Saturday 14 April 2018

Space and the Cosmos - The Great Equalizer

COSMOS: the world or universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious system

The above is a real definition. Having just viewed a recent video of a live broadcast between the space station and Queens University featuring Dr. Drew Feustel, it represents a tragic irony.

What I saw and heard was a magnificent example of astronauts from the United States, Canada, Russia and many other nations all working together in perfect harmony in that fascinating unknown - the Cosmos (or Space). What I heard was awe inspiring.

Yet here on this tiny spec we call Earth in that Cosmos, those same nations or their leaders can't get along and even scheme to destroy each other. Both Russia and the USA have cooperated to shuttle each others scientists to and from that station. Surely there is a lesson here. If they can be colleagues up there, why can't their political leaders at least get along down here?

Such thoughts inspired the following:


With mortal sight we do behold
This awe inspiring vision.
Mysteries of our sky unfold

Immaculate precision. 

A home away from home we share.

Depending on each other.
When we return how will we fare?
Will I still call you brother?

We share this vast celestial sight.

It casts on us a spell.
We fear our heads of state just might
Change Earth to living hell.

As we observe these planets far

In this communal space,
Are we being judged from distant star?
Have we used up our grace?

If our great leaders would agree

To take a turn up here,
As one team they soon would see
That trust surpasses fear.

There will come a time when we

Will have to conquer space.
Cooperation will be key
To live beyond this place.









Sunday 8 April 2018

Lives, Loves, and Futures Gone in a Second

Humboldt Broncos Remembered

Do you have sons or daughters of any age? Think about all of those families now grieving who will no longer share your good fortune. Everything you cherish can be gone in an instant.
Now would be a good time to give them a long hug and to tell them that this horrific tragedy makes you realize how lucky you are to still have them with you.

The Brewster

Sunday 1 April 2018

Please! Your Perfume Stinks!

Did You Bathe in that Stuff?

Perfumes, colognes, after shaves etc. have been advertising for decades. No problem. What is a problem is that some of them reek! It seems that the people who purchase the inexpensive products are also prone to practically bathing in the stuff.

Isn't it time for some clever ads from the better name brands featuring for example people choking in an elevator or office because of somebody wearing a horribly strong and offensive scent? If enough of them ran these kinds of ads maybe people would begin to get the message.

There are lots of commercials that feature bad breath; perspiration stains and wetness; yellow teethe etc. Let's have a movement to eliminate cheap and overpowering fragrances. 

By getting that message across ever so subtly followed by a scene showing the application of just a little dab of their brand, they would do us all a huge favour and probably sell more product as a result.

The Brewster

Thursday 29 March 2018

What about a "G7" on Advertising?

Possible Side Effects "... Can be Fatal." Really?

Isn't it time for a governing body for advertising? Normally I only see the North American ads but I am sure all members of the developed world are subjected to similar assaults involving falsehoods and blatant lies.

If nothing else, isn't it insulting how many companies seem to consider us to be total imbeciles? To be fair I suppose some people out there probably do need to be told not to ingest a particular product, even when they already know they are allergic to it!

After many decades don't you wonder just how many times a leading laundry detergent can be "New and Improved?" If they are going to persist isn't it time to see a man doing laundry and holding up his sparkling white sheets with a glowing smile on his face as though he just won the lottery - the highlight of his day? Really? Aren't women somewhere just screaming about this?

What about all of the CYA statements made right at the end of an ad at some ridiculous speed that sounds like someone pressed FF on the recording.?This stuff might be legal but it is impossible to hear. The scary thing is that's the way they want it. Really?

Here is another I have mentioned in my Pet Peeves posting: commercials that are programmed to broadcast several decibels higher than the rest of a broadcast. At least one network stated that they can't control this. Really?

One of the chemical cleaners that is supposed to remove lime, rust, calcium and just about everything else should be kicked off the air. Stains in some fixture or on some wall that look like they are ten years old and impregnated right into the material disappear with a single swipe of the sponge! Really?

The worst has to be those - and there are many - which actually do have a narrator you can understand but when you hear the possible side effects, phrases like "possibly fatal" or "side effects that have included death!" are included. Am I going to buy this? Really?

There is a great documentary about the VW diesel scandal where false claims were made for years about how clean burning their latest diesel motors were. This is an example where eventually - after years - there were huge fines and some prison time imposed. Their customer base probably took a big hit as a result. Well deserved.

It is doubtful whether any government involvement is likely to occur or to be effective. This might be possible within a given country but probably not internationally. In the VW case they actually found that several European administrations were OK with it. Really?

It would be nice to think that an international consumer group would be effective but who has the private funds for that? Some billionaire(s) could take it on - as long as affronts such as those above didn't help to make them their billions in the first place

Best of all the large corporations should police each other and bring the guilty to account for false claims. The group would be self-funded by membership fees for example. Companies willing to do this might indeed win customer loyalty. The great thing is that this would probably be the cheapest method and therefore the most likely to have an effect. Shutting down the false claims of one company would surely benefit those bringing the charges. Companies would have to join to be a member and presumably forgo any right to sue the association or any of its members if a ruling goes against them.

The toughest part would probably be to get consumers to actually band together to stop buying the guilty company's product. If we did you can be sure it would work. Likewise companies that refused to join such a group should also be blackballed by consumers.

This solution places the onus back on the perpetrators to solve the problem. Some self regulating associations - in finance for example - don't work but that is usually where the "crimes" can be covered up by the group. In this case  the group itself would censure its own members. There might be some dirty manoeuvering and internal collusion between companies but at least it would be THEIR problem.

Anybody got any other ideas?


The Brewster




Monday 26 March 2018

Do You have a Stormy Daniels?

Stormy Daniels Will Bring Stormy Weather for Sure.


Is there a Stormy in your background - male or female? That should be a simple question to answer. Why are you taking so long?

I guess to qualify it would have to involve an illicit affair with full privileges - while also being in what was understood to be a monogamous relationship. Then at some point you kind of forgot the mono part.

If this happened to you, did your relationship survive or will it if your Stormy finally comes out of  the closet? Where is this mysterious closet anyway, from which so much stuff emerges voluntarily or otherwise? Might be worth checking out. I guess we are fortunate - our closets are so full nothing is going to reside in them without our knowledge. 

If a Stormy incident were to happen shortly after the birth of a child, I have to think most relationships would not survive, or at least they would be radically altered. We shall see with the one currently in the news. It isn't a love triangle - more like a glove triangle with the gloves now off. Stormy did not hit the matt in the first round. I think she will also last the next 11. 

Poor Melania and Barron. Melania might have anticipated something like this - Barron certainly not. Perhaps the one good thing which might evolve from this  mess is that the boy learns from all of the negative buzz that this is NOT how to act - even with the famous surname.

Most people wish him and his mother all the best. I do. I don't think I have ever seen them smile.

The Brewster