Still Working In The Motion Picture Home
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Who Are We Anyway?
I’m not sure if someone was trying to tell me something as I enter my 52nd year at CES. I happened to watch an episode of the Twilight Zone the other night about an aging, former movie star who lives and dreams in the past, constantly watching her old movies alone in her room. Barbara Jean Trenton refuses to move on with her life, even though her associates try to lure her out of her self-imposed isolation.
https://youtu.be/mlFuJUkcPUo
“The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine” aired on October 23, 1959 on CBS. The title is a reference to 16 mm film. It was written by Rod Serling and starred Ida Lupino, Martin Balsam, Jerome Cowan, and Ted de Corsia
Even though I wouldn’t exactly say I live in the past, I do get very nostalgic about the several hundred people who I knew so well, but no longer attend CES. Either they died, retired, or lost their jobs. It doesn’t matter why they are not at the convention, I just long for the days when I would see all of the people I spent decades with in this industry. There was a time that I couldn’t walk down the aisles at CES without getting stopped a dozen times by people who I knew, and just wanted to say hello.
Now out of 170,000 people who attend the show, I may know 400. I met most of them in recent years. I really shouldn’t complain because I am still very active with all kinds of new assignments. However, just like Barbara Jean Trenton, I want to be one of the most popular in the room.
Thank goodness for Nancy Pelosi. At 78, she has managed to make herself a major force once again. While many of my friends wanted her to give up her position so the Democrats could secure a younger and a fresher image, Pelosi is now the one we are counting on to make the United States sane again. If she manages to pull it off, I feel everyone will have a renewed interest in seniors. We still have a lot to offer the world. I just don’t want to rust.
On My Way To Vegas!!!
This is my 52nd year attending CES. There used to be two shows a year, so I attended many more, but I don’t have the exact number. Below is my CES badge when I hit 50. It’s a keeper.
I am loaded with assignments this year so I am kind of anxious to plow through and see the results of all of our pre-show efforts to help clients achieve their goals. They have their expectations, so good luck to me.
My agency, HWH PR, is responsible for delivering the press to a party at MGM Grand’s Private swanky area called The Mansion. The client is HANDL New York, a line of “reimagined” phone cases, because the company has new business partners. Actor Jamie Foxx is the host of the party. Here’s a special message from him.
We are also introducing lots of new innovations, but more about that later this week. The next time you hear from me, I will be in the middle of gadgets.
Till then!
Never Thought The Weather Channel Would Be So Shady
Everyone who owns a smartphone probably has the Weather Channel app installed on the first few pages of their screen. I personally refer to it several times a day because I’m always interested in the weather in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London. I have family and friends in those locations, so I’m curious if they are experiencing hot or cold weather.
The weather is so unpredictable. Guess what? So is the weather channel app. We just found out that the app, owned by IBM, has been secretly tracking our every step and then selling the information to third party sources for profit.
The app has been downloaded 100 million times. That means others now have information on all of us that we don’t necessarily want anyone to know about.
Most of us have been tricked into turning on the locator option that tracks our every move. People who you never met know how many times you have gone to the hair salon, bank, psychiatrist, gym and other places you wanted to keep confidential.
Find out what some users are doing to combat this. Look at the video.You may want to join forces with them.
A PR Coup
I know that many of you must be wondering what the Bird Box challenge is all about, and why it is constantly being talked about on the Internet. It took me a while to understand what was going on, but when I did, I wanted to explain it to you.
Bird Box is a movie on Netflix about a woman, (Sandra Bullock), and her small children, who are forced to make it through a forest and river blindfolded in order to avoid supernatural sightings which cause people who see them to die by suicide.
The movie is quite morbid and scary. Wikipedia explains, “It’s a 2018 American post-apocalyptic drama thriller film directed by Susanne Bier from a screenplay written by Eric Heisserer, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman.”
Netflix warns everyone that the Bird Box challenge is a dangerous trend. It went viral because it was started by a number of popular YouTube creators like Morgan Adams.
Watch the above video.
The Bird Box challenge is to wear a blindfold at all times, inside and out, for 24 hours. Learn what it’s like to be blind. Individual challenges have different times. Netflix has issued a statement on Twitter asking viewers not to hurt themselves. “We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but we just have one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.”
Netflix doesn’t have any ownership of the challenge. It’s just one of those things.
Fun Facts
Thank you Jon Erlichman, anchor of BNN Bloomberg’s morning program, The Open, for these interesting facts.
1-Here’s how old these companies will be in 2019:
Snapchat: 8 years
Uber: 10 years
Twitter: 13 years
Facebook: 15 years
Tesla: 16 years
Google: 21 years
Netflix: 22 years
Amazon: 25 years
Apple: 43 years
Intel: 51 years
HP: 80 years
Disney: 96 years
IBM: 108 years
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2-Microsoft starts this year as most valuable tech company for 1st time since 2010:
Microsoft: $785 billion
Apple: $748 billion
Amazon: $734 billion
Google: $723 billion
Facebook: $377 billion
Alibaba: $355 billion
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3-Netflix subscribers on New Year’s Eve:
2018: 146.5 million
2017: 117.6 million
2016: 93.8 million
2015: 74.8 million
2014: 57.4 million
2013: 44.4 million
2012: 33.3 million
2011: 23.5 million
2010: 20.0 million
2009: 12.3 million
2008: 9.4 million
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4-Apple’s first quarter revenue:
Q1 2019: $84 billion*
Q1 2018: $88.3 billion
Q1 2017: $78.4 billion
Q1 2016: $75.6 billion
Q1 2015: $74.6 billion
Q1 2014: $57.6 billion
Q1 2013: $54.5 billion
Q1 2012: $46.3 billion
Q1 2011: $26.7 billion
(*Apple’s new guidance for Q1)
Is Amazon Taking Over The World ?
Why are seniors grouchy about Amazon? In the last few days, I have heard a few people my age making negative comments about Amazon’s recent announcement to aggressively expand Whole Foods around the United States.
The food chain has 475 US stores in approximately over 60 cities today. They also want a Whole Foods in Idaho, southern Utah and Wyoming.
The basic idea is to make sure more Americans enroll in Prime Now so they can get the two-hour delivery time bring offered by Whole Foods.
Friends of mine who are loyal to Whole Foods feel their favorite food chain is being abused. Is it a specialty food store, not just another Amazon fulfillment center.
Personally, I don’t see the problem with Amazon double dipping. However, some seniors I spoke to, feel strongly that Amazon should not alter the Whole Foods concept. They don’t want to see any kind of storage and delivery concept mixed up with the place they go to for quality food. They fear the concept for lots of quality choices will be diluted.
Read about it in the Wall Street Journal.
Happy New Year
I’m too exhausted to write. Too many fireworks, champagne, dinner and dessert. I’m going to sleep. Happy New Year!!!!!
Love, Lois
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Never Stop Learning
I’m going to have a busy 2019. Between listening to all of the books I want to on my Audible list, I’m adding Master Class to my daily routines. There are just so many areas of interest I want to know more about: book writing, chess, film directing, fashion, and comedy.
MasterClass, an app on your smartphone, offers online education. You can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by very well known experts in various fields. Some of the biggest names in the business are teachers.
Years ago these notables never would have considered teaching courses like this, but then it became totally acceptable. You really should take advantage of this opportunity. The best thing about these courses is that they give you insight into the area you are most interested in. Then you can decide if you want to delve further with other online courses, or adult education classes.
The idea is too keep your mind active.
We are living in a time when these opportunities are available to us. Let’s not take them for granted.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Podcasts Are Turning Into Movies And TV Shows
I’m not sure you are aware of it, but many of the new TV shows you are watching were derived from podcasts. A podcast is a digital recording of music or the spoken word downloaded from the Internet to a portable player. The term originated from P.O.D meaning Portable On Demand and cast relating to the term broadcast.
This is a whole new resource for material for the small (TV) and large screen (movies). This is going to be interesting in the years ahead. Your child, your grandchild, or your neighbor next door, who has been producing a podcast, can easily become the next big star in Hollywood.
Some of the new shows are:
Homecoming
Alex, Inc.
2 Dope Queens
The Read
Streaming Now
Throwing Shade
Maron
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Be sure to watch the video for a full explanation.
DigiDame 