go to it. PC owners ought to try this (did I mention it's free?).

Check the video here for a glimpse of the action:

Links:
Originally found here: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/
Can be downloaded here: en.spaceengine.org/

Toyota HiLux Unbreakable Drivers

Toyota has released a new line of advertisement for their vehicles and they're hilarious! The below is what it takes to own a Toyota pickup truck and is, so far, the favorite of the bunch. Check it out!

One Of The Funniest Ones!

Some commercials just stick with you throughout the years and this is one of them. I first saw this maybe 10 years ago and it stuck with me ever since. When I think about it, I don't think about the product, however, only about the guy that's in pain. Check it out!

World of Warcraft - Warlords of Draenor

If you're mildly into video games, you probably already know what the next World Of Warcraft expansion is all about. As usual, Blizzard released a mind blowing trailer to advertise the release. See the awesomeness below:

Skillet Rise

Skillet (often confused with Skrillex) is a Christian Rock band that's been around since 1996. What I like the most about this Christian band is that you can't tell it is one. It doesn't contain any "allelujah" or biblical verse and someone that isn't Christian can potentially be fooled into thinking they're just a Rock band.

What they do talk about is how weak humans are and the fights we have to partake. Give skillet a listen below to see what I'm talking about!

Big city cars. Big nonsense? - The new "Smart Car" ad

I don't have cable (but of course you knew that already didn't you?) and am therefor not up-to-date when it comes to ads, current events or tv series that's currently playing. Somehow, I still manage to learn about them through word of mouth or through internet blogs. Today, I stumble across this Smart Car ad that's just hilarious! It's an obvious hoax that's targeted to those who doesn't like the smart car because it's "too small". Check it out here:

"And Justice For All" book by Orrin Woodward

Orrin Woodward released many books over the years and is considered one of the biggest leaders of the 21st century. His latest work, "And Justice For All", is coming out this month and it looks amazing! See the trailer below:

The Future of Advertisement Online

It is interesting to study the evolution of advertisement throughout the years on the web. Each time Advertisement agencies find ways to advertise, the public find ways to ignore it.
Think back to when the web used to be plagued with pop-ups; pop-ups blockers soon followed.

Now we’re seeing something even more dramatic, the advertisement banners (usually found at the top or on the sides of a website) are being blocked entirely by “Adblock” leaving our screens ads free.
It is no longer possible for advertisement agencies to use online ads to advertise their products using the old channels. Seth Godin studied the question and determined that in order for advertisements to be relevant today, they need to be specific to the person seeing it.
How do you create specific ads for a target audience? Well you first need the client’s information and the easiest way to do that is through social media.

The best way to advertise today is with the help of social media. Not with paid ads (Adblock will block it) but by first providing a product that people want and encouraging them to share to their friends.

Men 2.0

Brian and I recently joined forces to create a personal development blog specifically for men. It's still in the design process but you can check out what we have so far here: http://men2p0.blogspot.ca/

I've been wanting to do something with the guy for a while now and I think this will be the first stay for greater and better things.

ModestNeeds.org - small change. a world of difference.

It's a hard world out there and sometime all we need to make it to another month is a few extra bucks to help pay the bills.

Modestneeds.org was launched in 2002 by Keith Taylor and is designed to help people by giving them a little push financially.

You can either donate money to Modestneeds.org, and they will give it to who ever, or you can decide who to give it to using the website. You can also register yourself and ask for money if need be.

Check it out here:
https://www.modestneeds.org

Men's Health Training guide 2014 is out

I'm a sucker for Men's Health magazine/books (pictured) that comes out every now and then. I find myself on the lookout for it every time I do my grocery shopping.

This edition follows the same format as its predecessors; giving great advice about food, fitness, supplements etc...

It's a must own for those looking for information on healthy living.

I love my Bic

I write a lot on my spare time and I've used many different pens. So far the "Big" brand stands out as being the best.

I am aware that some people pay 100$ + for a good pen but why not use a Bic? They always work, feel great and you can get them for a couple of bucks.

Bic is the pen I use.

Start with this!

Success magazine is a good place to start looking for quality information that will help you in your business endeavors. It contains tips on how to improve yourself, your business, your budget, which books to read ... anything you can think of to get ahead.
Each copy comes with an audio cd of interviews with people who have success.

It's available in both physical and digital format.

You can subscribe here: http://www.success.com/