Irate Sopranos fans have been sounding off about their dissatisfaction with the show’s untidy ending. They were so ticked off they actually crashed HBO’s website with a tidal wave of angry traffic.

Hey, folks, get the #)%&#! over it. The ending was brilliant. It gave us leave to imagine what happened, setting up a series of scenarios that we’ll tumble around in our brains for weeks ahead. That’s not lazy. It’s the most demanding conclusion possible — one that makes a histrionic mafia family culturally indelible.

What happened when Lt. Zach Garber (the peerless Walter Matthau) walked back in to Longman’s apartment in The Taking of Pelham 123? Where did Charnier go when Popeye Doyle chased him into “that room” at the end of The French Connection? Did Mr. White shoot Mr. Orange at the end of Reservoir Dogs, or did the cops shoot Mr. White first? Does Deckard ever realize he’s a replicant after Blade Runner ends?

We. Don’t. Know. Still, there are plenty of possibilities that I, as the viewer, relish resolving on my own. These types of speculative conclusions exemplify what makes these films (and similar cable programs) appealing; lack of predictability fueled Sopranos authenticity for almost a decade.

If you’re upset because the show lived up to its unpredictable expectations, go buy yourself a Golden Girls boxed set and clam up already.

While we’re relatively new on the blogging scene, we here at Inspire Action are swaggering just a bit. We’ve been nominated for a Blogger’s Choice Award for Best Marketing Blog—and we’ve managed to claw our way on to the list of top ten nominees.

Thanks for the props, and thanks for the votes. As with any beneficiary of public appeal, we’re hungry for more. If you haven’t voted yet (and think we’re worth the nod) click that big Blogger’s Choice badge and give Inspire Action your endorsement.

We’ll promise to keep kicking out our signature combination of commentary, prediction, insight, and advice—all served with a generous side of snarky irreverence, or irreverent snarkiness, whichever you prefer.

As some of you may know, a significant number of us at Mind & Media are also Hokies. We are profoundly shocked and saddened by the events in Blacksburg today.

It is hard to imagine such horror in such a beautiful place. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the students, friends, and families of Virginia Tech. They will all need our support to overcome the tragedy they have faced today.

The nominees for the 2007 Webbys (like the Oscars but for websites) have been announced and posted online. Check ‘em out and let me know who you think should win and why….

I knew about massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft (WoW) and similar virtual arenas such as Second Life and Neo Pets. What I didn’t know was that online gaming had grown by such leaps and bounds (since the first graphic MMOG of the late eighties) that the total market is now worth $1 bil! This came as a surprise to me at first.

Upon further reflection, it made sense. Having played World of Warcraft for a few months, I learned how people used it as a way to socialize, vent, and escape. Some really enjoy pretending to be hunters or warriors or even gnomes. They create a social life separate from everything else that surrounds them, planning real-life activities around scheduled raids and quests, and even referring to each other by their on-screen names in real life. Creepy? I think not. Interesting? Definitely!

The human need for company and fraternization remains constant even as technology advances. While we are still able to get together in person and socialize the way our predecessors did, a lot of us choose to participate online and “get our game on” that way. We depend on technology to help us work smarter and better, but using it to play better and harder is a different concept altogether.

What are your thoughts on why these games and virtual worlds are so popular? Is it because people like to “play” in the comfort of their living rooms? Or is it because these avenues are convenient and available on demand? Is there a lesson to learn from the creators of these popular games? After all, they are able to simulate day-to-day life in a virtual world….

Speaking of bubbles, here’s a nifty little tool that some of us like to use around here.

It is free and terribly easy to use. It can handle simple brainstorming or a detailed strategic map. You can also print, email, and share your creations. Let’s hear it for anything that makes collaboration easier!

Don’t exhaust yourself trying to keep up with light-speed changes to messaging and marketing strategies. Instead, embrace the pace. Things are different now, so skip the sugar coating and start figuring out how to succeed using all these new technologies and techniques.

As one unashamed pro points out, a little honesty goes a long way.

I am getting the nagging feeling that the effectiveness of marketing methods I built my career around are getting less and less effective every day. There were tumbleweeds blowing through my booth at the last trade show and I had to hire a full-time person to help me put “butts in seats” for the seminar series we held.

Wander around Mind & Media and you’ll find plenty of electronic antiques—outdated TVs, radios, record players, and cameras. For us, this is more than an eclectic collection; it’s a constant reminder that communications technology is always evolving. One thing that doesn’t evolve, however, is the importance of communicating with clairity and impact. The medium, in short, will inevitably change; the message, however, remains essential.

Visiting my parents not long ago, I dug up the old 8-track player I had as a kid. As luck would have it, I also found a couple

favorite tapes: Billy Joel’s 52nd Street and KISS’ Double Platinum. There was no question that I had to bring the player to work.

Back at the office, I plugged in that player for the first time in almost 26 years, and it lit up like the past quarter-century hadn’t even happened. I decided to roll the dice and put in the Billy Joel album. On came “Big Shot” and there I was, tapping my foot and singing the lyrics.

That’s when it hit me again: It’s the message, not the medium! It didn’t matter if it was on an iPod or an 8-track. Of course, it was pretty awesome that my beloved player was still rocking.

If you want to know more about the 8-track medium, check out 8-Track Heaven.