As part of its ten year on air celebrations, TG4 is running a poll to get people to nominate favourite ads from the past decade. This one gets my vote. Strange to look at it now from this perspective knowing what happened to our Eircom shares. Still, for those of us still hanging in there, Vodafone might come through one of the days – if they ever come up with some forward looking 21st century ideas. What a wonderful ad that was though, evocative meaningless and sexy.
Most junk e-mail doesn’t linger in the mind. Cheap Viagra, magical penis enlargement and surprise lotto winnings are trashy hard sell that most spam filters pick up easily. Letters from distraught relatives of a former African princes or presidents is also pretty common but far more colourful. In broken English full of promises and desperation, some of them are like a snippet from some unknown Arabian or African night tale. Here’s one I got the other day:Compliments of the day to you! : I am Alhaji abacha muhammed, son of the late General Sani Abacha, former Nigerian Military President who died on active Government service on june 8,1998. I got your contact from the Internet in my search to secure a partner unknown to me because of the nature and I do believe you can help me. I am contacting you due to the present situation as regards the Undemocratic manner the present Administration in my country (Nigeria) is taking all that belongs to us. You may be aware that this is the usual attitude of leaders especially in Africa when there is a change of Government. The present Government of General Olusegun Obasanjo is currently in a face off with my family in his bid to recover all our money because of Victimisation and Political Vendatta. They have brought up charges of corrupt enrichmemnt against us. The law they made is yet another smear campaign aimed mainly to frustrate, humiliate, dismember and widen the scope of hatred for my family. A personal vendetta by President Obasanjo who was jailed by my father's Regime for plotting a coup d 'etat against his Government in 1995. This highly calculated attempt by this administration plus some Western Banks through bi-lateral relationship has taken away from us a whopping amount in Switzerland and Bank accounts around the World. This rampaging of our Bank accounts abroad have yielded to the barbaric pressure and sometime ago we were squized out of family possessions and money running into multimillion of USDollar because the accounts bear our names. These assertions can be ascertained independently if you wish to confirm this from a leading newspaper in Nigeria (This Day Newspapers) from their website at www.thisdayonline.com from the archives section in the March 10, 2001, January 26, 2002 and March 18, 2002 editions. This pressure is taking a great toll on my family and all we ever own. Please i wish to solicit your cooperation as a foreigner to help me receive some Money Deposited with a Securities and finacial company in Europe which is my only hope / source of livelihood for now. This is a call for you to help receive this money and put the money into good investments since i am barred from leaving the Country for now. Please know that the money is US$52M in cash with a Security Finance Firm in Europe that i intend to put in your care by getting a trusted foreigner to handle money for the purpose of investment and safekeeping abroad. Please Note that you will be expected to deal directly with the security Finance Firm with the information and LEGAL POWER i shall give you to handle the entire transaction. Please know that the Cash Deposit of US$52M is deposited in Trunk Boxes and presently in Europe I use this opportunity to offer you 20% of this money($52M), if you can handle this transaction absolute well for me.This is however subject to our negotiation and agreement. You can contact me ONLY via my email: mualab2@aim.com for now and for security reason. Endeavor to keep this highly confidential. In your response include your private telephone / fax numbers for easy communications with me. My kind regards, Alhaji Abacha Muhammed.
Never in my wildest dreams thought I’d write a single word about golf. The Ryder Cup was held in the K club in County Kildare over the past weekend and the hype made me look in. And I stayed to look a lot longer than I thought I would. I was struck by the artificial beauty of the K Club golf course. It kept reminding me of the set for the toddler TV show “Tellytubbies” that was popular some years ago. I’m not really into any sport much but at times over the weekend I could see the attraction of golf. Yes, there’s the county club thing, the strange gear they wear – even when it’s jazzed up it’s still so stridently heterosexual in a 1950s sort of way. And yet, there is something decent about it all. Something comforting and middle aged, even though a few of the players were only in their 20s. In town today I almost bought a book about the history of the Ryder Cup!
Upstairs in Easons O Connell Street Dublin is now a very comfortable place to have a cup of something and a read of the paper. Reminds me a bit of what we used Bewleys for all those years ago. On a corner wall there is a large LCD screen showing a silent SKY NEWS with the text button on. It’s strangely calming despite the alarming images it often shows.
I’ve been waiting patiently for Vodaphone Ireland to release the Nokia e70. It was due last June but was delayed because of problems “testing the software” Now, they finally say it will be released on contract by the end of August – or maybe September. I check out the Vodaphone UK site and see that the E70 is up there for a good while, you can even get it free with some of the higher tariffs. There’s been a lot of talk recently about the mobile operaters overcharging for calls, but less talk about how they are screwing us with their selection (and prices) of handsets. I’d love to know, for example, how Vodaphone UK could release the E70 without any “software problems” in the UK but failed to do this in Ireland. What exactly were the “software problems” that made it unsuitable for the Irish market but ok for the UK?
Does anyone else feel a sense of restlessness in the air? I feel this in Dublin at the moment. People in transit. I wonder how many of the people who have arrived here in the past few years will settle and stay? So many of them talk about “home”, and that home isn’t here. Then again, we were the same in Britain and America, always talking and singing about home but staying where we sailed to. I hope the majority of our immigrants stay. We need their energy as much they need whatever “home” and shelter this land can offer. We are still at the start of an uncertain new century. Too often, lately, I think about the beginning of the last century . I used to read a lot about that strange period between 1900 and 1914. In my heart, I don’t really believe that history repeats itself. It’s just this sense of restlessness , leading .....someplace.
John Caple b.1966
Still bright at 10 clock. A few evenings ago I took a picture of the moon rising over
It’s the end of a fine hot day in
So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:
1. Ignore everybody.2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.
24. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
