Maybe I’m out of the loop, but throughout all of the news coverage regarding the security breach at the While House last week, the one thing I didn’t hear about was---how did the party crashers STORY get out?
Did THEY reveal it—or did someone else?
I know that the Salahi’s posted photos of themselves on Facebook with everyone from Vice President Biden to Katie Couric, but is that unusual? Who wouldn’t showcase their brush with celebrity? The question that now begs to be asked is this: how many times has this happened in the past WITHOUT media discovery?
Probably a lot.
Back in the old days, average Joe Citizen with a gripe or a request for Presidential intervention could just show up at the White House and wait for an audience with the Big Guy. Clearly, those days are over.
Given the dangers of exposing the President and other VIPs in the government to terrorist plots, the curtain of security has been drawn tighter, particularly after 9/11/01. So, exactly how COULD a couple with a craving for attention (and thankfully that’s all) get through what should be the most secure location in the world?
Success (however devious) leaves clues, and here are the ones we know about:
1) Dress impeccably.
2) Arrive as a couple-the fact that one of you is a striking blonde will not hurt either
3) Arrive in a limousine.
4) Smile and appear relaxed and bewildered when the guard says he doesn’t see your names on the guest list
5) Having a foreign name at a State Dinner where a Indian Prime Minister is the Guest of Honor may have been a plus too, as avoiding an unintentional slight or desire to avert an “international incident” may have played into the whole “let’s allow the NEXT guy in the security line to turn them away”.
Here’s the AP video report on the party crashers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g44_MTMH4oA
Since the discovery, it is a given that:
A) Someone (maybe several people) will lose their jobs. There will be a fall-guy--or guys, whether some of those people deserve it or not.
B) Life for everyone in the Secret Service has been and will continue to be HELL as Congress now has threatened an “investigation”
Imaginations have understandably gone WILD with what could have happened-while it’s unlikely that either of the party crashers could have smuggled a conventional weapon into the receiving line, everything from a broken glass to a pin-prick with a deadly virus are possibilities not to be dismissed.
All of this blame lands squarely on the Secret Service. Of course, there are many calling for prosecution of the uninvited guests themselves. I have mixed feelings on this. While doing so could provide a deterrent to future party-crashers—setting them up as an example, I have difficulty in articulating a charge that could lead to a conviction.
Would it be “deception by tuxedo/evening gown?” Trespassing? Making these two “martyrs” would likely elicit more attention-the very thing they desire.
Better to let this go the way of “Balloon Boy” and his family—namely, let it fade from the front page naturally and be grateful that this intrusion was non-threatening. Use it to shore up security and prevent future incidents that could be sinister in nature.
Someday, we could be thanking the Salahi’s for exposing a chink in the White House armor that could save us from a disaster.
If you’d like my weekday blog to “crash” into your in-box (not uninvited, of course) just drop me a line—and I will clear you through security myself: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Macy's Tradition Starts
I still can’t MOVE following Thanksgiving dinner yesterday!
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, beans, rolls, jello, pumpkin pie and strawberry rhubarb pie! All of this—in quantities too embarrassingly large to divulge. Yes, I have much to be thankful for—blessed am I in all things---but restraint, apparently.
The Moore tradition starts with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade---which actually began on this date in 1924. Ironically, it was Gimbel’s Department store in New York that hosted the first parade, but Macy’s was not to be denied. The parade in 1924 was designed to boost sales at the new store at Herald Square. With a quarter of a million people lining the streets to see mostly Macy’s employees marching and riding in floats, the parade was such a success, it was declared an annual event!
Few commercial enterprises have woven their name inextricably into an event that symbolizes the holiday as has Macy’s. As I marketer, I greatly respect Macy’s ability to wrest away the parade from their competitor and make it bigger and better! Gimbels eventually gave up, ceding the image of the parade forever to Macy’s.
So part of the American holiday landscape, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade cemented it’s place when it was immortalized in the movie, “Miracle on 34th Street”-here’s a clip of the trailer-with a glimpse of the parade included :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfSzW6K9ZbA
Of course, perhaps the most thrilling aspect of the parade are the HUGE balloons that float between the skyscrapers! The first one, Felix the Cat, made his debut in 1927 in the parade’s 4th year. Stories abound of struggles against the elements, particularly wind that have made many years a true adventure! The lore of the Macy’s balloon prompted Coca Cola to come up with this clever ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMf5cCDy1I
Since 1950, the Macy’s parade has been televised nationally to an audience of millions, most of them still in their pajamas!
Have a great holiday weekend! If you’d like my weekday blog in your inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, beans, rolls, jello, pumpkin pie and strawberry rhubarb pie! All of this—in quantities too embarrassingly large to divulge. Yes, I have much to be thankful for—blessed am I in all things---but restraint, apparently.
The Moore tradition starts with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade---which actually began on this date in 1924. Ironically, it was Gimbel’s Department store in New York that hosted the first parade, but Macy’s was not to be denied. The parade in 1924 was designed to boost sales at the new store at Herald Square. With a quarter of a million people lining the streets to see mostly Macy’s employees marching and riding in floats, the parade was such a success, it was declared an annual event!
Few commercial enterprises have woven their name inextricably into an event that symbolizes the holiday as has Macy’s. As I marketer, I greatly respect Macy’s ability to wrest away the parade from their competitor and make it bigger and better! Gimbels eventually gave up, ceding the image of the parade forever to Macy’s.
So part of the American holiday landscape, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade cemented it’s place when it was immortalized in the movie, “Miracle on 34th Street”-here’s a clip of the trailer-with a glimpse of the parade included :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfSzW6K9ZbA
Of course, perhaps the most thrilling aspect of the parade are the HUGE balloons that float between the skyscrapers! The first one, Felix the Cat, made his debut in 1927 in the parade’s 4th year. Stories abound of struggles against the elements, particularly wind that have made many years a true adventure! The lore of the Macy’s balloon prompted Coca Cola to come up with this clever ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMf5cCDy1I
Since 1950, the Macy’s parade has been televised nationally to an audience of millions, most of them still in their pajamas!
Have a great holiday weekend! If you’d like my weekday blog in your inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Holiday Traditions
The 2009 Holiday season officially begins tomorrow with Thanksgiving-a holiday that in itself seems all but forgotten in the blizzard that IS Christmas.
I guess we’re guilty of overlooking Thanksgiving too-as 94.9 WHOM will flip to all Christmas music on Turkey Day. We asked listeners about it—and they were fine with the idea overall—most wanted the station to flip on Thanksgiving Day. Their logic went something like this: if you are going to play your REGULAR format on Thanksgiving, we don’t see that as “honoring” the holiday (since there are maybe two songs I can think of about Thanksgiving-and one is by Adam Sandler) Might as well kick off the Christmas songs!
So, just as Santa will ride in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, 94.9 WHOM will start rolling the holiday tunes at midnight tonight!
As you hit the roads of Northern New England to visit family and friends, we’ll be jingling our bells, so to speak. It’s our holiday tradition now.
Of course, every family has their own traditions—those rituals that revolve around food and activities. Some of these have a known origin—and others have a murkier history.
A lot of the holiday traditions are shared by many—and cherished, despite the fact that some are quirky at best.
Time to bring in one of my favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan, who does a very funny routine on holiday traditions—enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJAxRVeKnTE
Overeating seems to be the order of the day on Thanksgiving. Combined with alcohol and sometimes family members who, as Jim says “annoy the hell out of us”-it can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. Let’s hope that DOESN’T happen at your gathering.
Despite the economy, the wars and terrorism, all the bad news we’re exposed to, most of us have a lot to be thankful for: health, family, friends, a roof over your head and food on the table.
Time magazine’s cover this week says “The Decade From Hell”. Not sure if I agree, but if you do, here’s to ushering in better times! I have zero to complain about—and I’ll be extra thankful this year for the blessings in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving!If you’d like my blog in your inbox weekdays (except holidays!) just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
I guess we’re guilty of overlooking Thanksgiving too-as 94.9 WHOM will flip to all Christmas music on Turkey Day. We asked listeners about it—and they were fine with the idea overall—most wanted the station to flip on Thanksgiving Day. Their logic went something like this: if you are going to play your REGULAR format on Thanksgiving, we don’t see that as “honoring” the holiday (since there are maybe two songs I can think of about Thanksgiving-and one is by Adam Sandler) Might as well kick off the Christmas songs!
So, just as Santa will ride in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, 94.9 WHOM will start rolling the holiday tunes at midnight tonight!
As you hit the roads of Northern New England to visit family and friends, we’ll be jingling our bells, so to speak. It’s our holiday tradition now.
Of course, every family has their own traditions—those rituals that revolve around food and activities. Some of these have a known origin—and others have a murkier history.
A lot of the holiday traditions are shared by many—and cherished, despite the fact that some are quirky at best.
Time to bring in one of my favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan, who does a very funny routine on holiday traditions—enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJAxRVeKnTE
Overeating seems to be the order of the day on Thanksgiving. Combined with alcohol and sometimes family members who, as Jim says “annoy the hell out of us”-it can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. Let’s hope that DOESN’T happen at your gathering.
Despite the economy, the wars and terrorism, all the bad news we’re exposed to, most of us have a lot to be thankful for: health, family, friends, a roof over your head and food on the table.
Time magazine’s cover this week says “The Decade From Hell”. Not sure if I agree, but if you do, here’s to ushering in better times! I have zero to complain about—and I’ll be extra thankful this year for the blessings in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving!If you’d like my blog in your inbox weekdays (except holidays!) just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Kennedy Assassination- A Different Perspective
I defer to Oprah Winfrey the power to recommend a book and have it LEAP to the top of the best seller list.
I’ll just recommend a book I found fascinating—and let you decide whether or not you’d like to read it.
It’s called “Brothers: The Hidden History Of The Kennedy Years” by David Talbot. It’s been out for a few years—and I picked it up in a bargain bin, but this former New York Times Bestseller is painstakingly researched—and reads much like a mystery thriller.
It was on this date in 1963 that JFK’s accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was himself gunned down by Jack Ruby in Dallas. This murder was shown on nationwide live TV-here is some rare footage from a perspective not often seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLF9_Hp-IyY
The murder of Oswald only confirmed what many believed at the time—and others have come to believe—namely, that President Kennedy’s assassination was a conspiracy. Jack Ruby’s role was to silence the killer of record, even though it appears he was not acting alone. An official report from The Warren Commission has done nothing to quiet the feeling among many that the “lone gunman” theory has not sufficiently been proven.
I won’t give away the conclusions of the book---and author Talbot does have some riveting evidence as to the likely individuals he believes were involved.
It is simply the PREMISE of the book that fueled my interest. Namely, since Robert F. Kennedy was the nation’s top law enforcement officer in his capacity as Attorney General, why didn’t HE lead an exhaustive investigation?
A valid question, no? After all, the President was his brother, his closest ally and his hero all rolled into one. Why didn’t RFK pursue the real story?
The reason is simple—and terrifying. RFK flew his investigation “under the radar” because he knew that officials in his slain brothers government were behind the murder. To overtly seek the truth would be futile—and fatal—as the younger Kennedy eventually found out. Kennedy and his closest aides have left a long trail of evidence gathered without arousing the suspicion of those within the U.S. Government, particularly the CIA who had their hands dirty in the scheme.
“Brothers” is the story of the relationship between JFK and RFK—and the SECRET investigation orchestrated by Robert in the years following that fateful day in Dallas. If you are a history buff, you will love it. If you are a Kennedy conspiracy believer, you will also be enthralled, although there is little discussion of the “grassy knoll”, multiple shooters and such.
Motive from the highest echelons of government and the means to carry out covert operations drive this true-life tale of treachery against our own President. The fact that more has not been leaked since that November day 46 years ago is testament to the code of silence employed by the two groups most likely to have joined forces-the mob and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Kennedy’s (and virtually any President’s) inability to control forces within their own government is a threat to our democracy. In retrospect, we can look at the Cuban situation through the lens of history—and relative harmlessness. In the early 60’s however, President Kennedy’s unwillingness to send in U.S. forces to support the Bay of Pigs invasion—set the course for events that would eventually turn many in his own administration against him—and in a deadly way.
Some will argue that the nation needed the band-aid of a closed case-and a single shooter, the conclusion of the Warren Commission—in order to move on. Unfortunately, this cover-up only emboldened those who disagreed with the democratically elected leaders to commit treason and take matters into their own hands.
If the truth will set you free, then we are still being held hostage to a lie—“Brothers” is a necessary step toward that journey to full disclosure that democracy demands.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
I’ll just recommend a book I found fascinating—and let you decide whether or not you’d like to read it.
It’s called “Brothers: The Hidden History Of The Kennedy Years” by David Talbot. It’s been out for a few years—and I picked it up in a bargain bin, but this former New York Times Bestseller is painstakingly researched—and reads much like a mystery thriller.
It was on this date in 1963 that JFK’s accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was himself gunned down by Jack Ruby in Dallas. This murder was shown on nationwide live TV-here is some rare footage from a perspective not often seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLF9_Hp-IyY
The murder of Oswald only confirmed what many believed at the time—and others have come to believe—namely, that President Kennedy’s assassination was a conspiracy. Jack Ruby’s role was to silence the killer of record, even though it appears he was not acting alone. An official report from The Warren Commission has done nothing to quiet the feeling among many that the “lone gunman” theory has not sufficiently been proven.
I won’t give away the conclusions of the book---and author Talbot does have some riveting evidence as to the likely individuals he believes were involved.
It is simply the PREMISE of the book that fueled my interest. Namely, since Robert F. Kennedy was the nation’s top law enforcement officer in his capacity as Attorney General, why didn’t HE lead an exhaustive investigation?
A valid question, no? After all, the President was his brother, his closest ally and his hero all rolled into one. Why didn’t RFK pursue the real story?
The reason is simple—and terrifying. RFK flew his investigation “under the radar” because he knew that officials in his slain brothers government were behind the murder. To overtly seek the truth would be futile—and fatal—as the younger Kennedy eventually found out. Kennedy and his closest aides have left a long trail of evidence gathered without arousing the suspicion of those within the U.S. Government, particularly the CIA who had their hands dirty in the scheme.
“Brothers” is the story of the relationship between JFK and RFK—and the SECRET investigation orchestrated by Robert in the years following that fateful day in Dallas. If you are a history buff, you will love it. If you are a Kennedy conspiracy believer, you will also be enthralled, although there is little discussion of the “grassy knoll”, multiple shooters and such.
Motive from the highest echelons of government and the means to carry out covert operations drive this true-life tale of treachery against our own President. The fact that more has not been leaked since that November day 46 years ago is testament to the code of silence employed by the two groups most likely to have joined forces-the mob and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Kennedy’s (and virtually any President’s) inability to control forces within their own government is a threat to our democracy. In retrospect, we can look at the Cuban situation through the lens of history—and relative harmlessness. In the early 60’s however, President Kennedy’s unwillingness to send in U.S. forces to support the Bay of Pigs invasion—set the course for events that would eventually turn many in his own administration against him—and in a deadly way.
Some will argue that the nation needed the band-aid of a closed case-and a single shooter, the conclusion of the Warren Commission—in order to move on. Unfortunately, this cover-up only emboldened those who disagreed with the democratically elected leaders to commit treason and take matters into their own hands.
If the truth will set you free, then we are still being held hostage to a lie—“Brothers” is a necessary step toward that journey to full disclosure that democracy demands.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Monday, November 23, 2009
Life Before TV
It was on this date in 1936 that the very first issue of Life magazine was published. Before there was television, there was Life magazine—doing for America what the technology could not yet do----bring riveting images of people, places and world events to the nation in a way that had never been done before.
Actually, Life magazine started earlier-as a weekly humor publication—much like The New Yorker is today—pop culture, cartoons and humorous pieces. This original Life folded during the Great Depression.
Time magazine publisher Henry Luce bought the name—and re-launched the magazine as a picture based periodical. As Time magazine’s mission was to tell the news, Life magazine’s was the SHOW it.
The first cover photo was of the Fort Peck Dam, which was an example of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal public works programs. This was just the first of thousands of incredible photos to grace the cover-and inside pages of Life.
The magazine became a huge success in its very first year-changing the way people looked at the world.
This short video, narrated by Walter Cronkite, sums it up well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAJ3h6dOrk4
At its peak, Life Magazine had a circulation of over 8 million, among them many people who could not read, but who could be nonetheless reached by the images brought front and center. Most historians credit Life magazine with being enormously influential in American society during its heyday. Images of war, of starlets and sports, faraway places and stunning nature photos made the issues collector’s items. It’s a good bet that many American attics still have bundled issues of Life. Who could toss them out?
As television grew in popularity, Life magazine began to suffer, eventually ceasing to be a weekly publication in 1972. It began publishing retrospective issues on major events-and in 2004 “returned” as a weekly publication as a supplement to U.S. newspapers.
I miss the original Life magazine-and remember being aghast when the announcement was made in 1972 that Life would end-as we knew it! Although gone from the ranks of influential publications, its heritage has insured a lofty place in American history and culture.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday inbox, just drop me a line: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Actually, Life magazine started earlier-as a weekly humor publication—much like The New Yorker is today—pop culture, cartoons and humorous pieces. This original Life folded during the Great Depression.
Time magazine publisher Henry Luce bought the name—and re-launched the magazine as a picture based periodical. As Time magazine’s mission was to tell the news, Life magazine’s was the SHOW it.
The first cover photo was of the Fort Peck Dam, which was an example of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal public works programs. This was just the first of thousands of incredible photos to grace the cover-and inside pages of Life.
The magazine became a huge success in its very first year-changing the way people looked at the world.
This short video, narrated by Walter Cronkite, sums it up well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAJ3h6dOrk4
At its peak, Life Magazine had a circulation of over 8 million, among them many people who could not read, but who could be nonetheless reached by the images brought front and center. Most historians credit Life magazine with being enormously influential in American society during its heyday. Images of war, of starlets and sports, faraway places and stunning nature photos made the issues collector’s items. It’s a good bet that many American attics still have bundled issues of Life. Who could toss them out?
As television grew in popularity, Life magazine began to suffer, eventually ceasing to be a weekly publication in 1972. It began publishing retrospective issues on major events-and in 2004 “returned” as a weekly publication as a supplement to U.S. newspapers.
I miss the original Life magazine-and remember being aghast when the announcement was made in 1972 that Life would end-as we knew it! Although gone from the ranks of influential publications, its heritage has insured a lofty place in American history and culture.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday inbox, just drop me a line: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Friday, November 20, 2009
College Football's "The Play"
As I anxiously await the Ohio State-Michigan game tomorrow (Go Bucks!), I am reminded of what is perhaps the GREATEST—and funniest endings to a college football game----EVER!
It occurred on this date in 1982—and has since been dubbed “The Play”.
The Cal football team won an improbable last second victory over Stanford after completing five lateral passes and ran right through the Stanford Marching Band, which had mistakenly started an upset celebration a tad too early!
The scene was set with one of the game’s great quarterbacks—John Elway. Playing for Stanford late in the fourth quarter, he managed to get his team down the field and into field goal range with just 8 seconds left. Mark Harmon kicked a 35 yard field goal to give Stanford a 20-19 lead.
Sensing an upset, the Cardinals flooded the field, triggering a penalty that made them have to kickoff from the 25 yard line. Harmon then squibbed the kick on purpose, where Cal’s Kevin Moen grabbed it on the Cal 46 yard line. Instead of trying to run solo for a TD, Kevin remembered one of Coach Kapp’s favorite practice drills—essentially a game of “keep away” with laterals to extend the play.
And that’s exactly what happened—after several tosses (one backwards over the Mariet Ford’s shoulder to a teammate behind), the ball finally ended up back in Moen’s hands.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s band began marching onto the field, playing Free’s “All Right Now”, unaware that 22 football players were barreling their way!
Moen weaved through the startled band-and into the end zone, where he slammed into trombone player Gary Tyrell (a photo of the triumphant Moen and the terrified Tyrell in the moment just before the collision that appeared in the Oakland Tribune is still displayed all over the Cal-Berkeley campus!)
Everyone who saw the game remembers “The Play”-in case you’ve never seen it, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZCCAqoSwY
So Cal won the game 25-20—and insured that John Elway would never play in a college bowl game, despite being a first round pick in the NFL.
If there is a more dramatic end to a college football game, I have yet to see it!
Hopefully, the Buckeye Band will refrain from marching onto the field in Ann Arbor Saturday—and I hope the outcome won’t be close enough to make it dramatic!
If you’d like my blog in your e-mail box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
It occurred on this date in 1982—and has since been dubbed “The Play”.
The Cal football team won an improbable last second victory over Stanford after completing five lateral passes and ran right through the Stanford Marching Band, which had mistakenly started an upset celebration a tad too early!
The scene was set with one of the game’s great quarterbacks—John Elway. Playing for Stanford late in the fourth quarter, he managed to get his team down the field and into field goal range with just 8 seconds left. Mark Harmon kicked a 35 yard field goal to give Stanford a 20-19 lead.
Sensing an upset, the Cardinals flooded the field, triggering a penalty that made them have to kickoff from the 25 yard line. Harmon then squibbed the kick on purpose, where Cal’s Kevin Moen grabbed it on the Cal 46 yard line. Instead of trying to run solo for a TD, Kevin remembered one of Coach Kapp’s favorite practice drills—essentially a game of “keep away” with laterals to extend the play.
And that’s exactly what happened—after several tosses (one backwards over the Mariet Ford’s shoulder to a teammate behind), the ball finally ended up back in Moen’s hands.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s band began marching onto the field, playing Free’s “All Right Now”, unaware that 22 football players were barreling their way!
Moen weaved through the startled band-and into the end zone, where he slammed into trombone player Gary Tyrell (a photo of the triumphant Moen and the terrified Tyrell in the moment just before the collision that appeared in the Oakland Tribune is still displayed all over the Cal-Berkeley campus!)
Everyone who saw the game remembers “The Play”-in case you’ve never seen it, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZCCAqoSwY
So Cal won the game 25-20—and insured that John Elway would never play in a college bowl game, despite being a first round pick in the NFL.
If there is a more dramatic end to a college football game, I have yet to see it!
Hopefully, the Buckeye Band will refrain from marching onto the field in Ann Arbor Saturday—and I hope the outcome won’t be close enough to make it dramatic!
If you’d like my blog in your e-mail box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Toll Machine Arrives
Often this blog touts the advancement of technology or the discovery of either a medical breakthrough or development of a machine that advances the lives of people the world over.
Not today.
It was on this date in 1954 that the very first toll machine made its debut at the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway (figures). Motorists dropped a quarter into the mesh basket and then waited for the light to turn green. Now that’s progress. At least with a human being there, you knew that someone was employed, albeit in a mind-numbing job.
This great innovation in motoring occurred 14 years after the first toll highway appeared. The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 to ease by three hours the travel time between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Motorists gladly forked over a few coins to save time and gas.
I hate toll roads. They are inefficient—and generally a pain in the rear. The Maine Turnpike opened with a promise to END the tolls once the road was paid for. Of course, the gravy train was too good to stop after the highway had been paid for—and now we are hostages to a system based on a lie.
The theory behind the toll is valid—have those who USE the road pay for it. However, after the road is constructed, the maintenance and upkeep cannot possibly be equal to the tolls we are compelled to pay to use it.
On Monday, I drove from Portland to Massachusetts. I paid a dollar to enter the Maine Turnpike, another 2 dollars to leave it at the York tollbooth—and then another 2 dollars to pass through the Seabrook toll booth in New Hampshire. FIVE bucks to drive less than 60 miles! Multiply that by the millions of cars traveling the Turnpike and we could be paving the road with gold bricks---and still have dough left over.
The advent of the Speedpass has made the pain a bit less—as it goes a lot faster—and, like using a credit card, there is a false and fleeting sense that it really isn’t costing you anything to travel.
For the most part, toll collectors are a friendly bunch, but speed isn’t a hallmark of the operation. Since they’ll be there for hours on end, they are in no hurry to make change. The worst is pulling up to witness an “across the lane” conversation between two toll collectors. Uh, HELLO!! Can I just pay my toll and move on?
I’m sure that the turnpike employees have their own stories to tell. From rude motorists (like me) to those asking directions to those engaged in embarrassing activities inside the vehicle, there must be some whoppers making the rounds at the annual Christmas party.
Perhaps the worst are those motorists not prepared to pay-including this motorist who decided to test the patience of the toll collector as a prank-check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLW1JAVG81o
My Favorite toll booth scene is from the Mel Brooks movie “Blazing Saddles” . WARNING! There are a couple of “bad words” spoken here, so beware!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWg-mozGsU
Now, THAT’S FUNNY!
It is clear that the future holds no job opportunities for toll collectors. Instead of having to purchase a “speedpass”—and hide it from theft, every car should have a transponder embedded that directs an invoice to the current holder of the registration. Tolls would be “taken” at high speed without any slowdown, there would be no toll collectors or even traditional toll booths. Cameras could still record violaters and the average toll could (and should) drop significantly.
As long as the toll COST were posted in enough advance mileage to allow exit from the road and the toll, it could be a far better system than the long lines to pay excessive tolls to drive on (often) inferior roads.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, let me know—NO TOLL associated! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Happy Motoring!
Not today.
It was on this date in 1954 that the very first toll machine made its debut at the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway (figures). Motorists dropped a quarter into the mesh basket and then waited for the light to turn green. Now that’s progress. At least with a human being there, you knew that someone was employed, albeit in a mind-numbing job.
This great innovation in motoring occurred 14 years after the first toll highway appeared. The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 to ease by three hours the travel time between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Motorists gladly forked over a few coins to save time and gas.
I hate toll roads. They are inefficient—and generally a pain in the rear. The Maine Turnpike opened with a promise to END the tolls once the road was paid for. Of course, the gravy train was too good to stop after the highway had been paid for—and now we are hostages to a system based on a lie.
The theory behind the toll is valid—have those who USE the road pay for it. However, after the road is constructed, the maintenance and upkeep cannot possibly be equal to the tolls we are compelled to pay to use it.
On Monday, I drove from Portland to Massachusetts. I paid a dollar to enter the Maine Turnpike, another 2 dollars to leave it at the York tollbooth—and then another 2 dollars to pass through the Seabrook toll booth in New Hampshire. FIVE bucks to drive less than 60 miles! Multiply that by the millions of cars traveling the Turnpike and we could be paving the road with gold bricks---and still have dough left over.
The advent of the Speedpass has made the pain a bit less—as it goes a lot faster—and, like using a credit card, there is a false and fleeting sense that it really isn’t costing you anything to travel.
For the most part, toll collectors are a friendly bunch, but speed isn’t a hallmark of the operation. Since they’ll be there for hours on end, they are in no hurry to make change. The worst is pulling up to witness an “across the lane” conversation between two toll collectors. Uh, HELLO!! Can I just pay my toll and move on?
I’m sure that the turnpike employees have their own stories to tell. From rude motorists (like me) to those asking directions to those engaged in embarrassing activities inside the vehicle, there must be some whoppers making the rounds at the annual Christmas party.
Perhaps the worst are those motorists not prepared to pay-including this motorist who decided to test the patience of the toll collector as a prank-check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLW1JAVG81o
My Favorite toll booth scene is from the Mel Brooks movie “Blazing Saddles” . WARNING! There are a couple of “bad words” spoken here, so beware!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWg-mozGsU
Now, THAT’S FUNNY!
It is clear that the future holds no job opportunities for toll collectors. Instead of having to purchase a “speedpass”—and hide it from theft, every car should have a transponder embedded that directs an invoice to the current holder of the registration. Tolls would be “taken” at high speed without any slowdown, there would be no toll collectors or even traditional toll booths. Cameras could still record violaters and the average toll could (and should) drop significantly.
As long as the toll COST were posted in enough advance mileage to allow exit from the road and the toll, it could be a far better system than the long lines to pay excessive tolls to drive on (often) inferior roads.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, let me know—NO TOLL associated! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Happy Motoring!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Gratitude Campaign-Bangor, Maine Style
Last week, I watched one of the most moving PBS shows of my life-the story of the Bangor, Maine troop greeters.
It’s likely that you have heard of them—these mostly senior citizens-many of them veterans themselves—who are unfailingly there at Bangor International Airport for each and every incoming troop flight-regardless of the hour.
Their job?Simply to extend a hand and say “Thank you”. The troops are visibly surprised, taken aback—and grateful. After 5 years, hundreds if not thousands of flights—and well over a million troops (in total, counting multiple tours of duty), they still show up.
If you can find time to see the show, it will change your outlook on life. As the greeters say themselves, it is not political. There are strong opinions on the war itself—but sides are never taken at the jetway gate when the soldiers are making their way home. There are only thank-you’s, handshakes and hugs.
Here is the trailer for the show, giving you a glimpse of the magnitude of effort required for each of these “Greeters” to complete THEIR mission:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70xGwH9k4Qg
Special thanks to faithful blog reader Don Coddington of Interscope Records in New York, who inspired today’s subject by sending along a video link to The Gratitude Campaign.
Like the Bangor, Maine greeters, this is an easy way to show your support to men and women in uniform—wherever they are-at the airport or train station, at the Mall or on the street.
Check out this video—and better yet, adopt the practice demonstrated here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfFYxSdKdo
Tens of thousands of men and women leaves their families, their jobs and their normal lives to fight for our country. The evidence suggests that not one of them comes back unchanged. Many continue to suffer long after their physical injuries have healed. Some without outward battle scars have nonetheless become casualties on an emotional and psychological level.
There are those who say that we have not learned the lessons of Viet Nam. In the political arena where wars are decided, perhaps that is true. There is, however, a marked difference in the way the American public treats those who fight.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of Viet Nam was that returning soldiers were scorned by many, especially the young war protesters. These draft dodgers and college students called them “baby killers” and worse.
In this regard, I believe that we have made some progress. Now, regardless of your personal stance on the conflict, most Americans can separate the political situation from the personal odyssey of those who serve.
So, it is high time to say “Thank You”!
The Gratitude Campaign—make it a part of who you are whenever you encounter someone who risks everything for you and your family.
If you’d like my blog in your box weekdays, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
It’s likely that you have heard of them—these mostly senior citizens-many of them veterans themselves—who are unfailingly there at Bangor International Airport for each and every incoming troop flight-regardless of the hour.
Their job?Simply to extend a hand and say “Thank you”. The troops are visibly surprised, taken aback—and grateful. After 5 years, hundreds if not thousands of flights—and well over a million troops (in total, counting multiple tours of duty), they still show up.
If you can find time to see the show, it will change your outlook on life. As the greeters say themselves, it is not political. There are strong opinions on the war itself—but sides are never taken at the jetway gate when the soldiers are making their way home. There are only thank-you’s, handshakes and hugs.
Here is the trailer for the show, giving you a glimpse of the magnitude of effort required for each of these “Greeters” to complete THEIR mission:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70xGwH9k4Qg
Special thanks to faithful blog reader Don Coddington of Interscope Records in New York, who inspired today’s subject by sending along a video link to The Gratitude Campaign.
Like the Bangor, Maine greeters, this is an easy way to show your support to men and women in uniform—wherever they are-at the airport or train station, at the Mall or on the street.
Check out this video—and better yet, adopt the practice demonstrated here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfFYxSdKdo
Tens of thousands of men and women leaves their families, their jobs and their normal lives to fight for our country. The evidence suggests that not one of them comes back unchanged. Many continue to suffer long after their physical injuries have healed. Some without outward battle scars have nonetheless become casualties on an emotional and psychological level.
There are those who say that we have not learned the lessons of Viet Nam. In the political arena where wars are decided, perhaps that is true. There is, however, a marked difference in the way the American public treats those who fight.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of Viet Nam was that returning soldiers were scorned by many, especially the young war protesters. These draft dodgers and college students called them “baby killers” and worse.
In this regard, I believe that we have made some progress. Now, regardless of your personal stance on the conflict, most Americans can separate the political situation from the personal odyssey of those who serve.
So, it is high time to say “Thank You”!
The Gratitude Campaign—make it a part of who you are whenever you encounter someone who risks everything for you and your family.
If you’d like my blog in your box weekdays, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Texting While Driving Spells Danger
Warning! The second of the two videos included today is VERY graphic. To say it is disturbing would be insufficient. It is horrifying.
And yet, if viewing either of the two videos in this blog would prevent someone from EVER texting while driving, the visual onslaught would be far better than an actual outcome similar to that in the dramatization.
In fact, if you have teenaged or younger drivers, it might be considered required viewing.
That, of course, is up to you. Sometimes, young people—who often see themselves as invincible—need to be SHOCKED into awareness that would change behavior. The second video should do the trick.
The first video is an on-track field test from the publishers of Car and Driver magazine, measuring the effects of both alcohol and texting on driver response times. Not to give away the results, but it is clear that texting while behind the wheel is even more dangerous than operating a vehicle while above the legal blood alcohol limit.
Here’s the first film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbiHwGBsRr0
Pretty scary, no? Well, as clinical and factual as the previous video is, this next one displays in graphic detail the results of texting on a visceral and emotional level. Produced in the UK for young people to be compelled to view, it has been touted as both horrific and terrific---terrific in the sense that it has affected viewers at a gut level that may be more effective in changing behaviors—as opposed to mere “preaching”. One moment of inattention—especially for a text or message that is frivolous in nature---nonetheless becomes life-changing----and perhaps life-ending for the victims of this accident. The consequences of a split-second mistake will alter the course of these kids' lives forever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIqO2IBR8aY
Hard to watch.
Harder still if you imagine any of those kids being your own. So, at the risk of being a pest, at the peril of nagging your loved ones, PLEASE convey the danger of texting while driving. Much has been said about speaking on a cell phone while driving. I won’t attempt to minimize the dangers here too, but texting while driving is demonstrably worse.
I have been guilty of it in the past, but these videos have hit me so hard, I won’t be doing it again. There is no message so urgent to receive or send that it is worth risking your life-or the lives of others.
Be careful out there!
If you’d like my blog in your box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
And yet, if viewing either of the two videos in this blog would prevent someone from EVER texting while driving, the visual onslaught would be far better than an actual outcome similar to that in the dramatization.
In fact, if you have teenaged or younger drivers, it might be considered required viewing.
That, of course, is up to you. Sometimes, young people—who often see themselves as invincible—need to be SHOCKED into awareness that would change behavior. The second video should do the trick.
The first video is an on-track field test from the publishers of Car and Driver magazine, measuring the effects of both alcohol and texting on driver response times. Not to give away the results, but it is clear that texting while behind the wheel is even more dangerous than operating a vehicle while above the legal blood alcohol limit.
Here’s the first film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbiHwGBsRr0
Pretty scary, no? Well, as clinical and factual as the previous video is, this next one displays in graphic detail the results of texting on a visceral and emotional level. Produced in the UK for young people to be compelled to view, it has been touted as both horrific and terrific---terrific in the sense that it has affected viewers at a gut level that may be more effective in changing behaviors—as opposed to mere “preaching”. One moment of inattention—especially for a text or message that is frivolous in nature---nonetheless becomes life-changing----and perhaps life-ending for the victims of this accident. The consequences of a split-second mistake will alter the course of these kids' lives forever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIqO2IBR8aY
Hard to watch.
Harder still if you imagine any of those kids being your own. So, at the risk of being a pest, at the peril of nagging your loved ones, PLEASE convey the danger of texting while driving. Much has been said about speaking on a cell phone while driving. I won’t attempt to minimize the dangers here too, but texting while driving is demonstrably worse.
I have been guilty of it in the past, but these videos have hit me so hard, I won’t be doing it again. There is no message so urgent to receive or send that it is worth risking your life-or the lives of others.
Be careful out there!
If you’d like my blog in your box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Monday, November 16, 2009
We Deserve What We Get
As Sarah Palin’s book “Going Rogue” is released this week —and she makes the rounds on the talk show circuit, I am reminded of a belief that is held by many (I think) and yet shared by few:
Namely, the American electorate is largely ignorant.
Not stupid, necessarily, not dumb, just largely uninformed and prone to pulling the lever for the person or persons who have penetrated their consciousness by whatever means necessary to achieve recognition.
Sarah Palin just happens to be the flavor of the month. From almost total obscurity (despite being elected the governor of a state) to “rock star” status, she is the product of the media’s 2008 fascination with the “new”-and is now being touted as the next possible Republican nominee for President in 2012. Here is a compilation of Sarah’s Greatest Hits from the LAST campaign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E
Trust me, I could dig this stuff up for Democrats or Republicans---- it is NOT about partisan politics.
It’s ALL about name recognition. The game begins and ends with this elusive target goal.
Pierce their awareness with who you are—and that is electoral gold, regardless of your qualifications.
I admit that it is arrogant to say this. No politician would contemplate uttering such words, even if they secretly believe the masses are like cattle-largely unaware of their surroundings and susceptible to a prod in one direction or another. Again, this is not a partisan attack, it’s just reality.
Part of the problem is not really our fault. Issues tend to be complex—and the media reduces everything to sound bites, one-liners and “zingers”. We Americans are busy. We simply don’t have time to evaluate the nuances of any one person’s stand on a variety of issues—especially after driven through the filter of a media outlet that may be biased. It’s often hard to know just who is telling the truth.
So, what’s a voter to do?
Well, we do what’s been done for most of our history— we gravitate to emotional “gut” feelings about the “type of person” we want to serve us. It has nothing to do with competence. It is “perceived ability”—based almost exclusively on EMOTION.
This used to mean that former generals like Ulysses S Grant and Dwight Eisenhower, clearly competent in their wartime leadership roles—would be tapped to move into the Oval Office. Even a young PT boat commander with little legislative experience can arrange to get elected. Nothing against John F. Kennedy, but most historians agree that the TV debate between JFK and Nixon sealed the fate of the 1960 election.
Why?
Nixon refused the TV makeup before the telecast. As a result, he looked pasty and ill. Kennedy appeared tanned and relaxed. How would history have changed if the makeup artist had convinced Nixon to wear a cosmetic foundation for the camera in that razor-thin election?
Nowadays, the name recognition doesn’t need to come from leadership in a field where the skill set would transfer seamlessly to legislative expertise. It can come from ANYWHERE—and does.
Check out this list of politicians and their former careers:
Ronald Reagan-actor—Personally, I think he was a terrific President. He was involved
Republican politics after working tirelessly in a similar fashion
for the Screen Actor’s Guild. Still, his fame (and his name
recognition was from movies/TV)
Sonny Bono-singer—(sung to the tune of “I Got You Babe”) “They say he’s young and
he don’t know, won’t find out until he grows”
Jesse Ventura-Wrestler-did to Minnesota voters the electoral equivalent to hitting your
opponent over the head with a folding chair.
Al Frankin-Comedian—Minnesota does it again, but then, he’s good enough, he’s smart
enough, and dagnabit, people like him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger-actor—“Terminated” the fiscal viability of California
Jack Kemp—Football player-He played for Buffalo, so even Congress was a step up
Fred Grandy-Actor—Parlayed a role on “The Love Boat” into a Congressional seat..
allrighty then..
Of course, this is just a partial list, but you get the idea. Making yourself KNOWN is clearly Job 1—and then if you can muster up the mere appearance of someone who won’t screw things up too badly, you’ve got a great chance against a lesser-known (but perhaps more qualified) opponent.
Oprah could probably get elected President.
Bill Clinton’s saxophone-toting appearance on Arsenio Hall elevated his stature in his first race for the White House. After all, why couldn’t he lead the free world? He can play the SAXOPHONE, for God’s sake!
And George Bush had that homey appeal of a guy you’d like to have a beer with. If that doesn’t qualify you for the job, I don’t know what does!
How about we ditch the notion of glamour and Hollywood credentials in our leaders? How about we settle for good old-fashioned COMPETENCE? Be articulate enough to know how to communicate, be smart enough to understand the issues—and then go forth with your views on your sleeve. Speak in plain English and we’ll decide if we like what we hear.
Perhaps we should turn the tables on our own tendencies to gravitate to the known. I realize the old saying is dominant, the “devil you know is better than the devil you don’t”…..
Or is it?
Let’s try politicians brave enough to risk alienating us with views that are spoken plainly and not susceptible to misinterpretation by a media always looking for a gaffe.
If it is clowns, boobs, idiots and crooks that we send to represent us, it is therefore precisely what we deserve—only because we haven’t taken the time and effort to demand better.
If you’d like my weekday blog in your box, just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Namely, the American electorate is largely ignorant.
Not stupid, necessarily, not dumb, just largely uninformed and prone to pulling the lever for the person or persons who have penetrated their consciousness by whatever means necessary to achieve recognition.
Sarah Palin just happens to be the flavor of the month. From almost total obscurity (despite being elected the governor of a state) to “rock star” status, she is the product of the media’s 2008 fascination with the “new”-and is now being touted as the next possible Republican nominee for President in 2012. Here is a compilation of Sarah’s Greatest Hits from the LAST campaign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E
Trust me, I could dig this stuff up for Democrats or Republicans---- it is NOT about partisan politics.
It’s ALL about name recognition. The game begins and ends with this elusive target goal.
Pierce their awareness with who you are—and that is electoral gold, regardless of your qualifications.
I admit that it is arrogant to say this. No politician would contemplate uttering such words, even if they secretly believe the masses are like cattle-largely unaware of their surroundings and susceptible to a prod in one direction or another. Again, this is not a partisan attack, it’s just reality.
Part of the problem is not really our fault. Issues tend to be complex—and the media reduces everything to sound bites, one-liners and “zingers”. We Americans are busy. We simply don’t have time to evaluate the nuances of any one person’s stand on a variety of issues—especially after driven through the filter of a media outlet that may be biased. It’s often hard to know just who is telling the truth.
So, what’s a voter to do?
Well, we do what’s been done for most of our history— we gravitate to emotional “gut” feelings about the “type of person” we want to serve us. It has nothing to do with competence. It is “perceived ability”—based almost exclusively on EMOTION.
This used to mean that former generals like Ulysses S Grant and Dwight Eisenhower, clearly competent in their wartime leadership roles—would be tapped to move into the Oval Office. Even a young PT boat commander with little legislative experience can arrange to get elected. Nothing against John F. Kennedy, but most historians agree that the TV debate between JFK and Nixon sealed the fate of the 1960 election.
Why?
Nixon refused the TV makeup before the telecast. As a result, he looked pasty and ill. Kennedy appeared tanned and relaxed. How would history have changed if the makeup artist had convinced Nixon to wear a cosmetic foundation for the camera in that razor-thin election?
Nowadays, the name recognition doesn’t need to come from leadership in a field where the skill set would transfer seamlessly to legislative expertise. It can come from ANYWHERE—and does.
Check out this list of politicians and their former careers:
Ronald Reagan-actor—Personally, I think he was a terrific President. He was involved
Republican politics after working tirelessly in a similar fashion
for the Screen Actor’s Guild. Still, his fame (and his name
recognition was from movies/TV)
Sonny Bono-singer—(sung to the tune of “I Got You Babe”) “They say he’s young and
he don’t know, won’t find out until he grows”
Jesse Ventura-Wrestler-did to Minnesota voters the electoral equivalent to hitting your
opponent over the head with a folding chair.
Al Frankin-Comedian—Minnesota does it again, but then, he’s good enough, he’s smart
enough, and dagnabit, people like him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger-actor—“Terminated” the fiscal viability of California
Jack Kemp—Football player-He played for Buffalo, so even Congress was a step up
Fred Grandy-Actor—Parlayed a role on “The Love Boat” into a Congressional seat..
allrighty then..
Of course, this is just a partial list, but you get the idea. Making yourself KNOWN is clearly Job 1—and then if you can muster up the mere appearance of someone who won’t screw things up too badly, you’ve got a great chance against a lesser-known (but perhaps more qualified) opponent.
Oprah could probably get elected President.
Bill Clinton’s saxophone-toting appearance on Arsenio Hall elevated his stature in his first race for the White House. After all, why couldn’t he lead the free world? He can play the SAXOPHONE, for God’s sake!
And George Bush had that homey appeal of a guy you’d like to have a beer with. If that doesn’t qualify you for the job, I don’t know what does!
How about we ditch the notion of glamour and Hollywood credentials in our leaders? How about we settle for good old-fashioned COMPETENCE? Be articulate enough to know how to communicate, be smart enough to understand the issues—and then go forth with your views on your sleeve. Speak in plain English and we’ll decide if we like what we hear.
Perhaps we should turn the tables on our own tendencies to gravitate to the known. I realize the old saying is dominant, the “devil you know is better than the devil you don’t”…..
Or is it?
Let’s try politicians brave enough to risk alienating us with views that are spoken plainly and not susceptible to misinterpretation by a media always looking for a gaffe.
If it is clowns, boobs, idiots and crooks that we send to represent us, it is therefore precisely what we deserve—only because we haven’t taken the time and effort to demand better.
If you’d like my weekday blog in your box, just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday The 13th
Today is a day when you’re supposed to be extra careful!
After all, it IS Friday The 13th.
I know that 13 is supposed to be an unlucky number, but we have a 13th of the month 12 times a year. Why it is unlucky simply because it lands on a Friday (usually a good day, no?) is a mystery to me.
I searched YouTube for “Friday The 13th”—and as you might guess, all I got was clips from the horror flick of the same name. Next, I tried “Superstitions”, but all I got was Stevie Wonder singing his hit song.
Can’t call myself superstitious actually. Set up a ladder and I will sprint back and forth under it. Black cats? Bring ‘em on! And just how is it that a rabbit’s foot is “lucky”?
It sure wasn’t for the rabbit.
The problem is that superstitious people actually CREATE their bad luck by thinking about it---not that they WANT bad luck, but even in THINKING about avoiding bad events, the fact is that their focus is still on the bad occurrence. Since the mind cannot tell the difference between something desired and something not wanted—and since we attract both good and bad into our lives by merely THINKING, those trying to avoid the bad event are nonetheless attracting it into their lives by holding it in their conscious awareness.
These superstitious people are always full of stories of woe—their evidence that “bad luck” exists. And, of course it does, because they created it.
When I typed “unlucky people” into the YouTube search engine, I got a slew of videos of people engaged in stupid behaviors---that don’t end well. In what has become a favorite video category of the Tim Moore blog, here again we go---laughing at other people’s expense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fKX4fucroM
OUCH!
Don’t try ANY of the above at home—and if you do, call 9-1-1 in advance---and for goodness sake, leave the video cameras OFF—otherwise, your unfortunate outcome may show up on a future blog!
If you’d like my weekday blog in your inbox, drop me a line-it’s FREE!!! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
After all, it IS Friday The 13th.
I know that 13 is supposed to be an unlucky number, but we have a 13th of the month 12 times a year. Why it is unlucky simply because it lands on a Friday (usually a good day, no?) is a mystery to me.
I searched YouTube for “Friday The 13th”—and as you might guess, all I got was clips from the horror flick of the same name. Next, I tried “Superstitions”, but all I got was Stevie Wonder singing his hit song.
Can’t call myself superstitious actually. Set up a ladder and I will sprint back and forth under it. Black cats? Bring ‘em on! And just how is it that a rabbit’s foot is “lucky”?
It sure wasn’t for the rabbit.
The problem is that superstitious people actually CREATE their bad luck by thinking about it---not that they WANT bad luck, but even in THINKING about avoiding bad events, the fact is that their focus is still on the bad occurrence. Since the mind cannot tell the difference between something desired and something not wanted—and since we attract both good and bad into our lives by merely THINKING, those trying to avoid the bad event are nonetheless attracting it into their lives by holding it in their conscious awareness.
These superstitious people are always full of stories of woe—their evidence that “bad luck” exists. And, of course it does, because they created it.
When I typed “unlucky people” into the YouTube search engine, I got a slew of videos of people engaged in stupid behaviors---that don’t end well. In what has become a favorite video category of the Tim Moore blog, here again we go---laughing at other people’s expense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fKX4fucroM
OUCH!
Don’t try ANY of the above at home—and if you do, call 9-1-1 in advance---and for goodness sake, leave the video cameras OFF—otherwise, your unfortunate outcome may show up on a future blog!
If you’d like my weekday blog in your inbox, drop me a line-it’s FREE!!! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pudge Heffelfinger-First Pro Football Player
Ask any boy what he wants to “be” when he grows up—and you’ll likely get a healthy dose of “pro ____ball player”. Whether it’s football, baseball, basketball or some other sport, the lure of multi-million dollar contracts in exchange for essentially PLAYING A GAME is irresistible even to many adults, who fantasize about sports glory. Girls, too, are often now setting their sights on a career in sports.
It was on this date in 1892 that William “Pudge” Heffelfinger became the very first “pro” football player. Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Athletic Association (AAA) paid him $500 to play as a “ringer” in a game against its rival Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC). Not exactly hitting the jackpot, but half a grand for ONE game in the late 1800’s had to be a spectacular amount of money!
Before Pudge ambled along, it was common for players to accept expense money, goods or services in payment for their participation, but this was the first outright cash outlay for a football player (that we know of anyway!) Baseball had been professional for over a quarter of a century by then, but the gridiron game was still in its infancy as far as the business model was concerned.
The two teams in combat had just played each other a month earlier. At the time, the PAC team had a mysterious young man on their squad. He called himself “Stayer”—and said he was a neighborhood kid who had never played football before.
Not quite.
The “kid” turned out to be A.C. Read, the captain of the Penn State football team! The AAA was justifiably upset—and even though the game was a tie (6-6), a rematch was insisted upon. Our hero, Pudge, who had been a football standout at Yale was apparently offered $250 to play for the PAC. Shortly thereafter, the AAA came calling and offered to double his pay to $500! Heffelfinger agreed, but decided to keep his new deal a secret from the PAC until he showed up for the game in a AAA uniform!
The PAC stormed off the field, refusing to play unless and until the AAA would agree that the game wouldn’t count. Consensus was reached—and Pudge turned out to be worth his paycheck, scoring the game’s only TD-and the AAA shut out the PAC.
Since no film exists of THAT game (or the era for that matter), here’s a short clip of early football games—at Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfkVLCtn8k
By the way, Pudge Heffelfinger never acknowledged that he took payment for that game. He went on to become a prominent insurance executive and congressman from Minnesota.
Care to receive this blog in your weekday e-mail? Just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
It was on this date in 1892 that William “Pudge” Heffelfinger became the very first “pro” football player. Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Athletic Association (AAA) paid him $500 to play as a “ringer” in a game against its rival Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC). Not exactly hitting the jackpot, but half a grand for ONE game in the late 1800’s had to be a spectacular amount of money!
Before Pudge ambled along, it was common for players to accept expense money, goods or services in payment for their participation, but this was the first outright cash outlay for a football player (that we know of anyway!) Baseball had been professional for over a quarter of a century by then, but the gridiron game was still in its infancy as far as the business model was concerned.
The two teams in combat had just played each other a month earlier. At the time, the PAC team had a mysterious young man on their squad. He called himself “Stayer”—and said he was a neighborhood kid who had never played football before.
Not quite.
The “kid” turned out to be A.C. Read, the captain of the Penn State football team! The AAA was justifiably upset—and even though the game was a tie (6-6), a rematch was insisted upon. Our hero, Pudge, who had been a football standout at Yale was apparently offered $250 to play for the PAC. Shortly thereafter, the AAA came calling and offered to double his pay to $500! Heffelfinger agreed, but decided to keep his new deal a secret from the PAC until he showed up for the game in a AAA uniform!
The PAC stormed off the field, refusing to play unless and until the AAA would agree that the game wouldn’t count. Consensus was reached—and Pudge turned out to be worth his paycheck, scoring the game’s only TD-and the AAA shut out the PAC.
Since no film exists of THAT game (or the era for that matter), here’s a short clip of early football games—at Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfkVLCtn8k
By the way, Pudge Heffelfinger never acknowledged that he took payment for that game. He went on to become a prominent insurance executive and congressman from Minnesota.
Care to receive this blog in your weekday e-mail? Just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans Teach-But Do We Listen?
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: 11am on November 11, 1918.
World War I—the so-called “war to end all wars”—finally came to an end. Nine million soldiers killed and 21 million wounded. In addition, at least 5 million citizens died from disease, starvation or exposure.
As we honor veterans today, I wonder out loud what we have learned since that very first Armistice Day, later to be simply called Veterans Day.
My guess is—perhaps not much.
Power-hungry despots, dictators and psychopaths of all kinds still exercise aggression against their neighbors. Politicians in the world community in turn send young men (and now women) to their deaths in the name of securing and then preserving the peace.
In the history of war, kings used to actually lead their troops into battle. Now, political leaders make a decision from behind a mahogany desk. It’s a phone call or the wave of a pen. It is far removed from the front, from the trenches. Perhaps it is this “disconnect” that is most disturbing. If the same people making the call on the lives of millions were themselves compelled to lead the charge, we might see a marked increase in negotiation and a corresponding decline in shots fired.
Each soldier drawn into the conflict acts in patriotic fashion—obeying the orders of those above them without question. They are valiant, they are brave—they are heroes.
It is said that freedom isn’t free—and we owe an unpayable debt to those who have joined the fight. It is also said that “war is hell”. While the weapons of war have grown ever more sophisticated, the horrors of battle have been a constant from the start.
Check out the short video on World War I below—it’s called The Trenches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3QJRM7tCI0
We salute and honor veterans today—and should do so every day. Anyone who has served their country is worthy of our praise—and we can never forget that the greatest tribute to them would be to insure that their sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters—and ours as well—NEVER need to lose their lives to preserve the freedom that so many others have fought and died for.
God Bless The U.S.A!
If you’d like my weekday blog in your inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
World War I—the so-called “war to end all wars”—finally came to an end. Nine million soldiers killed and 21 million wounded. In addition, at least 5 million citizens died from disease, starvation or exposure.
As we honor veterans today, I wonder out loud what we have learned since that very first Armistice Day, later to be simply called Veterans Day.
My guess is—perhaps not much.
Power-hungry despots, dictators and psychopaths of all kinds still exercise aggression against their neighbors. Politicians in the world community in turn send young men (and now women) to their deaths in the name of securing and then preserving the peace.
In the history of war, kings used to actually lead their troops into battle. Now, political leaders make a decision from behind a mahogany desk. It’s a phone call or the wave of a pen. It is far removed from the front, from the trenches. Perhaps it is this “disconnect” that is most disturbing. If the same people making the call on the lives of millions were themselves compelled to lead the charge, we might see a marked increase in negotiation and a corresponding decline in shots fired.
Each soldier drawn into the conflict acts in patriotic fashion—obeying the orders of those above them without question. They are valiant, they are brave—they are heroes.
It is said that freedom isn’t free—and we owe an unpayable debt to those who have joined the fight. It is also said that “war is hell”. While the weapons of war have grown ever more sophisticated, the horrors of battle have been a constant from the start.
Check out the short video on World War I below—it’s called The Trenches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3QJRM7tCI0
We salute and honor veterans today—and should do so every day. Anyone who has served their country is worthy of our praise—and we can never forget that the greatest tribute to them would be to insure that their sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters—and ours as well—NEVER need to lose their lives to preserve the freedom that so many others have fought and died for.
God Bless The U.S.A!
If you’d like my weekday blog in your inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Educational Muppets
I was impressed with the PBS TV show “Sesame Street” until I realized the format was modeled on the 1960’s hit “Laugh In”.
Really.
OK, I'm still impressed, but it's hard to draw the comparison until you think about it for a minute or two.
The fast-paced, bite-sized one-liners and quick skits featured on "Laugh In" were a bit revolutionary at the time—and the producers at the Children’s Television Workshop decided to transfer the same structure to the small screen for even smaller viewers.
Sesame Street celebrates its 40th birthday today, hitting the airwaves on this date in 1969. Among the innovations were an urban, inner-city setting and a racially diverse cast of characters.
I can’t claim fond memories of the show for myself—I’m too damn old. I grew up with Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Jeans (yuck) and even Mister Rogers (yuck to some exponential power). However, my kids all learned their letters and numbers from Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie.
Not without its controversies, Sesame Street has survived by doing most things right-despite criticism for everything from the aforementioned erratic format (blamed for contributing to children’s short attention spans) to Cookie Monster’s two-pronged faults:
a) overeating..and
b) using cookies as blackmail for learning
Now before you call me Oscar the Grouch, realize that I don’t agree with most of the attacks. Learning will always improve in an environment where the kids are engaged and entertained-just ask Walt Disney. Further, the show’s creator Joan Ganz Cooney realized that the combination of humor, celebrity guest stars and writing that appealed on both the child and adult levels would keep PARENTS tuned in (some of whom didn’t know their letters and numbers either) and would create adult advocates in the millions of homes where the target audience was located.
Contrast that to, say, Barney the Dinosaur or The Wiggles—either one of which if exposed to an adult human being for any length of time would cause them to contemplate suicide as a less painful alternative to continued viewing.
Jim Henson's creation of special muppets---to rival the already popular Kermit and Miss Piggy-was another stroke of genius.
Here’s a segment featuring Whoopi Goldberg and Elmo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce0yGNG_VEU
Since its inception, it is estimated that 73 million people have watched the show-and each day, about 8 million tune in to laugh….and learn.
My kids were the beneficiaries of Sesame Street—and I hope that it is still around when my grandchildren start learning their ABC’s
If you’d like my blog in your daily inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Today’s blog was brought to you by the letter B.
Really.
OK, I'm still impressed, but it's hard to draw the comparison until you think about it for a minute or two.
The fast-paced, bite-sized one-liners and quick skits featured on "Laugh In" were a bit revolutionary at the time—and the producers at the Children’s Television Workshop decided to transfer the same structure to the small screen for even smaller viewers.
Sesame Street celebrates its 40th birthday today, hitting the airwaves on this date in 1969. Among the innovations were an urban, inner-city setting and a racially diverse cast of characters.
I can’t claim fond memories of the show for myself—I’m too damn old. I grew up with Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Jeans (yuck) and even Mister Rogers (yuck to some exponential power). However, my kids all learned their letters and numbers from Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie.
Not without its controversies, Sesame Street has survived by doing most things right-despite criticism for everything from the aforementioned erratic format (blamed for contributing to children’s short attention spans) to Cookie Monster’s two-pronged faults:
a) overeating..and
b) using cookies as blackmail for learning
Now before you call me Oscar the Grouch, realize that I don’t agree with most of the attacks. Learning will always improve in an environment where the kids are engaged and entertained-just ask Walt Disney. Further, the show’s creator Joan Ganz Cooney realized that the combination of humor, celebrity guest stars and writing that appealed on both the child and adult levels would keep PARENTS tuned in (some of whom didn’t know their letters and numbers either) and would create adult advocates in the millions of homes where the target audience was located.
Contrast that to, say, Barney the Dinosaur or The Wiggles—either one of which if exposed to an adult human being for any length of time would cause them to contemplate suicide as a less painful alternative to continued viewing.
Jim Henson's creation of special muppets---to rival the already popular Kermit and Miss Piggy-was another stroke of genius.
Here’s a segment featuring Whoopi Goldberg and Elmo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce0yGNG_VEU
Since its inception, it is estimated that 73 million people have watched the show-and each day, about 8 million tune in to laugh….and learn.
My kids were the beneficiaries of Sesame Street—and I hope that it is still around when my grandchildren start learning their ABC’s
If you’d like my blog in your daily inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Today’s blog was brought to you by the letter B.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Cyber Terrorism
The CBS TV show “60 Minutes” has often been scary, but usually for me, it’s the recurring nightmare of opening my front door to discover Mike Wallace and a camera crew waiting to pounce. Whether I did anything wrong or not is immaterial. If you end up on “60 Minutes” you will always appear guilty under the barrage of accusations.
Last night, however, I was truly frightened at the report on Cyber Terrorism. Although I had heard the term, I hadn’t realized how far some countries and rogue organizations have gone already in infiltrating our banking, commerce and yes, even our military computer systems.
More fascinating is the thought that the next 9-11-type attack might be done SOLELY via the internet—terrorists operating computers from anywhere—tapping into our missile systems—or more likely, into the nation’s power grid.
It was on this date in 1965 that the Great Blackout of the Northeast happened, giving us our first glimpse over 40 years ago of the havoc to be dealt with in the event of a power failure of massive proportions. Today, with our dependence on computers and the web, it is fair to say that we are even MORE dependent on electricity and even more vulnerable to the aftermath of losing the juice.
A couple of videos today—first, here is the CBS News Report from the 1965 Blackout:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdF-CsxqDko
For those of us old enough to remember the 1965 event, it was unsettling to be sure. What would happen if the same thing occurred—only this time, it was a terrorist attack?
Here is the “60 Minutes” report from last night:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5578986n
In an age where “conventional” terrorist-attack prevention competes with restoring the economy, creating jobs and providing health care, we cannot lose sight that the spector of Cyber Terrorism is perhaps our greatest threat—but one that will not likely galvanize the nation into a response---UNTIL IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
Well, if you believe the reported incidents outlined on CBS, it HAS already happened—and we as citizens need to keep the prevention of cyber terrorism a top priority in the hierarchy of problems jockeying for attention and funding.
Our very survival may depend on it.
If you’d like my blog in your daily weekday inbox, just let me know- tim.moore@citcomm.com
Last night, however, I was truly frightened at the report on Cyber Terrorism. Although I had heard the term, I hadn’t realized how far some countries and rogue organizations have gone already in infiltrating our banking, commerce and yes, even our military computer systems.
More fascinating is the thought that the next 9-11-type attack might be done SOLELY via the internet—terrorists operating computers from anywhere—tapping into our missile systems—or more likely, into the nation’s power grid.
It was on this date in 1965 that the Great Blackout of the Northeast happened, giving us our first glimpse over 40 years ago of the havoc to be dealt with in the event of a power failure of massive proportions. Today, with our dependence on computers and the web, it is fair to say that we are even MORE dependent on electricity and even more vulnerable to the aftermath of losing the juice.
A couple of videos today—first, here is the CBS News Report from the 1965 Blackout:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdF-CsxqDko
For those of us old enough to remember the 1965 event, it was unsettling to be sure. What would happen if the same thing occurred—only this time, it was a terrorist attack?
Here is the “60 Minutes” report from last night:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5578986n
In an age where “conventional” terrorist-attack prevention competes with restoring the economy, creating jobs and providing health care, we cannot lose sight that the spector of Cyber Terrorism is perhaps our greatest threat—but one that will not likely galvanize the nation into a response---UNTIL IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
Well, if you believe the reported incidents outlined on CBS, it HAS already happened—and we as citizens need to keep the prevention of cyber terrorism a top priority in the hierarchy of problems jockeying for attention and funding.
Our very survival may depend on it.
If you’d like my blog in your daily weekday inbox, just let me know- tim.moore@citcomm.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
I'm A Bad Sport
I just couldn’t watch the end of the World Series the other night.
I have also successfully avoided ESPN so as not to be exposed to the Yankee’s celebration.
I admit it—when it comes to the Yankees, I’m a bad sport.
Yeah, yeah…I know…New York has won more championships than any other franchise in sports. Exposure to any Yankees fan for more than five minutes will have you well versed on the Bronx Bombers “dominance” over the years.
If I were a Kansas City fan, I could use the phrase “Best Team That Money Can Buy”—which of course is true, but since I am a Red Sox fan, I root for the “Second Best Team That Money Can Buy”-and that argument sounds feeble.
I harken back to the All Star break this season, where the Red Sox had a 3 game or so lead over New York and had beaten them 8 or 9 consecutive times.
What happened?
The Sox imploded and the Yankees exploded—it was truly both scenarios that created the situation that sent NY to the Series.
Funny thing is that I really don’t attribute it to “jealousy” of the Yankees. As a baseball fan, I totally respect the teams of old-and players like Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio, who were legends. Somewhere along the way-definitely in the Steinbrenner era—and probably when Reggie Jackson was on the team, there arose a kind of ARROGANCE—from the team and from its fans—that the Yankees were somehow a team bestowed with a divine RIGHT to be World Series Champs every year.
It was this sense of entitlement that causes fans of other teams to recoil.
Of course, no one can ever take away the Red Sox comeback in 2004, where the vaulted Yankees CHOKED!!!! A three games to none lead in the ALCS—and they blew it!! Let’s relive it, shall we?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrhNRkbs5N4
Do I hate ALL of the Yankees? Well, yes and no:
Derek Jeter: Great player-wish he was a Red Sox player (highest praise I can muster)
Alex Rodriquez: Loser, in almost every sense of the word
Johnny Damon: Traitor
Hideki Matsui: Great player-I HATE how he owns Pedro—would love it if Red Sox
Sign him if Yankees abandon their World Series MVP
Mark Teixera: Great player, but should be playing for Boston
CC Sabathia: I like his contract better than his talent
Andy Pettitte: Looks like an ex-con
Joe Girardi: OK, but is lucky the Yankees won-as his management of the pitching staff
was shaky at best---liked his predecessor much better.
I’m tired of listing more Yankees—and with their holier-than-thou attitude back, long suppressed by a few years of choking, we should make a point of making their mega-million off season signings last year a ONE-SEASON phenomenon.
Just WAIT until next year!!!
If you’d like my blog in your box, it is FREE to Yankee haters –for New York fans (of which there are now millions more today solely because they won), a subscription is only $27 million dollars a year ( one million for each of your rings) Visa and Mastercard accepted: tim.moore@citcomm.com
I have also successfully avoided ESPN so as not to be exposed to the Yankee’s celebration.
I admit it—when it comes to the Yankees, I’m a bad sport.
Yeah, yeah…I know…New York has won more championships than any other franchise in sports. Exposure to any Yankees fan for more than five minutes will have you well versed on the Bronx Bombers “dominance” over the years.
If I were a Kansas City fan, I could use the phrase “Best Team That Money Can Buy”—which of course is true, but since I am a Red Sox fan, I root for the “Second Best Team That Money Can Buy”-and that argument sounds feeble.
I harken back to the All Star break this season, where the Red Sox had a 3 game or so lead over New York and had beaten them 8 or 9 consecutive times.
What happened?
The Sox imploded and the Yankees exploded—it was truly both scenarios that created the situation that sent NY to the Series.
Funny thing is that I really don’t attribute it to “jealousy” of the Yankees. As a baseball fan, I totally respect the teams of old-and players like Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio, who were legends. Somewhere along the way-definitely in the Steinbrenner era—and probably when Reggie Jackson was on the team, there arose a kind of ARROGANCE—from the team and from its fans—that the Yankees were somehow a team bestowed with a divine RIGHT to be World Series Champs every year.
It was this sense of entitlement that causes fans of other teams to recoil.
Of course, no one can ever take away the Red Sox comeback in 2004, where the vaulted Yankees CHOKED!!!! A three games to none lead in the ALCS—and they blew it!! Let’s relive it, shall we?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrhNRkbs5N4
Do I hate ALL of the Yankees? Well, yes and no:
Derek Jeter: Great player-wish he was a Red Sox player (highest praise I can muster)
Alex Rodriquez: Loser, in almost every sense of the word
Johnny Damon: Traitor
Hideki Matsui: Great player-I HATE how he owns Pedro—would love it if Red Sox
Sign him if Yankees abandon their World Series MVP
Mark Teixera: Great player, but should be playing for Boston
CC Sabathia: I like his contract better than his talent
Andy Pettitte: Looks like an ex-con
Joe Girardi: OK, but is lucky the Yankees won-as his management of the pitching staff
was shaky at best---liked his predecessor much better.
I’m tired of listing more Yankees—and with their holier-than-thou attitude back, long suppressed by a few years of choking, we should make a point of making their mega-million off season signings last year a ONE-SEASON phenomenon.
Just WAIT until next year!!!
If you’d like my blog in your box, it is FREE to Yankee haters –for New York fans (of which there are now millions more today solely because they won), a subscription is only $27 million dollars a year ( one million for each of your rings) Visa and Mastercard accepted: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Fast Forward Through The Ads?
Since the arrival of DVR’s ,TIVO, digital cable and TV-to-PC recording, it’s now become ultra-easy to record and playback your favorite TV shows. The downside for advertisers, of course, is that this time-shift viewing means that millions of Americans are fast forwarding through the messages---commercials for which companies are shelling out millions to produce and air.
Since the advertisers make the programs possible, this is ultimately not good news for the consumer.
Why?
Well, as companies see the results of their advertising decline (as people stop watching), they‘ll scale back or drop TV advertising from their marketing budgets. En masse, this is bad news for the high production cost TV shows we’ve grown accustomed to enjoying. The diminished dollars will force the production of lower-cost (and lower quality) shows.
The technology is advancing faster than advertisers can counter-act consumer behavior. There are actually efforts to “embed” a phantom commercial within a regular one. If the viewer chooses not to skip through the spots, he or she will see the full ad. If, however, the FAST-FORWARD button is pressed, instead of seeing a high speed, unintelligible version, there will be a visual-only message that is fully understandable---only at that high speed.
Impressive, but not enough to compensate—since production costs for the commercial have thus risen…again.
Call me crazy, but aside from the screaming car dealer ads, much of what is nationally produced is highly entertaining—and sometimes funnier than the show it surrounds. Check out this hilarious spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk
Now, THAT’S funny—and smart marketers have been long clued into the fact that particularly funny commercials become an ATTRACTION rather than a distraction. They are treated as 30 second or 60 second dramas or comedies that indirectly feature the product or service.
The attention given to Super Bowl ads (often better than the game) attest to the fact that well written, acted and produced spots are actually part of the entertainment equation.
If you fast-forward through them, though…you’ll never know.
If you’d like my blog in your daily inbox (MOSTLY commercial free), send me an e-mail: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Since the advertisers make the programs possible, this is ultimately not good news for the consumer.
Why?
Well, as companies see the results of their advertising decline (as people stop watching), they‘ll scale back or drop TV advertising from their marketing budgets. En masse, this is bad news for the high production cost TV shows we’ve grown accustomed to enjoying. The diminished dollars will force the production of lower-cost (and lower quality) shows.
The technology is advancing faster than advertisers can counter-act consumer behavior. There are actually efforts to “embed” a phantom commercial within a regular one. If the viewer chooses not to skip through the spots, he or she will see the full ad. If, however, the FAST-FORWARD button is pressed, instead of seeing a high speed, unintelligible version, there will be a visual-only message that is fully understandable---only at that high speed.
Impressive, but not enough to compensate—since production costs for the commercial have thus risen…again.
Call me crazy, but aside from the screaming car dealer ads, much of what is nationally produced is highly entertaining—and sometimes funnier than the show it surrounds. Check out this hilarious spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk
Now, THAT’S funny—and smart marketers have been long clued into the fact that particularly funny commercials become an ATTRACTION rather than a distraction. They are treated as 30 second or 60 second dramas or comedies that indirectly feature the product or service.
The attention given to Super Bowl ads (often better than the game) attest to the fact that well written, acted and produced spots are actually part of the entertainment equation.
If you fast-forward through them, though…you’ll never know.
If you’d like my blog in your daily inbox (MOSTLY commercial free), send me an e-mail: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
King Tut's Tomb Discovered!
Imagine your excitement at discovering an intact Egyptian tomb!
On this date in 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter got that thrill as his workmen discovered a step in the Valley of Kings—leading down to the tomb of King Tutankhamen.
Carter arrived in Egypt over 30 years earlier—and most of the ancient tombs had been discovered. However, the little-known King Tut was still unaccounted for. This king rose to the Egyptian throne as a child—and died at the age of 18.
After World War I, Carter set out in earnest to find the mysterious King’s remains. After exhaustive excavation—and close to calling it quits, one of the workers discovered the first step to the tomb—close to the final resting place of King Ramses VI.
Here’s a short video that chronicles the discovery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZWB5-aXMXQ
When Carter and fellow archaeologist Lord Carnarvon entered the tomb on November 26th, they discovered a treasure-trove of several thousand objects! The four-room tomb was explored fully over the next few years, revealing an incredible array of artifacts. The most stunning of all was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the last one---made of solid gold—was the mummy of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for more than 3,000 years!
Most of the treasures are now housed in the Cairo Museum.
For an archaeologist, this was the equivalent of hitting the Lottery, winning the Super Bowl and World Series and striking oil—all rolled into one!
What else is out there? There surely must be hidden worlds yet undiscovered—and that fact is likely the motivation that drives scientists to dig---how else could you stand sifting through tons of dirt?
If you’d like my blog in your weekday inbox, just let me know—you won’t have to “dig” for it—and it’s free! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
On this date in 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter got that thrill as his workmen discovered a step in the Valley of Kings—leading down to the tomb of King Tutankhamen.
Carter arrived in Egypt over 30 years earlier—and most of the ancient tombs had been discovered. However, the little-known King Tut was still unaccounted for. This king rose to the Egyptian throne as a child—and died at the age of 18.
After World War I, Carter set out in earnest to find the mysterious King’s remains. After exhaustive excavation—and close to calling it quits, one of the workers discovered the first step to the tomb—close to the final resting place of King Ramses VI.
Here’s a short video that chronicles the discovery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZWB5-aXMXQ
When Carter and fellow archaeologist Lord Carnarvon entered the tomb on November 26th, they discovered a treasure-trove of several thousand objects! The four-room tomb was explored fully over the next few years, revealing an incredible array of artifacts. The most stunning of all was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the last one---made of solid gold—was the mummy of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for more than 3,000 years!
Most of the treasures are now housed in the Cairo Museum.
For an archaeologist, this was the equivalent of hitting the Lottery, winning the Super Bowl and World Series and striking oil—all rolled into one!
What else is out there? There surely must be hidden worlds yet undiscovered—and that fact is likely the motivation that drives scientists to dig---how else could you stand sifting through tons of dirt?
If you’d like my blog in your weekday inbox, just let me know—you won’t have to “dig” for it—and it’s free! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Electoral Irony
On this Election Day, here’s a quick trivia question:
Who did Washington, D.C. residents vote for in 1960-Kennedy or Nixon?
The answer is…..NEITHER!
Hard to believe, but in our Nation’s Capital, the seat of democracy and the epicenter of all things political, residents of the city were not eligible to vote until the passage of the 23rd Amendment in 1961.
Talk about irony—in a town where the votes of Congress affect us all, the residents there were not granted the basic right to determine their future!
The history of this intentional slight is murky, but comes down to the competition between states for the honor of having the nation’s capitol within their boundaries. As a solution, the tract of land between Maryland and Virginia that is now the city of Washington –The District of Columbia-was placed under the control of Congress, which suspended resident’s right to vote in 1801.
Therefore, D.C. residents have not voted for ANYONE from 1801 until 1964.
So, the very first presidential election that Washington residents voted in was the 1964 contest between Democratic President Lyndon Johnson and Republican challenger Barry Goldwater.
Here is an extended LBJ campaign ad from ’64:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XVmdkUrQUU
It’s safe to say that D.C. residents went the way of the country in re-electing LBJ.
Lest you believe that all electoral injustices for Washington have been resolved, it should be noted that the District still has no representative in Congress-as all efforts at D.C. statehood have failed.
So…perhaps you voted today. Perhaps you stayed away. Cherish the fact that you at least had the choice—the right—to cast your ballot.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Who did Washington, D.C. residents vote for in 1960-Kennedy or Nixon?
The answer is…..NEITHER!
Hard to believe, but in our Nation’s Capital, the seat of democracy and the epicenter of all things political, residents of the city were not eligible to vote until the passage of the 23rd Amendment in 1961.
Talk about irony—in a town where the votes of Congress affect us all, the residents there were not granted the basic right to determine their future!
The history of this intentional slight is murky, but comes down to the competition between states for the honor of having the nation’s capitol within their boundaries. As a solution, the tract of land between Maryland and Virginia that is now the city of Washington –The District of Columbia-was placed under the control of Congress, which suspended resident’s right to vote in 1801.
Therefore, D.C. residents have not voted for ANYONE from 1801 until 1964.
So, the very first presidential election that Washington residents voted in was the 1964 contest between Democratic President Lyndon Johnson and Republican challenger Barry Goldwater.
Here is an extended LBJ campaign ad from ’64:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XVmdkUrQUU
It’s safe to say that D.C. residents went the way of the country in re-electing LBJ.
Lest you believe that all electoral injustices for Washington have been resolved, it should be noted that the District still has no representative in Congress-as all efforts at D.C. statehood have failed.
So…perhaps you voted today. Perhaps you stayed away. Cherish the fact that you at least had the choice—the right—to cast your ballot.
If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
Monday, November 2, 2009
My Hero Is Gone
Apologies to those who actually look forward to my daily blog (both of you!) I have been “off-line” for a few days since the death of my beloved mother, Anita Grant Moore.
She was my hero.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she lived her entire life in and around our nation’s capitol. She grew up during the Depression, but if you asked her, it was an extremely happy childhood. The youngest of seven children born to Michael and Anastasia Grant, some of my mother’s siblings were so much older that my mom became an aunt at the tender age of 11!
After graduating from St. Patrick’s High School, she took a job at a Washington lobbying firm—where she met my father. Marriage and children followed-and Mom left the business world to become a homemaker.
Like so many of her generation, she might today be ridiculed for not having a “career”. But to her, having a family WAS her career. Taking care of us became the sole focus of her life, to the exclusion of many things that she declined to do or have for herself---because of us.
She was a wonderful mother to my sister Claire and I.
Always smiling, always ready for a laugh, Mom had a terrific sense of humor—and was quick to make herself the butt of the joke in order to elicit the same reaction from all around her.
A fantastic cook, she had a special love of all holidays, especially Halloween (where the costumes she would don would break you up) and Christmas, where the treats would be piled high-and the house decorated, as my father would say to “within an inch of its life”.
She passed on that fun spirit to us—and I think that Claire and I each inherited her sense of humor. My Dad could also be brutally funny, but in our family, he was the “serious” one and Mom was the comic relief.
I won’t bore you with the hundreds of family trips, special occasions, birthdays, holidays and excursions. What’s important to note is that through it all, Mom never failed to show her love and affection for her kids, her grandkids (who of course could do no wrong), her family and friends. There was no denying that “Neeters” (one of her more prominent nicknames) was there for you.
She cared—and it showed.
Life marches on-and things change. After my father began to fail and his Parkinson’s disease began to become noticeable, we convinced Mom and Dad that they should sell the house we grew up in and lived in for more than 40 years.
It was off to Leisure World in Silver Spring, Maryland—a place even my Mom called “Seizure World” or “Geezer World”---a black humor reference to the average age of the community’s population. After the initial adjustment period, it was clear that this was a good move. No more mowing the lawn, getting ripped off by unscrupulous contractors and climbing up and down stairs.
All this time, my father became more and more difficult to take care of---but Mom suffered silently—and kept the details of her daily struggles a secret from my sister and myself. Refusing to hire a maid or caregiver, she always minimized her assessment of the duties that befell her every day.
Then, five years ago, everything changed.
On Sunday, November 28, 2004, while getting ready for church, my mother suffered a severe stroke, collapsing on the kitchen floor. My father, barely able to walk unassisted by this time, nearly crawled to a neighbor’s apartment down the hall to summon help. I had just arrived back in Portland with my family after visiting D.C. for Thanksgiving. Without a doubt, the most devastating phone call of my life from my sobbing sister told me that life would never be the same. Both of us are convinced that the strain of taking care of Dad finally took its toll.
Mom’s stroke left her completely paralyzed on her right side-and unable to speak. From healthy, active and vibrant to completely incapacitated in the blink of an eye.
Now, my sister and I needed to find around-the-clock care for both Mom and Dad. We were fortunate to find a top-notch facility near my sister in Springfield, Virginia.
My mother’s woes were far from over, however. Eventually, her right leg had to be amputated, she was dropped a couple of times in the nursing home (needing hospitalization) and then she (and we) suffered the loss of Dad in 2007.
After a relatively short period of what could only be described as depression following the initial stroke, she came to some sort of peace that radiated from her entire being. Even during her period of sadness, she was careful to keep those emotions hidden from Claire and I whenever we would visit.
Despite her body’s attack on itself, she was FULLY aware of everything that went on around her and she was able to understand everything said to her. Her frustration (and ours) was that this once funny and interesting person was largely unable to communicate with us.
She could summon up certain words and phrases like “thank you” and “I love you”—and we cherished these expressions from her.
She was unfailingly polite and grateful to the caregivers at Renaissance Gardens at Greenspring-all of them loved her dearly.
For years, I have asked God the unanswerable question” “WHY HER?” She was so loving and giving-from her family responsibilities to her countless hours of volunteer work at the Christ Child Society. Why would He make her suffer so?
Had she been taken quickly, all of us would have been deprived of her loving presence, but she would have been spared years of agony, indignities and profound sadness and loneliness.
So…why?
Maybe there was a plan, a reason for all that she went through.
Maybe she was there to teach US how to accept whatever came our way with grace and dignity—and a grateful smile.
As much as Mom taught me in those first 46 years of my life, it is perhaps in the last 5 years that she taught me the most----all of it without being able to say a word.
At the funeral on Friday, Mom was eulogized by our dear cousin Beth Callanan, who also did a magnificent job remembering my father nearly three years ago. At the conclusion of her remarkable observations about Mom, she called upon all of us in the congregation to remember Mom’s fun-loving spirit and abandon our inhibitions in order to bring a smile to others.
She then pulled out a pair of those funny nose-and-glasses contraptions and put them on, declaring, “Craze (another one of my mother’s nicknames), this is for you!”
If we didn’t get the point, dozens of pairs of these funny and goofy glasses were passed out at the reception following the Mass. I thought the priest might also pass out, but he didn’t. Mom would have LOVED IT.
When leaving her after every visit during the last five years, I would always say “You’re my hero”. She, of course, would smile and say the word “hero” back to me.
My hero is gone.
But she has gone------to a better place.
I love you Mom.
She was my hero.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she lived her entire life in and around our nation’s capitol. She grew up during the Depression, but if you asked her, it was an extremely happy childhood. The youngest of seven children born to Michael and Anastasia Grant, some of my mother’s siblings were so much older that my mom became an aunt at the tender age of 11!
After graduating from St. Patrick’s High School, she took a job at a Washington lobbying firm—where she met my father. Marriage and children followed-and Mom left the business world to become a homemaker.
Like so many of her generation, she might today be ridiculed for not having a “career”. But to her, having a family WAS her career. Taking care of us became the sole focus of her life, to the exclusion of many things that she declined to do or have for herself---because of us.
She was a wonderful mother to my sister Claire and I.
Always smiling, always ready for a laugh, Mom had a terrific sense of humor—and was quick to make herself the butt of the joke in order to elicit the same reaction from all around her.
A fantastic cook, she had a special love of all holidays, especially Halloween (where the costumes she would don would break you up) and Christmas, where the treats would be piled high-and the house decorated, as my father would say to “within an inch of its life”.
She passed on that fun spirit to us—and I think that Claire and I each inherited her sense of humor. My Dad could also be brutally funny, but in our family, he was the “serious” one and Mom was the comic relief.
I won’t bore you with the hundreds of family trips, special occasions, birthdays, holidays and excursions. What’s important to note is that through it all, Mom never failed to show her love and affection for her kids, her grandkids (who of course could do no wrong), her family and friends. There was no denying that “Neeters” (one of her more prominent nicknames) was there for you.
She cared—and it showed.
Life marches on-and things change. After my father began to fail and his Parkinson’s disease began to become noticeable, we convinced Mom and Dad that they should sell the house we grew up in and lived in for more than 40 years.
It was off to Leisure World in Silver Spring, Maryland—a place even my Mom called “Seizure World” or “Geezer World”---a black humor reference to the average age of the community’s population. After the initial adjustment period, it was clear that this was a good move. No more mowing the lawn, getting ripped off by unscrupulous contractors and climbing up and down stairs.
All this time, my father became more and more difficult to take care of---but Mom suffered silently—and kept the details of her daily struggles a secret from my sister and myself. Refusing to hire a maid or caregiver, she always minimized her assessment of the duties that befell her every day.
Then, five years ago, everything changed.
On Sunday, November 28, 2004, while getting ready for church, my mother suffered a severe stroke, collapsing on the kitchen floor. My father, barely able to walk unassisted by this time, nearly crawled to a neighbor’s apartment down the hall to summon help. I had just arrived back in Portland with my family after visiting D.C. for Thanksgiving. Without a doubt, the most devastating phone call of my life from my sobbing sister told me that life would never be the same. Both of us are convinced that the strain of taking care of Dad finally took its toll.
Mom’s stroke left her completely paralyzed on her right side-and unable to speak. From healthy, active and vibrant to completely incapacitated in the blink of an eye.
Now, my sister and I needed to find around-the-clock care for both Mom and Dad. We were fortunate to find a top-notch facility near my sister in Springfield, Virginia.
My mother’s woes were far from over, however. Eventually, her right leg had to be amputated, she was dropped a couple of times in the nursing home (needing hospitalization) and then she (and we) suffered the loss of Dad in 2007.
After a relatively short period of what could only be described as depression following the initial stroke, she came to some sort of peace that radiated from her entire being. Even during her period of sadness, she was careful to keep those emotions hidden from Claire and I whenever we would visit.
Despite her body’s attack on itself, she was FULLY aware of everything that went on around her and she was able to understand everything said to her. Her frustration (and ours) was that this once funny and interesting person was largely unable to communicate with us.
She could summon up certain words and phrases like “thank you” and “I love you”—and we cherished these expressions from her.
She was unfailingly polite and grateful to the caregivers at Renaissance Gardens at Greenspring-all of them loved her dearly.
For years, I have asked God the unanswerable question” “WHY HER?” She was so loving and giving-from her family responsibilities to her countless hours of volunteer work at the Christ Child Society. Why would He make her suffer so?
Had she been taken quickly, all of us would have been deprived of her loving presence, but she would have been spared years of agony, indignities and profound sadness and loneliness.
So…why?
Maybe there was a plan, a reason for all that she went through.
Maybe she was there to teach US how to accept whatever came our way with grace and dignity—and a grateful smile.
As much as Mom taught me in those first 46 years of my life, it is perhaps in the last 5 years that she taught me the most----all of it without being able to say a word.
At the funeral on Friday, Mom was eulogized by our dear cousin Beth Callanan, who also did a magnificent job remembering my father nearly three years ago. At the conclusion of her remarkable observations about Mom, she called upon all of us in the congregation to remember Mom’s fun-loving spirit and abandon our inhibitions in order to bring a smile to others.
She then pulled out a pair of those funny nose-and-glasses contraptions and put them on, declaring, “Craze (another one of my mother’s nicknames), this is for you!”
If we didn’t get the point, dozens of pairs of these funny and goofy glasses were passed out at the reception following the Mass. I thought the priest might also pass out, but he didn’t. Mom would have LOVED IT.
When leaving her after every visit during the last five years, I would always say “You’re my hero”. She, of course, would smile and say the word “hero” back to me.
My hero is gone.
But she has gone------to a better place.
I love you Mom.
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