Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot …

To everyone who follows and visits the Elyse Bruce blog, thank you for making 2014 the great year it’s been.  I look forward to keeping in touch with all of you in years to come, and wish all of you health, wealth, and success in 2015!

What Happened On This Blog in 2014

The end of the year on WordPress is always an interesting and exciting time.   The WordPress computer collate all the statistics from each and every blog site, and starts sending them out as the year comes to an end.  Yesterday, I received notification that the 2014 stats were available for this site even though there were still a few days left in the year.

You’re probably asking why statistics are so important in light of the fact that anyone can skew statistics to mean whatever they want them to mean.  The reason statistics are so important is because it provides insight into what does and doesn’t work with regards to specific situations — in this case, the Elyse Bruce blog.

This year, I increased the number of posts I wrote to this blog (as well as to my other blogs) with specific topics assigned to specific days.  As readers and fans know, Tuesdays became known as Business Tuesdays with a primary focus on topics of interest to small businesses, not-for-profit associations, and entrepreneurs.  Sundays were dubbed Arts Sundays where the arts, regardless of domain, were showcased.  Fridays were known as Idle No More Fridays (to be renamed Social Justice Fridays in 2015), and Mondays and Thursdays saw the introduction of the twice-weekly game, “Who Said That?”

This left Wednesdays and Saturdays for articles that may or may not fit one of the formats mentioned.

So how well did the Elyse Bruce blog do in 2014?  I’m pleased to say that this blog did very well, and I’m pleased with the progress I was able to make on a number of fronts.

For example, it was great to see that the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) was one of the top five referring sites to this blog — both an unexpected and a welcome surprise!

For another thing, it was awesome to learn that people in 150 countries come to the Elyse Bruce blog to read the articles posted to this blog.

I was both surprised and not surprised to learn that the top articles were, for the most part, related to the Idle No More movement.

However, I was duly impressed to see how well this blog is doing overall when I read this about the busiest day on the Elyse Bruce blog in 2014.

Rest assured that in 2015, I will continue to provide quality articles interspersed with educational and fun commentary.

And thank you to every one of you who visit this blog, whether on a regular basis or intermittently. Because of you and your comments — both private and public — this blog has become the success it is, and I look forward to continuing the standards I have set for this blog over the years.

Watch for news in 2015 with regards to a new book I’m writing titled, “Business By The Numbers.”  What’s more, if the twice weekly game “Who Said That” continues to grow in popularity, there might just be a “Who Said That” book on the horizon late in 2015.

Again, thanks to all of you for your support and comments, and let’s make 2015 the best year yet!

Elyse Bruce

Who Said That?

The graduates of McGill University who finished their degrees after World War II ended are the great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents of those who are graduating from university and college over 65 years later.  The quotes beside each graduates’ name speaks volumes of how they interpreted the world around them.  Since most of the quotes fail to acknowledge the author of the quote, I thought it would be fun to see how many of these quotes are recognized by those who follow or visit my blog.  Today’s quote is this:

He is well paid that is well satisfied.

Feel free to add the name of who you believe was — or may have been — the person who first spoke or first wrote those words, in the Comments Section below.

Who Said That?

The graduates of McGill University who finished their degrees after World War II ended are the great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents of those who are graduating from university and college over 65 years later.  The quotes beside each graduates’ name speaks volumes of how they interpreted the world around them.  Since most of the quotes fail to acknowledge the author of the quote, I thought it would be fun to see how many of these quotes are recognized by those who follow or visit my blog.  Today’s quote is this:

And what thou canst not comprehend, admire.

Feel free to add the name of who you believe was — or may have been — the person who first spoke or first wrote those words, in the Comments Section below.

Who Hacked Sony?

Over the last few days, I’ve watched the story of “The Interview” unroll on mainstream media.  For those of you who aren’t following it, Sony was the victim of a hacking attack which allegedly was done by hackers in North Korea who allegedly object to the movie “The Interview” slated for release in theaters on December 25, 2014.

Theater chains were threatened with retaliation if they showed the movie, resulting in five of the top movie-theater chains announcing that they had pulled the movie from their line-up.

Sony’s reaction to the hacking and threats was to pull the movie from theaters, and as a result — as reported by mainstream media — Sony received an email from the “Guardians Of Peace” guaranteeing that as long as Sony never released the movie, never distributed the movie, and never leaked the movie in any form including via piracy, all of Sony’s security data was safe.

In other words, Sony would never be safe.

How can I say that?  If there was a way for movie studios and recording studios and labels to prevent piracy, they would have already put those prevention methods in place.  As it is, piracy is a major issue in the entertainment industry to this very day.

So, insisting that if the studio could prevent pirating of the movie in question, that their security data is safe is ridiculous.  Why?  Because it means that the hackers intend on intimidating and threatening and bullying to their heart’s content to get whatever they want, knowing full well that pirating hasn’t been stopped to date.

Now in other related news, the FBI announced that it was their belief that the North Korean government was involved in the Sony hacks based on technical analysis of the data deletion malware used.  The assertion was made that because of similarities in lines of code, encryption algorithms, data deletion methods, compromised networks, and Internet protocol addresses associated with the North Korean infrastructure, it stood to reason that the North Korean government was in on this hacking.

Except that North Korea took exception to that accusation and proposed a joint investigation between the U.S. and North Korea to find the real hackers.

The “Guardians Of Peace” mocked the FBI’s assertion and posted an online message stating that the FBI had it all wrong.  The included a link that, when clicked on, Rickrolled those who were brave enough to click-through.  What they were met with was a video with Japanese words and gyrating animated bodies.  It ended with the message, “You are an idiot!”

But who were these great “Guardians Of Peace?”

Well, oddly enough, on April 16, 1973, remarks made by former President Richard Nixon at the National Conference of Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, he was quoted as saying:

Let me just lay it right on the line. I have been in this office for four years, and I will be here for the balance of this four years.  But after me there will be other Presidents. Some will be Democrats; some will be Republicans.  But the most important thing for us to remember is this:  The United States is the great guardian of peace and freedom in the world.  There is no other country that is going to do it if we aren’t.  But a strong United States, and one that is respected, is the one that can be the guardian.

Okay.  So does this mean that Americans are behind the Sony hacking?

Maybe yes, and maybe no.  The reason for the hedging is because the expression was used two weeks earlier on March 29, 1973 in former President Richard Nixon’s Address to the Nation About Vietnam and Domestic Problems, where he was quoted as saying:

What is at stake is whether the United States shall become the second strongest nation in the world. If that day ever comes, the chance for building a new structure of peace in the world would be irreparably damaged, and free nations everywhere would be living in mortal danger.

A strong United States is not a threat to peace. It is the free world’s indispensable guardian of peace and freedom.

And the very next day, on March 30, 1973 in former President Richard Nixon’s Remarks to State Legislators Attending the National Legislative Conference he was quoted as saying:

When I leave this office, I want to leave it with respect for the President of the United States, whoever he is, for the Office of the Presidency, and respect for the strength of the United States undiminished, because it is that strength that is the world’s best guardian of peace and freedom.

Maybe this means that the late Richard Nixon and his followers are behind the Sony hacking.  Maybe it’s the late Richard Nixon’s former speech writer himself that’s responsible!

Or maybe the implication is that the People’s Republic of China or Russia is behind the Sony hacking since the March 30, 1973 speech talked about the success in new dialogues with both China and Russia.  Of course, he also stated that no country was in such a position of strength that they could take down the U.S. — not even Britain or France or Germany or Japan.

Remember that the hackers refer to themselves as the “Guardians Of Peace” and have sent emails with their abbreviated name:  GOP.  And who are the GOP?  One group of GOPs are also known as Republicans (it stands for Grand Old Party).  Maybe the Republican Party is behind the Sony hacking!!!  Or the Democrat Party is setting up the Republican Party!!!  Politics makes for strange behaviors at the best of times.

Anyone who knows anything about writing thrillers, crime stories, mysteries, murder mysteries, and other similar genres know that in order for a plot to come together, there are three points that have to be covered:  motive, method, and opportunity.

If we look at motive, method, and opportunity, many countries jump to the forefront including, but not limited to, the following:

United States of America
North Korea
South Korea
Britain
France
Germany
Japan

As an author who has written gripping thrillers and murder mysteries, I’m betting all my money on … Canada.

CANADA?

Of course, Canada.

You see, while the seven obvious suspects (countries) I mentioned all have motive, method, and opportunity, I’ve generally found that it’s the quiet one (country) with motive, method, and opportunity that’s usually responsible … and who usually gets away committing the crime.

“The Interview” is a movie that was co-produced by Point Grey Pictures (head office in Canada) that was founded by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (both Canadians).  The executive producers are Shawn Williamson and Ariel Shaffir (both Canadians).  The writers and directors are Canadian.  Many of the actors are Canadian.  The movie was filmed  in Canada.  And it’s Canadian tax credits (33 percent from provincial tax credits and 16 percent from federal tax credits) which is like saying the B.C. government in partnership with the Harper government decided that Canadian taxpayers should underwrite the costs associated with making this movie.

Some of the scenes were shot at the CBC broadcast center in Vancouver (the CBC being the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a federal corporation) and the behind-the-scenes crew were Canadians whether you’re talking the art director or the costume designer or the camera crew or the stunt doubles or pretty much anyone else who worked on the movie … even in post-production.

Oh Canada!

Just when you think you know who might be behind the Sony hacking, some author throws a monkey wrench into the works and brings up a number of other possible scenarios … and all of them plausible.

So who really hacked Sony?  I don’t know.

What I do know is that there’s lots of blame being shopped around, most of it without much more than suspicions and circumstantial evidence to back up those allegations.

Whoever is responsible for this doesn’t really care what anyone else has to say about what happened.  It seems to be all about being able to dictate to large corporations and countries what will and won’t be done within their own borders.

Elyse Bruce