cushsf’s posterous

My Weekly Finds In News and Blog Articles 



June 27, 2009

Book Review: Writing the Killer Treatment: Selling Your Story Without a Script (Paperback)

Writing the Killer Treatment: Selling Your Story Without a Script


I think I found five books in the "writting the .." series and have two more to read.  Every book is not written by the same author and the Killer Treatment differs in style by not using any of the system used in the other four books.  This book teaches not script writing after all but how to sell the script without a script.  I learned almost nothing because I have no use for the information but was worth a quick read in case I have to return to it later.  I read the first half of the book about doing the treatment and was interesting but enough to make me skip the interviews and the reference materials.

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June 27, 2009

Consider Wine Styles Like Fashion

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I couldn't comment on this blog post.  Wine Spectator says my online subscription has ran out which is fine with me.  My point is this post makes a great point about wine and here in Northern California many people whine about fine restaurants and sommeliers not purchasing California wine for sale on premises.  That is part blaming someone for their problems but does have some merit.  People who are involved in wine decisions close to the consumers feel and act in response to the consumer tastes and things flow like fashion does.  Wine consumers are not intelligent in spite of the empowerment of the buyer to choose wines using own know-how.  Many factors influence the buyer decisions and most of all the average wine drinker knows far less than admitted.  The media and the PR of what restaurants offer define what wine is in to drink for the majority.  California wine is not in fashion at the present time and has to wait its turn.  
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Posted: 01:56 PM ET, June 26, 2009

In talking about wine styles, and why and when they change, I usually turn to the analogies of popular music or fashion. I ask people to walk into their closet and examine their wardrobe, and think about when and why they bought a shirt or jacket, and which are their favorite items, or the ones they never wear.



Today I couldn't help but think about how pop icon Michael Jackson influenced the entertainment world. No matter what you thought about his curious persona or mercurial career, the one white glove or moon walk dance, there’s no mistaking his lasting legacy. His music is an extraordinary body of work. Jackson had many imitators, but no one could match his musical achievements. They invite comparisons to the likes of Elvis Presley or the Beatles.

Granted, wine styles can't and don't change with the fluidity of pop music, hemlines or pinstripes. Wine is agriculture. Changes in style are by nature more gradual. But styles do change, and of course, and so do tastes. The two go hand in hand. What may have been hot last year isn't now. My taste for collecting different kinds of wines has ranged from impulsive to disciplined, but usually well in between those extremes.

With wine, conversation about changing styles often revolves around how wines age. When readers describe drinking a 30-year-old Mayacamas orHeitz or Louis Martini Cabernet, they wonder why winemakers stopped making those kinds of wines, and more to the point, they wonder whether the modern versions will endure as those have. 

Truth is, it's unclear at both ends of the equation. Few winemakers still favor the styles of the aforementioned wines, and it's anyone's guess as to how long or well today's stars will shine. 

If you asked Bob Travers why his 1974 Mayacamas aged so gloriously, I'm sure he'd say it was the vineyard and the year more so than any winemaking magic in the cellar. I'm sure, too, that he had a good idea that the '74 vintage was special early on, as indeed it was. But I’m not sure he could offer greater insight into any other specifics aside from the results: it had to be a great year since the proof is in the bottle. Time reveals the truth with older wines.

For whatever reason, the style of the 1970s Napa Cabernets ran its course. New vineyards were planted, old ones reconfigured, the number of brands proliferated and winemakers aimed not only for a different style (i.e. riper flavors and gentler tannins) but ways to differentiate their wines from an ever-growing multitude of offerings. For example, most of the great Cabernets of the 1960s and 1970s were 100 percent Cabernet. Today it's rare to find such a wine.

For all the glory of the iconic wines of their era, people forget that there were far more that lacked complexity, charm, and texture and didn't evolve in such a magnificent fashion.

Of course, our tastes have changed, too. There was a time when people who bought Napa Cabernet routinely aged the wines, believing both that the harder tannins of the era needed time to soften but also that the wines would get better. The hard tannins didn't soften, and most of the wines didn't gain. 

We wine drinkers wanted and expected more from our wines – more depth, flavor, balance, texture and complexity – and perhaps we were less patient, wanting to drink and enjoy our wines in their youth rather than cellar them and miss the fruit purity of an infant wine. 

Today with perhaps 800 individual bottlings of Napa Cabernet, it's no wonder there are both so many different styles and such a great emphasis on place. Yet it's curious how similar many of those wines are. For every glorious Bryant or Lewis Cabernet, there are many imitators who simply can't achieve the success of that style. Do we have too many wines made in that style? I think so. And that is changing.

Today's wines are better made, more complex, better balanced and they give us more of everything--perhaps most obviously immediate gratification. I believe that many of today's wines will age well, but many others won't, just like in years gone by. 

Judgment day is coming for many modern-style wines, and each of us will have to ask ourselves if the wines met our expectations.

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Blogs/Blog_Detail/0,4211,2611,00.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

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June 27, 2009

eBook: The BrainWash

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I will definitely read the BrainWash.  I liked the title as soon as I saw it.  Finally someone wrote about brainwashing people but found this to be even more interesting.  I think I am doing whatever I can protecting myself against heart disease and cancer and would like to think I am ahead of most of the population. However, Alzheimer looms scarier than Cardiac Arrest in my future.  And I have to admit I know very little about prevention in that department.  I have high hopes for what the BrainWash has to say.
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The Brain Wash: A Powerful, All-Natural Program to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer's, 
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, Parkinson's, and Other Diseases by Michelle Schoffro Cook (Re Upload)
Publisher: Wiley | February 26, 2007 | ISBN: 0470839287 | Pages: 256 | PDF | 1.86 MB

A Powerful, All-Natural Program to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, Parkinson's, and Other Brain Diseases. Scientists predict that within fifteen years brain disease will kill or disable more North Americans than cancer and heart disease combined. The Brain Wash is a powerful, holistic health plan based on the most cutting-edge brain, nutrition, and healing research. Combining thousands of scientific studies from around the globe, The Brain Wash offers a comprehensive, easy-to-follow approach proven to help protect your brain from damage.

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June 27, 2009

eBook: The Encyclopedia of U-Boats From 1904 to the Present

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The dreaded U-Boats and you can have an encyclopedia to know everything about them.  I was told once that Germans had secret bases in the Atlantic for U-Boats to attack ships.  The bases were staffed and supplied not to have any contact with the mainland or German Navy at all thus being even more invisible and deadly than the German Navy and impossible to deal with.  They were seen as part of German Navy from outside but operated without any of the weaknesses of an organized naval force.  The interesting part is once WWII ended, these units did not stop operating.  They continued to float and carry their missions in the Atlantic sinking ships.  The official explanation was ships were lost in a huge geographical area to be called "the Bermuda Triangle."  The story goes the U-Boats continued to operate until the staff were old.  The cold war raged on and they could not return to Germany since part of the West.  They supposed found refuge in the Soviet Union for retirement.  Life goes on.
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The Encyclopedia of U-Boats: From 1904 to the Present by E. Moller & W. Brack
Greenhill | 2006 | ISBN: 1853676233 | 240 pages | PDF | 41 Mb

On the eve of World War I, the art of submarine warfare was barely a dozen years old; no nation had submarine-qualified officers serving at the senior staff level; and no nation had developed any method for detecting submarines or attacking them if found. Prejudice against submarines remained: They did not fit in the classic, balanced structure of a navy where battleships were king. But by the end of WWI, they had changed the face of naval warfare forever. This excellent and comprehensive reference book, translated for the first time in English, traces the remarkable history of the German U-boat, meticulously recording all the different submarine classes and types developed from the U-1, launched in 1906, through the highly successful 30s series, to the Wolf pack of WWII, and beyond. Type sheets provide information on the development, service record, range, crew strength, and location for each entry. Special chapters are also devoted to the most successful and colorful German U-boat commanders, including Karl Donitz, Otto Kretschmer.

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June 26, 2009

Bordeaux Labeled Dysfunctional

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Two large American distributors have put freezes on Bordeaux purchases.  The media blasting against Robert Parker and anything found as obstacle to sales of American wines.  Wine industry has always been 'bogus' more than anything.  An agricultural product that is packaged and marketed as an invaluable commodities.  The industry has always been a mess at all levels.  The Italian, the Spanish, the rest of Europe, the hardly-existent American and the bulk of the wine industry has always been a ridiculous mess pretending to be an organized well-run industry.  All wine industry is dysfunctional.  Bordeaux has two faults:  The production size is huge and American wines are not selling.
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by Sophie Kevany in Bordeaux

Leading wine industry figures have called France - and Bordeaux - 'dysfunctional'. 

Speaking at a Vinexpo conference on the topic of solutions to France's viticultural crisis, Tony Spawton, associate professor of wine marketing at the University of South Australia, said France's wine industry needed to address its serious infrastructure problems. 

'The fact the world's leading wine region is having to distill wine is a bad sign,' said Spawton. 

'Bordeaux should be selling everything,' he said. He also criticised the region for being too focused on Parker points and said it was no longer a benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon. 
He predicted that first growths would associate themselves increasingly with luxury goods and less with wine, and said that mid- to low-end producers must consolidate in order to survive. 

'Spain is amalgamating co-ops, and Italy is in the process. France has not done it,' he said. 

Another speaker, UK wine writer Robert Joseph - who produces wine in France - said dysfunctionalities in Bordeaux, and France in general, existed at many levels. 

He cited a 'lack of wine branding, poor marketing - with the exception of Champagne' - and the fact that Bordeaux customers are 'blackmailed' into buying. 

Many Bordeaux negociants agreed that sales methods must be changed quickly, and called the recent freeze on purchases by two major American buyers - Southern Wine and Spirits and Diageo's Chateau & Estate Wines - good news. 

'It is a kick up the arse that will make them live in the real world,' said one French producer who asked not to be identified. 

'The biggest change will be producers actually asking themselves who is drinking, why, and questioning the blind assumption that there is a market out there for this kind of wine.' 

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June 26, 2009

Top CEOs and Social Media

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One of the first things I noticed when I began online social media was nobody who is anybody and I know of was online!  That could be because of the age groups being of boomer generation and lack of strong connection to the Internet and its recent offspring the social media or I suspect top executives are far more reserved and by nature keep unnecessary acquaintances away.  Social media works in the direction of connecting strangers and the process is always simple regardless of the network.  I have personally made two profiles on linkedin.  One is for what I call Lions and one for Mice.  I use the terms from the book Never Eat Lunch Alone.  The lions are contacts of some significance for various reasons but in the present situations CEOs qualify as lions while mice are everybody else one may meet whom we know but are of little value if someday a need arises and they are to be our helpers.  I think the trend will continue for the top people to be partial to exclusiveness.  
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from T Techcrunch by Robin Wauters

It’s ‘official’; big shot CEOs are social media slackers. The hot news comes straight from ÜBERCEO, who says it conducted research on the topic for the past few weeks and has found that there’s little chance you’ll ever get to exchange pokes and tweets with Fortune 100 CEOs for the time being. Here’s the ‘miserable level of engagement’ ÜBERCEO has uncovered:

- Only two CEOs have Twitter accounts.
- 13 CEOs have LinkedIn profiles, and of those only three have more than 10 connections.
- 81% of CEOs don’t have a personal Facebook page.
- Three quarters of the CEOs have some kind of Wikipedia entry, but nearly a third of those have limited or outdated information.
- Not one Fortune 100 CEO has a blog.

Quite frankly, I think this is actually a good thing. Top execs of Fortune 100 companies in my view can do much more harm to themselves and the organizations they represent using social media the wrong way, and I haven’t seen that many CEOs of any size and type of company do it the right way. It’s what social media gurus and other experts are there for!

Thank God, I’ve never had to work for a Fortune 100 company, but if ever do I’ll be damned if I’m going to befriend and send Zombie bites to the head honcho on Facebook or send him or her direct messages over Twitter if I’m looking for a raise.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ddxBLncElGA/

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June 26, 2009

How Michael Jackson Became a Brand Icon

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The marketing of a product is more of what took place with Michael Jackson.  Many individuals aspire to become successful marketing icons and only a few make it to the absolute top.  Michael Jackson is a clear marketing success story.  Talent? Anybody who does not have enough to be in the business will never arrive at the point of becoming a product to be marketable.  Talent is the minimum requirement to be in the game.  Michael Jackson may be many things but is also a marketing idea that did extremely well and profited many including himself.  RIP
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rom HarvardBusiness.org by John Quelch

Countless books advise how to build your personal brand. Michael Jackson was so unique that he cannot realistically serve as anyone's role model in that effort. Yet Jackson was unquestionably a brand icon and there are lessons to be learned. Here are the top ten factors that explain his icon status.

Start early. Michael began entertaining at the age of four. His career as the uniquely young lead singer in The Jackson Five began with the Motown label at the age of 10. National recognition came with his appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.

Let go. Jackson went solo in 1972 at the age of 13. As with Diana Ross and the Supremes, there came a point where the group constrained rather than aided the further development of his talent.

Break out. Jackson was a multidimensional entertainer. His expert dancing could be showcased via the new medium of music videos. MTV and Jackson rose in tandem when MTV premiered the Jackson video "Thriller" in 1982 from the album of the same name. The album went on to sell over 100 million copies.

Get help. Jackson benefited from his long-term professional relationship with producer and songwriter Quincy Jones. He often acknowledged the inspiration he received from James Brown, Diana Ross and other artists.

Be visible. All memorable brands have their unique visual trademarks. Jackson understood brand image and how to build it with his fans. The moonwalk that we could all try to imitate. The glove. The uniform. Neverland.

Go global. Jackson's music and videos easily transcended national boundaries, as well as race, age and gender. "We Are the World", written by Jackson and Lionel Ritchie in 1985, cemented his global appeal. Jackson sold almost half his 750 million titles outside the United States.

Crown yourself. Elvis was already "The King", so Jackson christened himself "The King of Pop." The professional contributions--including 13 Grammies--were so substantial that the moniker stuck. The flawed personal life - the lawsuits, the failed marriages, and the Wacko Jacko incidents like dangling his child from a Berlin hotel balcony - chipped away at Jackson's professional brand equity but never eroded it.

Be vulnerable. We cannot relate to icons without imperfections. Jackson was quirky, eccentric, mysterious. For all his wealth and professional excellence, he was - perhaps understandably - flawed, misguided, and sad, but none would say unkind.

Give back. Denied a normal childhood, Jackson was amazingly generous to disadvantaged children. Some 39 charities benefited significantly from his support. He also collaborated on Live Aid with other entertainers.

Die young. The sold-out 50 concert tour of Europe to start next month will never happen. The likelihood of a Jackson comeback will forever be debated. Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe James Dean, and now Michael Jackson - all leave to our imagination thoughts of what might have been. When a brand icon is torn from us prematurely, unexpectedly, it figures even larger in our collective memory.

http://feeds.harvardbusiness.org/~r/harvardbusiness/~3/3SgkQvM8KiA/how_michael_jackson_became_a_b.html

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June 26, 2009

Book Review: Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within

Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within (Michael Wiese Productions)


Another writing text by Neil Hicks which uses the same basic system for all of his "writing the..." texts and a good text.  I am beginning to grasp more of what screenwriting for specific genres is about.  I have a little bit of learning in the general screenwriting area but definitely the various genres will take longer and I expect to read Hicks' books again.  The writing is quite clear and as a how-to book all volumes read very fast.

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June 26, 2009

ebook: Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook

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A very interesting book to check out.  I haven't seen the first edition but will seek the second edition.  It appears a professional-level handbook and not a public interest text.  I assume 80% is what any professional taster already knows but is worth checking out.
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from AvaxHome RSS:/ebooks by Book-er

Ronald S. Jackson "Wine Tasting, Second Edition: A Professional Handbook"
Academic Press | English | 2009-05-29 | ISBN: 0123741815 | 512 pages | PDF | 22,8 MB

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June 25, 2009

Book Review: Andrea Robinson's 2009 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone

Andrea Robinson's 2009 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone (Andrea Immer Robinson's Wine Buying Guide for Everyone)


I read an older version of this buyer's guide a couple of years ago and actually liked her selections a lot.  Most of the pocket book is listing of wines she recommends with notes.  This year I read through it half way and it was fine but I did not find anything exciting compared to last time.  The ratings are not very strict and probably are on same credibility as wine enthusiast magazine which I have refused to read for years.  A good little book for most casual retail shoppers.

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