How Bill Fries Made Dough Via Bread Commercial

Our Throwback Thursday search this morning dredged up some classic gems in music and advertising that are a treat to share.

Truckers and those who love them will no doubt remember, as well as many of us may, the "Convoy" country classic that rolled out in 1975 and rested for six weeks at number one on the Billboard Top 40 Country Hits. The song did almost as well around the world.


CW McCall, seen above performing Convoy in the video, enjoyed great success for his country-western sound and style, releasing Convoy only after gaining an initial notoriety via commercials.

This may seem a familiar dynamic, as it is similar to the way in which many of our famous actors got their start in the commercial industry.

Birth of CW McCall

Well-known country music producers Don Sears and Chip Davis worked with an ad executive named William Fries on an advertising project for Old Home Bread in 1973, which turned out the new-found country music artist CW McCall. The Old Home brand needed a country-western soundtrack for its commercials, and CW was the man for the job.



While the music—which could be considered some kind of country rap of the 70s—is superb in rhythm and soul, the braided twist here is in the fact that CW McCall was actually born (by Bill Fries) as an ad character for the Old Home Bread brand. So, while CW wasn't a real person, the character did represent several real people in a project to sell bread, and then to extend that successful enterprise for as long as it could live.

It turned out that the commercials were such a success (having won the "top Clio award") that Fries and company had opportunity to capitalize on the recognition through the production of a string of novelty music. In addition to Convoy, Fries/McCall released nine other songs on MGM Records studio album Black Bear Road, followed by several other albums.

As McCall, Fries and team made music that sold bread and made dough!

Applied to bread commercials, the CW McCall style of music was practicable on a nostalgic note, whereas applied to the music of popular culture it took on a more comedic element, however slight, especially with the help of video. What's more significant—the creators used the opportunity to call out some of the politics affecting the trucking industry, such allusion to current events of the time being part indication to the art's novelty music categorization. Although, it is more widely regarded simply as country and western music.

It is particularly interesting to read the Wikipedia article referenced below, entitled "Convoy (song)." The article details the political references made, as well as much of the trucking industry dialectal content of the song.


REFERENCES

"Convoy Creators Roll On To Success". Nash Country Daily. Country Weekly. 12 Dec. 1995. Web. 15 Aug. 2019.

"Convoy (song)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 25 Jul. 2019. Web. 15 Aug. 2019.

ConvoyTM & tobatola via YouTube.

Check Your Rhetoric: What kind of leader are you?

We want to take a moment to acknowledge the power of rhetoric, especially in a room that teeters on the edge of an information vacuum.

We all live in an information universe, where (more than ever before) almost anyone is able to make use of free space. We have an entirely new economy based on this information age—largely a positive in a world that otherwise is at a loss for new free space available to those in need of basic survival. But, we're in the midst of a push against it.

As it's been throughout time, it is rare for a people to continue to freely, mutually and equally, enjoy shared space. The inescapable politics of life occur as easily as sharing a simple, small room, and it's no different in a bigger one. Without responsible rhetoric that leads to equitable solutions and progress, there is risk that can lead to disastrous endings. Further, in order to survive harmful rhetoric, means to redirect it must be developed.

How rhetoric matters to the room, weighted against goals of the speaker, should be the first consideration of any audience. Second? How these things will matter to those outside the room. Inclusion must be forefront in the minds of a successful organization.

You could use the exact same verbiage in one kind of atmosphere and feel it hit the floor with the screaming-silent thud of mutual rejection. The same choice of words in another kind of space can effect a completely different outcome. Therefore, it's important to implement a viable solution of positive progress through an approach of empathy, not of challenge—unless you're willing to admit to yourself that you only care about one perspective and that you will resort to division of the otherwise whole community solely to that end.

Nostalgic Movie Recommendation: When Jeff Tried to Save the World

Saturday night at the movies was spent at home this week, scanning Hulu for content that fit the occasion. Recently-added When Jeff Tried to Save the World seemed to promise an entertaining, comedic ensemble film. Read on for the no-spoiler scoop, and add it to your watch list!

The choice was not a disappointment, starting straight off with scenes that feature the incomparable Jon Heder. Those who remember Heder's remarkable performance in Napoleon Dynamite (2004) will understand the expectation for focus. While Heder has been busy since then, he's likely dropped out of site for most popular moviegoers who are most likely to remember him opposite Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory, but not so much his other work, which has remained steady . . . yet fairly niche.

"Comedic Ensemble" - Yes!

When Jeff Tried to Save the World is popularly-listed as a comedy-drama; however, with elements of both romantic comedy and subversive film, it would be best described to movie buffs as a light, comedic art film.

Its subversive quality is fairly evident in its most basic plot description, being a movie that deals with a dying local business, the biggest fans of which naturally wish it to survive. The writers' keen character traits, paired with fundamental storylines, help to deliver thematic messaging of a political context without directly approaching divisive dialog or [much] argumentation.

Romantic elements involve not only the more predictable situational meetup and progression of events, but as well address our most typical and fondest notions of familial relations, while hardly focusing on this aspect of the film. So, while the movie as designed is a slow burn (as many filmgoers love to see) there's quite a lot happening to keep a watcher focused.

There are familiar faces, as well as engaging less-familiars. Fans are likely to recognize and will be happy to see Jim O'Heir, whose lengthy career in comedy entertainment has set him before us in one thing or another for at least the last twenty years. Fans will also recognize a familiar female duo, appearing together again as friends. Overall, it's an admirable cast of characters that lend credence to otherwise nostalgic elements of the movie: bowling lanes, arcade games, snack bar fare and good times, all in the neighborhood. Modern elements add contemporary interest.

While When Jeff Tried to Save the World is well worth the time, don't expect it to be as exciting as Napoleon Dynamite. (Much tongue-in-cheek happening here.)

However, in vaguely the same way, When Jeff Tried to Save the World should be just as enjoyable for fans of Heder and other cast members, as well as anyone simply chasing a bit of nostalgia that hearkens to days and venues largely gone by in terms of modern entertainment.

Official Movie Poster Image via IMDB

Catch it on Hulu (for a limited time):
When Jeff Tried to Save the World

Actual When Jeff Tried to Save the World movie site, with trailer: WhenJeffMovie.com 

Let us know how you like the movie!


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Microsoft Office 365 Outlook: Desktop Mail Display Density - Full vs Medium vs Compact

Desktop users of Microsoft (MS) Office 365 Outlook Mail may have noticed that they have the option to adjust the software's "Display Density" between full, medium, and compact ("compact" being the way to show the most text, with everything being condensed).

The differences among the three display options may seem negligible, especially when you realize the most obvious changes . . . which are not all that obvious. However, a user's perception and ease of viewing may be significantly impacted.

Although actual character counts and visibility hardly seem changed, the way a user's eye takes in information will likely be keenest to one of the three options.

Which Outlook Display Density setting should you use?

It's important to make this decision while you have a few moments free to relax, being that it's a bit like sighting the mysterious visage in an autostereogram. But, let's not digress.

First, you'll open your Outlook in a desktop tab, and click on the settings wheel at top right.

You should be able to see the option to adjust your "Display Density" after clicking the wheel, as shown above.

To fully view the result of each selection, first expand your desktop window to full screen via your keyboard. (This isn't necessary, however, especially if you don't normally do this often enough to know how. In that case, just continue to refer to Outlook's Display Density options in the right-hand pane.) 

As stated above in our first paragraph, you'll find display options labeled full, medium, and compact. Short descriptions of each option are as follows:

• Full - In the full display setting, user profile icons are visible to the left of each incoming message (as under "inbox" in the image above); subsequently, fewer messages are visible because the icons themselves take up more space in the pane. The display setting affects all panes, so there will be fewer folders visible as well. Also, there will be somewhat fewer characters per line.
• Medium - In the medium display setting, user icons disappear, and more folders and messages are visible.
• Compact - In compact, the setting shown above, several more of your folders will show in visible screen, along with more messages in the inbox pane. Overall, there will be more text content on-screen.

Again, differences between the three Outlook display options seem to be barely noticeable! Still, the result is perceptible, and users at attention will realize that they prefer one of the three options.

Perhaps the most noticeable difference is in the presence or absence of the MS user profile icons. While some users will prefer to see these icons (full mode), others will prefer to have the most possible text (including folders) condensed into the viewable screen (compact mode).

You likely have hundreds, if not thousands, of emails in backlog on any given day, and can surely benefit from making every visit to your inbox as pleasing as possible. If we've helped you today, or you have another idea for easing the inbox experience, leave us a comment. We'd love to know. Or, comment with one of your personal preference inbox tricks.

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Disability and the Workplace Community

The modern political landscape encompasses an ever-morphing progression of issue-related events, with both positive and negative interpretations—and reactions to—various difficulties brought to light in efforts to redress grievances or quality of life. Among these concerns are the implications of disability.

Disability occurs in many forms, with the condition that one has a "reality to be accommodated", or possesses "a form of human variation", and there exists a long history of persons with disability, who have undergone life-affecting struggles to coexist in within their communities. This includes a relatively recent foray into the politics of bringing about significant change that positively impacts the lives of those who would benefit from improvements in the approach of whole communities.

While perceptions of (and treatments for) disability have continuously improved over the years, it's important to realize the reason for the shift: the activism of those with, and who care for those with, disabilities. There are several key references to historic political activities designed to bring needs of the disabled to light, from which we can begin to learn more about the process. 

Recent progress includes the primary benefit of social media: its capacity to assist in reaching the public with pertinent information designed to boost and forward such efforts. For example, the National Association of Democratic Disability Caucuses works through its Facebook page to enlighten activists as to the breadth of options available in developing and sustaining both organized and individual efforts for the cause.

There are a number of things anyone can do in the interest of creating a continually civilized culture that is not only accepting of, but as favorable to the environmentally disabled as anyone. One of the most effective strategies to change the landscape for the better rests on our ability to communicate effectively in a manner that does not diminish the disabled through ableist language.

ableism - discrimination in favor of able-bodied people

A person can use damaging ableist language in a couple of ways. When subconsciously used, ableist language is a learned habit that inhibits our capacity for complete understanding. When consciously used, ableist language is designed to inhibit progress that might be considered costly to detractors. 

Perhaps one of the most critical environments for the importance of language use is the workplace. When working with, or speaking about, a person with a disability for any reason, we can effect communication that equalizes the environment that person must navigate in order to meet their needs. By putting the person first in our perceptions and interpretations of circumstances, we avoid becoming the dreaded ableist in the lives of those with circumstantial disabilities. 

Avoiding ableist language in regard to wheelchair users

In order to better understand the relationship between ableism and language, dedicate some time to learn about all the intricacies involved in disability awareness communication. Resources today are many.

On the Holocaust: ensuring accurate historical information is taught in schools and beyond

A recent news report revealed that a school principal ran into some trouble after [allegedly] indicating that his educational institution did not necessarily prioritize the Holocaust as a factual event in history.

Considering the principal's alleged reasoning—something along the lines of 'not all people believe the Holocaust occurred'—it was perceived by an inquirer that the school wouldn't be teaching its students about Hitler's genocide of European Jews during World War II. The school, however, has reassigned the principal and assured the public of its actual position on the matter.

Our Takeaway:

It's difficult to stomach the propaganda that exists which insists the Holocaust never happened. Most of us have surely been confronted with such ideas as we navigate political social media.

One can only imagine that such an unexpected proponent of this discombobulating misconstruction is either uneducated and thus susceptible, or plain malicious. You'd have to know someone very well in order to certainly determine which, so it wouldn't be proper to presume the latter in this case. Still, we believe the content of the report linked above supports the idea that parents and guardians should be adequately involved in the campus experience of their children so as to avoid the neglect of such a situation.

An alertness to the the handling of subjects we'd personally be concerned about is paramount to the effective teaching of our youth and subsequent raising of responsible adults. Especially with modern technology's constant flow of information and perspectives, we should all be vigilant in doing our part to correct any misinformation that occurs in our field of perception. In addition, we should reach beyond our usual boundaries, into those areas around us that affect the lives of others.

It's appropriate to raise our own questions when confronted with addling,  or obviously misconstrued, statements regarding important events.

Recovered Marcos riches to be redistributed via auction, supporting the idiom: what goes around comes around

It often takes too long, but what goes around comes around—often, in bits and pieces.

A small, yet not insignificant, amount of 'Marcos money' is about to be recovered for the Philippines' public coffers, via auction, through the recovery efforts of a Philippine government commission tasked with tracking down wealth accumulations of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (largely stolen from their subjects).

Gen X and Baby Boomer generations will recall some of the 80s news-program broadcasts regarding the Marcos' fall.

Ferdinand Marcos won his first Philippine presidency in 1965, after gaining popularity as a political leader and accomplished lawyer who'd promised to continue in the footsteps of his predecessor by forging ahead with the goal of ridding the Philippine government of all corruption.

Marcos rode the coattails of a liberal forerunner's strong relationship with U.S. dignitaries, as well as those of his wife, Imelda, whose popularity and drive heightened his own. His country's economy, despite U.S. restrictions pertaining to competition, had been boosted by post-WWII, democratically-principled, practices that encouraged formal cohesion among various political parties of the Philippines and its trade countries. The Philippines, being the first Southeast-Asian country to gain independence after World War II on July 4, 1946 when the U.S. granted formal independence to the Philippines with strings attached, nonetheless experienced great strides in economic power.

However, being a "Nationalista" followup to a previously liberal leadership, Ferdinand did not continue to root out corruption as promised, but instead fed the cycle of rich vs. poor, primarily through a "U.S.-style" judicial system that undermined and impoverished the economically poor by catering to powerful land-holders through judgments rendered by "judges who were landlords and enforced by sheriffs and officials who were landlords".

For example, at the end of the Marcos' reign over Philippine welfare, hard questions were leveled at the matriarch regarding billions in amassed wealth being held (in the form of gold) being until such time as legal statute would run out—idea being that when the disadvantaged people ignorant of such law failed to stake claim to that fortune, the ownership of it would 'legally' revert to the Marcos. Too, all along, the Marcos had stored wealth acquired off the people in offshore accounts in Switzerland, for example,

Himself being corrupt, Ferdinand took advantage of a fascist power to control and censor media, which otherwise may have been sooner able to redirect the peoples' resolve in their own interests. Instead, the Philippine media was integrated into a machine that was used to disseminate propaganda in favor of Ferdinand and Imelda's reign. Ultimately, they would declare marshal law and use that domestic uncertainty to further establish their wealth and advantage.

Toward the end of their governance, Imelda's ostentatious preparations (and grotesque construction disaster coverups), designed to impress visiting foreign dignitaries, continued to turn people off of their negative influences. In fact, some would not take advantage of offered quarters on properties considered too lavish, only willing to stay elsewhere than where Imelda Marcos had intended.

Oft' referred to by the disparaging nickname "Marie Antoinette, with shoes", Imelda Marcos continued to be a popular inspiration to followers. She continued to win leadership positions after fleeing to the U.S. in exile with her husband in 1986 and—five years later—being allowed to return to the Philippines (without Ferdinand, since deceased) where, as of today, she continues to live.

Subscribers to Bloomberg are privy to further details regarding the auctions of some of the stolen wealth. These are public auctions: even the Marcoses may bid.

First inauguration of President Ferdinand Marcos held at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila, December 30, 1965. (PD img via Wikimedia Commons)

FURTHER READING

"Duterte hopes to hand presidency to dictator Ferdinand Marcos' son"

"With 'hero's' burial for Marcos, Duterte endorses Philippines' authoritarian past"

"International Realities and Philippine Foreign Policy Under Ferdinand Marcos"