IMAX

Investing in IMAX theaters seems to be a wise choice. It was once told to me that two things do well in a recession, haircuts and movies. The haircut is a cheap feel good, and the movies are an inexpensive escape from reality.

If this economy does slowdown for any serious amount of time investing in these two business segments would be wise. Unfortunately for us there aren't too many publicly traded barber shops, or that would be our first choice. So looking around we see great opportunity and potential in the brand IMAX movie theaters.

IMAX has an established reputation by being in primarily educationally minded places, such as museums. So, there is a great deal of trust by college educated/money makers here that cannot be overlooked.

As travel is limited by high fuel costs communities will begin to embrace small local attractions. It becomes easy for IMAX to do well here because consumers will seek this new movie going experience as bigger titles are rolled out. The Dark Knight was just the beginning. Iron Man II???

Internationally economies around the world are doing better, and have begun to embrace technologies that were isolated in the West.

IMAX Corporation and Hoyts Cinemas Ltd., one of the largest exhibitors in Australia, today announced a joint venture agreement to install four IMAX theatres in the cities of Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. The deal marks the Company's first international joint venture deal featuring the Company's new IMAX digital theatre system and doubles IMAX's footprint in Australia. -Fox Business

And good in America too.

IMAX and Regal signed a partnership agreement in March for 31 IMAX theaters in 20 U.S. markets. - Augusta Chronicle

The future is coming quick quick folks, and IMAX will do well.

David Walker

Why didn't we listen to this guy years ago? A bipartisan issue.

National Crime Prevention Council

Most of us can remember the days of McGruff the Crime Dog, which was originally created by the AdCouncil and Saatachi and Saatchi in 1979 when they were called Dancer Fitzgerald Sample. Despite generating fear within communities McGruff has lived on through many generations.




Today I saw an online ad for the National Crime Prevention Council, and I questioned how relevant a non-profit organization like this is today.

click here

In 2008 we get topics like bullying; pathetic wastes of ad space and money. This is all common sense stuff, but for our quick reference the National Crime Prevention Council posted tips on this and a wonderful list of other topics.



Couldn't all the information just be posted online, project done, for people to read? Do we need ads, costing millions of dollars, directing consumers to provide relevance for this council? The money that funds this organization could probably be better used for starvation, cancer research, actual police, or the laundry list of worthwhile causes.

The NCPC is a perfect example of something that has run it's course. Like Brett Favre.

http://www.ncpc.org/

Waiting for McCain

McCain

New Kids on the Block

One day a group of music executives sat around and thought collectively, "How can we make some dollars? What sponge haven't we squeezed for the last drop."

After watching the first sixty seconds of New Kids on The Block's latest attempt at a music video creatively titled "Summertime" we have our answer. Fortunately there is an entire generation that was too young to give a damn about this group when they were actually deemed relevant.

As they travel across North America I wonder how many half empty stadiums and canceled shows before the music higher-ups understand this may have been a poor reinvestment? In fact they could have just watched This is Spinal Tap, and saved themselves the folly.

There target audience of women age 28 to 35, give or take a few years, are not going to get behind this video because it fails to showcase a natural masculine progression toward manhood. The marketers rather make a failed attempt to recapture a moment in time when their target was young and fickle. We can assume that this target may have adjusted their tastes in the last fourteen years since NKOTB's last album was released. (1994)