Go Ahead

Argue. I dare you.

Seriously, please argue with me on this. Pleeeeease. The man has played God and every other role under the sun. But they’re almost always the same nice old man and/or nice old man badass. He paired up as a cowboy with Clint Eastwood, he’s Lucius Fox (Batman’s WEAPONER), he’s Nelson Mandela, he’s a boxing trainer. In his villainous roles, he’s villainous. But in the other 3/4 of his roles, he soars as the voice of inspiration. Sometime when you go to sleep… admit it: your dreams are narrated by this man.

He's doing it now.

Or maybe just your thoughts.

Who wouldn’t want this man in their own private Justice League? If not for his voice alone?

Russell Crowe

We’ve gone through three different actors – and some had a problem with my #3. But there should be no doubt or discredit to my third choice. The man has played too many heroic roles to count. And he can’t be called an anti-hero. In most all of his films, he is the underdog, the man out of luck, the man who must rise to his occasion… and does:

• Robin Hood
• Cinderella Man
• Gladiator

Now, he has played some diverse roles as any actor should, but most often he plays the hero of the story AND the hero.

He satisfies every basic heroic capacity.

Johnny Depp

Now, at this point, you’re all arguing with me. I hear shouts of “he’s too young” or “he’s more of a villain”. Or possibly, you’re even using my antihero argument against me. I assure you, your opinions are invalid:

• The man is as old as some of your dads: 47 years old.
• I can name atleast 6 roles here where he is not just normal or the good guy… but the HERO. Count em’ up. I think I count his own villain role as Sweeney Todd.
• And he’s hardly ever, if ever, an anti-hero. He’s good or bad. Doesn’t straddle that line. He’s eccentric, but that could fall on either side of the fence. His moral agenda in each movie is fairly straightforward. The closest he comes is as Captain Jack.

That said, this wasn’t an easy choice. Ex and I argued about it. And I HATE that Depp is cast in everything under the sun. He’s even going to be Tonto in the upcoming  Lone Ranger movie. He’d be the Plastic Man or Martian Manhunter in the Justice League… but a Leaguer nonetheless. He even brought a touch of heroism to The Mad Hatter.

Honorable Mention for #3:

Denzel Washington – Almost. But just like Depp, he’s rather versatile. But his roles spread all over the place, whereas Depp’s are still rather hero-centric.

Up and Coming Mention for #3:

Chris Evans – Current Torch, Former Jensen, Future Cap. This man is one to watch.

–JMS

Anti-Hero and Villain

Top Hero Actors: Those actors who are typically typecast as heroes and/or do the best job and/or wouldn’t play a convincing villain.

Top Normal Actors: Maybe not a bad guy, but not a bad guy.

Top Versatile Actors: So good at the craft, that they could be a villain or a hero equally well. So well that you can’t cast them as best hero OR best villain.

Top Anti-Hero Actors: These include the action hero type. This means they are like normal actors, but are centered in action of some sort – emotional, physical, etc. Not really looking out for anyone but themselves.

Top Villain Actors: This includes any actor who is typecast as a villain and/or does the best job and/or wouldn’t play a convincing hero.

This does NOT figure in the personality traits of straightforwardness, quirkiness, etc. This simply describes one aspect of their nature that happens to be the MAIN aspect – take for example Ex’s choice of Rickman. Rickman is quirky and snide and rude and crude in his role of Snape, but he is a perfect foil. We only consider his villainy because we are looking at the actor’s portrayal – not the character itself. We are looking at the actor’s broad career spanning ability to play the role. This is why I will have an honorable mention section for younger actors I can see doing this later… but whom have not been proven yet.

–JMS

Will Smith

Agent J

Hancock

Robert Neville

Del Spooner

Mike Lowrey

Captain James West

Captain Steven Hiller

There are so few movies where this man isn’t the hero AND heroic. The few that aren’t… he’s still the hero of the STORY in.

Don’t believe me? Check it out.

He is the hero, inspires confidence and has attitude. It would be seriously hard to imagine this man portraying the villain also.

This man used be MacGyver.

Ok, so I intentionally started off this list with someone you’re all gonna argue with, but whom I had to get out of the way. He has a limited acting career… and the only two jobs you’ll think of in that career are as Colonel Jack O’Neill, and this guy, the lovable MacGyver.

The Lovable MacGyver

It should then come to you as no shock that I picked him to start my list:

• He’s a personal favorite.
• His only two notable roles are as heroes.
• Both of those heroes are of two different clothes – one avoids killing at all costs… and one doesn’t.
• He rocked a mullet.

If you decide that this isn’t enough criteria, consider this. Anyone one character can be the hero of a story, but a hero actor has to be someone who is both the hero AND heroic in a large majority of his more famous roles.

His acting career.

… back to the business of Giving Something New.

Few know it, but one of many reasons I use the phrase “Giving Something New” is to imply that I will be constantly trying new things to be on the “Bleeding Edge,” but also that I will be doing something that many people consider both new and old: not stopping or giving up. You see, instead of “giving up” I “give something new.”

Case in point: I have not blogged in many months, due to finishing my PR degree, finding out that I need a technical major to get into the Air Force now, and having to go back and get my CS degree. The rules changed for me, an in order to pursue my dreams and accomplish my goals, I have to change with them.

As such, I have been busy with very practical things in the following months since I nearly graduated… like studying, and working at two jobs – jobs where I have learned patience in service, and mastery of hardware technology. However, this has limited my time with the PR community. And now, after much nudging and prodding by the PR community I was previously so engaged in… I am back. I am giving you something new: a blog post. In fact, a blog post about trying new things, and new approaches, as this has been what my life has been about for these last few months. Don’t think I’m being serious? Check the new hair color.

So, below is a list of the new things I am trying, and my reasoning for why I am suggesting them to you.

NameChk.Com

Ever wanted to make sure that, as the professional you are, no one takes your unique username? Go here. See which sites have your name, and which don’t… and seize the opportunity to keep them for yourself.

Whrrl.Com

Applicable as both a social media community, and an app for most smart phones, you can now coordinate your combination of Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. into one easy-to-use interface.

Loopt.Com

Many of the things I am suggesting are not entirely new, including this. But it is new in that I have been hitherto unable and wary of trying this for the sole reason that I can be tracked anywhere. I could hide behind the idea with other social mediums that I wasn’t giving away my exacty location. This takes that final step. Its useful, but also creepy. So use with caution… but get your toes wet.

Growing a Backbone and Telling People “No”

Wanna work as the social media consultant for a company, but they don’t want to pay you reasonably? Tell them no. I got offered $500 to run the entire SM campaign for a company. For a college student, it was attractive. If I didn’t realize they would pay others more… and if I hadn’t done simple math (something I’m getting better at, by the way) and realized that for the time spent, I would be earning less than minimum wage. And when I countered, they bailed out. Lesson learned: don’t let companies push you over just because this is “new age marketing.” What you do is not snake oil sales. Its business and building 21st century relationships.

Growing a Backbone and Telling People “Yes”

However, when a company is willing to approach you and pay you for plugging their company… and you already do it… I would take the money. Case in point: recently a financial site that I frequent regularly and brag about already has offered me money for each time I plug them. Which I do often. And now I’m earning money on the side for being honest about a company I like. In case you haven’t noticed my rants… you might want to check out yourpersonalfinance101.com .

Until next post,

–JMS–

I was recently reading a blog post written by my good friend and fellow activist, Martha Jean Schindler at her blog.

She recently wrote an article about a cow having violently attacked a biker – which show she’s a good writer, because as an animal activist she didn’t jump the biker for biking, she basically said “wow. kinda almost funny. but bad. very bad.” Everyone got the point and took it in due course.

Well, most people did.

Some didn’t.

She used a photo from the article to repost to her site and gave due credit through hyperlink for the news source and picture. Then the madness ensued. Instead of appreciating that they were linked back to, the photographer complained that “proper” citation was not followed. So she talked with him and then replaced the photo, and a new photographer got on to complain about her using the photo the new commenter had taken.

Now there’s an argument on this side-note article and the point of the original story has been lost.

Now, as I understand it… the internet is a big place. And as I pointed out:

• If I can Google it, you aren’t trying hard enough to protect it.
• She’s not pulling down any money from this, so who cares?
• They are getting free attention… the way most people want it given.

Also, as Martha Jean points out:

The CC license draft (a link to it is embedded within this page – http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/5447) says:

“If you distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, or publicly digitally perform the Work or any Derivative Works or Collective Works, You must keep intact all copyright notices for the Work and give credit, <strong>reasonable to the medium or means You are utilizing</strong>, to the: (i) Original Author (his, her or its name or pseudonym if applicable) if supplied; and/or (ii) if the Original Author and/or Licensor designate another party or parties (e.g., a sponsor institution, publishing entity, journal) for attribution in Licensor’s copyright notice or terms of service or by other reasonable means [...]“

I interpret this to mean (and could not find a reliable source that directly contradicted this interpretation) that as long as I credit the photographer in a way that is reasonable to the medium I am using, I will not be in violation of the CC license. The medium I am using is the internet – a web of interactive, interconnected pages of information.  In my opinion, the most reasonable way to credit someone on the internet is by linking back to them (think about the innumerable times you’ve seen credit given to someone through a link to their homepage or blog post on the internet – in fact, think about the results of Google’s image search, which lists only the web page hosting the image, not the author of the image).  If I were using this image in a printed document or any other medium that did not allow me to direct viewers directly to you, I would credit you by listing your name, because then that would be the most reasonable form of credit.

I honestly believe that a direct link benefits you and other photographers much more than listing your name or Flickr name.  If someone sees your photo and likes it, he or she can click on it and be directed to your photo, your name, a way to contact you, and links to your other works on Flickr.  I’ve even had some photographers express appreciation for my attempt to share their work with a wider audience in this manner. However, I am also aware that the attribution license says, “[I] must attribute the work in the manner <strong>specified</strong> by the author or licensor.”  That is why I remove and replace the photos as quickly as possible if a photographer lets me know that he or she does not think I am attributing it in the way he or she specified.  I am doing what I believe is best for both parties with the time and tools we have at hand.

I am now in the process of consulting with a lawyer to ensure that my interpretation of the CC license is valid.  If I learn that my interpretation is wrong, I will immediately change my approach.  For now, I am going to continue attributing the images on my site via direct links and replace the images upon learning that a photographer disapproves of this technique.

I hope that no ill will arises from this discussion. 

I see Ms. Schindler as being in the clear. In the future, boys, protect your  creative rights, and don’t complain when a talented individual tries to help you spread your work.

–JMS–

After all, I presented a PR campaign to an international client this summer with no fear and he bought it. Before I was 22. Before I had finished my senior year of PR.

But now, now… I’m a little bit timid and my nerves are pulsing with more malleability than that board room meeting over the summer in N.C.

Why?

Because now I am telling fellow professionals in my field what to do. Not an authoritative thing, mind you. I’m not their boss. Technically, I haven’t even entered the workforce yet – I interact with it on a daily basis, but I am still a senior who is not FULLy in the workforce yet.

Confused?

Meet PR(evolution): the pet project of me and Jessica Ayers.

PR(evolution)

PR(evolution) is a new idea here at the University of Alabama – students teaching students (I know, this has happened before… wait for it) AND staff (even more) AND practitioners. One might say:

“But Platform Online Magazine does this already.”

To which I would have to say that Platform, an online publication targeting students, teachers and practioners in the field of PR does in fact do this. But what does it teach them? PR? Sure… we do that, too.  But  we also teach Social Media. Think of us as the brainchild of Platform. Continue to read them. They’re great. Betsy Plank even recommends the publication and its blog and Twitter. But if you want to understand how Platform and other PR professionals use Social Media, you might want to take a peek at PR(evolution).

Now past its first and second sessions, PR(evolution) is well on its way to being succesful – we now have commitments to speak at public institutions and to present to the local libraries.

We have high-ranking professional coming in to tell us that our program is being used to help evaluate what SM they should use. (See DCH – The Hospital)

And all this has me wondering – is it all about to fall out the bottom? Because this could really lead places. Recently, in private talk, Damien Basile, a man who knows his way around PR, social media and brilliant dialogue, asked why I was afraid to embrace the success. After long thought… its because I am afraid it will fall out all at once and I will be left holding pieces.

After all, in order to embrace this, I have to make it my whole focus… I can have other background focuses, but they will only serve as a minor support net.

So my question to you (as I love to encourage dialogue) is: when you began to hit your own brand of success, what continue to motivate you and keep you from being scared to death that it would all fall through?

This blog, of course, falls more into my “Taking What’s Mine” mantra and less of “Giving Something New” because this time, I need some assurance.

That is all.

–JMS–