Thriller Show Uproar
January 31, 2009
Jackson’s Thriller video director has sought to ban the making of a Broadway musical based on the music and choreography.
John Landis co-wrote and directed the music video and is now suing Michael Jackson and producer James L. Nederland’s company over the potential show.
Nederlander announced this week that he’d acquired the rights to Thriller. The lawsuit seeks to action that Jackson doesn’t have the authority to create the stage show based on what Landis directed.
Landis lawyers said the he is entitled to fifty percent of profits as he co-wrote and directed the video.
The legal paperwork has been reproduced and is available on The Wrap, an entertainment website. It states:
“After a spectacular theatrical premier, the Thriller Video became a worldwide mega-hit and an iconic pop culture phenomenon that has continued to generate profits for defendants Optimum Productions and Michael Jackson, who have wrongfully refused to pay or account for such profits to the plaintiff.”
Thriller was the most costly video of its time and has since become the most successful according to the Guinness World Records selling more than 1 million units.
Postman Cat
January 30, 2009
Postman Nick Lock has been doing his rounds in Somerset with Postman Cat, Charlie. The cat jumped into the postbag to escape from the rain several weeks ago and since then has been travelling with Nick on his rounds.
Nick Lock said:
“He was soaking wet through and I put my bag down - next thing he was in it. Most days now he’s about. I think it’s because he likes people. I don’t think he likes being by himself”.
Charlie the Cat is 4 years old and belongs to Lara Lucas, who lives on Nick’s route. Lara said:
”Charlie follows Nick around and does his round with him every day. I think it’s adorable. I couldn’t believe it when he started going around in Nick’s bag. When I heard about it I fell into fits of laughter”.
This week a fire broke out at a fire station in Japan. According to sources cooking crew members left the station in response to an emergency while leaving a stove burning.
The chef, Seiji Hori of Nagoya City Fire Service said it took 10 fire engines from other stations to put out the fire.
“We are an institute that should be in a position to educate people about fire, so we are extremely sorry that such an incident happened,”
Hori said, adding that they would consider ordering-in for dinner from now on.
Top 3 Most Recession Proof Jobs
January 29, 2009
Teaching
A recession will not affect the fact that children need to go to school and the number of children attending school is not affected by economic output.
A spokesman for the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has said:
“While manufacturing and service industries can always reduce staff numbers as their workload falls, demand doesn’t fall in schools during a recession so there is less scope for shedding employees, that’s not to say there is never any room for cost-cutting, though”.
NHS Employee
As with teaching, just as many people will need treatment, plus the government won’t want to make unemployment rates worse by taking further jobs away.
Public Service Jobs
Public service bodies are tax payer funded and therefore their income is reliable, plus their budgets are often set years in advance.
“If an employer’s income depends directly or indirectly on consumer spending, there is much more chance that this income will fall significantly in a downturn, with adverse consequences for jobs, organisations that don’t depend on consumer spending are more likely to be able to hold on to their staff.”
Said an IES spokesperson.
London Police Shooting
January 29, 2009
A man is in hospital, in a serious condition following a police shooting in North London.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan police said:
“At 12.16am, during a pre-planned operation, a man was shot in Green Lanes, Haringey. Local officers attended and a man was taken to hospital by London Ambulance where he is in a serious condition. Five males have been arrested for conspiracy to rob and are being held at separate police stations.”
It is not thought that the condition of the man is life threatening. The operation was lead by officers in both the Metropolitan Firearms Unit and Trident (set up to deal with gun crime in London’s Caribbean and African communities.
BBC to Cut Salaries
January 29, 2009
The BBC has said today that they are to reduce pay for their presenters when their contracts next come up for renewal.
According to a spokes person for the BBC, salaries were influenced by market conditions. The economic down turn has made these conditions change and now stars are set to see a drop in pay.
The BBC has not disclosed figures on how much the wages are set to drop. This information came out after the Director General; Mark Thompson said that senior staff at the BBC would see no pay rises or bonuses until 2010.
Thomas Cook Incompetance
January 27, 2009
I have just returned from an amazing holiday in Mexico though, that is despite the blatent attemps of Thomas Cook ruining my experience.
The plane felt and looked like it would fall out of the sky at any moment. We upgraded our flights to premium, yet my headset and TV screen didn’t work properly for the 10 hour flight. On top of the premium upgrade, we also paid an extra sur-charge to ensure we were sat together. On the flight back we were seated seperately and were basically told tough!!!
I will never fly with Thomas Cook again and will actively promote how terrible they are. I for one am looking forward to getting my point accross in the store on Saturday when I make my feelings known!
Promotional Sweets
January 21, 2009
After my recent article about some of the deals and freebies to be had for the start of 2009, I realised that promotional sweets are really not such a great thing.
Everyone has been given something free at least once in their life. It happens often when I am walking through a train station or around town. A random guy or girl will come over to you and give you a leaflet and something completely random like a pen or lollipop.
Now as great as getting free stuff is, getting free sweets isn’t the best thing. Recently whilst walking in the Trafford Centre I was bombarded with people trying to give me promotional t shirts and sweets, this time in the form of Rice Krispies Squares. By the time I made my way around the Trafford Centre I had amassed 5 or 6 of these nice, but sugary, products.
I know I could have said no, or just ignored the people altogether. But really, who can turn down free things. Especially when they taste as nice as the caramel Rice Krispies Squares do.
So as much as Rice Krispies Squares are a boon to have for free, I have to admit to me they are just as much of a bane.
Furniture Jealousy
January 16, 2009
I went to my friend’s house this weekend; she had refurnished the whole of her house. She had done the majority of downstairs with beautiful oriental furniture.
The bedroom had a large traditional Chinese wardrobe, there was loads of space and the finish was beautiful. Though it was nice, it wasn’t the walk in wardrobe that I aspire to have. I imagine having all my shoes in their boxes, lined up and my clothes hanging beautifully along an array of rails.
I personally go to the cheap pine shop down the road which serves me well. I like rustic wood effects and they have some brilliant bargains to be bought.
I do wonder though with the style of my house whether I could integrate a piece of oriental furniture into my house. It would either accessorise the room, making it look a bit kitsch or it would stand out like a sore thumb?
I love the oriental rustic dresser, though I am not yet at that age where I own a dinner set to display in its cabinets. Perhaps I should hold off becoming too much of a desperate house wife just yet and enjoy being young? I’ve got the rest of my life to think about furnishings!
Bad Customers
January 14, 2009
Most people understand the bane of bad customers, you dread their calls and whatever you do is never good enough. Don’t forget those that think they know it all, even though they are paying for your professional opinion, they don’t allow you to do the job you know you can do.
It boils down to the 80/20 rule; twenty percent of your customers are super stars. Dealings with them flies with ease and subsequently you succeed far more for them than anyone else. These customers should be held on to and looked after as they are what get you through the day.
You may find that within the other eighty percent there are some you will be better off without. Look at the time you spend trying to manage their moaning and dealing with their outlandish requests. The problem is that Sales often do not spot the warning signs and don’t say no to potentially unprofitable business.
Though not all businesses have the luxury of getting rid of their bad customers, if possible you should politely tell them that they would be better getting their product or service elsewhere. I know it may seem ridiculous to turn business away, especially with the current economic climate but you must look past additional revenue and think about increases in profit.
The fact is that not all customers are right, this is a myth and not all customers are profitable. Moving forward; determine what makes a good customer for your business; pass this brief onto your sales department. If an existing client crosses the line, sack them, some customers are just not worth the trouble.