Why do I like them?

Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Jack Nicholson.

What's common to these people?

Nothing I can think of , except that they are my favorites. Given a choice, I would like to watch a movie featuring one of them, better still... all of them.

Let me see what else is common:

None of them are strikingly attractive ( though Denzel is supposed to have the perfect facial measurements!)

Two of them are over 60 years old.

Two of them are African American.

Two of them play secondary characters in movies.( not the protagonist)


None of the above sound like typical reasons to choose a movie of preference.

Then why do I like their movies?


- Understated Excellence in acting?

- Their rejection of 'skin-deep' characters?

- Their distinct, powerful,deep voices?


You can see any of the following movies to figure out: ( in no particular order)


1.A few Good Men


2.Shawshank Redemption


3.The Bucket List ( featuring Morgan and Jack)


4.Courage under Fire


5.As Good as it gets


6.Crimson Tide


7.Under Suspicion



By the way, I recommend you these movies , even if its not about any of these three people.

Applying Advertising principles to our daily lives

I am sure many of you have heard the phrase ' Cut through the clutter'.

I have heard this used by Advertising executives/media planners to see how their client's message gets heard above the noise created by competition/information overload.

Why is this not applied in real life?

Why do we get into long winding sentences, wrap our messages with polite,flowery language? - In the end , the listener is wondering what you are trying to communicate.

People may consider you blunt, but 'cutting thru clutter', takes you quickly to the key message and gets things done quickly. You can filter out the 'bull' fast and manage your time better.

- When listening, try figuring out the key message ( 5-8 words)

- When talking, give this key message quickly ( 5-8 words)

In today's world of info-overload ( web/TV/mobile/mail), your bluntness to get to the point quickly will be highly appreciated.