Lessons On the Job (and in life)

Election 2010

2010-11-03T09:31:00.003-04:00

I'm not really in a position to complain about last night's results. For the first time in my life I didn't vote. Not because I didn't want to... but because I couldn't get home in time to do so despite plans to leave work early.

I'm grateful that Jim Himes and Dick Blumenthal will represent Connecticut. I know them both and they stand apart as among the few with true character and sense of responsibility.

Still some lessons to be learned - at least my personal take:

1 - Money don't buy votes: witness the brilliant smack down of Linda McMahon and Meg Whitman. Combined, they spent nearly $300 million. That money could have been much better spent. Sorry that women are setting such a terrible example.

2 - You can't win just on your record -- Unfortunately, this is something my friend Peggy Reeves found out here in CT. She was the first local state rep to actually get something done in Hartford in over 20-years, yet she did not promote her victories with the local press. While I counseled her to write regular editorials, get in front of the public and put out regular press releases -- she didn't. Her opponent, however, did. I believe that visibility (and a lot of negative support from disenfranchised republicans), was what led to her defeat. Basic PR could have made a huge difference.

3 - Don't believe everything you read/hear from the media -- wild and often erroneous reporting at one point put Paladino in a dead race with Andrew Cuomo. During the race, I listened to a report on polling numbers that had them neck and neck. We have to stop relying on these polls. Cuomo's brilliant strategy, let Paladino lose the race just by opening his mouth.

I believe we get the representation we deserve. Sorry Florida. Sorry Wisconsin. Etc. More Gridlock is on the way.

And my last lesson. Next time I'm voting early.

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Food, Love, Sex

2010-04-14T14:42:00.000-04:00

Newsweek reports this week here about the differences between how men and women write about food. As someone who is an emotional eater, it hit a cord. It was interesting that the story only talked about the differences in how the sexes write about food, and not in how they eat or see food as a part of the larger cycle of romance, love and relationships.

The first book that delivered that message was Like Water for Chocolate. And it changed forever how I saw the relationship between love and food -- or feeding the heart.

I recently traded a batch of ginger cookies for work on my car. Nothing beats great cookies and it's amazing what men will do for them.

Lessons from My Dog

2010-03-19T17:36:00.004-04:00

I know there is a book idea about what I've learned from my dog. Perhaps this will Chapter 1. Roxy is my first dog. I had dogs when I was growing up, but she's MY first dog. She's now 11 and she is dying of kidney failure. She's been dying now for about 6-months. She's not in pain. But she is rib-bone thin and sleeps 90% of the day. I decided when we first learned that she was sick to bring a little joy to her life every day. I started to take her to a little park not far from the house. She knows when she is going there. As soon as we pull into the parking lot she starts to make urgent moaning sounds to get out of the car. As soon as her feet touch down she wiggles with excitement and heads down the now familiar path at a trot. My other dog Kayleigh follows her. Side by side they run through the undergrowth, leap over branches and bound over rocks. They are happy and joyful.

I've learned from Roxy how important it is to have happy moments every day. A walk in the woods - even a 15 minute walk - clears your mind, brings you back to nature and provides much needed time to experience the moment. One small moment a day makes all the difference.

What Grows

2009-07-19T19:38:00.004-04:00

My first year growing more than tomatoes and flowers in containers has yielded real crops. I ate my first cucumber today and it was delicious. Beans are slim and sweet. When will my tomatoes turn red?

Bag Lady

2009-07-07T09:09:00.004-04:00

I knew there was a problem when my Mom opened the extra large Saks shopping bag that had been carefully folded among a 10-inch pile of "collected bags," and her eyes opened with a mix of wonder and triumph. It was a really big shopping bag. But in her mind, it was a one of a kind treasure. For some reason it was easier for her to part with the Russian antique urn worth over $5000 than this large heavy duty bag with corporate logo.

She folded it back up and brought out a smaller, even sturdier grey bag from Saks that didn't hold the aura the much larger, more unique temple to shopping bags had held.

I filled it with lovely linen table mats and one old white tablecloth, and a few packs of paper doilies she begrudgingly agreed to part with during our purge of her drawers. We had spent several hours paring back centuries of belongings to make her move to a smaller apartment easier.

Somethings it appears, are harder to part with than others. Back to the bags.

My mother has mountains of bags. She has gorgeous pocketbooks with labels from Hermes, Channel, Judith Lieber, Ferragamo. The creme de la creme of leather pocket books. Then there is her collection of canvas bags amassed from golf outing goodie bags, airplanes, cruises, and who knows where. I'm guessing if we took count, we'd find over 100 such bags.

But the real "collection" is the Mount Everest of paper and plastic bags accumulated over a lifetime of saving. For some reason, these reminders of shopping trips past are not as easily discarded as the already mentioned antique. Or the slightly worn white channel now destined for a thrift shop.

I know she's not collecting bags to save the planet. Or to win an award as these enterprising Junior High school students did in Boise See here

In my search for the cases of this irregular compulsion, I discovered that the town of Newark actually held it's 6th annual exhibition of shopping bags in 2003. Open the bag exhibit here...

Bag Lady today has a different definition than it did when I was younger and it meant a lady who literally lived on the streets out of a bag. I'm hoping with therapy we can get Mom through the purge and convince her that tattered, useless bags over 10-years old are not worth moving to a new home. But that may be wishful thinking....

My Garden

2009-06-10T20:59:00.003-04:00

This beautiful Peony is from my garden. And I picked it. I have a habit of picking other people's flowers. Lilacs, Peony's a rose from time to time if I can maneuver around the thorns. But this one grew up in my garden. And more are blooming.

On my deck, the vegetables are all green thanks to the abundance of rain. My gardening lesson is to follow the sun. It took a while for me to realize that not everything was going to grow in my garden because of a lack of direct sun, that's why the veggies are on the deck. Photos coming soon.

Philip Johnson's Retreat

2009-06-06T17:48:00.006-04:00

Today I visited the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan. It is really more of an "experience" than a house. The house is actually one small part of the 47-acre retreat that Johnson and his partner David Whitney built into an oasis. The surroundings -- the trees, pathways, meadows, use of shadow, sky and horizon - all play a role in the experience.

The entrance is protected by a gate that features an aluminum bar that is the mast of a ship. The pathways are specifically designed to lead you down to the house and to enter the house at an angle. The grass surrounding the house itself is carefully mowed to be a "carpet."

Opposite the glass house itself is the brick house, the guest house. It has no windows that face the glass house because Philip Johnson didn't want to see his guests -- and he didn't want then to see him. The house overlooks meadow and pond with a vista of trees carefully planted. The property was farmland so when Johnson and Whitney planted the trees, they would sit a top the landing where the house stands and through a bullhorn, instruct those planting the trees exactly where to plant them.

An art gallery is built into the side of a hill and is constructed in a clover leaf pattern. Inside the clover leaf's form three circular spaces that allow the gallery to turn the walls and display different art work from the collection (Jasper Johns, Julian Schnable, Frank Stella - you get the idea). Then there is a sculpture gallery that is also wonderfully built to allow light to play of shadow and sun.

I ordered tickets 6-months ago. They only go on sale once a year. I got tickets for summer and fall - hopefully when we return in October, we can see it a new.

You can visit the site here.

Speak- easy

2009-06-03T22:21:00.003-04:00

You know you have a trend when you can cite 3 examples of the same thing. That's what happened today -- three different times the word "speakeasy" was part of the conversation. And in two of its uses - it meant a different thing.

First - a new Wall Street Journal section that they are calling "Speakeasy." A mash-up of culture, trends, the arts, style, etc that shows a softer side to the newspaper. I'm guessing it's their attempt to build readers online while the paper itself sticks to harder news.
You can see it here.

Then, I heard about a mobile marketing campaign for Remy Martin that was called "Speakeasy" a program that provided a mobile link to those who opted in to secret bars and clubs. You gain admittance by bringing your phone and downloading the secret invite.

Finally at the end of the day was the ultimate story about what a real speakeasy is in the NYTimes Dining section. Seems that the cocktail party of prohibition era is once again hot (which I knew from my sister and her neighborhood hot spot "Drink.").

You can see the NTY story here.

Personally, I've been obsessed with mixology since my first visit to drink where each cocktail came with ice carefully molded for each drink. Chopped, blocked or simply shaken and strained, each drink made as much out of the ice as ingredient as the tinctures, alcohol and mixers that were included.

Of course if you look at the etymology of the word, all of the cases cited seem to meet its meaning: From the online Etymology Dictionary a "Speakeasy" is:
"unlicensed saloon," 1889 (in New York "Voice"), from speak + easy, from the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police and neighbors. The word gained wide currency in U.S. during Prohibition (1920-1932). In early 19c. Ir. and British dialect, a speak softly shop meant "smuggler's den."

Fish of a Lifetime

2009-05-31T21:06:00.004-04:00

I grew up fishing. My father was a die hard fisherman. Every weekend, evenings in the summer after he came home from work, early in the morning. Whenever he could get out, he'd take us with him. My best memories are out on the boat with the whole family catching blue fish after blue fish.

The one fish that eluded my father was striped bass. He spent days and nights in search of this fish -- that in the early 70's had nearly been wiped out. We trolled, we used fresh bait, fresh bunker, every trick in the book. He never caught one. He caught his fair share of other fish. I have a huge Wahoo that was mounted that I watched him catch in Florida. And he'd go away and fish for Salmon in Canada and to the keys for bonefish with my mom.

I got the fishing gene. It is my favorite past time. I could be out on the water and not catch a thing and have a good day.

I broke the family striper curse about 7 years ago in Martha's Vineyard when we went out with a guide one early morning, and in a fog bound bay hooked into a mess of stripers. I called my brother who had just gotten a boat and told him that it was now his turn.

My brother has since caught stripers in the same fishing grounds that confounded my father. But until today, I'd never caught one in the Long Island Sound.

We got up early and left the dock about 6 am and by 6:30 were fishing off Rye Playland where a week before, my husband and friends pulled out a 40 pounder. Just after dropping our bait, my line took off. I jumped on the reel and brought in a beautiful striper. We continued for about 3 hours catching about 10 fish in all with my son pulling in the catch of the day at about 17-lbs.

A perfect morning, The sun not too hot, the water calm and the fish seemed to be everywhere. As we motored back to dock all I could think about was that I was a year older than my father when he died. And I wondered if perhaps he'd had just a little more time, he would have caught the one fish he had searched so hard to catch.

My Office - Changing the Space

2009-05-19T21:33:00.003-04:00

I have two offices - one at home that is my very favorite place. It comes with snoring dog, very short commute and allows for my day to start with Yoga, spinning or some sort of exercise.

The other office is in NY at my clients building - the photo above does not really capture the real beauty of the view. I've worked for this client for almost 11-years and it's taken me that long to finally get a really lovely office with a beautiful view of the Hudson River. I know this sounds weird, but when I open the door to that office I feel a calmness. I'm sure it's the proximity to the water and the view out the window. But I really love it. And now I have to leave it.

The company is moving into new space with an open floor plan. Instead of private offices, we will be sitting in an open space with cubicles - really just desk, chair and a drawer for files. No room for photos. No place for a calendar. No way to shut the door.

I am all for collaboration - but I actually think that open space is detrimental to work - at least the kind of work I do where if I'm not on the phone, I'm writing. And when I am on the phone, I'm loud. I once had a boss whose office was next to mine tell me to stop laughing -- I was laughing so loud. I'm not quiet.

Here's the conundrum: the open plan gives me the perfect excuse to work from home more. BUT, the more I work from home, the less I'm seen at work. This should be interesting. NOT looking forward to it. Move is Thursday.

Thought this piece from Wired was interesting on the evolution of office space. Wish it had answers on which space works best. Read it here.

What have I learned? Driving 101

2009-05-08T14:11:00.003-04:00

Since I know my son does not read my blog, I feel ok blogging about his recent car accident. It was a true example of boy not understanding the power of the machine and driving too fast.

I'm wondering if it is genetic. He get is from both sides.

He's lucky. And we're lucky. He rolled the car into a ditch, blew out the windows, smashed all sides of the car, smashed the hood and was able to walk away with a scratch on his side.

We all know that a new driver is going to have an accident the first year or two of driving. But as Eric said, he was thinking it would be a fender bender.

When I was working for Grey Advertising, they had the account for the Australian Driving safety organization. The ads depicted hard core car accidents and the aftermath of the accidents. Harrowing ads that I said at the time I'd like to make sure my child saw before getting behind the wheel.

Now I have to consider what he has learned. This is a tough lesson. It's about responsibility and being responsible for your actions. What happens as a result of things you do. And the shock of understanding what might have been...

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This Year's Vegetable Garden

2009-05-03T20:27:00.004-04:00

While I live in the country and have lots of room for a garden, my property is surrounded by a canopy of trees leaving me with unsuitable area for growing vegetables. It's taken me about 15-years to really figure it out. I've always had a vegetable garden. When I was a kid, my job was weeding. Still is.

But not this year. With failure comes wisdom. My garden this year will live on my deck -- the only spot where I get a good 6- hours of sun, a requirement for good plant growth. And with plants all in containers, the weeds will be non-existent (theoretically).

I've planted lettuce, peas, radish, cucumber, broccoli and herbs. Tomatoes to follow as it gets warmer, I've always grown tomatoes on the deck, but this year I'm trying out this new planter that lets them grow upside down.

So far, I'm optimistic. While something seems to be nibbling on the cucumber, they still look robust. The lettuce is filling out. And for the past two days I've been visited by an indigo bunting - a vibrantly blue bird that is of the finch species. And not for nothing, but birds are nesting in my old bird feeder... I feel like this could be a good growing season.

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My lesson from Peter Kaplan

2009-04-23T22:32:00.005-04:00

Here's the gist - where there's smoke there's fire. Or, if a reporter is asking about something -- and it's not good news -- there's usually some truth in it.

Yesterday, Read it here,Peter Kaplan, the editor of the New York Observer for the past 15 years announced he was leaving the weekly newspaper about New York and its personalities. Clearly he had problems with the new owners. This photo tells it all (he's the one looking down).

But, he was a visionary editor. In fact, he was a reporter's editor. Because he really was a reporter at heart.

I met Peter Kaplan about 20 years ago when he was an editor at Manhattan, Inc. magazine - once a powerful business magazine that chronicled the inner workings of business in NY. I was working on the Manhattan, Inc. account while at Howard Rubenstein, trying to get PR for the magazine. Mostly I was fighting rumors about layoffs, troubles at the publication and with its owner.

As I read the story in today's NYT about Peter assembling his staff to let them know he was leaving, I was transported back in time to 20-some years ago when I witnessed another meeting that Peter was on the outside of. I was called to a meeting with the editor of Manhattan Inc. at the time, the very great Clay Felker and his staff. As we entered the offices, a staff meeting was underway. There in the middle of the entryway, the publisher of Manhattan, Inc. was announcing to his staff that he was shutting down the magazine. It was a stunning moment. We were there to talk about promoting the next issue -- but there was not to be a next issue.

Clay and Peter were shell shocked. They had no idea this was coming. And as for PR - we were sent into crisis mode.

Prior to that moment, our PR efforts had been about denying the rumors of problems at the magazine. Apparently the media covering the industry knew more about what was going on on the inside than those inside knew. Lesson learned? After many years, I've come to expect that there is always truth in those rumors. It might not be right on, but there's always a little something. If you hear it from the press, be prepared for it to happen. At least that way you can be prepared when you walk into a meeting in progress and bad news is on the agenda.

Am I A Twit?

2009-04-22T18:05:00.004-04:00

Ok - don't answer that. The truth is that I do tweet as part of my day job. Twitter has become one of the most important tools in the PR tool kit because it lets you be part of the conversation about your brand, your company or even yourself.

As it becomes part of mainstream media there is apt to be backlash. It seems to me that the media -- those are the most fervent twitters -- need to be more careful with what they tweet about as it becomes more about them as personalities and less about the publications they represent.

Same for companies. If a company is tweeting, it needs to have the voice of the company, not someone talking about what they had for lunch (unless it is the CEO giving us a taste of his or her personality).

I know I'm not the first to make this prediction, but I wonder what impact twittering will have on blogging? If we get used to posting our thoughts and opinions in 140 characters - who will want to read or write something more in-depth. In our attention deficit world, perhaps we are all twits at heart.

I know my mother will have no idea what I'm talking about when I say "twitter" even if my twitter feed is on the right column. So please take a moment and read today's op ed by Marueen Dowd. I thought she lost it, but she is in rare form today. Read it here.

Mine - Needs some Work

2009-04-19T11:30:00.002-04:00

I got my first issue of "Mine" magazine this week. I tore right into it, interested to see how a magazine with content that I asked for would read.

I quickly realized that the very nice editors at Mine didn't get "my" order. In place of "Money" I got "Golf Illustrated." While the rest of my family might find that an interesting read, it puts me to sleep. I was hoping for a "here's how to pay for college" story and instead got a photo by photo breakdown of Tiger Wood's swing.

The first story from Real Simple was about juice drinks. Not top of mind for me but an interesting fact: grapefruit juice can extend the duration of prescription drugs. Probably not a good think for those on Cialis.

Second up from Food & Wine - travelling to South Africa. Again, not in my interest area - if they talked about fishing, perhaps.

My favorite story was from InStyle, a magazine I just can't ever find the time or inclination to read. It was about the writer's experience buying custom sized/designed jeans online. If I ever had the courage to take my own measurements I'd definitely try out indidenim.com or makeyourownjeans.com.

Mine is an interesting experiment. I was apparently not the only one to get the wrong issue. Time admitted to a few mess-ups. Hey, this is new, I understand. There's still time to try it out they have room for more subscribers

Here.

YouTube Everything

2009-04-15T18:55:00.003-04:00

I recently put out a press release for a client that I built in a lot of social networking tools to better enrich the news that was being announced and to actually have control over some of the messages. As part of the announcement we filmed a video with the new individual joining the company talking about how changes in the industry were accelerating and his point of view on technology, etc.

Ideally I wanted it to be 3 or 4 videos that we'd post on YouTube of 2-3 minutes each. But due to time it became 1 video, 7-minutes long. Still, after the first day that the news broke, the YouTube Video scored over 1,000 views. All the major news outlets included links to the video and some even referenced the conversation.

Now comes a story in the New York Times Magazine here that talks about how Obama used YouTube as part of his communications strategy.

Every communications vehicle today HAS to be part of a communications plan. And YouTube is the second most used search engine next to parent company Google.

As a PR professional I think that what the new social media tools do is give us a greater ability to not only tell our story across multiple channels, but in someways have greater control and visibility over what gets read. All this is due to the magic powers of "search" and what happens when the consumer, reporter, analyst, whomever, goes to search for a corporate name, a product, a whatever and they find a plethora of mentions that rise to the top that have all been provided and created by the company in question. The key is to do it from a journalistic point of view - not a spin doctor. But the tools are changing the game and for me, making my job different every day.

The BEST Cooking Guide

2009-03-29T22:04:00.002-04:00

I recently discovered "The Best of America's Test Kitchen." It is an annual magazine that brings together the "year's best from Cook's Illustrated and the America's Test Kitchen TV Show.

While I never heard of the show, I've long enjoyed Cook's Illustrated. I've subscribed to a lot of cooking magazines over the past 20 or so years. I was a long time fan of Gourmet and really like Ruth Reichel, but found I never had enough time to get through the magazine. I read Cooking Light for years and even Food & Wine.

What Cook's Illustrated and its sister publication do so well is speak to actual cooking techniques. They test and test and test recipes and distill their learning so that when you make it at home, it comes out flawless. And they give you great hints for bringing out the best in the recipe. Most of the recipes have "Notes from the Test Kitchen" where they provide simple black and white illustrated tips. A recipe for Restaurant Style Hummas has a note on the "Best Canned Chickpeas" -- again tested, and tested and tested again.

Tonight I made their General Tso's Chicken. I have to say it was even better than in a restaurant with no funky MSG aftertaste.

Anyone who knows me would see that the reason I bought the magazine because of the Tiramisu on the cover. While the recipe inside sounds great. I was disappointed. It calls for using store bought lady fingers. While that's a traditional approach, I have made Tiramisu from scratch. It's so much more rewarding when you do it all. Still, it's worth buying - the tips alone are great.

You can see it here.

I LOVE Candy

2009-03-24T14:24:00.004-04:00

I have been spanked, punished and made fat by my love of sweets. Now it turns out that bad times are good times for sellers of candy.

As an emotional eater, even I could have told you that. But here is the front page of the New York Times extolling the virtues of tootsie rolls (yum) and other sweet treats. No wonder I can't stop buying those Nestle Butterfinger Easter Eggs.

Read about what the NYTimes found here

Reading Vs. Listening - My Affair with Audio Books

2009-03-22T17:41:00.005-04:00

I started to listen to books on tape several years ago when I began driving to work. I felt that it gave me an opportunity to "read" books that I wouldn't ordinarily sit down to read but knew I'd get something out of.

I've wondered quite a bit during the years that I've been "listening" if I am actually "reading" the book as its read to me, or just hearing the book. As a lifelong reader and also a writer by profession, it is a question that I wonder about a lot. Sometimes, if I'm listening to a book that really grabs me through the language or story, I will buy the book and sometimes read along, or go back to sections that made me think about something important. I did that with Beloved by Toni Morrisson., among others. I'm not sure I would have bought "Beloved" if I hadn't listened to it. And I got so much out of hearing Toni Morrisson herself, read the story that when I sat down to reread sections, I could hear her voice in my head.

I'm now listening to Mark Helprin's "Winter's Tale." I read the book maybe 20-years ago when it first came out and thought it was one of the best books I ever read. I was transfixed by some of the imagery and the tale of New York City in Winter that is filtered throughout. But now that I"m listening to it, I realize that I don't remember much of the story. There are bits and pieces I recall, but LISTENING to it somehow makes the imagery come to life. I find myself thinking about the parallels the anaologies, the craft of the word. When I read, I'm not sure I reflect as much on the actual story inside the story and what the writer is actually saying.

I think I actually retain more of the story and allusions, illusions, language and nuance better when I hear it than when I read it. But I'm sure it is different for everyone.

What I do know is that I can recall details of some of my favorite books as I drive past different roads and remember driving the route while listening to one book or another.

I tried to find studies online about the difference between reading and listening and what one retains/learns, but apparently there's not much research out there. We begin our love of stories and books when our mother or parent or teacher reads stories to us. I know my son still has memories of some of the great books we shared together.

Here's what Steven King said about listening vs. reading on one blog I did manage to find. I agree with him:

"I've argued all my life that the story means more than the delivery systems involved (and that includes the writer). I have never been able to understand the prejudice some people seem to feel about recorded books, for instance. Not only are good stories better when they are told out loud; bad stories declare themselves almost at once, because the spoken word is merciless."

Steven King

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Mine

2009-03-22T10:35:00.005-04:00

Magazines, newspapers and television media have been double hit by both the recession and changing media habits.

This week Time Magazine (in partnership with American Express Publishing) announced a new magazine built by technology. Mine.

Building off the RSS Feeds concept that allows users to customize content delivered to their email based on interest, Time is letting consumers "customize" their own magazines. And they have the option to have it delivered by email or as a printed magazine. Interestingly, it looks like it's free. (But I'd pay just to support the concept).

I signed up as soon as I read about, selecting content from 5 Magazines that Time Editors will assemble. I selected Money, Food & Wine, Real Simple, InStyle and Sports Illustrated. Magazines I like, don't subscribe to and never seem to have the chance to read. I'll get 5 issues delivered (I still prefer to read a magazine the old fashioned way).

This is an interesting experiment by Time. Not only will they attract potential new readers, but they will have a growing list of emails that they can market products to - individuals who are looking for the next best thing.

To get your own copy of Mine, sign up here

Lessons on the Job

2009-03-18T09:22:00.002-04:00

When I started this blog, the idea was to chronicle the little things I learn everyday.

Some "little" things that are actually big from the CEO at a Town Hall Meeting:

"Be Positive" - meaning even though the economy sucks, you're scared shitless about your job and our industry is at an unknown crossroads, if you have a positive attitude and approach everyday with a positive point of view, you will be happier and more successful. Agree.

On Leadership -- "You don't learn leadership from reading a book" - brilliant, but obvious observation.

Last - "there are no good Chinese restaurants in NY" -- well coming from someone who has lived in Asia for 15-years, that might be true. But I think if you head to Chinatown, you can't go wrong.

John Stewart - My Hero

2009-03-13T10:16:00.002-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Best line of last night's John Stewart/Jim Cramer interview: "I understand that you want to make finance entertaining, but it's not a... game," said Stewart.

Best opening - Cramer going on Martha Stewart that same morning and beating a piece of dough as Martha tells him to think of it as John Stewart.

A chastised Jim Cramer, apologetic, contrite, even a little fearful was a sight to see. You gotta give him credit for facing his toughest critic, going on the show and acknowledging he was wrong.

The real heart of the interview however, was John Stewart's relentless focus on the everyday investor. The millions of individuals who thought that saving their money in a 401K, putting it in mutual funds and maybe a couple of stocks, would serve them well for the future. (I'm raising my hand here).

We got screwed (Mom - would have used another word here, but I know you're reading).

Who is CNBC's audience he asked? Is it the Wall Street "insider" or is it the average American looking for sound advice. Stewart wanted to know why CNBC and all the other major financial news organizations did not see the problems in the market coming and warn the public. Cramer's answer: we were all seeing growth over a long period of time and thought it would continue.

When the company I work for moves to new office space, we'll be 4-blocks from where John Stewart tapes. I'm getting tickets.

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Suicidal Bambi

2009-03-10T08:42:00.003-04:00

I've lived in a wooded area of Connecticut long enough to keep a vigilant eye out for deer and other animals on the road. But this morning as I followed a line of traffic, a deer ran out in front of my car in what can only be described as a suiciadal panic. Of course, I hit it.

It landed off to the side of the road in one of those piles you pass all to frequently on side streets. Only this was not a side street. Perhaps the time change confused it and me. And while saying it was on a suicide mission may in some way make me feel less responsible, I just didn't see it coming. According to one statistic there are over 1.5 million crashes involving deer every year. That according to a website -- car-accidents.com -- soley created to cater to those involved in car crashes with deer. (They even ask for your pictures!).

A CT site advises drivers to "move to Hawaii" to avoid hitting deer.

My husband and son both asked "Is the deer dead?" before asking if I was ok.

Our state has come to regard deer as rats with long legs. We now hunt them to cull the herd.

Regardless, I still cried this morning as I drove away. Not the way I wanted to start my day.

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Used Cars

2009-03-06T08:31:00.003-05:00

Sitting in a used car dealership can be quite an education. That's what I did the other day while my husband and son took a used 2001 Volkswagen Jetta for a test drive. My son found the car online. He's been looking for months. He and my husband have checked out a number of cars, but the one at the right price with the right stuff had yet to surface.

That is until Saturday. We got to Auto Trader in Stamford just in time. As soon as Eric and Michael left for a drive, another father and son arrived wanting to see the same car. After 20-minutes they left. I was still there. And I did learn a lot.

Despite conventional wisdom that consumers are downsizing, they are not getting rid of their cars. So that means there is a lack of inventory for used cars. The haggling that you'd expect to reduce the asking price to something a little more realistic does not happen with used cars today. They give very little. I watched it in action.

And no wonder. People are not buying new cars. And the supply and demand for used cars has shifted. If no one is trading in old cars (and some 15 million are taken out of supply every year due to accidents, etc), there are not enough used cars to meet demand.

What also struck me as I sat in the "office," was that this little used car shop was selling only foreign made cars. They told me they could not keep Toyota Land Cruisers for more than a day - they sold as soon as they came in. They had 3 or 4 Mercedes, BMW's, Volvo, Saab's, etc.

One guy was looking at a Volvo for his wife. He went over the car carefully. He reported that it was missing a lug nut. The tires were bald. The guys said, "yeah, the tires are low, but they are legal." Meaning, we're not giving an inch - maybe a lug nut - but no big deals. They guy wanted to trade his Ford Focus. They gave him $2,000. It's now on their site for $6,488.

Where one business suffers, there's always an opportunity.

Here's a hot tip - perhaps now's the time to buy Hummer NPR Reports here that GM will put this brand up for sale. Apparently in war torn countries, nothing beats a hummer.

PS - we bought the car.

Good Karma = Good Coffee

2009-03-03T14:15:00.002-05:00

My sister has this karma thing - everyday she tries to do one simple act of kindness. For her, most often that means letting some crazy Boston driver cut in front of her in traffice.

But in Illionis, paying it forward took on a different meaning on Sunday when one customer at a Starbuck's drive through paid for the drink for the car behind him. This set off a chain reaction. Apparently it kept going until 160 customers paid for the drinks for the person behind them. Bet that 161'st customer who broke the chain has a lousy day.

Snow Day

2009-03-02T12:39:00.007-05:00

A post my friend Michelle will love - nothing but pictures of the glorious snow outside. Thanks to Michael for the artistic stills - wish he caught the dog as she vacumed up the snow as part of her favorite snack...

Dogs Eat Dog Food

2009-02-28T21:55:00.004-05:00

Alpo just came out with a brilliant commercial with the smart tag line - "Get that dog some Alpo."

Confession: for years I have made my dogs their "food." Brown rice mixed with ground meat. My oldest dog had some health issue and for some reason I thought home cooked was better than can. But you know what? I'm an idiot. My dogs actually seem to like canned food better than home cooked. I even tried to make them home cooked biscuits because they are so picky about their treats. Well, no more doggie yoga or gourmet for Roxy and Kayleigh. I may not get them Alpo, but I think Newman's Own makes a great can of chow.

My "Star" Trainer

2009-02-28T21:19:00.003-05:00

In an effort to add more cardio to my fitness routine (hence, lose some weight), I started going to an advanced step class at my gym. I used to do step a lot and thought I was ok. But once I tried the advanced class I realized I was entering a new zone. The instructor had a cult-following. The girls would get there 15-minutes before class. Stake out their "positions" and guard them furiously.

Amy - the instructor - had her favorites. Some had nick names, others were just loyal followers. As I got into the swing of the classes I started to finally "get" her routines, her style and the fandom that followed. Then this week I went online and bought an advanced step video for the days I couldn't get to class. I found a video that looked good - Amy Bento Advanced Step 3 and it came yesterday. When I opened the package I was surprised. The Amy Bento in the video is the same "Amy" who teaches my Saturday morning class.

And those rabid followers in the class? A bunch of them are on her video! I actually find it really inspiring. Amy is in amazing shape and the women in the class are all athletic and toned. So maybe if I stick with it, so will I....

Amy's web site is here

Boston Bests

2009-02-23T21:12:00.004-05:00

I've been to Boston a lot. My sister has lived there since she went to college and never came back. We've done lots of fun things and visited lots of fun places. And we've eaten at amazing restaurants.

We had dinner with Julia Child at L'Espalier. And we ate $300 worth of Sushi at O Ya.

My new favorite (and hers) is Drink. A lovely little bar around the corner from her apartment that would turn me into a daily/nightly imbiber in no time. They don't have a menu or specialty drink. Instead, they ask you what you like to drink and using home made bitters, herbs and even carefully crafted ice cubes designed for specific glasses and drinks, they create drinks just for you.

My sister's current favorite is a green blazer. Chartreuse set on fire, poured between two hot mugs until some of the alchol burns off and then poured into a charming little glass warm but not hot. And when you sip it, it warms you inside out. Just one and I was giggling on the floor.

A must visit.
Drink Here

Stump "Best in Show"

2009-02-11T11:51:00.009-05:00

I am a dog freak. I greet every dog I see when I walk down the street. And almost always I know what breed it is. Last night at the Westminster Dog Show, a 10-year-old Sussex Spaniel was the winner. Never knew this breed. It was clearly the crowd favorite. It had a great story. And it's tail never stopped wagging.

I went to Westminster about 12-years ago when I was working for Grey. They had the pedigree account and I got tickets to stand at the individual breed contests and after the best of breed was selected, I interviewed the winners to find out what they feed their dogs. It was fascinating. Back stage was like a side-show. Dogs in curlers, dogs upside down. And the people were even more bizarre than some of the dogs. It was quite an event.

The year I went a Clumber Spaniel won. Its trick: it could hold three tennis balls in its mouth. I'd never seen or heard of the dog in my life, but just the next month we went to LA to visit my in-laws and stopped by a friend's house who had --- you guessed it, a clumber spaniel.

What amazed me most about Stump, last night's winner, was that he is 10-years old. That's how old my dogs are now. I doubt they'd get best in anything unless it was snoring or sleeping. Still, according to this article TEXT, Stump does a lot of sleeping as well.

This was one of the first years I actually "picked" the winner.

Poor Michael Phelps

2009-02-07T16:03:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's taken 3-days to get this post up. But as a result of the delay, I have more to say.

While I don't really feel sorry for Michael Phelps, I do think the media attention on the poor kid doing a bong hit is way over done. But I also think that's partly his fault. He sold out.

After winning big - and I watched every single one of his wins - the guy snatched up EVERY endorsement deal offered. Kellogg's made sense. Some of the others, not so much. So who drops him immediately? Kellogg's. His image is no longer right for cereal boxes. But Subway stays with him.

Who wins in this pr war? The kid is clearly contrite. He knows he messed up (Mom, I was gonna use another word there, but I thought about my promised - see previous post). His apology was sincere. And if there's one thing I've learned over the past 6-months, is that you have to respond immediately to media questions, no ducking allowed.

My sister had the best response, he should do anti-drug PSA's. But I wonder, will it really ring true? What did he lose? He lost money. Is that the message we want to send today?

ps - full disclosure, I was known to take a bong hit or 2 back in the day...it is NOT going to help his lung capacity.

Lesson from my Mother

2009-01-28T20:40:00.003-05:00

There are many things in life that my mother has taught me. Some of them I apply on a daily basis. Some of them I have just forgotten, only to remember them suddenly in the midst of something else.

But she is a loyal reader of this blog so I feel I must do right by her complaint. She said that she loves me and my blog. But she takes offense at the "F" word in my blog post last night on mascara -- of all subjects. She thinks that words like that do not have a place in blogs.

Well, I guess I've just been reading too many f-ing blogs! Because the ones I read have the F-word and worse all the way through them. One of the blogs that I follow for work uses the word "Douchenozzel" every other sentence.

But I think my mother has a point. I don't need to use those words to convey my sentiment. It's actually very lazy. So I apologize to you Mom, and to my readers. I'll only use it when I really need to. And usually that's just yelling at my husband or my son...

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My buy of the Week

2009-01-25T21:33:00.004-05:00

I'm not an overly girly girl. But I do require make up to look like a real person these days. It's an over 40 thing and probably an intense lack of sleep.

But like any woman, I am always looking for the best mascara. And by mistake this weekend, I found it. I'm serious. On a whim I bought this new Maybelline xxl "volumne + length" MICROFIBER mascara. It has two parts. You put part 1 on first and then part 2. It doesn't clump, but makes your lashers look long and full. (Sheesh, I sound like a fucking ad - that's what working for ad agencies will get you). Anyway. I had to share.

Taking the Train

2009-01-24T15:06:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo but this was something you had to see to believe. I've been taking the train into NY lately. Between my son wanting/needing the car and my car having troubles -- not to mention my environmental karma points -- the train has been an ok change in routine. (It used to be my daily commute for 15-years until I started working on the West Side).

I've been getting a ride with my neighbor Scott to the train so I have a commuting buddy. When we got off the train in grand central on Friday, I noticed this guy. It was hard to believe a businessman was wearing Rodney Dangerfield golf pants to work. He was in front of us as we walked through the underground tunnel and then went left when we went right. Scott took some shots, but it was dark.

We wondered, what could he do? Golf writer? Garmento? Who would go to work dressed like that? Then as we were parting to head to our respective offices, the guy walks past us on 6th Avenue. That's where Scott got this picture.

I still prefer to drive, but the sights and sounds of NY come into much sharper focus when you take the train.

History - Shared

2009-01-20T21:18:00.003-05:00

Today I watched the inauguration in a room full of agency employees packed in as tight as could be. Every race, color and background seemed to be represented. I watched as co-workers male and female sat with tears streaming down their faces. The room held its breath as the oath was taken - giggled as Judge Roberts rushed it, and the as it turns out, read the oath of office in the wrong order. Our gallent new president repeated the words - still in the wrong order - back, knowing the Judge made a mistake.

NPR today reported on a 105 year old woman who spent 5-hours in the cold, wrapped in a sleeping blanket to watch the event.

It was a wonderful moment that I will remember as one of the most significant events I witnessed.

The balls - a fashion frenzy:

see here

What I've Forgotten

2009-01-19T21:45:00.003-05:00

My son is going to a formal dance in two weeks. We had to go rent a tux. I wish it had been that easy for me to find a dress. Black tux - what could be more simple. Of course he had no idea what his date was going to wear so when he asked about a red vest, the very smart salesman said, "why don't you wait to see what your date is wearing. Black goes with everything. And you can match her with your boutonniere."

So all of sudden, thanks to him, I realize my son needs to get a corsage. Who remembers wearing a corsage? A wristlet?

Where did the word even come from? My son had no idea what a corsage was or a boutonniere. But he dutifully sent an instant message to the girl and promptly discovered she was wearing a navy dress. They decided on white roses for the corsage. Which means a white boutonniere for him.

To show him what these look like we went to google and sure enough, you can now get lovely corsages, boutonnieres and whatever online, overnight via 1800 flowers, ftd, you name it.

I somehow don't remember it that way. But still it is a nice old tradition that somehow seems to endure. I will be away visiting my mother when the Cadillac Escalade limo that a bunch of the girls have arranged for their transportation arrives to pick my son up. My husband will probably forget to take a picture. But if the magic moment arrives and the stars align, I'll post a photo. Don't hold your breath.

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Sugar Pie Express

2009-01-19T14:42:00.003-05:00

My friend Michelle started her blog - Sugar Pie Express - just before me. There's a link on the left under blogs I follow.

I love her blog. So this is a call out to my girl Michelle. Not a fan of her boot choice, but then I go for the high heals and she is all about walking tough.

One of the things she wrote about was "5 Things I Love Everyday." Top of her list was having coffee with her husband. Sweet. They are still newleyweds. I hope that continues til forever, but as for my husband of 23 years, morning is not good -- at least until the medicine kicks in.

But still I think 5 Things I love Everyday is a good exercise. Here's mine:

1 - The first cup of coffee
2 - Being greeted by my dogs when I walk in the door (unconditional love is the BEST)
3 - A kiss goodnight from my son (at almost 17, getting a kiss everynight is meaningful)
4 - Looking outside the window and looking into other windows - the view beyond my own four walls is always refreshing
5 - My family and friends

Layoff Mania

2009-01-09T18:52:00.002-05:00

I am still decompressing from a bad week. But at least I am employed. Some out of work "cranky editor" has actually created a website with a daily list of companies that have laid off workers
See link here

At least he offers info on companies that are hiring.

When Google fires 6,000 people it means that we are all in trouble. When the US was at the depth of its recession in the 1930's, unemployment was 25%. We are still in single digets but it feels like a bomb has gone off everywhere.

Combat Journalism

2009-01-08T22:08:00.002-05:00

It has been a long week. My oldest and largest client had the biggest layoffs its ever had.

Lesson 1 - as a PR person, push the point that in the age of transparency -- when we tell others that they need to be transparent -- WE also need to be open, honest and direct. If you know in advance that the shit is going to hit the fan, have a statement that puts in in perspective.

They refused to issue a statement and provide a figure of the employees cut. I didn't have the correct figures. In fact, they didn't even have the correct numbers until the CEO of the holding company created a shitstorm and insisted that the right numbers be provided because the blogs, online press and others overinflated the figures.

As a result, every article has the same erroneous figures as the first. Now I'm like a stupid dustbin trying to clean up their mess.

Lesson 2 - never underestimate the sleaziness of the press

As employees were leaving the building, the leading trade magazine sent a reporter over to the office to talk with employees on their way out. Now I understand when they did that at Lehman and others. But hundreds of companies have had lay offs. Why do that to innocent people on what is probably one of their worst days? Has our need for the ultimate human interest story taken us that low?

Now some think this was an obvious and smart way for this publication to show another side of the story. But I think it's tabloid journalism of the worst kind. In fact, it feels to me like combat journalism with no place to hide, no way to protect yourself and the shells and hits keep coming.

I need to stop taking work so seriously.

Life Goals

2009-01-04T08:08:00.005-05:00

My husband's friend Dan from grade school recently achieved one of his life goals - he bought and completely renovated a house 100 steps from the beach in Westport, Ct. Last night he had the "opening" night party at his renovated "cottage."

With an amazing eye for detail and desire to create a model true to the "Arts & Crafts" bungalow, the home embraces and calms as one discovers unusual touches -- hand-tooled hinges, a copper kitchen sink (bought on e-bay for $795), images of mermaids playfully hidden within tile, a coupula with beautful stained glass images and a weathervane that has followed Dan to each new house he renovates. The bookcase in his office is filled with books on Arts & Crafts archetechture and bungalows. He did his homework and with help from his girlfriend designer extraordinnaire, has created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. (I'll get a photo and post later).

I remember sitting down with Dan at one of the many gatherings of our crowd several years ago. He talked about how having a home on the water was one of his goals in life. Intrigued, I asked if he had a list of things he wanted to do. And he did. Travelling to great places and climbing mountains like Kilimanjaro is one - checked off and done. For his 50th, he's heading to Patagonia.

Last night he asked a bunch of us what we wanted to do with our lives. It's a hard question to answer. Getting through each day sometimes seems enough of a goal. But as I've spent time with Dan, I have started thinking about the things that I want to do. Travel is an obvious. There are places I've never been and want to see: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Australia, etc.

But when I think about my goals, I think more about what I personally want to make happen. I too want to live on the water - a home by the sea, a lake, a stream even -- is at the top of my list. I want to learn to make cheese. I want to learn to fly fish. I want to catch a permit (it is part of the 3 sport fishes that consititute a grand slam in the keys and I've already caught a tarpon and bonefish). I want to discover a new career path. And more.

I'm not sure having an actual list gets you there faster. It works for Dan. But I do think keeping track and thinking about what you want to achieve is what will make your life richer and more meaningful. I'm working on my list.

TEXT

A New Year

2009-01-03T10:29:00.002-05:00

We brought back an old tradition this year - the New Year's Day family and friends party. After the crazy celebrations of High School, New Year's Eve has been a somewhat quiet time for us. Dinner, watch the ball, go to bed. What's the big deal?

But New Year's Day always seemed a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and family in a low key moment. A "check in" and reminder of friendships.

We had a nice gathering that started at 1pm. Our last guests (who also were the first to arrive), left at 9pm. I've never had a party like that. And while there were just four couples who stayed to hang out well past "closing" time, it was so much fun and so more intimate. We had eaten everything and even had to order pizza!

We've been to parties at these friends homes and I think what made this a special time was that it was our home. We don't have a mega house. But it is very comfortable. We can get 7 or 8 comfortably on our sofa. Our living room is a "living room" with big screen tv and old album covers as art work. Our parties are a little more contained. Less spread out. I think that makes for a more engaged and connected party experience. Whatever the reason -- maybe it was just the good food, drink and friends -- it augers well for moving forward in a New Year.

Lessons from My Son

2008-12-26T21:09:00.004-05:00

My 16-year-old son wanted to be a chef. So I asked a friend who owns a restaurant if he could possibily work for him. My son was 15 at the time. He put him to work in the kitchen. He does prep, he works on the line, in almost two years now, he's picked up a lot of skills.

While he no longer wants to be a chef, realizing how hard the job is and how difficult it is to have a real life when you spend your nights in the kitchen, he does know what to do. Unfortunately he rarely cooks at home. I still do most of the cooking.

But for Christmas, he insisted on having his Uncle Giles' potatoes. These are scalloped potatoes baked in about 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream. The pan is buttered and rubbed with garlic then the potatoes are mixed with the cream and baked for about 2 hours. I insisted if he wanted this unbelieveably rich dish, he could make it. He used the Mandolin, sliced the potatoes and proceeded to put them in a big bowl he filled with water. Then he put the bowl in the sink and ran the water for about two minutes over the bowl until the water ran clear. He said this was how you get rid of the starch. In my zillions of years of baking, I'd never learned that trick.

The potatoes were undeniably, the best potatoes I have ever eaten. And they will only be made one time a year.

TEXT

The Flip Video

2008-12-26T10:02:00.005-05:00

So in the last 10 days a lot has happened. Sorry not to have posted sooner but I hardly had a moment to shop! We all know that's important.

This holiday season I kept to my spending diet. Important gifts only. Not a lot of the empty shop like crazy stuff. The best gift was the Flip Video, a barebones video recorder that I got at Staples for my son and husband to share.

I thought it would be a cool thing to have on fishing trips, for quick videos of the moment that my son wants to shoot. Who knows. It got rave reviews everywhere. See below.

Read here

Let's see if it passes the test of time...

Lesson on Openness

2008-12-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

It was obvious to me that the industry I work in -- advertising and marketing -- was tanking long before my newest client told me that her company was being folded into the parent company.

She's a smart, well-liked executive who came to the agency side from the client side with big ideas.

She hinted that the parent company might call me for some help. And they did. That presented me with a big of a dilemna. My loyalty of course, is to my former client. She was shown the door and is trying to put together a new venture. But the prospective client is a big organization. A foot in the door for something that could become something bigger.

After I got off the phone with big company guy, I called my former client. I told her I'd been asked to meet with the big guy. And she said, "if someone wants to pay you money in this economy, I understand." Not sure what kind of response I was looking for, but I knew I could not meet with the Big Guy, without letting her know. Maybe, 10-years ago, I would have done things differently. But I've learned that being upfront and honest is the best way to move forward in business.

Now if only those bastards on Wall Street were reading this blog!

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The Show Must Go On

2008-12-09T18:09:00.005-05:00

If you're wondering why so long between posts, it's because "A Christmas Story" has occupied all my free time.

I think my mother said "If you want something done, ask a busy person." I'm now just a plain exhausted person.

But you won't believe this. "A Christmas Story" opening on Friday. It was a really good performance. Saturday comes and as the crew is checking the 80 sound cues, the amp blows for perhaps the 10th time. Did I mention the show is being produced in the Wilton Playshop - a truly historic building with prehistoric wiring, insulation, heat, etc? After 1/2 hour I realize my husband isn't going to get the system to work so I race back home, lug his 50-plus pound amplifier into my car, race back to the theater and after delaying the start of the show 45-minutes, we go on. Thankfully every audience member stayed, cheered and enjoyed the show.

Come Sunday, still working on a rigged up sound system. We're 3/4 of the way through the show, readying for the very funny bunny scene when "pop" out go all the lights. The magic of cell phones informs us that it's not just the theatre, but half the town. A tree falls down, the powerline crumples and lights go out for hours.

We ask the audience what they want to do? Do they want to come back? Do they want their money back? Do they want to stay?

Amazingly, they want the show to go on. So we rig flashlights, open every window and door and perform the last 5 minutes in the semi-darkness.

Live theatre. You never know what's going to happen. But if you roll with it, you can be surprised, engaged and get a standing ovation.

Two more weeks... I understand the electic was fixed today and a serious grounding problem that could have burned down the entire building has been fixed. Perhaps this coming Friday night we will have an actual sound system.

For real fans of the show/movie. Check this out:

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Teddy Bears Make You Smile

2008-12-02T08:54:00.002-05:00

Many years ago, one of my clients challenged its resident branding genius Brian Collins, to come up with a christmas lobby display. It had to feel good and do good.

Brian envisioned a giant Christmas tree made of teddy bears. And right before Christmas, the tree would be disassembled and given to kids in city hospitals.

Today when I arrived at the office, the teddy bear tree was sparkling. The bears - all red. (The colors have changed from year to year, but red is my favorite).

It was a simple and elegant idea. And like all simple and elegant ideas, it has not gotten tired. In fact, it continues to bring a smile to my face, and everyone who enters the building no matter how many times it is seen. Once again, proving the adage that big ideas last. Thanks Brian - here's to you.

Learning to Build

2008-11-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

As usual, I have overextended myself. After finishing campaign mode, I've been in "play" mode. My inability to say "no" has landed me as Producer of the Wilton Playshop's holiday production of A Christmas Story. And as the playshop is overseen by the wife of the very nice man who has employed my son as a trainee chef in his restaurants for the past two years, I really couldn't say "no" when she asked me to produce.

For the past three weeks I have found myself engaged in volunteer wrangling, set building, set painting, organizing and begging.

Last night I reached a new level of building expertise. I actually built the railing for these stairs. I drilled the holes and bolted in the anchor boards -- using a ratchet wrench to tighten everything up. I measured, used a chop saw, and built the railings, screwing in a side rail and covered rail on top. Then I attached the rail to the wall, again, measuring and sawing to make it all just right.

For many, this is an easy thing. For me, not so much. But it is more fun than my day job (seriously). And while it doesn't result in an article that makes my client famous, it does result in a solid piece of foundation. I'm not ready to give up my career, but this is quite rewarding.

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Doing My Job

2008-11-26T08:54:00.004-05:00

Nothing still thrills me like seeing a story I helped create make it on the page. And when it's the Wall Street Journal, nothing could be sweeter.

We all need validation that we know what we're doing. That we know how to do our job well. So my validation pill is a story where my client looks good in the WSJ. If I could only take that pill everyday.... Check it out.

PR - An Ethical Dilemna

2008-11-24T09:07:00.005-05:00

In my networking attempts, I reached out to a friend asking if he knew of some financial advisors looking to start reaching out to clients and media. It seems to me that when things are in flux, confusing and somewhat dire, keeping your clients informed - even if it's just to let them know you have their back - is vital.

He told me to check out this new PR Firm and even suggested I "hook up" with them. The firm in question is quite interesting. It's being created by CNBC analyst Dan Abrams (pictured) who was passed over for a larger gig at the network. So he thought he'd start a PR Agency that would tap into the expertise of working journalists - and those journalists who due to the hard times we're in today, are no longer "working."

At first blush it seems an interesting proposition. PR is all about getting your message out with as much control as you can negotiate. But for a working journalist to get paid for giving PR advise, it does cross that ethical boundary. And given the transparent world we live in today, it invites even more questions about the sanctity and independence of the press.

We all know Fox News, WSJ and NY Post -- or any news outlet owned by Rupert Murdoch has bias. But knowing that bias is there, we can read between the lines.

When the insights and machinations that go on behind the scenes to negotiate a story are influenced by reporters, we don't know what lines to read between.

As a former reporter and longtime PR person I know that I frequently interview reporters about potential clients to get their view of the landscape. But these same reporters are not going to help me guide a story when I then come to them with a pitch. Or even when they come to me wanting to confirm some rumor.

The challenge today for businesses in every sphere is keeping up with the blogosphere and having influence on blogs. While like trade pubs of old they are derided inside companies as nothing more than gossip rags, we all know that where there is a little smoke, there's a little fire. We also need to realize you can't control everything. Far better to try to conduct your business in an open and honest way. Any reporter whose credibility is intact will never forgive the slightest misleading comments or influence. These are tough times. Facing it honestly is the way to go. Trying to influence it with spin control will make it worse.

Cleaning Up

2008-11-23T14:38:00.004-05:00

I knew I had another life lesson from my grade-school friend Barbara but couldn't remember what it was until the other day. (By the way - this is not my kitchen, but it could be...)

I was making my "famous" macaroni & cheese. Usually it starts at one end of my kitchen and goes to the other. That's because it requires a lot of pans for a simple dish. But as I was going from one prep to the next, there was a voice in my head that kept saying: "if you clean up as you go along, it will be easier." So I kept cleaning up and putting things away as I went along. By the time the dish was done, the kitchen was relatively clean. And the dish was delicious. Thanks Barbara - a lesson learned (though one I'm not sure I can always follow).

To give you an idea of how I make macaroni & cheese just know that it includes the use of 4 pans, three measuring cups, cutting board. And misc. cooking tools.

Here's what I do: boil water for pasta. Chop onion. Cook bacon to be mixed into dish. Shred cheese (I use Cheddar and pepper jack). Drain pasta and in the pasta pot melt butter. Cook onion in butter then add flour for roux. Add cumin and coriander, salt and pepper. Add milk in a stream and mix with whisk. Let mixture boil. Add cheese. Add pasta. Mix in bacon. Then, butter a large casserole pan, add pasta mixture to pan. Let set. Melt butter and add breadcrumbs - I like panko. Then top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake in oven 1/2 hour or until crispy on top.

Let me know if you want the recipe. But clean up as you go along.

Making Rain

2008-11-18T08:44:00.003-05:00

So the hunt is on. My destiny is in my hands and I'm going on the hunt for business. When I went out on my own, I did so with the deep sense that I never wanted to work at a company again and be subject to its internal politics. My fate would be in my hands.

So now I seem to be at a crossroads. Having worked with one of my clients for 10-years, I have broken my own rule about being part of an organization. The ability to function as a consultant and advisor -- whose advice is actually listened to -- has been lost with the ebb and flow of changing management. I believe my value is not recognized and I am now seen as part of the internal hive.

I need to reassert my independence. And I have many options. I'm actually excited.

I spoke to one of my oldest first time clients today and was reinspired. He helped me remember what I do best. And he also suggested a strategy for articulating my value to the current client in disarry by going directly to the new CEO and telling him my story.

At the same time, I'm going to go through all my contacts and start the process to see what else is out there. Stay posted. I hope to learn a lot.

Keep your Enemies Closer (or Rivals...)

2008-11-17T22:50:00.004-05:00

Brilliant move by Obama - Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State.

Not only is she a great choice and will make a terrific cabinet member, but the choise shows how serious a leader Obama will be for our country. While the pundits are saying that this move is one of the lessons that Obama learned from Lincoln about keeping your rivals close, I think it is more than that.

Obama is showing that he is a true unifier. Earlier today he met with McCain. Now comes word of Hillary's selection. I wouldn't be surprised to see a republican on his cabinet. This is going to be so much fun to watch. Let the change begin.

Blackberry Out

2008-11-17T15:30:00.004-05:00

Poor Barack. He is in the beginning stages of blackberry withdrawl. As POTUS, every single letter, text, etc is part of Public Information and as a result, the use of the blackberry device and even email is tightly controlled.

I'm guessing he can't even send a text to the girls asking WTF (which is what I text to my son all the time).

I went through a little blackberry withdrawl myself today. I forgot it at home. I found that I didn't miss it as much for the messages and constant mewing, more that I had my calandar and contacts.

Amazing the role that technology plays in our lives. My favorite vacation is the technology out vacation. We go to the middle of nowhere in Canada and fish. No phone, no internet, no TV. Totally out of it. And I look forward to it every year.

The Writing on the Wall

2008-11-15T18:35:00.003-05:00

When my husband was fired from a job many years ago, I suggested that it was actually a good thing. The job was making him miserable. He wouldn't have left on his own, and perhaps this was just what he needed to get excited about something new.

Let's just say all didn't go as planned and now some 20-years later, he's finally on the right track.

So now that I've gotten a strong hint that one of my clients is not totally in love with me - a client I've had for 10 years and provides 80% of my income - I too now have an opportunity to do something about it -- luckily before they do it to me.

I've complained about the constant change in management, the lack of clear direction and the issues with the current team in charge. Truth is, I've been unhappy. But because the money is good, the job a challenge and everyday offers up something new, I've stuck with it.

Now the hard truth is that I should really be looking hard at how I might fire them. I need to realize that I probably can't match the income. But I can find a better client. One who respects what I have to offer. I still get a charge everytime a story ends up with high visibility. I enjoy giving advice that I know makes a difference. Being able to zero in on a solution and know that its the right thing to do, makes my day.

So I love what I do. Now I need to find someone else to do it with. The search is on. Stay tuned.

Puppy Cam - watch Dogs Sleep

2008-11-15T16:47:00.008-05:00

My sister said I had to post this puppy cam. But as the embed code is broken, to see it you need to go to the link I've posted in the comments (I'm having some technical difficulties)

It is a live video cam of six Shiba Inu puppies who spend 90% of their time sleeping. At first I thought this was ridiculously silly. And I kind of dismissed it as evidence that people will watch just about anything. But as it's been playing in the background, I find myself going back again and again to see what the puppies are doing. And everytime there's a bark in the background, my dogs bark back.

Judging by all the internet chatter on this, it has gotten almost as much attention as Sarah Palin's shopping spree.

I do want to see what happens when they get bigger. It might get more interesting.

Shopping

2008-11-10T10:15:00.003-05:00

So after being urged to visit many different sites - smart bargins, nordstrom, zappos, etc., I finally just decided to find the right boots - then figure out where to get them.

Since my old dying pair are Donald Pliner, I searched for specifics - Donald Pliner Black Suede ankel boots. Shit - where would we all be without Google?

I found a pair very similar to the ones I own. A little added search found them for the lowest price on Piperlime - this is a relativiley new shoe shopping site brought to you by Gap. What it does is aggregate different brands and prices. I thought the interface was very friendly and they had what I wanted. So I took the plunge and bought them. What a relief. Free shipping too.

Spending Diet

2008-11-07T23:50:00.002-05:00

Since I came back from San Francisco in July, I've been on a spending diet. It's been going better than my "sea food" diet. The one in which I eat everything in sight.

But I've resisted buying. Or at least resisted the high calorie binges. I bought a new bag at TJ Maxx. I successfully shoped for new shoes in Laura's cast-offs (scored some great boots and sandles - it was like minus calories).

It seems that as my spending has shrunk, my waist line has expanded.

But now I'm in trouble. I actually really need a new pair of boots. And not just any boots. I need to replace the great black suede ankle Donald Pliner boots I got on sale 3-years ago for $99. The problem is that the boots I want are like $400. That's fucking crazy. Who spends $400 on boots?

My sister says to think about how many times I'd wear them in a year and then figure out a cost per wear basis to make it more palatable. (Sorry about the food puns - they work).

In an effort to curb my hunger for the $400 Cole Haan Fiona's, I've been on a shopping frenzy. Loehmans, TJ Maxx and every shoe web site known to man. Nothing has satisfied the craving.

Then tonight I decided to check out the boots again at Cole Haan. Guess what? They are actually no longer on their web site. Can it be possible in this market that they have sold out of these ridiculously expensive luxury boots?

If anyone sees anything close to this perfect pair, let me know. I like a slightly pointy toe, a slender but rugged heal and prefer black leather or black suede. The search is one.

Maybe if I lose 10 pounds I'll buy the damn things. Zappos has them....

The Canadians Prank Palin

2008-11-06T11:26:00.004-05:00

Just when you thought the fun with Sarah was over, check out this video. Palin got had by someone pretending to be French President Nicholas Sarkozy. How she didn't realize this was a fake call is proof of her total idiocy.

More to the point, how she would agree to a call with a sitting foreign President without getting the approval or even letting the McCain camp know about this proves how totally incompetent and clueless she is. Hopefully this will be the nail in the coffin of her political future. This is beyond belief! Oh! Canada!

Fried Squirrel

2008-11-05T17:47:00.004-05:00

This morning the lights went out. All I could do was wonder how I'd be able to catch up on the morning news reports about the elction returns. Thankfully we put in a generator so imporotant house functions will work - ie, refrigerator, toilet and internet.

Then I read this story online and found out why we lost electricity. You just can't make this stuff up: From the Danbury NewTimes:

Squirrels strike again!

Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/05/2008 01:47:53 PM EST

By Eugene Driscoll
DANBURY - A squirrel wandered into a CL&P substation on Triangle Street today, causing a 60-minute power failure that caused scores of traffic lights to go dark during the morning rush hour.
About 5,000 CL&P customers were without power.
It was the second time in six weeks a squirrel at the Triangle Street substation caused power to go out.
Are city squirrels suicidal?
No, said Mitch Grossman, spokesman for Connecticut Light & Power.
"It happens. It is part of maintaining the grid. These animals and birds sometimes step where they are not supposed to," Gross said.
How often does it happen?
In Georgia, squirrel-related power outages tripled between 2005 and 2006, according to an article in USA Today.
CL&P doesn't keep track of squirrel-related power problems, but Gross estimated animal-related outages - birds, squirrels, raccoons or other critters - have accounted for 17 percent of all power failures in Connecticut this year.
That is about 2,200 of about 13,000 power failures in the state.
Animal-related power failures are much more common than lightning strikes, which comprise only about 6 percent of all electrical problems.
Trees and their branches are still the power grid's nemesis, accounting for about 35 percent of all power failures this year (down from 50 percent last year, thanks to an aggressive CL&P tree-trimming operation, Gross said).
Squirrels do not get fried merely by touching an electrical line. The incidents happen when a squirrel touches the line and something nearby, such as the metal part of a transformer. Killer current then flows through its body.
At a substation, the equipment picks up on the disturbance and automatically shuts down. It takes about an hour for CL&P workers to inspect the area and turn the power on again, Gross said.
The utility company has equipment meant to ward off animals.
"In our substations we use squirrel guards. It is a device that covers certain equipment to hopefully keep them from going where they are not supposed to go," Gross said.
Squirrels are naturally curious animals. They could also be attracted to substations and utility pole transformers for warmth or shelter.
However, not everyone is worried about the fate of our furry friends.
"All Squirrels Must Die!" the Web site DeadSquirrel.com declares.
It features essays with titles such as "deadly encounters with squirrels," "stupid squirrel screwed up my new car," and "James Bond squirrel: This cunning squirrel faced a .22 assault head on while in a cage and escaped!"

History

2008-11-05T10:47:00.004-05:00

What an amazing moment in history. I have Obama Lawn Signs!!! Who wants one?

Halloween

2008-10-31T11:37:00.003-04:00

A big happy birthday and happy Halloween to my sister Laurie.

It has always been a big celebration in our family - probably because of Laurie's birthday and the combination of lots of candy.

I've been getting super into the pumpkin carving thing and last year we took it extreme. I found this site on the internet extremepumpkins.com with directions for a flaming pumpkin. The easy way to do this (and safe) is to soak a roll of toilet paper overnight in kerosene. Carve a big pumpkin with a large opening at the top (my son Eric did this one). Place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet and light her up. The results will amaze and impress.

Happy trick or treats!

Stay Inside the Shark Cage

2008-10-28T21:58:00.003-04:00

I have been in the PR profession for like 20-years. And I'm still learning something new - seems like every day. That's one of the reasons I started this blog.

But yesterday was a lesson I will never forget. We brought a media trainer in to help a client understand how to speak from a message box. Picture a box in the middle of a piece of paper that contains the central point of what ever story it is you want to tell. Than all around the box are themes that support your message.

We came up with an original idea at the center and terrific points to support our story. And as we started questioning our CEO - easy questions then hard -- a former big CEO who is on his board came into the room. He looked at our message box, listened to the client answer a couple of questions and then he said:

"You have just steped outside the shark cage with that answer. You're going to get your arm ripped off. If you keep stepping outside the box, you'll get ripped apart. Think of that message box as a shark cage. If you stay inside, you will be safe. If you go outside, the press will tear your head off."

Brilliant metaphor. Life lesson.

Undecided?

2008-10-26T20:07:00.002-04:00

My sister sent me this quote from Author David Sedaris on Undecided Voters. It says it better than I could ever say it:

“I look at these people and can't quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. "Can I interest you in the chicken?" she asks. "Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it? To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked."

- Author David Sedaris, on undecided voters

Terry Tate Tackles The Issue

2008-10-22T15:22:00.001-04:00

I just could not resist. Forgive me.

http://view.break.com/592038 - Watch more free videos

Reading the Script

2008-10-19T20:23:00.005-04:00

I attended two debates today and was shocked to see the two Republican incumbent candidates again and again read their responses to questions from prepared scripts. The first was John Hartwell and Toni Boucher for State Senate (he's "my" candidate). And the second, Jim Himes (pictured with his family) and Chris Shays for Congress.

As seasoned politicians my expectation was that Toni and Chris would be well versed in all the issues. I had thought that they were prepared. I had hoped that they knew the issues well enough - having been our representatives for many, many years, that they could speak from the heart.

On the other hand, their two challengers John and Jim - not politicians, but proven business executives -- both spoke directly at the audience. They may have had notes, but they did not read them as prepared scripts.

It was almost insulting to have to sit and listen to a canned response versus an open exchange of ideas as the Debate format offers. I clearly have a bias - but I honestly feel that the Democratic challengers outshone thier more seasoned counterparts by speaking simply and straight to the crowd.

Judgement

2008-10-19T20:11:00.003-04:00

Colin Powell today endorses Barak Obaman. At the core of his endorsement is the issue of "Judgement." Powell says that in watching Obama, he has displayed the judgement required to lead our country. That he is more inclusive, he crosses lines.

He said that Obama is a transformational candidate. He has both style and substance.

Powell said that he has to question McCain's judgement. His lack of judgement was evident in his selection of Palin. It continues with the way in which he has been running the race. The robo calls, the negativity and narrowness. The Republicans move far to the right is also an issue.

He questions how the Republican party at large has conducted itself.

From Meet the Press: "Powell also told NBC’s Tom Brokaw that he was “troubled” by Republicans’ personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and the recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, a co-founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.

Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”

It has already been called a "racial" move by some on the far right. For shame.

Old Lady Bloggers

2008-10-17T21:30:00.004-04:00

I love this! Two supposedly 82-year old women from Texas have a blog
http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/
And they are hysterical. In commenting on the last presidential debate they say:

"But who the hell is Joe the Plumber? Seriously. What the hell was that all about? Joe the Plumber? Joe Six Pack? The new McCain strategy seems to be banking on a lot of guys named Joe with a beer in one hand and a pipe wrench in the other. Is this a political campaign or a dating service for the Palin women?"

I wish they lived in Florida.

Nice Works

2008-10-16T11:51:00.003-04:00

The takeawawy from Debate watch 3 (and 2 and 1) - is that John McCain could have helped himself a whole lot more if he behaved like a decent human being. If he only had one ounce of sincerity in his voice, one honest look of respect for his challenger -- he could have made the American public actually hear what he said.

But he was petty. He was petulant. And it did not serve him well. Imagine him sitting across from a leader of another country and trying to hold back his small mindedness. If he could not rise to the ocassion and treat Obama and the American public with respect, how can he serve this country?

A debate is not just about works and counter punches. It is a visual contest as well. From the moment McCain gets on stage -- be it while meandering the floor as he did in Debate 2 or smugly smirking as he did last night, he looks profoundly unpresidential.

Obama on the otherhand, demonstrated the poise, calm and patience that one would expect in a leader.

And I love how NPR next day checked all the facts. See link here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/common/image_enlargement.php?imageResId=95768882

Old Dogs, New Tricks

2008-10-15T12:15:00.003-04:00

Funny story. My friend Barbara Hoffman was recounting a story from High School. She recalled coming by our friend Susan's house one evening only to find Susan's father Victor, in his underwear trying to chase down the dog Benjamin who had apparently taken off. Seeing Victor - a fairly high ranking executive at IBM - on the front lawn in his boxers was surely a funny sight.

But Barbara remembered this image. And when she felt intimidated in a job interview or conversation or altercation with anyone, she remembered Victor running around in his briefs.

I thought this was a smart way to stare down those who put you on the defensive. I actually recounted the story in a meeting yesterday with a client and reporter for the WSJ. It has legs (so to speak) and can be applied to many situations.

Next time I'm in that spot, I'll think of Victor. I think he'd like that.

Lessons from Friends of Long Standing

2008-10-13T10:15:00.004-04:00

High School Reunion - 30 Years!

So the full impact of seeing all those familiar faces and the emotional impact of long forgotten memories has not sunk in.

But the dinner the night before with frinds of longest standing -- Barbara Hoffman, Nancy Weiner and Susan Goldberg (maiden names of course), was the most perfect way to re-enter this transient zone of remember when.

I forgot how funny Nancy always was. And I forgot how wise Barbara always was. And I forgot how Susan was freinds with EVERYONE!

Lesson of Day One - we can always start again - no matter how young/old we are. And we can be successful in many things.

Picking up and leaving home at age 46, starting a new life far from what has been a normal day for a lifetime can bring new perspective and talents. Barbara goes from NY society life where she dressed and outfitted the ladies who lunch to a much simpler and happier life in Peach Tree Georgia where she grows tomatoes! Who knew?

And Nancy has a 5-year old when many of us are now looking at colleges. From teaching at a highly regarded private school, she's teaching on a farm. (And looking for a home for a few good goats).

Susan has stayed home (literally and figuratively). But the Scarsdale of past is a different place today and sometimes it seems learning to live with a familiar place with a different set of walls is almost more challenging.

So while you can go home to visit. You take what is best from wherever you've been and you bring it with you wherever you go.

I'd like to have a little more of Barbara, Nancy and Susan here in Wilton.

PR Lesson of the Day

2008-10-10T07:51:00.005-04:00

When they say "It's the Economy Stupid," what they are really saying is that this is the topic of the day and that's all anyone wants to hear about.

This is an imporant lesson. And once again proves something I learned from Howard Rubenstein - one of the smartest PR guys ever. If you can make your story tie into what is happening in the news, you will get interest and visibility. True then. True today.

What this means for the PR business today is that your story has to relate to the economy to get visibility. In fact a reporter at the WSJ told me that point blank yesterday that unless your story has some relation to the events in the financial markets, it's not a story for the next several weeks, possibily months.

This is an opportunity. If you can get clients and others to pay attention.

But it also works in this election cycle. My candidate has siezed on this issue as issue number one and formulated a distinctive strategy for dealing with a looming budget deficit. And I think he has the right idea.

The question I know need to answer is how to make my business survive at a time when I am seeing clients (and clients of my clients) cut spending way back. This will be a long, hard road.

How Low Can it Go

2008-10-09T19:51:00.008-04:00

The stock market is reeling. The S&P 500 stock index has fallen 42 percent over the last year. The NY Times says that its nearly as bad as one terrible 12-month period from late 1973 to 1974. "Other than that it's the worst decline since 1932." This photo was taken downtown today. Someone painted the bulls balls blue. I believe the paint has since been removed.

It's too late to pull out of the stock market. Yet investors are withdrawing money from mutual funds like crazy. That is enough to set off even more of a melt down.

I am not a financial expert. I still add on my fingers. But I think that until we elect a new president the market will continue to freefall.

A reporter at the WSJ told me that several months ago Rupert Murdoch said he put all his money in bonds - treasuries - and out of stock. Rupert Murdoch can sometimes be a smart man. If only he wasn't a republican....

Obama Mania

2008-10-08T09:12:00.003-04:00

Ok - I admit it. I saw this on my friend Michelle's blog (sugarpieexpress - it's listed on my blog list). I had to post it because I think that there really is an art form in campaign design/signs, logos, etc. Obama happens to have wonderful design on his side. It is interesting and is reflective. It makes you think. That is the essence of good communications -- engagement.

He's got it. McCain's is very traditional and predictable. That speaks to the very heart of the differences - that "change" thing.

One more thing. My husband sent me this video of O'bama the Irish. It's hysterical. Enjoy.

Red vs Blue

2008-10-06T09:38:00.004-04:00

This came courtesy of my good friends in Connecticut local political groups. We are small, and we are outnumbered. But we clearly are smarter. This is the first time a post comes 100% from outside. I think it poses an interesting challenge.

SECESSION

Dear Red States,

We're ticked off at the way you've treated California , and we've decided we're leaving.

We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us.

In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii , Oregon , Washington , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , Illinois and all of the Northeast.

We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly:

You get Texas , Oklahoma and all the slave states.

We get stem cell research and the best beaches.

We get Nancy Pelosi. You get Sarah Palin.

We get the Statue of Liberty. Y ou get WalMart.

We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.

We get 85 percent of America 's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama .

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue. You get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals.

They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.

We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90 percent of all cheese, 90percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite , thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red state s believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals than we lefties.

By the way, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico .

Sincerely,
Blue States

Debate Guide

2008-10-03T13:21:00.004-04:00

So while there was no hoped for car wreck, there also was not coherent answer to most of the questions. A friend sent this to me. I think it's great.

What did I learn? That we long to see people fall on their faces. We're a mean bunch.

Hypocrisy

2008-10-02T17:11:00.005-04:00

I saw this photo in the NYT and did a double take. Then my mouth fell open and I was speechless. Yes. I was speechless.

How is it possible that she could wear a polar bear pin? She said the Polar Bears don't need protecting and are not endangered. Now she's mounting them on her lapel. I'm at a loss....

She Doesn't Read!!!

2008-10-02T11:33:00.004-04:00

I can't help myself. In the interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin could not name a single magazine, newspaper or media outlet that she has recently read. What did she say? She said:

"I've read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media," Palin replied. Asked for examples, she said, "Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me all these years." -- Poor Rupert Murdoch!

Asked again for an example, Palin told Couric: "I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news, too. Alaska isn't a foreign country, where it's kind of suggested, 'Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington, D.C., may be thinking when you live up there in Alaska?' Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America."

In remarks aired Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show," Palin told Couric that she thinks media coverage of her has been guided not by sexism but by the fact that she isn't "part of the Washington herd."

Oops

2008-10-02T09:07:00.006-04:00

So the blogosphere thing can be tricky.

As I am finding with business, there is no longer anything that a company can call "internal." For once a memo goes out, once a new product is planned, once an idea is articulated, it somehow finds its way into the ether.

The notion of "where there's smoke" there's fire is true. If a reporter calls asking about a rumor, chances are there is some element of truth to it. So while I was getting calls about a magazine being sold or a CEO retiring, behind the scenes, these things were really happening. In front of the scenes, I had deniability because I HAD NO CLUE.

Today, however, there is a new transparency. Nothing happens behind the scenes anymore. With blogs, a newsmedia that runs news as it happens (and sometimes before it happens), we are all subject to exposure.

I got exposed yesterday. I monitor an industry blog and on occasion, I will comment on a post. I do this under a nom de guerre. But in yesterday's post - which was very innocuous and thankfully did not call out a client -- I signed the stupid post "Toni."

Not sure now what to do. There are a lot of Toni's out there, but if I'm monitoring those blogs, I know a lot of other people are as well. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me they saw my post.

The lesson? Just like there's no more transparency in business or life - there really is no anonymity. Sooner or later, you are exposed.

UPDATE: Nailed! Just got asked by a friend if I was "Toni" on the already mentioned Blog. Things move in superhigh speed online.

The Root of All Evil

2008-10-02T08:52:00.004-04:00

According to a new film out by Bill Maher 60% of the US Population actually believes the tales from the Bible. They believe in Noah and the Ark. They believe that snakes talk. In sum, they believe that things that can't be explained by science or fact, are true nonetheless. And they believe this because they were taught at a very early age about god and their religion.

I was taught as well. But I have to say, somewhere along the line I came to the realization that the only one who was going to help me in this world was me. I have a hard time believing in some all knowing great being.

Thankfully we have Bill Maher and his new film "Religulous" that is being called an "uproarious nonfiction film about the greatest fiction ever told."

Bill made a special appearance on Jon Stewart's show the other night and I was rivited. One of my friends said she was shocked that he was so far left and that she found herself agreeing with everything he said. Me too.

Fame

2008-09-29T11:31:00.004-04:00

My friend Mike has been playing with the Roxy Perry band now for about 3-years. They just came out with a new CD and we celebrated the release at the Georgetown Saloon on Friday night.

I thought they sounded awesome. My friend Mike is on keyboards. He told my husband they've played better. I missed his solo - which I heard was funny.

He teaches philosphy by day and plays keyboard by night. I know there is something profound to say about that, but I'm not in a very profound mood today. Short and sweet - if you have a passion for something, go for it. It would be a shame to say, should, woulda, coulda...

Save Levi

2008-09-26T17:54:00.003-04:00

I promised not to post about that silly woman now running as a VP candidate, but this piece from Bill Mahar is tooooooooooo funny. I love the fact that he calls poor Levi, father of Bristol Palin's incubus a "political prisoner."

I think we should all get Save Levi t-shirts.

Do Lawn Signs Work?

2008-09-26T15:22:00.008-04:00

As you know by know, I have a thing for illegially placed lawn signs.

But what has become more interesting in my little tiny town is that signs all over are disappearing. The idiotic head of the Republican Town Committee had a letter to the editor this week decrying the lack of "democracy" afforded to the GOP as scores of McCain/Palin signs have been taken down in town. (I swear it wasn't me - honest). I didn't do it this time.

The guy's letter is literally impossible to read. Everytime he writes something he makes the case for NOT being a republican. But what is interesting is that the Democrats have not really had signs up at all. We just got our signs for our party candidates and the Obama signs -- in limited quantities, just arrived. So what's the noise about?

According to this very interesting article from a political friend, Lawn Signs don't even work. They make people feel like they are part of a cause, but don't really influence voters.

I have another point of view. I think they add to the visibility of a candidate, especially on the local level. If all you see is one candidate's name out there all the time, you're liable to think they are hard working and well liked. So it seems to me to be important for the competitor to also have his or her name out there.

My new strategy is to put my candidates signs up right next to his competitor -- at least when the signs are on public roads....

Jews for Obama - A Sarah Silverman Film

2008-09-25T20:15:00.004-04:00

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Not much more I can add to than this. She was brilliant with her film, I'm fucking Ben Affleck. This is a close second. The point, that we need the generation of parents and grandparents to really think about what they are leaving behind for their children. Will it be hope as offered by Obama? Or war, distrust and religious fanaticism as offered by McCain.

The Cult of the Yogi

2008-09-24T22:36:00.007-04:00

I have missed Yoga. I realized that today when I finally got to a class. I've tried to stay away because my Yoga studio teaches a fairly aggressive form of Yoga that is hard on the wrists, elbows, joints in general. I thought this was supposed to be good for you!

The funny thing I've found is that a lot of people have Yoga injuries. Even those who practice more easy going forms of yoga.

So what's up with that?

Here's another interesting thing about Yoga. You get there. It's a de-stressing environment. Yet as soon as you leave the studio, the stress of just crossing the street erases the magic "om" feeling of zen you had for maybe 10-minutes.

Last note on this subject. My studio has a "celebrity" type co-owner. He came on board after hooking up with one of the owners and now is the hot teacher. He's so hot that he is now teaching one class that you need his "permission in advance" to take. That does not strike me as the way of the Yogi. It strikes me as the way of the egoist.

Did I mention that when I emailed him this summer asking for a little help with my injury he never got back to me?

Is it because I'm not a size 4 like everyone else? Do you have to be a "beautiful" person to succeed in Yoga?

A Truism

2008-09-23T17:09:00.002-04:00

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did." "But people will never forget how you made them feel".

This line was at the end of an email from my Mom. And it made me think of something that I've never forgotten.

Now, everytime I see Alex Witchel's name in the New York Times, I still remember. I like what she writes, but I can't forget that when I was around 12 or 13 on the Scarsdale Swim Team, Alex Witchel was my bully.

She and another girl - her name was Ellen - delighted in tormenting me. To this day, I don't remember what they did or what they said, I just remember hiding in the locker room every day after practice. I was kind of a tough kid myself. I was the oldest. I was bossy. I was used to getting my way.

But this quote reminded me that while I don't recall the specifics. They way I felt those days is still with me.

Lessons of Number 1

2008-09-21T20:56:00.002-04:00

Since I'm in "marketing" it would follow that I'd write about some marketing lessons.

Here's one major rule that the top marketers seem to keep forgetting - if you are number 1 in the marketplace, you should NEVER take on number 2. You should not even acknowledge they exist. It is ok for number 2 or number 3 to take on the leader - it gives them the challenger status and everyone loves the underdog. But for Number 1 to take on Number 2 is a mistake.

Why, because then Number 1 looks defensive. They look like they really care about Number 2 or 3.

When Budweiser (the leader) bowed to pressure from Miller (the challenger) after Miller mocked Bud in its ads, it made Bud look like a cry baby. And it drove sales of Miller to an all time high.

So what does this have to do with today's lesson?

Microsoft has come out with a new campaign on the heels of a badly received "teaser" effort featuring Seinfeld and Bill Gates. The new ads proclaim that I'm a PC is a good thing. It is directly taking the piss out of the Apple ads where the "PC" character is some poor shlubby nerd -- actor John Hodgeman -- to be specific. While "Mac" is super coolish Jason Long.

If you remember the rule, Number 1 (Microsoft) should not even acknowledge Number 2 (Apple). But here's where things are squirrelly. Microsoft doesn't really compete with Apple which is a hardware company. Microsoft is a Software company. While the operating system that powers Apple is different. Microsoft has such a huge command of the market, it is puzzling that they see Apple as a competitor.

The reason Apple is the competitor is because Apple took Microsoft (the PC) on in it's advertising.

I have to say however, that I think the new I'm A PC ads by Crispin Porter Bogusky are brilliant. And the reason is because they hijack the PC character. And they show that being a Nerd is ok.

This will be an interesting battle to watch. And maybe a new lesson to learn.

Hope

2008-09-16T16:40:00.002-04:00

At lunch today with my friend Michelle I expressed my pessimism about the future of our country. I have doubts about Obama's electability. But she came back at me with the goods - see below.

Guess we should never give up hope.

And here’s a solid analysis of state-to-state electoral votes . Obama’s got a slight lead, had a larger one in the summer, but it’s not all bad news. And my ex-Dean campaign friend feels more optimistic than most Dems these days, for the following reasons in particular:
It's not all doom and gloom for Obama. So far this month, he's seems to have solidified his narrow margin in Michigan and New Hampshire (states McCain is hoping to flip) while expanding his edges in the Bush states of Iowa and Colorado, where he now leads by 9.7 percent and 2.3 percent , respectively. If he wins these states in November--along with Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Mexico--he wins the White House. New Democratic registrations and Chicago's sophisticated field operation will surely help. But what the last week of polling has shown beyond any doubt is that McCain's successful convention and shocking choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate have shifted the map ever so slightly to the right, transforming a landscape that favored Obama into a landscape that favors, well, no one. For the next six weeks, then, expect Obama and Joe Biden to play defense (Pennsylvania, Michigan) as well as offense (Colorado, Virginia, Nevada) while focusing much of their attention on the king of all swing states: Ohio. But don't expect the final map to look all that different from 2004.

Please Buy a Book

2008-09-16T16:04:00.005-04:00

My first job out of school was working for Random House. I started in the marketing department of the educational division and then moved into the children's book division at Knopf. My job, as assistant to the Editor in Chief was to read the slush pile. Seriously boring. Try reading submissions from all over the country about speaking dogs, cats that sail and birds that teach the alphabet. When my boss was out, I took naps in her office.

BUT, I do love to read. And this week's NY Magazine article on the decline of the book business has me feeling sad. So I plan to go out and buy a book. And the book I'm going to buy is James Frey's Bright Shiny Morning. I'm going to buy it because I'm listening to it on CD as I drive into the city and I think it's great. And I'm going to buy it because I think he got a bum rap when he wrote his memoiors and was exposed as exaggerating elements of it (tell me who doesn't). And because Oprah Winfey made him apologize on her show. And last, because this story in New York Magazine says his book isn't selling well -- and I love it.

Lesson of the day - Don't believe everything you read. Take that anyway you want but I swear the part about the nap is true.

Tina Fey for President

2008-09-14T20:35:00.004-04:00

You have to love it when even the gossip magazines get into politics. I'm not sure when US Magazine became the conscience of the democratic party, but they followed up their critical cover story on Palin with a brilliant home page homage to Saturday Night Live's broadcast last night with the headline "Watch Tina Fey mock Sarah Palin."

Here's another funny thing about US. My sister works for a major retailer that sells US and other magazines at the check out line. They got calls about their Sarah Palin cover story from customers demanding it be removed or they would no longer be customers.

This story has a happy ending. The retailer refused to pull the magazines. But when will they do as so many advertisers have done before? Give in to the threats of the religious right who know how to mobilize hundreds of individuals to complain?

We live in a scary time in the United States. Thank goodness for US Magazine (honestly, I don't read it - if I have to get my gossip, I will read PEOPLE every now and then - this may change now).

May all the families in middle America read it. And GET IT.

A Lesson from Rove

2008-09-14T20:15:00.004-04:00

In today's NYTimes, Frank Rich notes: "Karl Rove for once gave the Democrats a real tip rather than a bum steer when he wrote last week that if Obama wants to win, “he needs to remember he’s running against John McCain for president,” not Palin for vice president."

I think I said that about a week ago. I can't believe the amazing talent that Obama has working on his behalf is only now getting it right.

Republican's play dirty. They do it on the local level with push polls and bullying tactics. And on the national level by lying.

Smart, intelligent people HAVE to take this on. I was at an event last week and someone said, we can be persuaders. People will listen to you - your friends, your family, anyone.

I may go canvassing in New Hampshire. Those "sure" things don't look so sure anymore.

A Bad Disney Movie

2008-09-10T18:32:00.009-04:00

Tonight on Entertainment Tonight or one of those silly programs, Matt Damon was interviewed at the Toronto Film Festival saying that Sarah Palin is a "terrifying possibility." He added that what the Republicans are doing with Sarah Palin is like a A Bad Disney Movie. My experience with Disney Movies is not happy and light. Usually there's no Mom - the kid's an orphan, there are lots of bad guys and happily ever after usually isn't. I don't know if that's what Matt was thinking. My impression was that he thinks -- and I agree -- that all this Sarah shit is out of hand.

In fact, I think it is really a "bait & switch" by the very clever Rovatics who brought us 8-years of Bush. Seriously, all we're talking about is this stupid woman. We should be talking about the stupid man -- McCain. He's the dumb ass running for President. He's the one whose judgment needs to be questioned. He's the one no head of State from any other country will speak with. He's the one who in a single decision, showed that any independent mindedness left in his head has evaporated into the Conservative ether.

But the "fairy tale" story is also something my favorite opinionator opined on today. Thanks to Mom for reminding me to read Maureen Dowd. One of my favorite lines: "Why put out a press release about her teenage daughter’s pregnancy and then spend the next few days attacking the press for covering that press release?"

I donated money to Obama yesterday. It is the only way I can stay sane.

Confession

2008-09-07T20:14:00.003-04:00

I didn't realize how local politics got under my skin until I saw a sign for a republican candidate who is challenging "my" candidate on the road that takes me home everyday. It's a small local road and I walk my dogs up and down it at least three times a week.

So when I saw her signs, I did what anyone who knows me would expect -- I took them down.

Feeling a little guilty, I asked around. Apparently the signs - which were not on private property, but strategically placed on curbs that don't front anyone's home -- are illegal. Signs can be placed on private property, but any signs on public land, can be removed. Technically it's probably the town's job to take them down, but as my town is ruled by a King who forbids the lesser staff in town hall to even talk with him, I doubt he'd enforce sign removal for someone in his own party.

I was in my rights to remove the signs. And I would do it again. Just like every spring I trim the lilac bushes growing in my neighborhood.

She Shoots Wolves and Bears

2008-09-05T13:56:00.002-04:00

I can't promise this will be my last post on Sarah "it's all the media's fault" Palin. But I've gotten so much good stuff from folks, I can't resist.

Let's start with John Stewart who pointed out that while she said "no thanks to that bridge to no where," she did in fact support it and took the money to build it.

I don't think anything more needs to be said about why this woman is not qualified to be one-step away from the presidency.

I just may stop now and focus on why McCain - who put me to sleep last night despite my son prodding me awake about 6-times - has shown how inept a leader he will be and why other world leaders refuse to speak with him.

"I'm Sorry" Works

2008-09-05T13:36:00.005-04:00

This is a lesson I've learned over and over and over again. Bad news happens. When it does, be honest and if need be, apologize.

This week an internal memo outlining talking points and details on a mass layoff at a media company was somehow "sent to all" in a company-wide email. Shit happens. In our digital age, it will continue to happen. And as bad news travels at lightening speed, no sooner had this email been sent company-wide than it appeared on an industry magazine's web site. Shit happens again.

Here's where there was a missed opportunity. The company never said "we are sorry this happened." They never apologized to their staff and they missed an opportunity to say they were sorry in the media. In fact, in a conversation with the reporter who wrote this story, he said to me that if only they acknowledged this mistake and said they were sorry, the story could have taken on a whole different tone.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. "I'm sorry" goes a really long way.

I Love Debbie Phelps

2008-09-03T11:06:00.002-04:00

When I first heard that Chico's was talking with Debbie Phelps, mother of swimming phenom Michael, I knew it was a brilliant marketing move.

Women constitute the largest viewing audience of the Olympics. I know I sat there riveted every time he swam. And the fact that NBC constantly showed Debbie Phelps and her daughters in the stand certainly made this a family story.

Chico's is in need of an image update - or at least a reason to reconnect with their core audience. They have lost me for sure. Partly because their styling has changed. I've got a couple of really great tops that I love, but every time I go in the store I think the clothes look old fashioned.

I'm obviously not their target. But I will go stop in next time I go by a store. Debbie is their customer. And there are a lot of Debbie's in this world. This is a huge step for women over 50 in the marketing arena. Dove was out there first and others have followed. Nice that Debbie won Gold as well...

The Juno Effect

2008-09-02T10:01:00.005-04:00

I know I take things way to seriously. And I should be thrilled with McCain's STUPID choice for VP. Afterall it can only benefit the democrats. But I think he has set women back beyond the stoneage.

Why is ok for a teenager to be pregnant? Why is ok to tell girls today that being a Mom is a great job? Why aren't we telling girls they too can pursue the American Drean?

By putting Sarah Palin on his ticket knowing (if he really did know), that her teenage daughter was 5-months pregnant, McCain is by turn saying teen pregnancy isn't a problem. It's a personal choice.

I'm sorry, but I don't think so. I think parents have to do their job. Enabling bad behavior is a choice. And those who enable it are not doing their job as parents. And if they can't do their job as parents, how can they be next in line to run this country?

Not for nothing, but teen age pregnancy is on the rise.

">http://www.webmd.com/news/20080711/teen-pregnancy-rates-edige-higher

And furthermore, good Old John even opposed funding to prevent teen pregnancy:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/mccain-fought-teen-pregna_n_123132.html

Ok, just one more thing. When I was in high school, if a girl got pregnant, she got an abortion. Today, it seems that is not an option. And soon it will be illegal -- I have no doubt. So even if you look at how it is treated in pop culture today - say as in Juno - the girl was at least smart enough and given the support to understand that she had a future and wasn't ready to be a mom. I don't want to make a judgement here on poor Bristol Palin, but her boyfriend's myspace/facebook page makes it clear he ain't ready to be a daddy.

What's Keeping Me Up At Night (1)

2008-09-01T14:00:00.004-04:00

SO, lately we've been hearing these loud screeches at night. I first heard it when I took the dogs for a walk. (I'm taking them, trying to make sure they know I'm the leader of the pack). It was a loud screech sound.


  ">http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php

Naturally, I thought it was a screech owl. My husband heard it. It kept my son up one night. And one night when I could not sleep I could hear it like it was right outside the window. So I investigated. Turns out, it's not a screech owl, but a barn owl. Right in our very own woods here in Wilton.

It eats mice and chipmunks. It will be getting fat this year. I hope.

A Piece of My Tart

2008-08-31T12:37:00.002-04:00

I bake a lot. You can tell.

New discovery - Barefoot Contessa cook book and a shortbread crust for fruit tarts. Perfect for summer with berries from the farmer's market. And easy.
3/4 Cup butter at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teas. vanilla
13/4 cup flour
pinch of salt

Combine butter and sugar in mixing bowl and using paddle, mix until just combined. Add vanilla. Sift flour and salt then add to sugar/butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a flour-dusted surface and shape into a flat disk. Press dough into a 10-inch round false-bottom tart pan. Chill until firm. Butter one side of a square of foil to fit inside tart and place it butter side down on the pastery. Fill with beans or rice and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans, prick tart all over with fork and bake again until browned, about 20 minutes.

Women in Politics

2008-08-31T09:52:00.003-04:00

I couldn't wait to see what Maureen Dowd had to say about McCain's choice for Vice President. I was hoping for a little more substantive remarks on Palin as a candidate and less about appearances. I guess that will come.


 ">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/opinion/31dowd.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

As to the choice, thinking outside the box is good, but the blatant play at women unhappy that Hilary didn't get the nod, an Alaskan who screems "OIL" and a conservative, is overtly offensive - at least to me. Out of hand, I have to dismiss anyone who doesn't believe in evolution.

Will the American people be smart enough to get it? I have my doubts.