In the days and weeks and months ahead, Neil Young's "Living With War" will be the most controversial, most talked-about CD in recent memory.
Like it, love it, hate it: You will not be able to escape it.
And it is not even in stores yet.
As of 2 a.m., I heard ol' Neil began to stream "Living With War" on his website. It will be available to download on iTunes next Tuesday, May 2, and in stores a week or so later. But, fellow-Blogspotter Mr. Young is allowing me to link to the music today right here:
Living With War
Give it a listen and leave your comments.
As you probably guessed, I will add my comments, too...
Music aside, for sheer marketing genius, this is one of of the best examples of organic marketing I've ever witnessed. And I will explore that aspect as well.
More later!
Mark
Friday, April 28, 2006
Sunday, April 09, 2006
A true blue spectacle!
Why no updates? Why no updates??
Picture me - at this very moment - at my piano. With apologies to Barry Manilow:
"You wouldn’t believe where I’ve been,"
"The cities and towns I been in,"
"From Ormond to Rosemont"
"And every town in between."
Yes, it's a miracle.
This particular chapter of insanity covers 2,900 miles, three hotels, two households and one plucky hillbilly wrestler. It all began on March 20 when a prospective employer asked if I could show up the following week for an interview. In Florida? In March? Could I!
(Insert jet engine sound here.)
The interview allowed me to bunk with my parents for a few days - after I woke them up at 3 a.m. March 22. Florida, of course, was struck with a mysterious cool snap that began as I arrived and ended as I left at 3 a.m. five days later on March 27.
Spring breakers arriving in Daytona Beach were met with a serial killer hunting down prostitutes and a very chilly ocean. The beach was a little deserted:
The interview went great and I flew back, got caught up on my sleep for a couple of nights and repacked my bags. First, I had to head to downtown Chicago for a dinner/meeting with my cohorts from the Illinois Press Association's First Amendment Center. On the train trip in, my brother Eric called to say that his heart valve replacement surgery had been set: For April 5 in a hospital literally blocks from his Normal, Ill., home.
Eric first had this surgery in October 2004 but a leak had been detected. He was determined to get it fixed ASAP hence the week's notice. My schedule was clogged until then.
After the meeting on Friday, March 30, I hopped a cab and headed to Rosemont to hook up with my friend Brad and two of his friends (Joel and Joel) for our long-planned Wrestlemania weekend! Three nights of deluxe accommodations punctuated by poker and X-Box...
The first night, we were seated at a table at Harry Carey's next to WWE superstar Kurt Angle and his family. Later, I met legendary wrestler Hillbilly Jim in the Allstate Arena parking lot:
I chose not to power slam either Angle or Jim through a table, but I became quite good at X-Box ladder matches. Brad killed everyone in Texas Hold 'Em Poker (which I almost got the hang of ... almost). Brad is probably the most fun person I have ever met. Brad doesn't just DO Wrestlemania: He comes prepared with snacks and games and an infectious sense of good - and bad - humor. His driving leaves a lot to be desired, however. Here he is surveying the Allstate Arena crowds prior to Wrestlemania:
So, I got back (safely) from Wrestlemania slept most of Monday and on Tuesday I kept an appointment that I can't describe to you but even if I did you wouldn't believe me. On Thursday, Mary and I were on the road again toward the Bloomington-Normal area to hang out with the family after Eric's surgery.
Then things got weird.
The further south we traveled, the worse I began to feel. By the time we arrived, I had a full-bore case of bronchitis. Luckily, we had arrived at a hospital with a doctor who could prescribe antibiotics and a pharmacy stocked with those very same antibiotics. However, in my state, I could not attempt to see my brother. The last thing he needed was bronchitis.
So, I waved at him from the glass-walled waiting room while others visited. The hotel room was pre-paid on Hotwire.com so we hung out and made it to dinner with the folks before heading back Saturday.
My brother, a kind of a miracle baby born with a congenital heart defect in 1963 that was literally a death sentence in those days, continued to amaze all with a rapid recovery. He endured a nine-hour, open-heart, valve replacement ordeal on Wednesday and he was released Saturday at about noon. Back to Barry:
"It’s a miracle"
"A true blue spectacle, a miracle come true."
I was still coughing up my lungs but he was wowing 'em at home. And, frankly, I couldn't be happier. Attaboy, Eric!
Florida. Job search. Chicago. Wrestlemania. Brother's surgery. Bloomington. Bronchitis.
Why didn't I update my blog? Seriously, where would I begin?
More later,
Mark
Picture me - at this very moment - at my piano. With apologies to Barry Manilow:
"You wouldn’t believe where I’ve been,"
"The cities and towns I been in,"
"From Ormond to Rosemont"
"And every town in between."
Yes, it's a miracle.
This particular chapter of insanity covers 2,900 miles, three hotels, two households and one plucky hillbilly wrestler. It all began on March 20 when a prospective employer asked if I could show up the following week for an interview. In Florida? In March? Could I!
(Insert jet engine sound here.)
The interview allowed me to bunk with my parents for a few days - after I woke them up at 3 a.m. March 22. Florida, of course, was struck with a mysterious cool snap that began as I arrived and ended as I left at 3 a.m. five days later on March 27.
Spring breakers arriving in Daytona Beach were met with a serial killer hunting down prostitutes and a very chilly ocean. The beach was a little deserted:
The interview went great and I flew back, got caught up on my sleep for a couple of nights and repacked my bags. First, I had to head to downtown Chicago for a dinner/meeting with my cohorts from the Illinois Press Association's First Amendment Center. On the train trip in, my brother Eric called to say that his heart valve replacement surgery had been set: For April 5 in a hospital literally blocks from his Normal, Ill., home.
Eric first had this surgery in October 2004 but a leak had been detected. He was determined to get it fixed ASAP hence the week's notice. My schedule was clogged until then.
After the meeting on Friday, March 30, I hopped a cab and headed to Rosemont to hook up with my friend Brad and two of his friends (Joel and Joel) for our long-planned Wrestlemania weekend! Three nights of deluxe accommodations punctuated by poker and X-Box...
The first night, we were seated at a table at Harry Carey's next to WWE superstar Kurt Angle and his family. Later, I met legendary wrestler Hillbilly Jim in the Allstate Arena parking lot:
I chose not to power slam either Angle or Jim through a table, but I became quite good at X-Box ladder matches. Brad killed everyone in Texas Hold 'Em Poker (which I almost got the hang of ... almost). Brad is probably the most fun person I have ever met. Brad doesn't just DO Wrestlemania: He comes prepared with snacks and games and an infectious sense of good - and bad - humor. His driving leaves a lot to be desired, however. Here he is surveying the Allstate Arena crowds prior to Wrestlemania:
So, I got back (safely) from Wrestlemania slept most of Monday and on Tuesday I kept an appointment that I can't describe to you but even if I did you wouldn't believe me. On Thursday, Mary and I were on the road again toward the Bloomington-Normal area to hang out with the family after Eric's surgery.
Then things got weird.
The further south we traveled, the worse I began to feel. By the time we arrived, I had a full-bore case of bronchitis. Luckily, we had arrived at a hospital with a doctor who could prescribe antibiotics and a pharmacy stocked with those very same antibiotics. However, in my state, I could not attempt to see my brother. The last thing he needed was bronchitis.
So, I waved at him from the glass-walled waiting room while others visited. The hotel room was pre-paid on Hotwire.com so we hung out and made it to dinner with the folks before heading back Saturday.
My brother, a kind of a miracle baby born with a congenital heart defect in 1963 that was literally a death sentence in those days, continued to amaze all with a rapid recovery. He endured a nine-hour, open-heart, valve replacement ordeal on Wednesday and he was released Saturday at about noon. Back to Barry:
"It’s a miracle"
"A true blue spectacle, a miracle come true."
I was still coughing up my lungs but he was wowing 'em at home. And, frankly, I couldn't be happier. Attaboy, Eric!
Florida. Job search. Chicago. Wrestlemania. Brother's surgery. Bloomington. Bronchitis.
Why didn't I update my blog? Seriously, where would I begin?
More later,
Mark
Monday, March 27, 2006
Oh, yeah, about Bradley...
A few emailers have wondered when I was going to get around to posting something about the end of Bradley University's NCAA tourney run...
OK, I was in denial for a few days. That said, it is clear that the referees cheated them.
However, the fine Bradley Braves did as well as Duke and who would have called THAT? And you have to admit, it turns out my mocking of school librarians who picked George Mason was kinda prescient... That would seem to be the beginning and the end of my college hoops clairvoyance, however.
Now I can go back to ignoring college basketball for another 11 months. Still, I am proud of those Bradley Braves!
More later,
Mark
OK, I was in denial for a few days. That said, it is clear that the referees cheated them.
However, the fine Bradley Braves did as well as Duke and who would have called THAT? And you have to admit, it turns out my mocking of school librarians who picked George Mason was kinda prescient... That would seem to be the beginning and the end of my college hoops clairvoyance, however.
Now I can go back to ignoring college basketball for another 11 months. Still, I am proud of those Bradley Braves!
More later,
Mark
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Don't Hate Me Because I Don't Care If You Are Pretty
One of the brightest essays I've read recently on the state of the newspaper industry can be found here:
BrassTacksDesign.Com
Alan Jacobson at BrassTacks Design has graciously allowed me to link to "If newspaper markets are so different, who do newspapers look so much alike?" I thank him not only for the link but for ingeniously demonstrating one of my pet peeves: Editors who slavishly follow so-called "industry trends" instead of seeking truly innovative, market-derived solutions to serve their specific audiences.
As shocking as it might seem to outsiders, far too many newspapers, even in the 21st Century, are designed without the input of focus groups and advisory boards and market studies and reader feedback. Oh, feedback eventually comes to play, but only after the "redesign" has been trudged out and angry customers complain that a certain feature/font/point size/ has been eliminated/changed/diminished. Then the newspaper might respond to feedback. Maybe.
How, you might be asking yourself, can this possibly occur? Good question.
The long answer will be in my book. But if I were going to thumbnail the process, it looks like this: Editor A is "bored" with his newspaper's look. Or he falls under the Readership Institute spell and and adopts the mantra that all (generic) readers prefer a (generic) "active" look; that readers won't read something if it isn't "attractive." So, Editor A or his/her appointed in-house design expert will spend a week at a newspaper design camp. He or she will return convinced that after looking at what everyone else is doing, the newspaper can adopt changes that readers will love, even though those readers didn't even know they wanted them.
Even I have been guilty of this phenomenon. But it was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... I listened to people smarter than me and eventually became enlightened. Today I stand with other long-time media professionals steadfastly convinced "Content is king." That many so like-minded individuals currently seek work is merely a coincidence. Or so I am told.
Anyway, allow me to prove my point: Yesterday was the day after an election in Illinois. I don't care how ugly your front page was, it sold more papers than Tuesday's edition - despite the low voter turnout. Nearly every newspaper in the U.S. sells more newspapers the day after an election than nearly every other day of the year. Large. Small. Prettied up. Ghastly ugly.
This leads to my my long-held belief that the editor who discovers how to make each edition as sought after as the day after an election will have truly cracked the DNA code of his/her audience. Sadly, many prefer to wait for something like Readership.org to do that for them.
Because of the 1982 debut of USA Today and the advent of such groups as the renamed Society of News (sans "paper") Design, editors have done much to change the look of newspapers in the past quarter century. Design has improved - no question - and readability has been improved. Regardless, the period of 1982-present has been horrific for the newspaper industry in terms of circulation and readership. So, methinks, editors may have been too-focused on the comfortable realm of design instead of the hard work of talking with our audience about improving content. In fact, one could make the argument that since there are fewer newspaper reporters now than in 1982, that the industry was completely focused on the wrong readership solutions.
For the book... Save something for the book... Yes, I am stilling writing that book...
As Alan has demonstrated on his site, even when newspaper editors have tackled design, many have gone about it in an awkward fashion. Those designs were likely the results of editors aping editors NOT editors working closely to glean the specific needs of their individual audiences to create an intuitive experience.
In fact, there is a dirty little lie in the newspaper industry shared among many editors. They believe they can design a page that is so good it can trick readers into reading it - even if said reader is not interested in the content! A graphic here. Some white space there. A stylish font here. An entry point there. Voila! No one will even notice we laid off more reporters today!
I tried to make the following point to an editor recently: You do not have enough design talent and your company does not supply you with enough technology to trick me into reading something that is not of interest to me. Better you should err in spending your time on local content than on an elaborate design of some wire "package."
I am not advocating that newspapers look ugly. Clean, simple design concepts were made available to all many years ago by Tim Harrower in the classic "The Newspaper Designer's Handbook." Folks like Alan at BrassTacks have loads of good ideas (read the sidebar article on the Bakersfield project!).
However, market-specific design and content augmentations can only be achieved via sweat equity and the tough work of cracking your market's specific DNA.
All the answers to your newspaper's success are in your market. Involve the audience. Worship your readers. Innovation will follow.
More later,
Mark
BrassTacksDesign.Com
Alan Jacobson at BrassTacks Design has graciously allowed me to link to "If newspaper markets are so different, who do newspapers look so much alike?" I thank him not only for the link but for ingeniously demonstrating one of my pet peeves: Editors who slavishly follow so-called "industry trends" instead of seeking truly innovative, market-derived solutions to serve their specific audiences.
As shocking as it might seem to outsiders, far too many newspapers, even in the 21st Century, are designed without the input of focus groups and advisory boards and market studies and reader feedback. Oh, feedback eventually comes to play, but only after the "redesign" has been trudged out and angry customers complain that a certain feature/font/point size/ has been eliminated/changed/diminished. Then the newspaper might respond to feedback. Maybe.
How, you might be asking yourself, can this possibly occur? Good question.
The long answer will be in my book. But if I were going to thumbnail the process, it looks like this: Editor A is "bored" with his newspaper's look. Or he falls under the Readership Institute spell and and adopts the mantra that all (generic) readers prefer a (generic) "active" look; that readers won't read something if it isn't "attractive." So, Editor A or his/her appointed in-house design expert will spend a week at a newspaper design camp. He or she will return convinced that after looking at what everyone else is doing, the newspaper can adopt changes that readers will love, even though those readers didn't even know they wanted them.
Even I have been guilty of this phenomenon. But it was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... I listened to people smarter than me and eventually became enlightened. Today I stand with other long-time media professionals steadfastly convinced "Content is king." That many so like-minded individuals currently seek work is merely a coincidence. Or so I am told.
Anyway, allow me to prove my point: Yesterday was the day after an election in Illinois. I don't care how ugly your front page was, it sold more papers than Tuesday's edition - despite the low voter turnout. Nearly every newspaper in the U.S. sells more newspapers the day after an election than nearly every other day of the year. Large. Small. Prettied up. Ghastly ugly.
This leads to my my long-held belief that the editor who discovers how to make each edition as sought after as the day after an election will have truly cracked the DNA code of his/her audience. Sadly, many prefer to wait for something like Readership.org to do that for them.
Because of the 1982 debut of USA Today and the advent of such groups as the renamed Society of News (sans "paper") Design, editors have done much to change the look of newspapers in the past quarter century. Design has improved - no question - and readability has been improved. Regardless, the period of 1982-present has been horrific for the newspaper industry in terms of circulation and readership. So, methinks, editors may have been too-focused on the comfortable realm of design instead of the hard work of talking with our audience about improving content. In fact, one could make the argument that since there are fewer newspaper reporters now than in 1982, that the industry was completely focused on the wrong readership solutions.
For the book... Save something for the book... Yes, I am stilling writing that book...
As Alan has demonstrated on his site, even when newspaper editors have tackled design, many have gone about it in an awkward fashion. Those designs were likely the results of editors aping editors NOT editors working closely to glean the specific needs of their individual audiences to create an intuitive experience.
In fact, there is a dirty little lie in the newspaper industry shared among many editors. They believe they can design a page that is so good it can trick readers into reading it - even if said reader is not interested in the content! A graphic here. Some white space there. A stylish font here. An entry point there. Voila! No one will even notice we laid off more reporters today!
I tried to make the following point to an editor recently: You do not have enough design talent and your company does not supply you with enough technology to trick me into reading something that is not of interest to me. Better you should err in spending your time on local content than on an elaborate design of some wire "package."
I am not advocating that newspapers look ugly. Clean, simple design concepts were made available to all many years ago by Tim Harrower in the classic "The Newspaper Designer's Handbook." Folks like Alan at BrassTacks have loads of good ideas (read the sidebar article on the Bakersfield project!).
However, market-specific design and content augmentations can only be achieved via sweat equity and the tough work of cracking your market's specific DNA.
All the answers to your newspaper's success are in your market. Involve the audience. Worship your readers. Innovation will follow.
More later,
Mark
Monday, March 20, 2006
The good, bad, ugly...
Well, there's good and bad in the March Madness front today.
On the good side: Bradley. All hail Bradley University!
On the bad side: My bracket entry is in shambles. I only picked nine correct teams in the Sweetwood 16. I still have six alive in the Elite Eight and three of the Final Four. When Duke wins, that means I'll just be beat by everyone else who picked Duke but who fared better in the early rounds.
But: If good ol' BU knocks off Duke in the Final Four, we'll all go down in flames together and the elementary school librarian (i.e. my sister) who picked George Mason because the name reminded her of a renown children's author will win like she wins every year.
Which just goes to prove that there's usually little logic to or lessons which can be derived from these NCAA basketball tourney bracket competitions. Yet, we're drawn to the annual spring ritual like politicians to sleazy ads.
Speaking of such, I wasn't inclined to vote for Jim Oberweis in the Republican gubernatorial balloting Tuesday. Then the strident Phyllis Schlafly called me to extoll Oberweis' virtues and implicating herself into Illinois politics in an ugly manner. Even though it was just a recording, it was almost enough to get me to pull a Democratic ballot...
If I did, and I won't, I would have to cast my vote for Edwin Eisendrath for governor because a.) He's not Blago; b.) His TV ads are sharp and amusing; c.) He actually spent some time on his website addressing issues.
More later,
Mark
On the good side: Bradley. All hail Bradley University!
On the bad side: My bracket entry is in shambles. I only picked nine correct teams in the Sweetwood 16. I still have six alive in the Elite Eight and three of the Final Four. When Duke wins, that means I'll just be beat by everyone else who picked Duke but who fared better in the early rounds.
But: If good ol' BU knocks off Duke in the Final Four, we'll all go down in flames together and the elementary school librarian (i.e. my sister) who picked George Mason because the name reminded her of a renown children's author will win like she wins every year.
Which just goes to prove that there's usually little logic to or lessons which can be derived from these NCAA basketball tourney bracket competitions. Yet, we're drawn to the annual spring ritual like politicians to sleazy ads.
Speaking of such, I wasn't inclined to vote for Jim Oberweis in the Republican gubernatorial balloting Tuesday. Then the strident Phyllis Schlafly called me to extoll Oberweis' virtues and implicating herself into Illinois politics in an ugly manner. Even though it was just a recording, it was almost enough to get me to pull a Democratic ballot...
If I did, and I won't, I would have to cast my vote for Edwin Eisendrath for governor because a.) He's not Blago; b.) His TV ads are sharp and amusing; c.) He actually spent some time on his website addressing issues.
More later,
Mark
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Braves win! Braves win!
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats and then bow and push the button below as we sing the Bradley University fight song:
Bradley Fight Song
Lyrics for the unannointed:
Charge on, Charge on Bradley,
March right down the field,
Foes may press you,
Foes may even stress you,
But we’ll never yield.
Fight for Alma Mater,
Plunge right thru to victory.
Fight on , Fight on Bradley,
And fight for varsity!
Thank you. You may now take your seats. But remain bowed.
After beating fourth-ranked Kansas, the Bradley Braves overpowered the fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers 72-66 to make the Sweetwood 16.
More later, after I finish the Bradley Victory Dance.
Mark
Bradley Fight Song
Lyrics for the unannointed:
Charge on, Charge on Bradley,
March right down the field,
Foes may press you,
Foes may even stress you,
But we’ll never yield.
Fight for Alma Mater,
Plunge right thru to victory.
Fight on , Fight on Bradley,
And fight for varsity!
Thank you. You may now take your seats. But remain bowed.
After beating fourth-ranked Kansas, the Bradley Braves overpowered the fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers 72-66 to make the Sweetwood 16.
More later, after I finish the Bradley Victory Dance.
Mark
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Go, Bradley, go!
OK, I have survived the first 32 March Madness battles with a 21-11 record. Only three of my Sweetwood 16 picks have thus far been eliminated. My Elite 8 and Final 4 are intact.
The Final Four: Duke, Gonzaga, UNC and Villanova with Duke beating UNC for the win. Sorry Bradley University.
However, if good ol' BU makes a liar out of me, I will gladly suffer the indignity. They were awesome Friday night against favored Kansas.
Let's see... I gotta make good on all the salt rubbed in my various wounds over the last decade. I did some checking and this is a list of teams I don't see in the NCAA tourney's next round: Illinois State University, Marquette University, any team that rhymes with "ichigan", Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University (that was just a joke) and, of course, SUNY-Brockport. I'll wait until the Sweetwood 16 list to mock my Northwestern and University of Illinois friends...
Sadly Southern Illinois is no longer in the tournament... Lousy bunch of cheatin' dogs...
In case you missed you missed the fine Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship March 5, the Bradley Braves lead 24-23 at half. Suddenly, the desperate Southern Illinois Salukis went berserk and broke a cheerleader's neck, thus ensuring the ESPN SportsCenter clip. A confused Bradley went on to lose.
That's all behind us now. Bradley is playing on and Southern is home practicing its cheers...
By the way, I'm not sure whether it was Airborne or that osscillio-whatever stuff, but I crushed that cold and was back to my old self by midweek! I've heard people whine about colds that lasted weeks/months. To them I offer the prescription featured on the last blog below. Trust me: It works!
More later!
Mark
Sunday, March 12, 2006
The Cure for the Common Cold
As previously documented, I am addicted to iTunes. I love everything about it from its functionality to its intuitiveness. Oh yeah, I like the tunes, too.
Here is something else I've been playing with in my free time (which seemingly grows shorter by the day): The "music genome project" at
Pandora.Com .
If you like to listen to music and you don't necessarily want to pay for it, this is a site for you. Essentially, you plug your earphones into Mac (or lesser computer), hit the site and type in the name of your current favorite song. Right now, "Love Me Like You" by the Magic Numbers is topping my personal Hot 100 list. The site then plays that song for you and based on that particular listening habit will begin serving up song after song in a similar genre.
So, here is what happened: "Love Me Like You" was followed by "7:30" by the Pernice Brothers which was followed by "Details of Attraction" by Consonant which was followed by "Chromium" by The Church which was followed by "The Mule" by the Magic Numbers... Some nice listening music when you are sitting around on a Sunday afternoon updating your blog in a vain attempt to answer those "why haven't you updated your blog since your birhtday?" emails.
The Pandora site offers two versions: A paid concept in which you are spared pop-up ads and a free site that features ads that I don't pay any attention to since I am listening to the music...
I am also attempting to fight off the latest cold which began to impact me Saturday night. I had an aborted one in November during Thanksgiving weekend which I battled with Airborne. Mary just caught a hellacious cold after our return from Las Vegas which I thought I had ducked. So, here is my remedy for the onset of a cold:
• Airborne, or the Walgreen's equivalent Wal-borne every three hours. These are effervescent tablets that you mix with water for a Tang-like experience. Developed by an elementary school teacher, this is a homeopathic remedy which is alleged to boost your immune system. I say it works.
• 2000 mgs. of Vitamin C.
• Two multi-vitamins.
• Echinacea capsules.
• Ice cream. It just makes me feel better.
To this regimen, I add the Hall's Defense Harvest Cherry lozenges with zinc, Vitamin C and echinacea and I am also the house guinea pig for Oscillococcinum.
The cold has no chance.
More later,
Mark
Here is something else I've been playing with in my free time (which seemingly grows shorter by the day): The "music genome project" at
Pandora.Com .
If you like to listen to music and you don't necessarily want to pay for it, this is a site for you. Essentially, you plug your earphones into Mac (or lesser computer), hit the site and type in the name of your current favorite song. Right now, "Love Me Like You" by the Magic Numbers is topping my personal Hot 100 list. The site then plays that song for you and based on that particular listening habit will begin serving up song after song in a similar genre.
So, here is what happened: "Love Me Like You" was followed by "7:30" by the Pernice Brothers which was followed by "Details of Attraction" by Consonant which was followed by "Chromium" by The Church which was followed by "The Mule" by the Magic Numbers... Some nice listening music when you are sitting around on a Sunday afternoon updating your blog in a vain attempt to answer those "why haven't you updated your blog since your birhtday?" emails.
The Pandora site offers two versions: A paid concept in which you are spared pop-up ads and a free site that features ads that I don't pay any attention to since I am listening to the music...
I am also attempting to fight off the latest cold which began to impact me Saturday night. I had an aborted one in November during Thanksgiving weekend which I battled with Airborne. Mary just caught a hellacious cold after our return from Las Vegas which I thought I had ducked. So, here is my remedy for the onset of a cold:
• Airborne, or the Walgreen's equivalent Wal-borne every three hours. These are effervescent tablets that you mix with water for a Tang-like experience. Developed by an elementary school teacher, this is a homeopathic remedy which is alleged to boost your immune system. I say it works.
• 2000 mgs. of Vitamin C.
• Two multi-vitamins.
• Echinacea capsules.
• Ice cream. It just makes me feel better.
To this regimen, I add the Hall's Defense Harvest Cherry lozenges with zinc, Vitamin C and echinacea and I am also the house guinea pig for Oscillococcinum.
The cold has no chance.
More later,
Mark
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Today is My Birthday!
Yes, I made it to the big 4-6! That is a picture of a Gorn at the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek-themed Quark's restaurant, not me! Although some days I feel like I look that way... Tomorrow I'll put up a pic of our awesome view from our hotel. We used our Restaurant.com coupon and had an awesome meal at Quark's at the Las Vegas Hilton on the last night of my 45th year...
Hey: Elvis only made it to 42. I'm four years better than Elvis...
We are in Las Vegas and are really having the time of our lives. We've economized given current realities. But when you are offered a few nights – comped – in a suite at the Paris and $400 in spending money and your flight was just $403, a $3 trip to the land of fun is hard to beat!
I credit Bob Shaw for introducing me to Vegas way back in 1994. Since then, I have spent a few days in Sin City around my birthday every year! And Vegas rewards loyalty. Our Las Vegas/Harrah's friend, Steve Opdyke, has kept us in a suite at Bally's or the Paris for the past several years and we couldn't be happier. During my very first trip to Las Vegas, the very wise Chris Golbeck told me: "The thing about Vegas is that you can have whatever you want, as long as you are willing to ask for it."
So we ask, and we get. Today is part of the Cash Bash weekend at the Paris and after we bet for a couple hours at the Paris, they'll give us $400. And then we'll dine at the Ah Sin! restaurant – our favorite restaurant on the strip. We'll devour those cashew-encrusted crab legs. Later tonight, my choice for my annual birthday show is Roseanne Barr at the Stardust. And then, when we get back to the Paris, casino host Rudy will escort us to the balcony of the Risque night club for an unforgettable view and a nightcap.
A 46th birthday to remember, to be sure!
Thanks to all who have called or emailed! I am so glad to have so many friends that your calls have cut short my gambling! :) Thanks for thinking of me!
I am happiest that I have the best birthday present ever: Mary, my partner in crime. We plan on more adventures to come, so stay tuned!
More later,
Mark
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Dinner for two for $14!
There are few greater joys in life than scoring a great bargain. Today I am going to share how you can use the Internet to save real dollars on dining out – and demonstrate a cool interactive concept, to boot!
Studies tell us that Americans in growing numbers are doing their shopping and making other consumer choices online. I probably did 90-plus percent of my Christmas shopping on the Internet – for the past three years!
Now there are many sites set up to explain Internet shopping do's and don't's – and I will just add that you need to make sure you are dealing with a reputable organization that uses a secured server to protect your financial information. As much as I have switched to online shopping, I was a victim of identity theft – but only as a result of using my debit card while shopping at a local retailer the morning after Thanksgiving in 2004. So far, I've not run into any negative experiences online.
There are great bargains to be had online and many websites set up to alert you of these bargains. My favorite is www.slickdeals.net but there are others that serve a similar purpose. More importantly, there are several sites set up to monitor online coupons. Let me explain: Retailers often offer a coupon – usually a numeric code or a combination of letters and numbers - which can be added during the checkout process to increase savings. A site like:
Savings-Center.Com
is a great resource since it seems to feature an inexhaustible collection of "free coupons" from every conceivable retailer. One retailer is
Restaurant.Com
Now, Restaurant.com is a unique business marketing concept which features $25 gift certificates from thousands of restaurants to purchase for $10 each. After purchasing, you simply print the coupons on your home (or work!) printer. Usually, the certificate will require a purchase of two entrees and a minimum of $35. So, while you save $25 off $35 – you've spent $10 for a total savings of just $15. Now, that's not bad, but it's not great.
Enter Savings-Center.com! Search for Restaurant.com and you will discover coupon code 91971 which will save you 60 percent off your $10 restaurant.com certificate when you are checking out. So, you will now pay $4 for the $25 gift certificate and a savings off those two entrees totaling $35 is now $21! Sure, the taxes and tips normally associated with dining out still apply and drinks are not included in the coupon, but a couple of nice entrees at a quality restaurant for $7 each is a heckuva deal, bloggie.
Now, when Mary and I go the Las Vegas – as we do each February to celebrate our birthdays - we like to hit the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek-themed "Quark's" restaurant. There we enjoy a 110-ounce drink for two called the "Warp Core Breach" which is awesome! And it costs $25. Now, since Quarks has a gift certificate on Restaurant.com, we can have a couple of nice entrees for just $14 more!
Play around with your Zip Code or the Zip Code of a planned destination at Restaurant.com and you might be surprised at where you could be dining more cheaply tonight. Think of me when you are having a terrific time!
What's more, this concept is ripe for customization (or cannibalization) by traditional media like newspapers who already have standing relationships with many of the establishments on Restaurant.com. If you think about it, this is really just a gussied up buy-one-get-one-free entree deal that restaurants have traditionally offered to build traffic. However, with clickable maps and menus, Restaurant.com has put that age-old concept on steroids for a total user experience. Plus, because the user has invested $10 (or, if they listen to me, $4), they are more likely to use the certificate.
The Restaurant.com team took an old idea, added a twist, offered options to a motivated audience and created a sustainable revenue model that also builds invested restaurant traffic. And consumers are better for the experience.
More later,
Mark
Studies tell us that Americans in growing numbers are doing their shopping and making other consumer choices online. I probably did 90-plus percent of my Christmas shopping on the Internet – for the past three years!
Now there are many sites set up to explain Internet shopping do's and don't's – and I will just add that you need to make sure you are dealing with a reputable organization that uses a secured server to protect your financial information. As much as I have switched to online shopping, I was a victim of identity theft – but only as a result of using my debit card while shopping at a local retailer the morning after Thanksgiving in 2004. So far, I've not run into any negative experiences online.
There are great bargains to be had online and many websites set up to alert you of these bargains. My favorite is www.slickdeals.net but there are others that serve a similar purpose. More importantly, there are several sites set up to monitor online coupons. Let me explain: Retailers often offer a coupon – usually a numeric code or a combination of letters and numbers - which can be added during the checkout process to increase savings. A site like:
Savings-Center.Com
is a great resource since it seems to feature an inexhaustible collection of "free coupons" from every conceivable retailer. One retailer is
Restaurant.Com
Now, Restaurant.com is a unique business marketing concept which features $25 gift certificates from thousands of restaurants to purchase for $10 each. After purchasing, you simply print the coupons on your home (or work!) printer. Usually, the certificate will require a purchase of two entrees and a minimum of $35. So, while you save $25 off $35 – you've spent $10 for a total savings of just $15. Now, that's not bad, but it's not great.
Enter Savings-Center.com! Search for Restaurant.com and you will discover coupon code 91971 which will save you 60 percent off your $10 restaurant.com certificate when you are checking out. So, you will now pay $4 for the $25 gift certificate and a savings off those two entrees totaling $35 is now $21! Sure, the taxes and tips normally associated with dining out still apply and drinks are not included in the coupon, but a couple of nice entrees at a quality restaurant for $7 each is a heckuva deal, bloggie.
Now, when Mary and I go the Las Vegas – as we do each February to celebrate our birthdays - we like to hit the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek-themed "Quark's" restaurant. There we enjoy a 110-ounce drink for two called the "Warp Core Breach" which is awesome! And it costs $25. Now, since Quarks has a gift certificate on Restaurant.com, we can have a couple of nice entrees for just $14 more!
Play around with your Zip Code or the Zip Code of a planned destination at Restaurant.com and you might be surprised at where you could be dining more cheaply tonight. Think of me when you are having a terrific time!
What's more, this concept is ripe for customization (or cannibalization) by traditional media like newspapers who already have standing relationships with many of the establishments on Restaurant.com. If you think about it, this is really just a gussied up buy-one-get-one-free entree deal that restaurants have traditionally offered to build traffic. However, with clickable maps and menus, Restaurant.com has put that age-old concept on steroids for a total user experience. Plus, because the user has invested $10 (or, if they listen to me, $4), they are more likely to use the certificate.
The Restaurant.com team took an old idea, added a twist, offered options to a motivated audience and created a sustainable revenue model that also builds invested restaurant traffic. And consumers are better for the experience.
More later,
Mark
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Call it 'Zintuitive!'
Here's a real WOW site! Get ready to have your socks blown off.
Not wearing socks? I'll wait for a moment while you put some on...
Ready? Go here:
Zillow.com
This is a new online real estate service that is unlike anything I've seen before, And it is as simple to use as it is amazing.
Plug in your home address - or the address of a home you are interested in buying. Hit return. You will likely be greeted with:
a.) A current satellite image of your home and the entire neighborhood.
b.) "Zestimates" of home values for all.
It is pretty cool, even if it is just in beta. The site claims that 60 million home values are online covering most of the in-demand areas of the U.S. You can even go in and adjust your particular home value with your upgrades. Redoing every bathroom in the house, installing all new kitchen appliances, the new furnace, the architectural shingles, et al suddenly seem like pretty smart investments, now.
There are a couple of bugs: The satellite map seemed off in our neighborhood and some parts of the country are not listed yet. But overall this is an impressive merge of existing data, new technology and untapped consumer needs.
You might even call it intuitive...
More later!
Mark
Not wearing socks? I'll wait for a moment while you put some on...
Ready? Go here:
Zillow.com
This is a new online real estate service that is unlike anything I've seen before, And it is as simple to use as it is amazing.
Plug in your home address - or the address of a home you are interested in buying. Hit return. You will likely be greeted with:
a.) A current satellite image of your home and the entire neighborhood.
b.) "Zestimates" of home values for all.
It is pretty cool, even if it is just in beta. The site claims that 60 million home values are online covering most of the in-demand areas of the U.S. You can even go in and adjust your particular home value with your upgrades. Redoing every bathroom in the house, installing all new kitchen appliances, the new furnace, the architectural shingles, et al suddenly seem like pretty smart investments, now.
There are a couple of bugs: The satellite map seemed off in our neighborhood and some parts of the country are not listed yet. But overall this is an impressive merge of existing data, new technology and untapped consumer needs.
You might even call it intuitive...
More later!
Mark
Monday, February 13, 2006
"Wow" is spelled D-E-L-L
Here's a shock from a old-time Mac guy: Dell Computers just WOWED me!
During this past holiday season, my friends at www.slickdeals.net alerted me to a cool contest: "The Dell End of Re-Gifting Holiday Game" at dell.com. Each day you could visit and pick a stocking for a chance to win anything from a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Coupe to a discount on Dell products.
Now, like most of you, I am suspicious of such games. Who really has EVER won any of these prizes? Ever met anyone who has? Well, late one night, while playing the game during a Thanksgiving visit to Mary's mom, instead of the customary "Sorry!" message I read: "Congratulations! You have WON a X51v Axim from Dell. We will be sending you an email shortly to inform you of how to claim your prize."
They weren't lying. An email promptly arrived congratulating me. I was elated.
They sent the prizes out at the end of January and while I was happy to be a winner, frankly, I was a little underwhelmed. The Dell Axim 51 I received was NOT wireless-enabled and since I knew it would not sync up with my iBook G4, it's lack of wireless connectivity would make its use vexing to me. I couldn't sync it up to my laptop to add movies or, uh, important files, and I couldn't access the web with it, either...
Then, last week, I received this letter from Dell's Hillary Robinson:
"It has come to our attention that we mistakenly sent you the Axim X51, instead of the Axim X51v that you won in Dell’s “The End of Re-gifting Holiday Game." There are a few differences between the 2 models. The Axim X51 you received has the following features: 416MHz, 128MB ROM, 64 SDRAM, and a 3.5 inch QVGA screen. On the other hand, the Axim X51v includes: 624MHz, 256MB ROM, 64MB SDRAM, and a 3.7 inch QVGA screen."
"You may choose to keep the X51 that was sent, OR you may choose to return the X51 and receive the X51v. If you decide to return the X51, please contact Hillary Robinson ... prior to 2/17/06. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience in this matter. Once again, we wish to thank you for participating in the Dell Holiday Game."
I was completely stunned! I wrote back to Hillary: "I wish to make the exchange. Although I was excited to win, I was somewhat diappointed that this unit was not wifi-ready and I have been unable to find the appropriate wifi card on the market."
Her response:
"The Axim X51v that you will receive has wireless capabilities. You will receive an airbill to return the original Axim, but please keep the second battery that was sent with the original because it is interchangeable between the models."
And I responded:
"Thanks for the great news and, more importantly, thanks to Dell for being a stand-up company. I never would have looked a gift horse in the mouth and complained. So, knowing that you made the extra effort to contact me and make this offer actually means a lot more than the original win to me. This is why Dell enjoys such a good reputation for customer satisfaction. Please share this note with the appropriate supervisors to let them know that no matter what else happened today in Dell world, Dell made one customer very happy and that customer plans to share this experience with others!"
Which I am doing now...
What's even MORE amazing: The Dell Axim 51v arrived to me BEFORE the airbill return slip! It arrived while I was out of town and I plan to spend Monday setting it up.
I am beyond impressed with Dell. And I wanted to share the news and make a broader point: In today's business climate the ability to be a market leader almost entirely pertains to one's ability to exceed customer expectations.
It is no longer enough to meet expectations (if it ever was). It is not even enough to beat so-called "industry standards." You must "wow" to the point that a customer will share that excitement with his or her social network. This is now what is commonly referred to as "social marketing." It is one matter to use traditional marketing methodology to get a message out but successful market leaders of today will utilize social marketing networks to leverage branding to specific audiences thus generating more solid audience connections.
Said differently: Marketing IS customer service and customer service IS marketing!
More later!
Mark
During this past holiday season, my friends at www.slickdeals.net alerted me to a cool contest: "The Dell End of Re-Gifting Holiday Game" at dell.com. Each day you could visit and pick a stocking for a chance to win anything from a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Coupe to a discount on Dell products.
Now, like most of you, I am suspicious of such games. Who really has EVER won any of these prizes? Ever met anyone who has? Well, late one night, while playing the game during a Thanksgiving visit to Mary's mom, instead of the customary "Sorry!" message I read: "Congratulations! You have WON a X51v Axim from Dell. We will be sending you an email shortly to inform you of how to claim your prize."
They weren't lying. An email promptly arrived congratulating me. I was elated.
They sent the prizes out at the end of January and while I was happy to be a winner, frankly, I was a little underwhelmed. The Dell Axim 51 I received was NOT wireless-enabled and since I knew it would not sync up with my iBook G4, it's lack of wireless connectivity would make its use vexing to me. I couldn't sync it up to my laptop to add movies or, uh, important files, and I couldn't access the web with it, either...
Then, last week, I received this letter from Dell's Hillary Robinson:
"It has come to our attention that we mistakenly sent you the Axim X51, instead of the Axim X51v that you won in Dell’s “The End of Re-gifting Holiday Game." There are a few differences between the 2 models. The Axim X51 you received has the following features: 416MHz, 128MB ROM, 64 SDRAM, and a 3.5 inch QVGA screen. On the other hand, the Axim X51v includes: 624MHz, 256MB ROM, 64MB SDRAM, and a 3.7 inch QVGA screen."
"You may choose to keep the X51 that was sent, OR you may choose to return the X51 and receive the X51v. If you decide to return the X51, please contact Hillary Robinson ... prior to 2/17/06. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience in this matter. Once again, we wish to thank you for participating in the Dell Holiday Game."
I was completely stunned! I wrote back to Hillary: "I wish to make the exchange. Although I was excited to win, I was somewhat diappointed that this unit was not wifi-ready and I have been unable to find the appropriate wifi card on the market."
Her response:
"The Axim X51v that you will receive has wireless capabilities. You will receive an airbill to return the original Axim, but please keep the second battery that was sent with the original because it is interchangeable between the models."
And I responded:
"Thanks for the great news and, more importantly, thanks to Dell for being a stand-up company. I never would have looked a gift horse in the mouth and complained. So, knowing that you made the extra effort to contact me and make this offer actually means a lot more than the original win to me. This is why Dell enjoys such a good reputation for customer satisfaction. Please share this note with the appropriate supervisors to let them know that no matter what else happened today in Dell world, Dell made one customer very happy and that customer plans to share this experience with others!"
Which I am doing now...
What's even MORE amazing: The Dell Axim 51v arrived to me BEFORE the airbill return slip! It arrived while I was out of town and I plan to spend Monday setting it up.
I am beyond impressed with Dell. And I wanted to share the news and make a broader point: In today's business climate the ability to be a market leader almost entirely pertains to one's ability to exceed customer expectations.
It is no longer enough to meet expectations (if it ever was). It is not even enough to beat so-called "industry standards." You must "wow" to the point that a customer will share that excitement with his or her social network. This is now what is commonly referred to as "social marketing." It is one matter to use traditional marketing methodology to get a message out but successful market leaders of today will utilize social marketing networks to leverage branding to specific audiences thus generating more solid audience connections.
Said differently: Marketing IS customer service and customer service IS marketing!
More later!
Mark
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Who will be No. 2000?
Hey, all: I just noticed that the clicker on this page is nearing 2,000 hits! That's amazing! I remember how happy I was at 400!
Anyway, I am offering a small token of my appreciation for the 2000th visitor. It will be a VERY small token. Practically worthless. But very representative of how grateful I am that you stopped by to read whatever it is I might have to say.
Obviously, we're on a trust-based system here (although you Mac users can take a picture of your screen with shift-apple-3 and email that to me as proof). But if you visit and find you are lucky No. 2000, then email me at marksweetwood@aol.com and include your name, address and favorite cut of diamond (hint: that is just for my amusement ... you are NOT winning a diamond) and I'll have that special, small, prize out to you ASAP!
Thanks to all visitors! You are ALL winners.
More later,
Mark
Anyway, I am offering a small token of my appreciation for the 2000th visitor. It will be a VERY small token. Practically worthless. But very representative of how grateful I am that you stopped by to read whatever it is I might have to say.
Obviously, we're on a trust-based system here (although you Mac users can take a picture of your screen with shift-apple-3 and email that to me as proof). But if you visit and find you are lucky No. 2000, then email me at marksweetwood@aol.com and include your name, address and favorite cut of diamond (hint: that is just for my amusement ... you are NOT winning a diamond) and I'll have that special, small, prize out to you ASAP!
Thanks to all visitors! You are ALL winners.
More later,
Mark
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Cash, Bears, Bradley, Beers, Bears
These are a few of my favorite things...
Some quick hits as we bid farewell to the first twelfth of 2006:
Rosanne Cash (former beau of Nick Lowe; Lowe wrote "The Beast in Me" for her dad, Johnny) has released a new CD, "Black Cadillac," that is getting major play and positive reviews. AOL allowed users to play the entire collection over the weekend and I found it to be extremely enjoyable. It reminded me a bit of Lisa Marie Presley's first CD. You can check out the details on Cash's website here:
RosanneCash.com
Play the title cut from her CD, "Black Cadillac," here:
Black Cadillac
During his Sirius radio show the other day, Howard Stern recommended a documentary movie called "Grizzly Man." The movie recounts the travails of Timothy Treadwell who spent 13 summers in Alaska living among grizzly bears until one ate him and his girlfriend. Mary recalled the story from a Vanity Fare article.
I queued it up on the ol' Blockbuster account and "Grizzly Man" was here in a couple of days. It was quite a fascinating story, frankly. Treadwell videotaped the last five summers and snippets were incorporated into the documentary which featured interviews with friends and family about this rather flamboyant character. A strange moment: The attack on him at his camp was recorded by a camera with its lens on. The director chose to only show himself listening to what must have been a grisly grizzly attack rather than share audio excerpts.
Now, curiosity got the best of me: I didn't necessarily want to listen to him scream as he was mauled and eaten alive. I was interested in whether he recanted his love for wild, dangerous bears during the attack, however...
This is NOT a movie for Steven Colbert. Read more about it here:
GrizzlyManMovie.com
Watch an eerily prescient excerpt from "The Simpsons" about bear attacks here:
Ranger Ned
Like me, Treadwell was a Bradley University product, by the way. He arrived on a swimming scholarship under his given name, Timothy Drexler but quit in 1977 after an injury. I arrived in 1978 under NO scholarship. His experience drove him to bears; my experience drove me to beers. He probably drove a Lincoln; I definitely had a professor named Kennedy. The parallels are interesting...
Finally, what to make of the Super Bowl? I gotta go with the team that seems to have the most momentum, better defense and is lead by a coach who has actually won a Super Bowl: The Seattle Seahawks. I never thought I'd ever write that sentence. Go with the Seahawks over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an interesting game that ends 34-24.
Interesting game ... But nothing like the best Super Bowl of all time: XX! Relive those amazing Super Bowl Bears (the good, non-human-eating variety of Bears although you couldn't convince Steve Grogan of that) over at Answers.com:
The Shufflin' Crew
More later,
Mark
Some quick hits as we bid farewell to the first twelfth of 2006:
Rosanne Cash (former beau of Nick Lowe; Lowe wrote "The Beast in Me" for her dad, Johnny) has released a new CD, "Black Cadillac," that is getting major play and positive reviews. AOL allowed users to play the entire collection over the weekend and I found it to be extremely enjoyable. It reminded me a bit of Lisa Marie Presley's first CD. You can check out the details on Cash's website here:
RosanneCash.com
Play the title cut from her CD, "Black Cadillac," here:
Black Cadillac
During his Sirius radio show the other day, Howard Stern recommended a documentary movie called "Grizzly Man." The movie recounts the travails of Timothy Treadwell who spent 13 summers in Alaska living among grizzly bears until one ate him and his girlfriend. Mary recalled the story from a Vanity Fare article.
I queued it up on the ol' Blockbuster account and "Grizzly Man" was here in a couple of days. It was quite a fascinating story, frankly. Treadwell videotaped the last five summers and snippets were incorporated into the documentary which featured interviews with friends and family about this rather flamboyant character. A strange moment: The attack on him at his camp was recorded by a camera with its lens on. The director chose to only show himself listening to what must have been a grisly grizzly attack rather than share audio excerpts.
Now, curiosity got the best of me: I didn't necessarily want to listen to him scream as he was mauled and eaten alive. I was interested in whether he recanted his love for wild, dangerous bears during the attack, however...
This is NOT a movie for Steven Colbert. Read more about it here:
GrizzlyManMovie.com
Watch an eerily prescient excerpt from "The Simpsons" about bear attacks here:
Ranger Ned
Like me, Treadwell was a Bradley University product, by the way. He arrived on a swimming scholarship under his given name, Timothy Drexler but quit in 1977 after an injury. I arrived in 1978 under NO scholarship. His experience drove him to bears; my experience drove me to beers. He probably drove a Lincoln; I definitely had a professor named Kennedy. The parallels are interesting...
Finally, what to make of the Super Bowl? I gotta go with the team that seems to have the most momentum, better defense and is lead by a coach who has actually won a Super Bowl: The Seattle Seahawks. I never thought I'd ever write that sentence. Go with the Seahawks over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an interesting game that ends 34-24.
Interesting game ... But nothing like the best Super Bowl of all time: XX! Relive those amazing Super Bowl Bears (the good, non-human-eating variety of Bears although you couldn't convince Steve Grogan of that) over at Answers.com:
The Shufflin' Crew
More later,
Mark
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Random Thoughts
A few bullet points during a time out from many projects (job search, books, playoff watching, surfing ... in no particular order). In other words, some things I think I think...
• Target has had an interesting advertising concept on aol.com. For several weeks there was a clickable ad that read: "No Paper? No Problem." When you clicked the banner, you found a web version of their Sunday insert.
Now, I just think that is kind of a snarky ad, from the newspaper industry's point of view. I am a BIG fan of Target, don't get me wrong. But I guess I don't understand the need to bite the hand that has sent potential consumers your way for so many years. It IS a big problem if you are not reading a newspaper! (Or, at least, that is the industry view.) It is almost as big of a problem if you aren't shopping at Target! And you can bet if newspapers began a campaign "Hate Target? Shop Local!" campaign for the mom & pop's out there, the red-and-white retailer would feel diminished.
I guess I would see it differently if Target had paid to have that ad each Sunday on the website of every newspaper that carried its inserts. Anyway, as it turns out, it's a moot point. The new clickable Target ad today:
"See the EXTRA in-store deals not found in the printed weekly ad."
Gee, a NEW way to diminish newspapers... Odd.
Check Out The Target Ad
• New ideas from iTunes.
My interest in the iTunes phenomenon is shared by many judging by the posts and the email. Just for fun, here are my current music suggestions from iTunes, based on my, ah, unique listening habits:
SONGS
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Kuuipo Onaona - Pua Almeida
Carnival - Natalie Merchant
(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am - Nancy Wilson
Helena - My Chemical Romance
Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground
Cool - Lou Busch & His Orchestra
Gold Digger (featuring Jamie Foxx) - Kanye West
La Nave del Olvido - Jose Jose y Oquesta
Feels Like the First Time - Foreigner
100 Years - Five for Fighting
I Miss You (Alternate Take 1) - Elvis Presley
White Flag - Dido
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
The Blob - Aqualads
ALBUMS
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Hits - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd
Goats Head Soup - Rolling Stones
Kerplunk - Green Day
The Very Best of Cream - Cream
Violent Femmes: Deluxe Edition - Violent Femmes
Another interesting selection of songs - though I believe Shaun Colvin, Natalie Merchant and Dido are all the same person. "The Blob" song sounds cool as did "Sex and Candy." On one hand - Foreigner and The Byrds. On the other - Kanye West and My Chemical Romance. I am nothing if not a man of diverse interests...
• Super Bowl XL
It's just me talking, but I think the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers matchup is gonna make a rockin' Super Bowl. I also think that after what Seattle did to shut down Carolina Panthers' star Steve Smith, Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera looks a little less than either a genius or head-coach material.
• Waikiki Tease
No, this is not a song - although it could be. Hmmm... I think I could riff on that for a bit...
I know what you're saying
That you're trying so hard to please.
Trying to make amends.
Trying to appease.
But each night when it's dark I'm lonely again
My Waikiki Tease.
© 2006 MMS Productions
OK, it took me longer to find that copyright symbol than it did to write those stirring lyrics. Can anyone set them to music? Where was I? Oh, the drink. Friday night I surfed the web for a new rum drink and came across the "Waikiki Tease." Here's the scoop:
Ingredients
1 oz. Dark Rum
3 oz. Orange Juice
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
Pour all ingredients over ice in a glass. Stir.
Now, I just tripled all the ingredients and did that three times and came up with the pitcher version (27 oz. of orange juice, 18 oz. of pineapple juice and 12 oz. of rum). Purists and mathematicians will point out that the rum did not increase in exact proportion. These folks know nothing of the power of rum!
Because I like to experiment, I used the new Dole pineapple-mango juice. And for a third of the rum, I substituted coconut rum. It's a winning combination!
You know what goes with a good party drink? Good party music! What's better than Green Day at a party? I have no idea... Direct from their very own website:
Green Day!
More later!
Mark
• Target has had an interesting advertising concept on aol.com. For several weeks there was a clickable ad that read: "No Paper? No Problem." When you clicked the banner, you found a web version of their Sunday insert.
Now, I just think that is kind of a snarky ad, from the newspaper industry's point of view. I am a BIG fan of Target, don't get me wrong. But I guess I don't understand the need to bite the hand that has sent potential consumers your way for so many years. It IS a big problem if you are not reading a newspaper! (Or, at least, that is the industry view.) It is almost as big of a problem if you aren't shopping at Target! And you can bet if newspapers began a campaign "Hate Target? Shop Local!" campaign for the mom & pop's out there, the red-and-white retailer would feel diminished.
I guess I would see it differently if Target had paid to have that ad each Sunday on the website of every newspaper that carried its inserts. Anyway, as it turns out, it's a moot point. The new clickable Target ad today:
"See the EXTRA in-store deals not found in the printed weekly ad."
Gee, a NEW way to diminish newspapers... Odd.
Check Out The Target Ad
• New ideas from iTunes.
My interest in the iTunes phenomenon is shared by many judging by the posts and the email. Just for fun, here are my current music suggestions from iTunes, based on my, ah, unique listening habits:
SONGS
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Kuuipo Onaona - Pua Almeida
Carnival - Natalie Merchant
(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am - Nancy Wilson
Helena - My Chemical Romance
Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground
Cool - Lou Busch & His Orchestra
Gold Digger (featuring Jamie Foxx) - Kanye West
La Nave del Olvido - Jose Jose y Oquesta
Feels Like the First Time - Foreigner
100 Years - Five for Fighting
I Miss You (Alternate Take 1) - Elvis Presley
White Flag - Dido
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
The Blob - Aqualads
ALBUMS
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Hits - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd
Goats Head Soup - Rolling Stones
Kerplunk - Green Day
The Very Best of Cream - Cream
Violent Femmes: Deluxe Edition - Violent Femmes
Another interesting selection of songs - though I believe Shaun Colvin, Natalie Merchant and Dido are all the same person. "The Blob" song sounds cool as did "Sex and Candy." On one hand - Foreigner and The Byrds. On the other - Kanye West and My Chemical Romance. I am nothing if not a man of diverse interests...
• Super Bowl XL
It's just me talking, but I think the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers matchup is gonna make a rockin' Super Bowl. I also think that after what Seattle did to shut down Carolina Panthers' star Steve Smith, Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera looks a little less than either a genius or head-coach material.
• Waikiki Tease
No, this is not a song - although it could be. Hmmm... I think I could riff on that for a bit...
I know what you're saying
That you're trying so hard to please.
Trying to make amends.
Trying to appease.
But each night when it's dark I'm lonely again
My Waikiki Tease.
© 2006 MMS Productions
OK, it took me longer to find that copyright symbol than it did to write those stirring lyrics. Can anyone set them to music? Where was I? Oh, the drink. Friday night I surfed the web for a new rum drink and came across the "Waikiki Tease." Here's the scoop:
Ingredients
1 oz. Dark Rum
3 oz. Orange Juice
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
Pour all ingredients over ice in a glass. Stir.
Now, I just tripled all the ingredients and did that three times and came up with the pitcher version (27 oz. of orange juice, 18 oz. of pineapple juice and 12 oz. of rum). Purists and mathematicians will point out that the rum did not increase in exact proportion. These folks know nothing of the power of rum!
Because I like to experiment, I used the new Dole pineapple-mango juice. And for a third of the rum, I substituted coconut rum. It's a winning combination!
You know what goes with a good party drink? Good party music! What's better than Green Day at a party? I have no idea... Direct from their very own website:
Green Day!
More later!
Mark
Monday, January 16, 2006
Just Wait 'Til Next Year!
Knowing of my great love for the Chicago Bears, a few folks have asked why I have not blogged more about them during this season of miracles.
I'm not sure why, to be honest. I thought this was a fun season - despite its sloppy end on Sunday. I guess in the back of my mind, I have been wondering whether the 2005 Bears were more like the 1984 Bears or the 1985 Bears. I think I got my answer. And as disappointed as I was with the loss to the Carolina Panthers, I think that bodes well for next year.
At least when we say "Just wait 'til next year!" it actually means something this year...
As in 1984, because the season ended with a playoff loss, I was left with the feeling that the team had finally congealed into something pretty special. I think the defense was very good and could approach greatness next year. I think the offense found a special leader with Rex Grossman (and I was particularly proud of his post-game comments and leadership vs. Peyton Manning who acted like a petulant child) and a great running back with Thomas Jones. The offensive line is one or two players away from being in the top echelon of the NFL.
That said, many of their weaknesses which they need to improve on to attain the next level were exposed Sunday. The short list:
• Coaching experience. Lovie Smith can dismiss all of the obvious coaching miscues in the game, but they were evident to even the casual observer. The game plan was skewed (run the ball, damn it!) offensive plays were coming in too slowly and the right adjustments were not being made. On the defensive side, I think Ron Rivera's coaching inexperience at the playoff level was exposed: Substitutions were awkward, people seemed to be out of place and the last two Panther touchdowns were thrown to players who were not covered. Rivera might be touted as the next great head coach in some circles, but I think he's a year or two away.
• I'd bring in some competition for punter Brad Maynard during camp this summer. Surprisingly, special teams overall Sunday graded out a "D" in my book.
• My sense is that Muhsin Muhammad is never going to make me forget about Willie Gault or even Tom Waddle. He seems to lack both speed AND heart - though he does have a mouth. He was quite vocal about quarterback Kyle Orton's game but has yet to explain the drops after Rex stepped back in as the starter. The Bears need another blazing wideout (or two) to complement Bernard Berrian who seems to be coming into his own.
• The Bears defensive secondary ended the season beat up and beat out. Of the cornerbacks, Jerry Azumah was hurt too much and Charles "Peanut" Tillman's play was increasingly erratic. On the safety side of the ball, Mike Brown was clearly injured worse than the Bears let on and Mike Green is just not very good. In the Panthers game, the Bears were apparently forced to pull a fan out of the stands named Chris Thompson to stumble onto the field and allow Steve Smith to score untouched. They need some muscle here and the emergence of Nathan Vasher is a plus - but not enough. A good area to focus on in the free agent market?
• I would still like to see the Bears employ a quality tight end.
• Draft and free-agent focus? If the Bears were to draft a guard or tackle early and spend lots more free agent money on the offensive line, I would not complain.
OK, I'll stop now before this "short list" gets too long. It was a fun ride this season with hints of greatness to come. The Bears gave fans more than we expected (especially after the 1-3 start) and showed a lot of grit and character. It was actually fun to be a Bears fan again. Plus, any year that we beat those miserable Packers twice is almost equal to a Super Bowl year for me...
Want a song to cheer you up today? Go here and turn up your speakers:
Bear Down!
More later!
Mark
I'm not sure why, to be honest. I thought this was a fun season - despite its sloppy end on Sunday. I guess in the back of my mind, I have been wondering whether the 2005 Bears were more like the 1984 Bears or the 1985 Bears. I think I got my answer. And as disappointed as I was with the loss to the Carolina Panthers, I think that bodes well for next year.
At least when we say "Just wait 'til next year!" it actually means something this year...
As in 1984, because the season ended with a playoff loss, I was left with the feeling that the team had finally congealed into something pretty special. I think the defense was very good and could approach greatness next year. I think the offense found a special leader with Rex Grossman (and I was particularly proud of his post-game comments and leadership vs. Peyton Manning who acted like a petulant child) and a great running back with Thomas Jones. The offensive line is one or two players away from being in the top echelon of the NFL.
That said, many of their weaknesses which they need to improve on to attain the next level were exposed Sunday. The short list:
• Coaching experience. Lovie Smith can dismiss all of the obvious coaching miscues in the game, but they were evident to even the casual observer. The game plan was skewed (run the ball, damn it!) offensive plays were coming in too slowly and the right adjustments were not being made. On the defensive side, I think Ron Rivera's coaching inexperience at the playoff level was exposed: Substitutions were awkward, people seemed to be out of place and the last two Panther touchdowns were thrown to players who were not covered. Rivera might be touted as the next great head coach in some circles, but I think he's a year or two away.
• I'd bring in some competition for punter Brad Maynard during camp this summer. Surprisingly, special teams overall Sunday graded out a "D" in my book.
• My sense is that Muhsin Muhammad is never going to make me forget about Willie Gault or even Tom Waddle. He seems to lack both speed AND heart - though he does have a mouth. He was quite vocal about quarterback Kyle Orton's game but has yet to explain the drops after Rex stepped back in as the starter. The Bears need another blazing wideout (or two) to complement Bernard Berrian who seems to be coming into his own.
• The Bears defensive secondary ended the season beat up and beat out. Of the cornerbacks, Jerry Azumah was hurt too much and Charles "Peanut" Tillman's play was increasingly erratic. On the safety side of the ball, Mike Brown was clearly injured worse than the Bears let on and Mike Green is just not very good. In the Panthers game, the Bears were apparently forced to pull a fan out of the stands named Chris Thompson to stumble onto the field and allow Steve Smith to score untouched. They need some muscle here and the emergence of Nathan Vasher is a plus - but not enough. A good area to focus on in the free agent market?
• I would still like to see the Bears employ a quality tight end.
• Draft and free-agent focus? If the Bears were to draft a guard or tackle early and spend lots more free agent money on the offensive line, I would not complain.
OK, I'll stop now before this "short list" gets too long. It was a fun ride this season with hints of greatness to come. The Bears gave fans more than we expected (especially after the 1-3 start) and showed a lot of grit and character. It was actually fun to be a Bears fan again. Plus, any year that we beat those miserable Packers twice is almost equal to a Super Bowl year for me...
Want a song to cheer you up today? Go here and turn up your speakers:
Bear Down!
More later!
Mark
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Today's Word...
Today's media buzzword: Intuitive.
It is what separates the men from the boys, or, in terms of media, the dinosaurs from the techno-revolutionaries of tomorrow.
Today's media audiences expect whatever media they are accessing at the moment to be intuitive; to be in tune with their wants and needs; to anticipate their wants and needs; to redefine their wants and needs and to exceed their expectations.
Which naturally leads us to today's tip: Big props if you can bring the "Wow!" factor. Then redefine the "Wow!" factor. Then bring it again.
Many newspapers, reluctant to seek innovations, are struggling with that concept as are broadcast television and radio operations. Yesterday's "relevance" has been supplanted by tomorrow's intuitiveness. Hence the customization featured in "new media" - i.e. the Internet and digital television (a channel for every specific taste) and, now, satellite radio - has led to new, expanding, evolving mediums leaving some old standbys struggling to maintain audience share.
This has lead to concern over the very future of some traditional mediums. In newspaperdom, for example, there is a industry-wide debate over the balancing act between the need to invest resources for further customization (i.e. notions like "tailored" newspapers, improved online experiences, zoning and advertiser-desired zip-code-specific delivery) and pressures to cut expenses to balance decreasing revenue, which has lead to profit margins lower than expected in the board room. At the very point in time that newspapers need to be more intuitive, some companies are choosing to go another direction. Witness, for example, staff cuts at large newspapers from New York to Philadelphia to Chicago. Smaller, independent and family-owned companies have had a better go of it, but this debate is occurring at all levels. Progressive companies are choosing the correct path; to sow so they shall reap.
A good example of an intuitive medium: I have been having way too much fun playing with iTunes lately. When I popped into the iTunes store the other day, I discovered a new "beta" feature called "Just For You." Inside, I found some music that iTunes had decided I might be interested in based on my downloads. Keep in mind, I mostly have downloaded Elvis songs and episodes of "The Office." Actually, that's not quite true: I have over 150 downloads in my collection. However, I was stunned to discover these 15 suggestions. See what you can glean from my listening tastes based on this list:
1.) Easy Loving - Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
2.) Wherever You Will Go - The Calling
3.) Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
4.) Only Wanna Be With You - Hootie and the Blowfish
5.) Rock 'n Roll, Part 2 - Gary Glitter
6.) Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
7.) Every Morning - Sugar Ray
8.) Still Waiting -Sum 41
9.) School Boy Heart - Jimmy Buffett
10.) There It Go! - Juelz Santana
11.) Lonely No More - Rob Thomas
12.) Love Will Find A Way - Pablo Cruise
13.) Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
14.) Heaven - The Psychedelic Furs
15.) Armageddon - Eddie Izzard
In addition, iTunes suggested I download these six albums:
1.) Blink-182 - Greatest Hits
2.) Who's Next - The Who
3.) London Calling - The Clash
4.) Pocket Full of Kryptonite - Spin Doctors
5.) Let Go - Avril Lavigne
6.) Songs About Jane - Maroon 5
I'm not sure what to make of either list (other than, perhaps, I've given iTunes the gross misperception that I will listen to any damned thing!). What do you think?
From that list of individual songs, I have only previously downloaded Jimi Hendrix, Sum 41, Jimmy Buffett and Bob Dylan tunes. Not a lot of Conway, Pablo and Eddie in my collection... Hootie? Come on! I'm insulted. Gary Glitter? I think I am a bit old for him...
But it was a fun discovery and I spent more time perusing this list and sampling the songs than I did with the morning newspaper and, I guess, that is my ultimate point. And the ultimate point of this new media age.
Just be intuitive!
Me? I'm downloading more Juelz Santana... Turns out, I'm totally east coast... And, clearly, as jiggy as I have always maintained...
Hey, speaking of tunes, allow me to play DJ for you on this fine afternoon and spin a platter that truly matters! Straight from his home page at nicklowe.net here's my man Nick Lowe and his take on the Johnny River classic, "The Poor Side of Town." Enjoy!
The Poor Side of Town
More later,
Mark
It is what separates the men from the boys, or, in terms of media, the dinosaurs from the techno-revolutionaries of tomorrow.
Today's media audiences expect whatever media they are accessing at the moment to be intuitive; to be in tune with their wants and needs; to anticipate their wants and needs; to redefine their wants and needs and to exceed their expectations.
Which naturally leads us to today's tip: Big props if you can bring the "Wow!" factor. Then redefine the "Wow!" factor. Then bring it again.
Many newspapers, reluctant to seek innovations, are struggling with that concept as are broadcast television and radio operations. Yesterday's "relevance" has been supplanted by tomorrow's intuitiveness. Hence the customization featured in "new media" - i.e. the Internet and digital television (a channel for every specific taste) and, now, satellite radio - has led to new, expanding, evolving mediums leaving some old standbys struggling to maintain audience share.
This has lead to concern over the very future of some traditional mediums. In newspaperdom, for example, there is a industry-wide debate over the balancing act between the need to invest resources for further customization (i.e. notions like "tailored" newspapers, improved online experiences, zoning and advertiser-desired zip-code-specific delivery) and pressures to cut expenses to balance decreasing revenue, which has lead to profit margins lower than expected in the board room. At the very point in time that newspapers need to be more intuitive, some companies are choosing to go another direction. Witness, for example, staff cuts at large newspapers from New York to Philadelphia to Chicago. Smaller, independent and family-owned companies have had a better go of it, but this debate is occurring at all levels. Progressive companies are choosing the correct path; to sow so they shall reap.
A good example of an intuitive medium: I have been having way too much fun playing with iTunes lately. When I popped into the iTunes store the other day, I discovered a new "beta" feature called "Just For You." Inside, I found some music that iTunes had decided I might be interested in based on my downloads. Keep in mind, I mostly have downloaded Elvis songs and episodes of "The Office." Actually, that's not quite true: I have over 150 downloads in my collection. However, I was stunned to discover these 15 suggestions. See what you can glean from my listening tastes based on this list:
1.) Easy Loving - Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
2.) Wherever You Will Go - The Calling
3.) Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
4.) Only Wanna Be With You - Hootie and the Blowfish
5.) Rock 'n Roll, Part 2 - Gary Glitter
6.) Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
7.) Every Morning - Sugar Ray
8.) Still Waiting -Sum 41
9.) School Boy Heart - Jimmy Buffett
10.) There It Go! - Juelz Santana
11.) Lonely No More - Rob Thomas
12.) Love Will Find A Way - Pablo Cruise
13.) Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
14.) Heaven - The Psychedelic Furs
15.) Armageddon - Eddie Izzard
In addition, iTunes suggested I download these six albums:
1.) Blink-182 - Greatest Hits
2.) Who's Next - The Who
3.) London Calling - The Clash
4.) Pocket Full of Kryptonite - Spin Doctors
5.) Let Go - Avril Lavigne
6.) Songs About Jane - Maroon 5
I'm not sure what to make of either list (other than, perhaps, I've given iTunes the gross misperception that I will listen to any damned thing!). What do you think?
From that list of individual songs, I have only previously downloaded Jimi Hendrix, Sum 41, Jimmy Buffett and Bob Dylan tunes. Not a lot of Conway, Pablo and Eddie in my collection... Hootie? Come on! I'm insulted. Gary Glitter? I think I am a bit old for him...
But it was a fun discovery and I spent more time perusing this list and sampling the songs than I did with the morning newspaper and, I guess, that is my ultimate point. And the ultimate point of this new media age.
Just be intuitive!
Me? I'm downloading more Juelz Santana... Turns out, I'm totally east coast... And, clearly, as jiggy as I have always maintained...
Hey, speaking of tunes, allow me to play DJ for you on this fine afternoon and spin a platter that truly matters! Straight from his home page at nicklowe.net here's my man Nick Lowe and his take on the Johnny River classic, "The Poor Side of Town." Enjoy!
The Poor Side of Town
More later,
Mark
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Mining the Truth
I was awake at about midnight Tuesday writing my next blog (not this one) when I encountered CNN's Anderson Cooper touting the miraculous news.
Twelve of 13 miners trapped nearly 2 miles beneath the West Virginia surface for nearly two days after a mine explosion were alive!
For most of the day we had been lead to believe the news from the coal mine would be grim. The air was bad. One miner had been found dead. Then the mine car the men had used was discovered empty - an indication the men had survived a blast and had fled to a more secure area.
Then the bells at the Sago Baptist Church began to toll as word filtered from the command center at the mine that the remaining 12 men had been found alive!
For the next two hours, I was absorbed as reporters scrambled to cover the change in the course of events. Reportedly, the miners were to undergo triaged medical care and those who were in the best shape would be brought to the church to be reunited with their families.
At about 2 a.m., an agitated woman come up to Cooper to tell him "there's no miracle."
He looked stunned. And compelling television began to unfold.
I felt so bad for the poor families involved. To endure such a tragic roller-coaster ride of emotion is impossible to fathom. There appears to have been a 2- to 3-hour delay between the time the command center received the erroneous information that the remaining 12 miners were alive and the time that mine owner International Coal Group gave the correct information to grieving families: Just one miner had survived.
Why the delay? Did they not hear the bells tolling? Were they not aware of the cable news broadcasts? Were they unaware that everyone from the state's governor to a mine foreman had confirmed the news for the various media covering the story? Did they realize a Red Cross official had confirmed the rumors at the church where friends and families awaited? The mine company ultimately admitted it knew within 20-45 minutes that the first report was wrong. Why was that fact not as zealously transferred as the erroneous news?
I have a theory, honed after years of watching business leaders, politicians and other officials repeatedly bumble and stumble in the face of disaster and big news stories. This was a horrible situation made worse by the mine owner's naive, unfortunate (though understandably intentioned) decision to sequester the media away from both the command center and the church, where families were stationed. International Coal Group attempted to control the flow of information ostensibly to avoid either unnecessarily raising spirits or quashing hopes - unaware that to attempt this in an instant communications age is as problematic as catching smoke with boxing gloves. Hence, while someone at the command center may very well have overheard the original erroneous news and transmitted it back to the church via cell phone, the media was unable to check it out because its access was being blocked at two sensitive points. Conversely, members of the media were also unable to inform the command center of the obvious joy being transmitted to the rest of the world.
By all accounts, the mine rescue command center was filled with mine administrators, foremen, politicians, emergency workers, police representatives and the like. A press representative pooled from the many media covering this story should have been there as well. This person could have reported the miscommunication quickly and spared the families some of the heart-wrenching drama by reporting news in minutes, not hours.
Instead, late Wednesday afternoon it was revealed that mine officials had entrusted state police officers to ferry a message to the clergy at the church during the celebration to inform families that initial reports may have been too optimistic. That message was muddled.
Dumb. Just plain dumb. The area was crawling with communication professionals.
How many times do we have to watch clumsy officials, overly suspicious of the media, demonstrate they are far less media-savvy than they will ever comprehend? They pay big bucks to "press aides," read books on how to "deal" with the media, go to seminars on "spinning", yet they stumble repeatedly in the face of the big story because these officials spend too much time scheming to leave the media out instead of inviting the media in. The media are not the enemy. The media are the people. Never has this been more painfully evident than in the early hours of Wednesday morning as broken-hearted family members trudged out of the Sago Baptist Church to spill their hearts to American journalists.
In the end, mine officials could no more control this story than they could control the atmosphere in a dusty coal mine during a thunderstorm.
More later,
Mark
Twelve of 13 miners trapped nearly 2 miles beneath the West Virginia surface for nearly two days after a mine explosion were alive!
For most of the day we had been lead to believe the news from the coal mine would be grim. The air was bad. One miner had been found dead. Then the mine car the men had used was discovered empty - an indication the men had survived a blast and had fled to a more secure area.
Then the bells at the Sago Baptist Church began to toll as word filtered from the command center at the mine that the remaining 12 men had been found alive!
For the next two hours, I was absorbed as reporters scrambled to cover the change in the course of events. Reportedly, the miners were to undergo triaged medical care and those who were in the best shape would be brought to the church to be reunited with their families.
At about 2 a.m., an agitated woman come up to Cooper to tell him "there's no miracle."
He looked stunned. And compelling television began to unfold.
I felt so bad for the poor families involved. To endure such a tragic roller-coaster ride of emotion is impossible to fathom. There appears to have been a 2- to 3-hour delay between the time the command center received the erroneous information that the remaining 12 miners were alive and the time that mine owner International Coal Group gave the correct information to grieving families: Just one miner had survived.
Why the delay? Did they not hear the bells tolling? Were they not aware of the cable news broadcasts? Were they unaware that everyone from the state's governor to a mine foreman had confirmed the news for the various media covering the story? Did they realize a Red Cross official had confirmed the rumors at the church where friends and families awaited? The mine company ultimately admitted it knew within 20-45 minutes that the first report was wrong. Why was that fact not as zealously transferred as the erroneous news?
I have a theory, honed after years of watching business leaders, politicians and other officials repeatedly bumble and stumble in the face of disaster and big news stories. This was a horrible situation made worse by the mine owner's naive, unfortunate (though understandably intentioned) decision to sequester the media away from both the command center and the church, where families were stationed. International Coal Group attempted to control the flow of information ostensibly to avoid either unnecessarily raising spirits or quashing hopes - unaware that to attempt this in an instant communications age is as problematic as catching smoke with boxing gloves. Hence, while someone at the command center may very well have overheard the original erroneous news and transmitted it back to the church via cell phone, the media was unable to check it out because its access was being blocked at two sensitive points. Conversely, members of the media were also unable to inform the command center of the obvious joy being transmitted to the rest of the world.
By all accounts, the mine rescue command center was filled with mine administrators, foremen, politicians, emergency workers, police representatives and the like. A press representative pooled from the many media covering this story should have been there as well. This person could have reported the miscommunication quickly and spared the families some of the heart-wrenching drama by reporting news in minutes, not hours.
Instead, late Wednesday afternoon it was revealed that mine officials had entrusted state police officers to ferry a message to the clergy at the church during the celebration to inform families that initial reports may have been too optimistic. That message was muddled.
Dumb. Just plain dumb. The area was crawling with communication professionals.
How many times do we have to watch clumsy officials, overly suspicious of the media, demonstrate they are far less media-savvy than they will ever comprehend? They pay big bucks to "press aides," read books on how to "deal" with the media, go to seminars on "spinning", yet they stumble repeatedly in the face of the big story because these officials spend too much time scheming to leave the media out instead of inviting the media in. The media are not the enemy. The media are the people. Never has this been more painfully evident than in the early hours of Wednesday morning as broken-hearted family members trudged out of the Sago Baptist Church to spill their hearts to American journalists.
In the end, mine officials could no more control this story than they could control the atmosphere in a dusty coal mine during a thunderstorm.
More later,
Mark
Monday, January 02, 2006
46 Resolutions
Gee, another year? Already? But 2005 was so darned much fun...
I guess that means it is time for another batch of resolutions. Since I am turning 46 this year, I figure 46 resolutions will do. I, Mark M. Sweetwood, being of relatively sound mind, hereby resolve to:
• Become gainfully employed again.
• Win the lottery, anyway.
• Keep defying the odds. In other words, business as usual.
• Surprise those who should not be surprised.
• Shock those who should not be shocked.
• Dare those who would not be dared.
• Finally realize my "memoirs" in current form really could be reduced to a mere half-hour episode of "The Office."
• Forgive more.
• Forget less.
• Maintain the high road.
• Watch for those on the low road.
• Look down on those on the low road from my perch on the high road thus ruining an otherwise perfectly good metaphor.
• Update my blog more often.
• Finish my book.
• Finish that other book.
• And that screenplay.
• Figure out a better name for my screenplay than "SuperNewspaperMediaMan."
• Change that one part in my screenplay where "SuperNewspaperMediaMan" kisses "Janey Mary" while upside down in the rain in the alley.
• Lose weight.
• Get botox.
• Get hair plugs.
• Cap my teeth.
• Work out.
• Relive my 30's.
• Laugh more.
• Cry less.
• Spend less.
• Save more.
• Downsize my world.
• Upsize my generosity.
• Do my part for peace.
• Cherish my friends.
• Vanquish my enemies.
• Vanquish my false friends.
• Cherish new enemies.
• Encourage all to read the good works of James Thurber, Homer Hickam and John Grisham.
• Emulate the good works of James Thurber, Homer Hickam and John Grisham.
• Ride that ticket to stardom with my hit series about a comical lawyer who represents miners.
• Speak out more.
• Launch my podcast.
• Help others understand new media.
• Procrastinate less.
• Procrastinate less.
• Be less repetitive.
• Be a better husband, friend, son and brother.
• Avoid travel to Florida during hurricane season.
I'll keep ya posted on my progress throughout the year...
More later!
Mark
I guess that means it is time for another batch of resolutions. Since I am turning 46 this year, I figure 46 resolutions will do. I, Mark M. Sweetwood, being of relatively sound mind, hereby resolve to:
• Become gainfully employed again.
• Win the lottery, anyway.
• Keep defying the odds. In other words, business as usual.
• Surprise those who should not be surprised.
• Shock those who should not be shocked.
• Dare those who would not be dared.
• Finally realize my "memoirs" in current form really could be reduced to a mere half-hour episode of "The Office."
• Forgive more.
• Forget less.
• Maintain the high road.
• Watch for those on the low road.
• Look down on those on the low road from my perch on the high road thus ruining an otherwise perfectly good metaphor.
• Update my blog more often.
• Finish my book.
• Finish that other book.
• And that screenplay.
• Figure out a better name for my screenplay than "SuperNewspaperMediaMan."
• Change that one part in my screenplay where "SuperNewspaperMediaMan" kisses "Janey Mary" while upside down in the rain in the alley.
• Lose weight.
• Get botox.
• Get hair plugs.
• Cap my teeth.
• Work out.
• Relive my 30's.
• Laugh more.
• Cry less.
• Spend less.
• Save more.
• Downsize my world.
• Upsize my generosity.
• Do my part for peace.
• Cherish my friends.
• Vanquish my enemies.
• Vanquish my false friends.
• Cherish new enemies.
• Encourage all to read the good works of James Thurber, Homer Hickam and John Grisham.
• Emulate the good works of James Thurber, Homer Hickam and John Grisham.
• Ride that ticket to stardom with my hit series about a comical lawyer who represents miners.
• Speak out more.
• Launch my podcast.
• Help others understand new media.
• Procrastinate less.
• Procrastinate less.
• Be less repetitive.
• Be a better husband, friend, son and brother.
• Avoid travel to Florida during hurricane season.
I'll keep ya posted on my progress throughout the year...
More later!
Mark
Saturday, December 24, 2005
A Message of Peace
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Kwanza!
And peace and good will to all!
As I reflect this year about world and the concept of peace, I wonder what Jesus of Nazareth would think of 2005 AD? Perhaps the Jesus of Cool, Nick Lowe, framed the question best in a song made famous by his good friend Elvis Costello...
Peace, Love and Understanding
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
There’s one thing I wanna know:
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
’cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
’cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
That's a heckuva Christmas Carol, if you ask me. If there is anything at all funny about the notion of peace, love and understanding, I've long forgotten the joke. I know I haven't done my share to advance enough of any of it. How about you? Need a good resolution for 2006?
Mary and I hope you and yours have the best holiday ever. Love, laugh, share and hope. And eat, especially if you are Italian or related to an Italian or visiting an Italian. I have the best of all worlds.
And here's to a much better world in 2006!
More later,
Mark
Merry Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Kwanza!
And peace and good will to all!
As I reflect this year about world and the concept of peace, I wonder what Jesus of Nazareth would think of 2005 AD? Perhaps the Jesus of Cool, Nick Lowe, framed the question best in a song made famous by his good friend Elvis Costello...
Peace, Love and Understanding
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
There’s one thing I wanna know:
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
’cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
’cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
That's a heckuva Christmas Carol, if you ask me. If there is anything at all funny about the notion of peace, love and understanding, I've long forgotten the joke. I know I haven't done my share to advance enough of any of it. How about you? Need a good resolution for 2006?
Mary and I hope you and yours have the best holiday ever. Love, laugh, share and hope. And eat, especially if you are Italian or related to an Italian or visiting an Italian. I have the best of all worlds.
And here's to a much better world in 2006!
More later,
Mark
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