Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

. STRANGE PRESS RELEASE PAIRINGS MAKE FOR GOOD INK – A REVIEW OF A WEEK OF ODD PRESS RELEASES Publicists have known this for years – strange bedfellows can make for interesting news items. This week several press releases crossed our desk that linked very different influences into a singular item worthy of media attention! Did you know Jedi warriors like Mac and Cheese?   Or that Beer and Bourbon make for a much sought after limited edition Day of the Dead beverage? And coffee and pimples make for a sales winner. HEATING UP THE MAC AND CHEESE WITH A LIGHT SABRE:   Two iconic brands deeply rooted in popular culture, are teaming to make the coming release of a new Star Wars movie forceful. Kraft and Disney are now a PR Jedi Knights duo slaying the competition for media pick-ups! The just launched KRAFT " Star Wars Macaroni and Cheese" campaign includes a limited edition Star Wars themed product box, Star Wars / Mac and Cheese TV commercials, and the KRAFT...

. A ndy Kaufman Perfume.   Rolling Stones Tequila.  Johnny Cupcake G Watch. Name Recognition for Out-of-Character Products. This week it is all about how fame sells even when: the star is long dead;  the rock and roll riots ended decades ago and, the newest watch in the store has been designed by a T-Shirt company!  … Stephen Weir's Blog looks at the weekly whack of strange press releases that crossed my desk over the past seven days. Dead Comedian Andy Kaufman has his own stink! -  On the 11th of October  LA perfume maker Xyrena announced  that it has introduced a new scent.   Andy Kaufman Milk and Cookies is now being marketed in the United States to, according to the a Xyrena press release, to  "honour of Kaufman's life and works." Andy Kaufman has been dead for 41-years. In his lifetime there was never a perfume bearing his name or likeness .... but his estate has!  " "It's great to have Andy brought back...

photograph by  Kremer / Johnson From Stephen Weir article - Huffington Post  September 19,2015 h http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/stephen-weir/catch-to-table-photo_b_8113096.html?fb_action_ids=10153452284040813&fb_action_types=og.likes With the bounty of the sea on their restaurant table two spear fishermen, still in their dive gear, prepare to place an order with a nonplussed waiter. Is this rapidly trending photograph a statement about overfishing and the gluttony of man or just a photographic bon mot for the internet? "It certainly had that (environmental) message but somehow it went terribly wrong," said California photographer Neil Kremer. He and his partner Cory Johnson spent two weeks building the restaurant set inside their Redondo Beach studio, hiring actors, lighting the set and ultimately taking this picture they call "Catch to Table."  "We are a photography team ( Kremer / Johnson ) specializing in environmental, studio, and narra...

FOUR HOURS to walk off Denny's new burger, Duelling Ban Jos, and putting Archie Bunker back in the Garage. It is Press Release Friday, albeit a few days late. 3 interesting press releases that crossed my desk in the past 7 days. Extraordinary Food Combinations Comes To Denny’s (Dieters Beware) Slamburger The Denny’s Hamburger chain is not about to be out-caloried by the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto and State Fairs across the US. Denny’s issued a press release announcing that starting today and running through to October 12, it is  ‪#‎ BigBurgerBash‬  time in their North American outlets. A quick glance at their menu shows that three of their top sellers rival the likes of the CNE’s deep fried Oreos and other extraordinary junk food combinations in terms of calories, salt and fat output! "Denny's is known for taking classic favourites and adding a unique, fresh flair," said John Dillon, @DillonJohnW, chief marketing officer for Denny's. ...

Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg The Wreck of the Griffon - The Greatest Mystery of the Great Lakes - an in print wiki for wreck wonks, historians, divers and mystery lovers Book Review  By Stephen Weir - published in July issue of Diver Magazine Just prior to the publishing of their new book about the 17th century barque Griffon, authors Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, asked famed writer and wreck hunter Clive Cussler what he knew about the missing Great Lakes’ ship.  “The Griffon -- isn’t that the shipwreck that somebody’s been finding every ten minutes?” he asked the pair. Cussler  nailed it in 11-words. It took Kohl and Forsberg a little longer.    The Wreck of the Griffon: The Greatest Mystery of the Great Lakes , is a 224 page printed Wiki (complete with over 200 colour and black and white images) about the ship, the men who built her, the crew who lost her and the legion of divers who say they have found her! Cris Kohl, a former wreck columnis...

Dive Press Release Monday at stephen.weir.com. Stories based on press releases received by Stephen Weir - as featured on Facebook and Linked In Last year an Ontario mining corporation told the investment community that it was going to buy an Hawaiian based 54ft luxury yacht and a couple of submarines. On Friday the travel trade learned that the Avery Claire has begun providing the Hawaiian Islands with a one-of-a-kind cruise experience - above and below the water! In May 2014 Toronto's Zara Resources Inc announced that it had acquired recreational marine assets comprising two recreational submarines, a 10 year lease on a luxury yacht named Avery Claire, and the website www.LuxAquatica.com offering luxury yacht and diving services for the sum of just $500,000. In a press release, Zara describes their acquisition this way: "The Avery Claire is a luxury yacht based in Honolulu, Hawaii with three air conditioned staterooms, a multipurpose sunroof deck capable of landing helicop...

Dr Sharpe in Toronto DR SHARPE HEADED SOUTH TO NORTH TORONTO  TALKS WHALE BUBBLE NETTING! ... Diver Magazine Canadian educated American whale expert Dr Fred Sharpe (pictured below) was in Toronto last week to promote the new Imax film Humpback Whales. The Alaska based whale expert is featured in the new movie because of his leading-edge theories about the social feeding behaviours of this large cetaceans. Narrated by two-time Golden G lobe nominee Ewan McGregor, Humpback Whales is a immersive ocean adventure that invites audiences to dive into the underwater world of these 17-metre, 45 ton mammals. Humpback Whales has been made by Freeman Films who have done many other underwater documentaries including The Living Sea, Dolphins, Coral Reef Adventure and To the Arctic. While many of the science large format documentaries bemoan the demise of the animals they are featuring, Humpback Whales, in comparision is a good news story. Once feared as monsters, and very nearl...

RAESHA SIROIS  -- 2015’s FACE OF THE FESTIVAL The Face of the Festival Does one have to be born in the West Indies to have Carnival Fever? It certainly cannot hurt! Raesha Sirois, born in St. James, Trinidad, immigrated to Canada in 1970 and grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. Although she enjoyed a Canadian environment and learned to embrace winter out on the slopes with her snowboard, Trinidadian culture was a great part of her upbringing. This included eating her mother’s Creole cooking, listening to Soca, pan and chutney music, and regular month-long trips down to Trinidad to visit relatives in the summer. Raesha played clarinet in the Toronto parang group, La Petite Musicale in the late 80s and joined Silhouettes Steel orchestra to play steel pan in 1994.  She is the only known 9-bass player in Canada to own her own set of pans and currently plays with Pan Fantasy Steel band, led by 2015 Harry Jerome award winner, Wendy Jones. A full-time dental hygieni...

Calvin Taylor - by Stephen Weir New Man At The Head Of Parade Calvin Taylor joins Festival Management Committee (FMC) as the Parade Operations Manager for the Scotia Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2015 season.  He is a Canadian Citizen, born in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.   Calvin attended Sheridan College where he completed a course in Electronics Engineering Technician.  With these credentials and his self motivated drive for success he pursued a very lucrative career in Information Technology Sales, Earning numerous top sales awards along the way. As a former North American Federation of Musicians booking agent, he booked many Caribbean acts into Toronto for the Caribbean season over the years. Calvin is no stranger to planning big events.  In 1986 he and a group of investors held a major event at the Varsity Arena called MULTY MUSIC 86.  It featured very popular bands like FireFlight, Messenger, Pryme Tyme, Dominica Swinging Stars and ...