First, I have to tell you a story.
My wife receives complimentary tickets through her employer to an annual soiree’ in Boston. It’s called Steppin’ Out for Dimock, and it’s a benefit for the Dimock Center, which serves low-income people (mostly of color) in Boston.
It always has multiple jazz groups in different rooms playing jazz – some of the musicians are local, some international, some mediocre, some excellent. This year the featured performer was Gladys Knight, who was excellent.
She still has an excellent voice, considering her age. Everyone sang along with her, because they knew all her songs, although I didn’t. Everyone knew her songs, because the event is roughly 90% black.
Which is fine, because everyone is “dressed to the nines”, and well-behaved. No underwear showing, et cetera.
So, I am milling about in the early hours before the music starts, with a complimentary drink in my hand, and I notice the charity auction for the donated items.
As usual, these are completely unnecessary items that tend to be from upscale retailers or sports clubs. There is expensive luggage, expensive jewelry, expensive hotel stays, expensive paintings, along with some signed Red Sox bat, a signed Celtics Jersey, etc.
But, in a corner, overlooked and unappreciated, was the following:
Silent Auction Item #29
Clear Channel Outdoor
Electronic Billboard Message Service
Item Details:
- Message service is good for one month and must be displayed during Quarter 1: January-March. Service is based on available space.
- Clear Channel Outdoor will work with the winner to find open space based on occupancy levels for one spot in rotation on one board.
- There are 7 faces available for the message board location. Clear Channel Outdoor will work with the winner to determine what works best and if there is space during the best period for the winner.
- Exclusions are political advertisements.
The initial bid was $50. Bids had to increase by $20. And the initial bid was the only bid.
It was five minutes before the close of the auction when I saw this. So I bid $70 dollars. I watched it like a hawk for the remaining four minutes.
And I won.
An electronic billboard for one month displaying my message.
So, if the administrator of this site is interested, I would like to promote The Burning Platform. I spoke to the ClearChannel contact person. It will be on a 14 foot by 48 foot billboard for one month. It will show the message for 10 seconds, then rotate to another electronic message. It will most likely be on Route 495, which is a major road in the suburbs around Boston.
I have zero computer graphics skills. Someone else on this site would need to come up with a visual graphic.
Here are the specs:
File Size: 400 pixels H by 1400 pixels W
File Type: Uncompressed JPG.
Color Mode: RGB
Resolution: 72 dpi
Note: If file size exceeds 3 MB, send a compressed (zipped) folder via our FTP site, FileExchange.
Admin can pick the winning design and message, and I will forward to the contact person.
I wish I could be more excited about this, but I am still depressed from the Zombie Election we just had.
Administrator says:
Yojimbo
The pictures aren’t working. Post the links to the pictures and I’ll try to get them to work.
Promoting the Burning Platform sounds awesome. I can picture the DHS agents kicking in my front door as we speak.
I’m sure in the liberal paradise of Boston, we’ll be put on some new terrorist list.
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8th November 2012 at 9:08 am
JJ3 says:
That’s awesome what a great idea.
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8th November 2012 at 9:13 am
GoldenTool says:
Haha this can’t end well… Main stream is so not ready for tbp.
Good luck Admin.
Just remember.
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8th November 2012 at 9:32 am
AWD says:
Considering 99.99% of the people seeing the ad will be ‘newbies’, and since we, especially Admin, hold newbies in such high regard, I suggest using on of the following messages:
There are more, but it’s a good place to start. Then, once they’re on TBP, we can give ‘em a really warm welcome.
Speaking of warm, its warm here, just cruising around Cuba now, last day. Boo Hoo. Back to what’s left of the U.S.A. Back to full-time comments are reading articles next week. Enjoy the day!
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8th November 2012 at 10:04 am
GJH says:
Well done Yojimbo!
Submission in the works…
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8th November 2012 at 10:24 am
Yojimbo says:
First image:
http://www.eventfarm.com/img/clients/dimock/Dimock.SteppinOut.2011_01.png
Second image:
http://www.eventfarm.com/img/clients/dimock/DimockCenter.Gala.2012_02.png
Third image:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/rf/image_r/Boston/2011-2020/2012/10/22/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/Steppin%20Out%20%20Gala%2019.r.jpg
Thanks for posting these.
To be honest, I have zero hope left for the US. But I figure we still have to get the truth out to as many people as we can.
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8th November 2012 at 10:28 am
Yojimbo says:
And it would help if the submissions were somewhat non-offensive…. like this:
“Learn the truth about our unsustainable economic policies
http://www.theburningplatform.com”
And an image of a burning oil platform. Or the image of a burning dollar.
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8th November 2012 at 10:30 am
Wyoming Mike says:
YoJimbo – Great idea!!! Nice!!!!
Should put Quinn’s name on it, lots of drunken Irish up there.
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8th November 2012 at 10:53 am
j-dub says:
I agree, as an every day reader of BP, that the slogan should be non offensive in every sense.
What about”Why Alternative Media Rocks.” Or,”A New Economic Platform.”
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8th November 2012 at 10:54 am
Administrator says:
This should gather some attention.
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8th November 2012 at 10:55 am
j-dub says:
I don’t know. Not enough women or cars in that ad. Might as well be gumming some cream of wheat or applying Icy-Hot.
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8th November 2012 at 11:05 am
Administrator says:
Visit TheBurningPlatform.com for your daily double dose of nourishment
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8th November 2012 at 11:23 am
flash says:
my contribution….just to scare the children
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8th November 2012 at 11:48 am
Kill Bill says:
Somehow I dont see a feces flinging simian being appropiate in this case
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8th November 2012 at 11:52 am
Administrator says:
I vote for flash’s. That would cause some accidents on the road.
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8th November 2012 at 11:54 am
efarmer says:
What a great gift!
Can you put up a pic of Avalon to help draw attention?
EF
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8th November 2012 at 12:08 pm
chiefdarkcloud says:
Nourishment ! Mother’s milk is best !
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8th November 2012 at 1:06 pm
j-dub says:
Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh-Selma Hayek and Cathy.
I would sooooo sleep with those two………………………………………again.
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8th November 2012 at 1:23 pm
Muck About says:
Someone should get hold of William Banzai over on ZH and turn him lose on the idea!
MA
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8th November 2012 at 1:28 pm
flash says:
Admin , if the TBPdoom store offered a T shirt , I’d buy everyone I know one….well maybe not “know” , but like, which would actually be about ten people.
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8th November 2012 at 1:30 pm
Administrator says:
Avalon
Please produce flash’s work of art as a new T shirt.
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8th November 2012 at 1:32 pm
flash says:
admin,I wouldn’t call it art , but damn if i wouldn’t buy ten T’s , right off the bat.
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8th November 2012 at 1:35 pm
GJH says:
Yojimbo — non offensive? Wouldn’t that be false advertising?
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8th November 2012 at 1:36 pm
flash says:
This is what I consider art. I saw a copy of The Scream print shop once and wanted to by one for the living rooms ,but the wife thought in my clash with her county living decor.
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8th November 2012 at 1:39 pm
llpoh says:
Very cool, Y.
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8th November 2012 at 1:43 pm
Mary Malone says:
What a fabulous gift, Yojimbo. The billboard should get tons of attention. Key is to have a message that is mostly visual – great compelling picture – and the url.
No headlines, or copy.
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8th November 2012 at 2:19 pm
sensetti says:
How za bout
http://www.theburningplatform.com
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8th November 2012 at 2:48 pm
backwardsevolution says:
Yojimbo – what an awesome, awesome idea. Good on you!!! Boston is a wonderful city, and advertising The Burning Platform there is just a friggin’ incredible flash of insight on your part. What a great guy for doing that.
When I saw the article, I started to laugh because the first thing that came into my head (keeping true to The Burning Platform) was that Selma Hayek’s breasts would be up there somewhere. As I started telling my son this, I scrolled down, and there she was! LOL But I agree, you have to keep it non-offensive.
I’ll put my thinking cap on.
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8th November 2012 at 3:38 pm
avalon says:
Wow, this was so thoughtful of you, Yojimbo. Thanks so much!
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8th November 2012 at 3:55 pm
Yojimbo says:
Wait.
Someone has to put together a visual image….
GJH has offered to help.
Any other takers?
…
Otherwise this goes nowhere.
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8th November 2012 at 10:04 pm
backwardsevolution says:
Yojimbo – “Someone has to put together a visual image.” We’re still thinking on it. I asked my daughter (who is a whiz at this stuff) if this is difficult to do, and of course she said “no”. Ha! She said it’s pretty standard stuff. By the sounds of it, if you can come up with an image that Jim likes, GJH would probably have no problem with this. Let me know, though, as my daughter could probably help (she’s very creative).
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8th November 2012 at 1:14 am
ecliptix543 says:
A black background with a big ass red V in the middle, with the site address below it. That should be really simple to set up and pretty much everybody would recognise it.
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8th November 2012 at 3:28 am
backwardsevolution says:
ecliptix543 – I like that, one huge “V”. Good idea!
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8th November 2012 at 5:17 am
GJH says:
How about a giant Saint Patty (looking like Charleton Heston’s Moses) figure astride a burning country, driving snakes out of DC and NYC.
But I like the ‘V’.
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8th November 2012 at 7:00 am
Drowning in Parasitism says:
Kudos on a very thoughtful gesture, Yojimbo. Putting your money where your mouth is. I agree with your assessment too of the hopelessness of our plight, but activists being activists… never throw in the towel.
Btw, I hope everyone who gains from this freedom forum has donated something to Jim in appreciation for his running an informative, exemplary blog and the precious time he devotes to it.
Many years ago, my then husband paid for two anti-fur billboards in San Antonioan for an animal protection group I did volunteer work for. I learned that you should optimally use no more than 6 words in order that people have time to read it when whizzing by (there are, of course, experts who painstakingly study such shit).
One of the best, short billboard ads (1990s) I’ve ever seen (not surprisingly sexually suggestive) was “Fast! Cheap! Topless!” I’m sure you’re thinking (I refuse to use the descriptive “gentleman’s club”) “titty bar.” Wrong. It was accompanied by a picture of a Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible with the top down.
I’m no good with graphics though I think a lot of David Dees artwork would be perfect (but also likely to wrangle TBP further under Big Sis’s radar), but I’ve thought of a few slogans that might capture the essence of the importance of this blog:
Thirsting for Truth?
Got Freedom?
Hungering for Truth and Freedom?
Shucking the Shackles that Bind us
Fed Up? Nowhere to Go? Join Us!
Connect The Dots 101
The Freedom from Economic Bondage Project
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8th November 2012 at 7:24 pm
Bob says:
Here is one for your consideration: http://tranzit.dir.bg/load.php?id=e4wl35OD0irtTbKh1398547
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8th November 2012 at 11:08 am
Yojimbo says:
I can’t see it when I click the link, Bob.
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8th November 2012 at 11:12 am
Yojimbo says:
OK. Got it. Stop the burn.
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8th November 2012 at 11:13 am
Bob says:
Here is a better link: http://fightbg.com/theburn.jpg
I hope this billboard thing really happens.
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8th November 2012 at 5:07 am
avalon says:
Just bumping this post back up so everyone can see Bob’s link and Drowning’s post.
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8th November 2012 at 7:15 am
Yojimbo says:
Does anyone know how to contact Williambanzai7? Also, can I use an image of his, or will he sue me?
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8th November 2012 at 8:18 am