The Most Watched YouTube De doo doo doo Baby Shark Dance

Everyone on YouTube is vying for views, including me. So the question is, what will get people to view your content? A catchy title, great graphics, and an awesome subject. Yes, the elements of a good video for YouTube are graphics, content, and a title that grabs the viewer's attention. It also helps to have a robust promotional element, like a social media presence and ads. In the end, though, the content matters the most.

One YouTube video created by a Korean company has managed to merge content with the elements of the items mentioned above. Drum roll, please. A kids' video, yes, a video made for kids. Baby Shark Dance has, since its upload in 2016, the video has been viewed 13 billion times. You read right, 13 BILLION. This 2-minute short has also allowed PinkFong, the company behind the video, to get revenue from the views as the video has gone so viral it hit all the marks for YouTube monetization. In short, it is a mega cash cow for the company. It is so simple in its concept, and it really works. The content is catchy, a song about a baby shark and its family combined with simple graphics. But really, what makes this video and song so attractive?

It's that catchy do-do-do-do baby shark lyric. All through the tune, you hear the do-do-do do. Known as an earworm, this kind of song is designed to get into the brain and stick around for a bit. It has been proven in studies that at least once a week, humans will get sucked into an earworm. Think about that, at least once per week. You know this is true. Come on, face up to it. We all get an earworm or two stuck in the brain.

La vida Loca - Ricky Martin
Barby Girl - Aqua
De doo doo De da da - The police

And others are all songs that dive into our heads and stick around. That is the magic that has made Baby Shark Dance successful. It's the earworm effect, along with the graphics, title, social networking, and articles like this one. So, should we all dive in and do a video like this one? Nope, and here is why. Your channel and the content should be unique, your style and your content. Trying to mimic this video will only work for some, and one is quite enough; thank you very much.

So do do do your own thing, and who knows, you might be able to top the 13 billion one day. Remember, be unique, use good graphics and a title that will attract an audience and promote your work. That is the best way to be successful in anything you do on YouTube.

Candid Comment - Monopolies

For the record, a monopoly is not necessarily the cause of inflation; other factors are involved, but they do not help lower it either. In Canada, monopolies are fast becoming a problem. In telecom, banking, and retail, they are making a mess of the economy because they refuse to allow competitors to compete against them. Then again, can you blame them. Who would not want to have the lion's share of the cellular services or food market? We even see monopolies in areas like housing. Money often, but not always, trumps morality and fairness. There is another problem that monopolies create. They tend to ignore and, in some cases, outright disrespect the people who come to them to do business.

Recently food chains have instituted the practice of receipt checks. The claim is to prevent revenue loss due to theft. To be fair, there is a problem with shoplifting in stores, which can affect consumer costs. Having said that, being blatantly disrespectful of the people coming to the store to buy needed food is not the answer, especially when earnings have hit record highs. But, these giants don't give a dam about the customer; that is the sentiment being expressed these days. They know they have a monopoly and can do as they wish; no one, especially in government, is doing anything about it. To be fair, there is a case for the check on the receipt. While not legally required, it does help to ensure you as a customer did not get overcharged and that you have all the items you bought, and it does prevent or lower theft which can cause prices to go up down the road. The issue is how this all started, how it appears to the customer, and how it looks in the face of record profits and the strong, and I do mean a strong belief that consumers are being gouged. This belief is also felt concerning bank fees, phone and internet costs, and even gas pricing. The root of all of this is little to no competition in Canada. The argument, and it is a load of crap, is that our population is too small to support other players. It comes down to a federal government and their provincial counterparts turning a blind eye to the problem or just throwing a band-aid on it. Frankly, they are scared; they know they would lose donor dollars if they dared to break up monopolies.

But, you see, we must do this in Canada. It's time for a significant change in how competition works in Canada. It is time to put the foot down and make it clear that government elected by the people runs the show, not the corporations. Now let's be fair. Some corporations are fair-minded, run well, and positively contribute to the economy. In short, not all corporations are evil. Then again, what defines an evil corporation? The evil is not the entity, but what they are doing or not doing. The evil is also what is allowed by those entrusted to not allow it.  

By the way, not all monopolies are bad. Just as not all corporations are evil. Same for the government. There is no room for competition in certain parts of the economy; thus, a monopoly that sets or fixes a price can be healthy for the economy and consumers.  

The problem, which is a big one here in Canada, is that we have allowed them to grow too big. They have too much power, and the government does little to fix that. It will be up to the next PM to do something to open up the markets for things like food, housing, telecom, and banking in a regulated and fair manner. This also applies to the media. In short, too much monopoly and not enough diversity is making our lives difficult, and it's no longer fair, and NO, it does not suck to be us. We matter. The middle and lower class matter. So to the next person wanting to be PM, fix this, end this, and do it soon. We do not have to take it in the butt any longer, and we will not go away until you do.

Source material:

Article from The Conversation.

The Charted Professionals of Canada website has an excellent and sobering article about monopolies in Canada.  They have a second article about this topic that is just as solid as the first.

Got something to say?  You should actually have something to say, and you should convey your thoughts to the PM. Here is the contact form to send him your thoughts on monopolies.  You can also contact Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh.

Competition Bureau of Canada.  This body regulates completion. Some argue it could do it better. Tell them what you think.

Candid Comment - Coke In The White House Not the Drink

The Secret Service has closed an investigation into a bizarre incident involving cocaine that was snuck into the white house. Ok, you can not fly near the building without risking being blown out of the sky. If you jump the fence, you will get jumped by security lickedy split. Point a weapon at it, and a dude or dudette will put a round between your eyes in a second. But, apparently, you can sneak dope into the place and not get caught.  

Then again, and this is pure speculation on my part, the FBI and Secret Service may still be looking into the matter but pretending to close the case while still looking into it. Just a thought. I'm not planning to do it, but if I were going to sneak dope into the white house, I would choose Viagara. Joe may need help with, you know, that thing.

Humor aside, the fact that a drug that is highly addictive, not to mention illegal, got into one of the most secure buildings in the world puts into question how secure the facility is. That said, it is for sure that the procedures, policies, and day-to-day operations will have to be reviewed to ensure there is no repeat performance.  

For the person who did this, you got lucky.  If the investigation is indeed closed.  To anyone thinking I wanna try that, ummm, don't.  Like I said, humor aside, it may be funny, but it would not be so fun if you got caught. 

I will see you in the following Candid Comment or Conversation.  Thanks for reading.

Candid Comment - Titanic Claims 5 More Lives

Hours after the submersible Titan descended to explore the wreck of the Titanic, the ship lost contact with the surface, and a frantic search began. Yesterday the search effort came to a stretching halt at a debris site, and it became clear that the Titan had a structural failure that instantly killed its five passengers. First, condolences are to be extended to the families of the deceased crew. This is a tragic end to what should have been an event of a lifetime for the men who ventured to the site of the Titanic wreck. Instead, it will be remembered as a mission that ended with deadly speed in what appears to be a sudden failure of the hull.

Reports suggest that this was more than just a lets go down and look at the Titanic trip. The crew went down to the site to run experiments and explore the wreck, as has been done in the past. However, in this case, something went very wrong. The team never actually got to the wreck of the Titanic.

So what happens now? An investigation of the accident would be in order here. There have been suggestions of design flaws and other instances of lost communication with the surface. James Cameron, a filmmaker and deep sea diver himself, has commented on the tragedy. In his summation, he points out that since the 60s, there has not been an accident like this and that the design of the Titan may be to blame. Actor William Shatner flew to space. He knew the risks and also had an expectation of what it would be like in space. It was not what he expected.

When I looked in the opposite direction, into space, there was no mystery, no majestic awe to behold . . . all I saw was death.

I saw a cold, dark, black emptiness. It was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth. It was deep, enveloping, all-encompassing. I turned back toward the light of home. I could see the curvature of Earth, the beige of the desert, the white of the clouds and the blue of the sky. It was life. Nurturing, sustaining, life. Mother Earth. Gaia. And I was leaving her.

Everything I had thought was wrong. Everything I had expected to see was wrong. - William Shatner.

Diving into the depths has the same effect. It's dark, cold, and dangerous. Just like rockets, the ships that go beneath the waters need to be durable, and the materials used to build them need to be tested for safety not just at one time but regularly to ensure that there are no hidden faults. Aircraft, for example, are routinely inspected for structural integrity, and maintenance is a regular occurrence. There is a gold certification standard in the submersible community, and when followed, the procedures are used to ensure safe and sound work. Accidents can happen even with tests and certifications, but, in this case, the testing may have been less than robust, and the Titan may not have been certified to dive as deep as it did.  

There is an old expression. Curiosity killed the cat. But resurrection brought it back. It means that being curious can be dangerous, and taking a risk unnecessarily is not good. A good result is enough satisfaction to take the risk or repeated risks. 

Exploring a graveyard, which is what the Titanic is, is risky. While there may be some value in the venture, going to the wreck of the Titanic should be rare, for scientific research only and done using state-of-the-art equipment. In general, the resting place of some 1500 people should be left alone untouched and visited, as noted above, very rarely and only by a select few and family of those who died aboard her. Nature
, in this case, water has sent a message. That message is, leave us alone. That is what we should do with the Titanic.

 

Candid Comment - Bill 96 Not The Way To Encourage French Usage

Most politicians are bright people. And generally, they are well intended. This said, there are a lot of really foolish men and women in office who do and say very dumb things while in office.

Francois Legault, the premier of Quebec, thinks it is a good idea to halt the decline of French in Quebec by using the levers of power to dictate what language people can communicate in with government agencies at all levels. Bill 96 is supposed to support and strengthen Bill 101. The laws are intended to ensure the French language remains strong and is used over all other languages in Quebec.  

The body that is tasked with this is the OQLF, sometimes referred to as the language police. They are generally not welcomed by businesses. In fact, the inspectors are widely seen as rude and unprofessional.  Though to be fair, it is probably not the case with all of them.  The agency gets thousands of complaints yearly from people, mostly about how they are served or not served in French.  The critical question is this.  Is French on the decline in Canada and Quebec? The answer is actually YES.  Recent reports in the media, like Global News, point to a recent report by Census Canada that showed a drop in the use of French to 19.2%, down from 20% in 2018.  Many factors are contributing to the decline, including immigration.  To see the full report, visit Census Canada. Ok, sow French is on the decline, and so is English in Canada.  It can be said that English should and most likely will not die in Canada, whereas French could.  That is why Quebec has adopted the charter of the French Language, which came into force in 1977 and is now being bolstered with Bill 96, An Act Respecting French as the Official and Common Language of Quebec.  The problem is what it allows public servants and municipal employees to do: flat-out deny service in English.  Except in health care and public safety, but even in these areas, it is possible to be refused service.  And it is already happening.  The Montreal Gazette reports even those allowed service have been denied service. 

There are Four Groups allowed to receive service in English in Quebec.

• People who only corresponded with the municipal administration in English prior to May 13, 2021.
• People who have been declared eligible for English language schooling.
• Indigenous communities and Inuit.
• Immigrants for the first six months after they arrive and people who live outside Quebec.

What a ridiculous thing to do.  Essentially allowing people paid by taxpayer dollars to deny service based on language.  It's offensive, racist, and unsafe.  In 2007 Robert Dziekański was tasered to death by members of the RCMP, part of the issue was that he did not know English, and no one thought or did such a lousy job trying to find someone who spoke Polish to avoid the incident.  There were other factors, but the core reason was communication or the lack of it.  This kind of thing could happen in Quebec.  Other errors could become pronounced in hospitals and nursing homes because of language barriers.  A person from another part of the world or Canada could get lost or taken advantage of due to not knowing the language.  English is a universal language. Even in countries like France, it is spoken.  This said, learning French or at least having an app like Google Translate or Reverso may help. The best way to learn is to learn the language through a course. The Government of Quebec has a site that you can use to find a good course.  It would also be a good idea for the servants of the people in Quebec to speak English.  

There is a right and wrong way to encourage the use of a language; Quebec's approach needs to be revised. Even the Parti Quebecois, an ardent proponent of Quebec sovereignty and advocate for protecting the French language, think it a bad bill. Pascal Bérubé, with the Parti Québécois, whose MNAs voted against Bill 96, was quoted saying, "The measures are not essential because they don't make any difference. It doesn't create the desire to live in or even learn French." "It doesn't promote French." "It gives the impression of doing something, but we are not in favor of this."

Promoting and protecting the French language is one thing. Denying citizens who pay taxes service in another language when you can is another.  And it needs to be said Quebec is a province, and Canada is a bilingual country.  That said, provinces like Ontario and Manitoba may want to consider doing what New Brunswick has done by making it official. They are the only true bilingual province in Canada.

Mr. Bérubé has it right; no one favors this except the CAQ.  And in a culture that is supposed to be guided by respect and solidarity, this nonsense only damages the reputation of Quebec's francophones.  I learned that the French pride themselves on being respectful. Allowing officials to be rude and deny service based on language is repugnant, no matter what language they speak or are supposed to officially speak.

Canid Comment - They Keep Going and Going - Articles You Love That Go Way Back

 

Wow, look at this the blog still going strong in 2023.  That is so nice and awesome to see.  Some people tend to go meh about blogs, but let's stop and take a look here for a moment and consider that this blog has been around since 2009, though I generally state 2010 as the year the blog was created.  2009 was a short year for the blog.  Since that time, 129 posts have been added since the start date.  Averaged out over 13 years, that is 10 posts per year or 1 per month, which is not exactly accurate.  In 2018 only one post was added, the lowest number ever, and in 2022 49 were.  The consistency does need a little work.  

Much of that has to do with finding people to interview or things to talk about here on the blog, and there have been years where life events altered things so much that I just could not add content here.  So the fact that Candid Conversations has done so well is impressive to me. And you, the reader, are a large part of that success.  The data shows that the blog has 25K total unique visits, according to stat counter.  Blogger combines unique visits with pages viewed up to 51K.  618 over the period that is how many people returned to read this blog.  So which posts have the most significant number of all-time visits since the creation of the blog?  Ah ha, well, I have the list right here.  Let's dive in.

1. The interview with the most views is about Sports Betting with Robert Ferringo.  The post date is April 9, 2012.  For 13 years, this interview has been getting read. In the last year alone, 119 views, according to Blogger.  The links are still working, so you can still visit the site. As for Robert, I do not know if he is still with the firm, but I may reach out and ask him back for another interview.  Note that the information in the post may be somewhat dated, but much of the advice is good.  Remember that this post is not an endorsement of the site or gambling.  

2. Becca Kidwell joined me in a Candid Conversation in November 2015.  The interview had to do with Twelfth Night by Shakespeare.  The hook, it was being done at the time in a jazz style.  I thought this was interesting, so I caught up with Becca and did this interview.  It's still a good read, with 69 views for the last 12 months.  Though the last time it was read was in Feb of this year.  Yes, all the links still work.  This artist is a shoe in for another interview request as they are still active today.

3. Look at this interview. Wow, I am still seeing reads on it.  Published in August 2015.  Mae West was the subject of the conversation.  LindaAnn Loschiavo, the playwright, spoke with me about her, what she did, and how her legacy is remembered.  I think every young man of the day and, who knows, maybe some of today's generation may find this story and Mae West interesting in more ways than one.  It's interesting to see that this post still has people reading it.  Ah, but she got beat out by one view.  Sorry, LindaAnn.  By the way, there is a second posted interview with LindaAnn.  Check it out as well as the main, and yes, I will see about a 3rd interview with her.

4. The next post on the list is the 1 Million Pixels Project.  Sorry to say, but this post has links that are no longer active, but the story behind selling pixels for a dollar was interesting at the time.  I never bought one.  The post date for this interview is March 13, 2012.

5. The number of views drops significantly from her on.  The threshold for this list is 10 or more views in a year, and with 20 views is an interview with a flea circus ringmaster.  Walt Noon, an inventor, amongst other things, runs flea circuses. I thought that was odd, but I appreciated his work after the interview.  October 1st, 2011, is the date this post was added to the blog.  Another posting with 20 views is also one of my favorites of all time.  Chris Roberts discussed self-defense techniques with me.  I am going to reach out to him again because I think he is interesting, and also, with the way the pandemic affected people, his course may be one of the most important ones you can take.  The posting date is June 8, 2012 

6. This is a bizarre and maybe creepy entry, posted in 2011 the interview got very few views.  During the height of the pandemic that changed.  Robert Barrows interview about video grave markers garnered 1.4K views.  This post got 13 views this going 12 months back.  And yes his site that has the video grave marker is still there.  I am hearing the Twilight Theme as I write LOL.

It goes without saying that there continues to be a lot of engagement here on the site.  Some other real cool interviews here include.  Peter Anthony Holder, discussing his show the Stuph File, Lucas Furst and his interview about the Sushi Popper and Christopher Roberts in his first interview about a program to help students at Troy University exercise while they study.

Take a look at these posts and let me know what you think of them.  Thanks for continuing the journey with me.  The blog is doing great and I am looking forward to more interesting conversations with people via a written and now my new Zoomed in feature on YouTube.  Thanks for reading and viewing the videos.  See you in the next one.

C. T.

Candid Comment - Freelancing

Freelancing, ever done it? I do, or at least I try to do it. Freelancing is a great way to learn how to run a small business. It's also a good model for deciding what you want to do in your business or a particular line of work. However, you should not be fooled into thinking that the freelancing world is a super-way to earn fast cash. Competition is stiff, and getting a good paying customer long or short-term is very challenging. Frankly speaking, I have only ever had one customer that did repeat business with me. That was back in 2011ish.  

You should know that when you dive into this world, you are driving into a fish tank, not an ocean of sellers and buyers.   Everyone is looking for each other. One group looking for the cheapest deal, and the other trying to get as many orders as possible. Some are really great at doing this work, others not so much. And you have to be aware that there are others out there looking to make a fast buck with fake accounts and jobs. So it pays to keep your focus and educate yourself on what the benefits and risks are when it comes to working as a freelancer. So what are the benefits and risks? Let's take a look.

1. You work at your own pace. You are in charge, and the hours you set can be fixed or flexible. Because you can decide when you work, you can have a more balanced life.

2. While you can set your hours to a fixed time, a lot of the work comes from people in different parts of the world, and that means you may need to meet deadlines outside of your regular schedule.  

3. You can charge what you want for the services you offer.  The flip side or con is that if you set too high, no one will look at your offerings; too low, and you won't make a decent amount of money.  

4. You can choose who you do business with, which is excellent.  You may find someone that you work really well with.  This said you want to ensure you do not get too cozy with your client.  Familiarity can breed contempt; some customers are dictatorial and may make demands or try running your business via remote control. In short, handle the business. Do not let the business handle you. You must always be in control of what you are doing while still providing service and building a solid relationship for your personal brand.  

Besides these things, you need to be aware of tax rules, know that you have to pay for your own expenses, and if you take time off, you don't make money. You may have to find a regular full or part-time job to supplement your freelancing work. You may have to do work that provides you with a continuous income in an automated fashion.  A webstore or YouTube channel can help, but you really have to research that too. The bottom line is that you must do some leg work before diving into freelancing.  Research, research, research.  It's all about knowing what people want, where to find the people, and how to manage time and the work.  

I hope you found this article interesting. Please feel free to comment and share this article.  I hope you have a successful run if you decide to try freelancing.  It is a lot of work.  But it is also fascinating and fun to do.  You can learn new skills and earn money at the same time and get a feel for what it is like to run a business.  See you in the next article.

C. T.