Whitney Houston - Concert in Central Park / Good Morning America 2009 - Manhattan NYC (Photo credit: asterix611)

The reporting and the reaction on social media to Whitney Houston’s death and funeral was so completely overblown and undeserved I was actually offended. You would think her to be canonized and raised to sainthood; when in fact she was a drug addict who left her 19 year troubled daughter to fend for herself because it was more important for Mommy to be high. Remember when our nation honored heroes?

Quick, what do Whitney Houston,

Michael Jackson, and James Brown have in common? The answer is lots. They were all merely entertainers. That’s it. Just entertainers. They were each all drug abusers and individuals who faced other, sometimes serious, criminal charges. And…they were all honored with nationally televised funerals and non-stop media coverage of their deaths.

How is it that we as a country can be so completely overwhelmed and emotionally committed to those who sing or entertain us? The adoration for these individuals and the ignoring of their selfish destructive lifestyles sets a bad example for our country’s youth and our future. If we hold people of such low moral character in such high esteem our personal aspirations must be equally troubling.

Whitney Houston was undoubtedly a beautiful woman with, AT ONE TIME, a voice of an angel. But whether by age, time, or more likely drug abuse and smoking that incredible voice left her at least a decade ago. When given a gift of such rare quality by God isn’t it a sin to treat it with such disrespect? And when enriched financially to such a degree by the adulation of people world-wide we clearly have no excuse for not finding all the help we may need to cope with whatever demons turn away the better angels in our nature.  Whitney had no excuse.

Nationally televised funerals have occurred in my memory in the past 10-20 years with the three singers mentioned, Rosa Parks the great civil rights icon, and former President’s Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. I’m not claiming there weren’t others. I’m claiming I don’t remember any. Obviously bestowing such remembrance and honor on our former Presidents is not only appropriate it’s mandatory. And its appropriate honoring Mrs. Parks who lived an exemplary life and stood up to racism at a time and place when others refused. But Brown, Jackson, and Houston? Come on! Where are our priorities.

In the past decade other entertainment luminaries who have passed include Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Farrah Fawcett,

Paul Newman, and Elizabeth Taylor. Who could be taken seriously who would say any of the five weren’t iconic figures? And each lived long lives (though Fawcett died at 62 from cancer) with extensive and extended careers. It’s hard to imagine a more truly American entertainment hero of the 20th Century than the English-born Hope. Carson dominated late night TV for 30 years, from 1962-1992. Newman’s movie career began in 1954 and didn’t end until shortly before his death in 2008. His philanthropy was so huge and generous that it goes on to this day, and will for years to come. Taylor was a movie actress since she was a child. She grew into one of the world’s most beautiful women and accomplished actresses. Fawcett’s death came within a week of Jackson so her death became almost unnoticed in the wave of shock and emotion accompanying the demise of the King of Pop. So with Fawcett, Hope, Carson, Taylor, and Newman I ask, “Where are their nationally televised, hours-long funerals?”. The decisions of the executives of CNN, FOX, and MSNBC to devote so much of their broadcasts to the deaths and funerals of Whitney Houston and the other black icons had only to do with one thing, ratings. Viewership for both now and the future will be aided by their promoting the hype.

Bob Hope w/ Liz Taylor

Clearly African-Americans hold tighter, hold up higher, and are more forgiving of their standard-bearers than people of other ethnic backgrounds, at least in this country. Barrack Obama got 96% of the black vote in 2008. Obama lost the white vote. Blacks couldn’t and can’t see why he is so flawed. The adoring, forgiving fans of Obama, Houston, and the other black examples cited in this blog extend into all races and ethnicities. No doubt. But the percentage’s among blacks who esteem these people so highly is overwhelming.

Blacks in this country on a percentage basis suffer disproportionately economically, educationally; more are incarcerated disproportionately. Racism was to blame for keeping blacks down for 300 hundred years. While racism still exists and IS intolerable; racism and bigotry are not responsible for the plight of African-Americans as a whole in the United States in 2012. Perhaps blindly following and adoring people of such low character has something to do with it.

I honestly don’t know. I’m not critical of those who fawn so overwhelmingly for the exciting and luminary movie actors, or singers. But I don’t. I never have. Perhaps it comes from having met and interviewed so many prominent people as a reporter. I just honestly don’t feel the adulation for such flawed people. I wept when Walter Payton died. I shed tears when

Pat Summitt

Tennessee basketball coach Pat Summitt  announced she had Alzheimer’s. So I do have the capacity within me. But Payton and Summit lead and have led exemplary lives.

I waited two weeks to write this because I wanted to make certain of my perspective and emotions. I also knew some would be offended that I should even write something so inflammatory (in their minds). That’s OK. I know my heart. R.I.P. Whitney.

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90% of all internet traffic will be video in the next three years? Don’t bet on it. It will take half that time.

Cisco Predicts That 90% Of All Internet Traffic Will Be Video In The Next Three Years – SocialTimes.com.

When this exploding trend becomes even more powerful is when video production company’s like ours, Total Broadcasting Service, really begin earnest marketing to all businesses. We’re already there. But most video production companies still cling to their very expensive shooting and production techniques; which keep many people and businesses holding back on use of video. The technological capabilities now available to us make video interesting, effective and good quality while not costing an entire advertising budget like it used to and like it still does for many.

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To this list of Inc. Magazine’s 10 Common Sales Mistakes to Avoid I’ll add one more.

11. Letting your customer walk all over you. We all know the cranky curmudgeon who seems to go through life with the perpetual frown and bad attitude. Here’s a secret- these people know that they’re like this and they use it to intimidate people. Don’t let it bother you. Stand up to them. When they interrupt tell them they interrupted. When they complain about making time for you, remind them that you scheduled the time with them and that your time is valuable too. This type of person is more commonly referred to as a bully. And you know how to get bullies to back down.

Click on this link for more helpful “don’ts” in a sales presentation.

10 Common Sales Mistakes to Avoid | Inc.com.

Thanks for listening. Comments are welcome.

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President Obama with former competitor Hillary Clinton

Do I really need to remind you that only four years ago Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama fought tooth and nail through the Democratic Primaries before Obama emerged with his party’s nomination? Do I need to remind you that Obama went on to win the Presidential election rather handily against a weakened Republican party? Do I need to remind you that the Tea Party activism wave that swept Republicans back into leadership in the House of Representatives and severely cut into Democrat leads in the Senate didn’t start gaining momentum and news coverage until the Summer of 2010?

Mitt Romney

I ask these questions because you would think the state of the Republican presidential contest were in free fall the way “pundits” are discussing recent polls on the cable news channels and talk radio. There is increasing discussion of a possible brokered convention for Republicans thanks to the surge in popularity by

former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, and the subsequent fall in popularity of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

First of all polls are not news. Though the news agencies do their best to tell us they are. Second the reason you are hearing so much about this stuff is because there is so little else to report right now. Their have been no primaries for over a week, and there won’t be any for another week. No news on who has momentum, no news on who is going to secure the nomination and by when. The news media is like a hungry dog. If you don’t give it something to chew on, they’ll find your slippers and have at-it.

Republicans have no cause to worry about a brokered convention. Romney still has the money and the expectation of getting the nomination and I think he will. Santorum has too many quirky little missteps in his past to survive the scrutiny he is only now undergoing for the first time in the political process.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich isn’t even trying to win in upcoming primaries in Michigan and Arizona; pinning all his hopes on a good showing Super Tuesday March 6th in numerous southern states. Gingrich has only one win under his belt, in South Carolina. Not running in all the states, like Romney is, is a sure way to give up the state during the general election. And giving up swing states like Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona, none of which Gingrich competed in, shows you are not prepared to lead the whole country.

Those who cling to fantasies of Sarah Palin

, Jeb Bush, or Chris Christie stepping forward at the Republican National Convention in August and then sweeping into the White House are smoking too many Florida Chads or something. Had these Republican luminaries had the belly for running for President they would have done so. But they didn’t. So that settles that. Even if Romney or Santorum fail to reach the 1,144 delegates to secure a nomination, you can expect some wheeling and dealing between what candidates hold delegates to come up with a nominee from among the three remaining. (Yes, three. Paul doesn’t count. Paul has never counted.)

My money and currently my vote remain with Romney. And Republicans don’t need to hurry up and get to where I already am. They can take their time. In the end, November is what counts. Beat Obama.

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Image via Wikipedia

When I read how former Bill Clinton advisor Dick Morris theorized that President Obama and his crafty political operatives had devised a strategy to manufacture the issue of birth-control and paint Republicans as being against something that virtually everyone in America, even Catholics, are in favor of I was skeptical. I know Obama built his entire career with the Chicago style of politics, and merely took out his opponents as a primary strategy. But this scheme seemed too Machiavellian even for him. This morning…I’m convinced. Obama has made the whole country fight each other over birth control where previously no argument existed.

Remember when ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked Mitt Romney what seemed like a bizarre question about banning contraception during the New Hampshire Presidential debate?

Romney was so taken aback by the question he literally didn’t know how to answer it. And yet…Stephanopoulos persisted demanding that Romney take a stand on whether states can ban contraception. As one who has watched all the debates since August I can tell you it was one of the most diligent pursuits of an answer I’ve seen a moderator perform. And only now we can realize why. The former Clinton aide was doing the work of the Obama Administration and trying to get Romney to step into the trap. Fortunately, Romney avoided the trap skillfully.

Some weeks later Obama announces his directive to require all churches and church run organizations to include free contraception and the abortion pill in all health care coverage they are now required to provide all their employees. It was such a blatant violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment it seemed like Obama had really stepped in it. The fact that Obama’s announced accommodation one week later removed the requirement that churches pay for the contraception didn’t remove the fact that Catholic churches, in particular, were still required to provide insurance covering for their employees what the church considers a grave sin.

Of course in a choreographed defense of the Obama strategy Democrats of many stripes jumped in to turn the matter away from the only subject for which anyone was objecting, religious rights, and turned it into a defense of contraceptive rights. The left-wing media has fallen into line and began chasing down old quotes from Catholic Rick Santorum, taken them out of context, and painted the GOP Presidential candidate as anti-contraception.

The left and the mindless who fell in love with Obama in 2008 either ignored or were ignorant of his background. Obama got elected to the Illinois State Senate by underhandedly finding some technical loophole to have his opponent in the race declared ineligible. He did nearly the same thing in the race that got him elected to the U.S. Senate. There his underlings found unflattering details about his GOP opponent in his opponents long-ago divorce papers. Obama leaked the stories to the press and his Christian family values Republican opponent was suddenly looked upon as a sexual degenerate and a hypocrite. Obama slid into office.

The straw the tipped me into the broken camel’s back category came this morning during my morning workout. While on my exercise bike and watching MSNBC (my gym doesn’t provide FOX News) Luke Russert asked his visiting journalist panel for their “shameless plugs”. A woman, a journalist supposedly, said she was going to go out and join the “contraception rights” rally taking place in New York. And she pumped her fist as she said this. As if there really is some fight going on.

Attention Democrats!! Attention! You’ve been bamboozled again! You’ve been deceived. Not surprisingly you all seem to be falling for it. Now hear this…Now hear this…THERE IS NO FIGHT OVER CONTRACEPTION! NO ONE, NOT REPUBLICANS, NOT ANYONE IS TRYING TO TAKE THE PILL FROM YOUR FERTILE LITTLE HANDS. This fight is manufactured by a President who can’t stand on his record and needs to create controversy and division among Americans where no controversy or division exists.

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When I realized that my schedule wasn’t THAT busy, at least not busy enough to disappoint my daughter I told her I’d be there. She smiled a broad and bright smile and gave me a kiss. I’d made her happy and it didn’t cost me anything more than my time, a mere 60-90 minutes.

Only this past football season I saw a college football star being interviewed after a big performance in a game when the interviewer asked, “Your Mom is here. I understand she never missed one of your games as you were growing up.” The ball-player laughed, smiled and said, “Heck, she never missed an assembly”.  Pretty special mom, I thought.

Sales-trainer-author Tom Hopkins said some years ago, “When your kids bother to tell you about an event, realize IT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM! If it wasn’t important, they wouldn’t tell you.” I know it may seem obvious to some, and those “some” are the parents of young kids or no kids. When your children reach their teens there are all kinds of things, and events they don’t tell you about; many that you wish they had.

If you are not there, or you somehow prevent your kids from being-there at an event they told you about or participating themselves you could be hurting them for a lot longer than the youthful, immature disappointment of missing something they had a fleeting interest in. My Dad’s ill temper and poor judgement on one such issue scars me to this very day. And it still hurts.

I am and always have been a huge sports fan. My first love was basketball. It’s a love I inherited from my father. He was a Seattle Sonics season ticket holder from their first year in 1967 until illness and disability caused him to give up his tickets in 1997. When I was growing up I had posters on my bedroom wall of all the Sonic Stars; Spencer Haywood, Fred Brown, Slick Watts, Leonard Grey, Leaping Lee Winfield, Coach Bill Russell, and Lenny Wilkins.

I was 15 years old when the Sonics won the NBA Championship in June 1979 and like so many others in the greater-Seattle region I made plans to attend the Championship Victory Parade Downtown the following Monday. Since I lived in Bellevue and the parade was on a school day planning was no small matter. I got permission from my Dad to skip school, then contacted all my friends who I wanted to go with, figured out the bus routes I’d need to take and got really excited. It was gonna be great. Nothing like this had EVER happened in Seattle and as it turned out never would again, at least at this point.

Problem was on Sunday, the day before the parade my Dad retracted his permission for me to go. He had been drinking. He was always an angry drunk. And in a moment in which he felt I back-talked to him (I guess) he told me I wasn’t going to the parade. I was shocked! I was absolutely shocked! This was going to be the biggest event in my life to that point and I had made all my plans. But my Dad had spoken. I got the impression he was genuinely pleased with himself for striking such a moving blow to his son. My size took away the option of him getting physical with me anymore. So his choices of discipline had been significantly hampered.

I was alone at school the next day. All my friends were at the parade. It was an unusually warm and sunny day for the city of Seattle. Everyone was in T-shirts. Estimates put the crowd at well over 200-thousand people. When my friends returned later in the day they stopped by my home to share just how wonderful it was. They didn’t have to. I knew beforehand that it was going to be a memory of a lifetime.

Some days later my Dad glowered over me about it. He says he called my school that day to make sure I’d gone to school. I don’t think my Dad ever fully appreciated the fact that I was a good kid. I did what my parents told me, always. I hadn’t even considered skipping school after he told me I couldn’t. But I would never forget.

As you can probably tell in my writing I still resent the hell out of my Dad for taking this event from me. No other Seattle major sports team has won a professional championship since that sunny week in June 1979. In the 33 years since then news accounts and occasionally friends will reference the parade and how wonderful it was. Trust me. I know.

Talk this week of Seattle getting a new sports arena for the NBA and possibly the NHL has revived the references to the championship and the parade and the long ago ache that never seems to go away. I still have the Seattle PI Headlines and Sports page from the championship framed and on display in my home.

I try to remember the hurt my Dad caused with his temper. Because I have a temper. And unlike my father I would never take joy from crushing my children. I’m not perfect, so I’m not saying I haven’t made mistakes. I hope I haven’t. But I do keep in mind that my words, deeds, and discipline of my kids have impact. Sometimes…lifelong impact. Just like every parent.

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Being this author’s birthday…I thought I’d let my mind wander just a bit. What would be happening on my dream birthday? Where would I be? Who would I be with? What would I be drinking?

Let me start by saying having a Valentine Birthday is really cool. I get blessed with the ability to get gifts for my loved ones while receiving cards, gifts and well wishes too. So in fulfilling my dream birthday I’ll start by keeping it right where it is currently. My oldest daughter has a really great birthday too, Halloween. I mean…someone is having a party on YOUR birthday every single year no matter where you are or what you’re doing. That would be cool. And my youngest has a Christmas birthday. That’s pretty top scale too. It basically means you get to see your closest loved ones on your birthday in a celebratory mood every birthday. I like that. But as good as those birthday’s are, I think I’ll stick with what I already have and what I already know. Like I said, its pretty cool.

Waking up on my dream birthday my beautiful wife would surprise me with word that she didn’t have to work today and neither did I. And while I grudgingly insist that I have things to do, she would firmly remind me that I’m my own boss and if I want to take the day off it’s OK. So I think about it, briefly, and decide she’s right. I don’t take off too many days. So…why not. Done. No work today.

As I quietly enjoy my morning Sports page with a large (I won’t say “Venti“) mocha latte, I read about my beloved Mariners and their upcoming season. Good news! We’re going to be much improved this year. Good thing, I think to myself, since the past couple years have sucked.

Checking my email is an exercise in controlling my healthy ego as it is swamped with kindly birthday wishes from ALL the people I care most about. Someone sends me a funny video. I LOL.  The Facebook profile pics are all smiling at me giving me a warmth everyone should feel as often as possible. It really is a great feeling and a wonderful blessing. Facebook can be bad in so many ways, but in this way it’s very good. Because I know I’m not the only one to have his heart swell because lots of folks clicked on the FB birthday reminders.

My birthday would have to include my kids. A day without my kids has its benefits, but in the best of circumstances I’m still left with a hole in my day if my kids aren’t there to say, “Love you Daddy“.

Ideally my day would include three delicious homemade meals. Restaurant food is fine. But the best tasting food comes from home…at least in my house it always has. I didn’t get to my current size by accident. HA!

Most importantly my best of birthday’s would include laughter. A single day without a hearty laugh is like a day without food or drink or warmth. It can’t happen. That’s why it’s an absolute must on my birthday. Laugh with me as someone jokingly calls me old. Enjoy the literal truth when someone calls me “Big guy” and probably has my girth in mind more than my height. My phone calls during the day would be wrapped in smiles, like plastic wrap on a piece of chocolate cake. Humor would be abundant.

I suppose a few more things might color my birthday with brightness. But if I close my day enjoying the sun setting out my family room windows, a cold cocktail in hand, and the aroma of a favorite meal wafting in the air…that would be a great birthday. With all that I just mentioned THAT would be an ideal birthday. I don’t need much.

So…what do you know. I’ve had the ideal birthday. My life is so great.

I believe life’s shame comes from a never-ending desire for more. Can we all find happiness in that which surrounds us everyday, for if we can, isn’t that enough? Isn’t it us who have drawn each and every aspect of our lives to us? Aren’t the people there because we wanted them to be? I needn’t be satisfied. Because I will continue to strive for the brass ring, for more relaxing, for more security for my family, and more time standing in a river with a fishing pole in my hands. But in the mean time that which surrounds me is so much more than I ever felt worthy of having I can’t help but be happy, and thankful to the ever-loving God who grants me the opportunities to bring these things and these people into my sphere.   

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Don’t we all know that one (or more) person/people who are sweet and kind but tend to walk around with a grey cloud following them? They don’t know how to be positive. This short little article on how to be more positive in your life and in business comes from Inc. Magazine online and really contains good common sense advice. But as my favorite author once wrote, “Learning is being reminded of what we already know.”

Positive Attitude: 6 Ways to Become More Optimistic | Inc.com.

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My Senior Portrait

What is it about your high school friends that creates such a bond? These people who occupy your life, in most cases for a mere 3-4 years, remain in your hearts, your memories, sometimes on your minds and in your dreams for a lifetime. Why is that? The permanency of your high school friends and acquaintances used to be reinforced only every ten years as reunions were the traditional every-decade opportunity to see everyone from bygone days and catch up on things. It was at the reunions that big smiles and big hugs occurred and ultimately led to…..nothing. For despite our fondness of our old classmates whatever it was that sent us in various directions after that final toss of the cap, whatever it is that keeps us from enjoying each others company outside of the every-ten-year reunion most people don’t hang with their old chums even when given the opportunity to do so at reunion time.

My school class 30 year reunion is upcoming this Summer. And of course some very good and dedicated people from my youth have organized and planned events for that time. Good for them. And thank you to each and every one of them. I’m looking forward to it, even though unlike reunions of ten and twenty years I’m not nearly as separated from my old pals.

Image via CrunchBase

Facebook has changed everything in this area. Over 800-million people worldwide have a Facebook account and statistics indicate that half of them log on every day. In the United States many, if not most, of these social media darlings made up their “Friends” almost entirely of old school friends. Now our society has gone from touching base with old high school chums every ten years to every ten hours. Remarkable!

In my case, I left

Sammamish High logo

Sammamish High School in Bellevue, WA upon graduation in 1982 and never looked back. I had over 500 kids in my graduating class. By July of that same year the number from those 500 people who I saw regularly was reduced to a small handful. After going away to college that September that number became zero. Over the next 5 years my association with high school classmates included 3-4 people, and only occasionally. My wedding 5 years after graduation brought 5-10 of them together. The succeeding 10 years I occasionally saw the Best Man from my wedding, who was also a high school classmate and football teammate. He then left my life for the past 14 years; until re-emerging only a couple months ago (and not on Facebook).

From my perspective my disappearance from sight from all my high school classmates is not rare. In fact its pretty common. And also not rare, from what I have seen and read, my old school classmates remain dear in my heart and mind and always have. Distance and time has not dimmed my strong feelings for people who only occupied parts of three years of my life.

In the thirty years since that time I’ve found myself employed with at least 2-3 jobs where I worked closely with people for longer stretches than the 3 years high school required. In one case I worked 13 years at an employer with a base of staff that was pretty constant. In each instance of employment I worked with people for longer hours each day than was required in high school, in a field we all shared as a common interest, if not passion. We enjoyed the occasional marriage, and birth of children, and family deaths. Many social gatherings and even holidays have been shared with co-workers. Far more than what I experienced in and around high school. And yet in most cases the people who occupy a higher level of fondness and memory in my mind are the folks who shared three years with me thirty years ago, and then left my life.

It fascinates me.

I know not everyone’s experience is like my own. For instance, my wife hasn’t seen or associated with any of her high school friends in the 28 years I’ve known her. And she is a very loving woman, and loved by ALL who come in contact with her. She went to 3 different high schools in four years, for reasons that in the case of each move seemed logical, but clearly left her much more detached from the people with whom she graduated. Other’s may share her perspective.

In the 3 years since connecting on Facebook with approximately 200 of my high school classmates I’ve learned a lot about some of these people who I didn’t know when we were all younger. In some cases I’ve been left to wonder if I went through high school in some debilitating fog. Oddly, most of the closest friends I had in high school are either not on Facebook or not active on it. So most of those I communicate with were either unknown to me entirely, or were mere acquaintances. And yet that fondness exists. Not surprisingly those who I care most about (generally speaking) from this collection of childhood friends are the few who shared my life before high school. I went to one elementary school, one Junior High, and one high school. I’ve connected on Facebook with a handful of others who can say the same thing.

Perhaps the strong feelings and memories many people feel toward their associates of youth is merely nostalgia like we feel toward a good old movie or song. But I think it’s more than that. However friendly any of my school mates are now or then we’re forever joined as brothers and sisters in a common community, with a common history, and in many cases common experiences, common stories, places.

Factoria

Bellevue, WA

Because I write and I often aim to be provocative I know some of my old friends are surprised at the man I have become; just as I am in many cases intrigued by learning what they’ve become. But however divergent our lives now are, however successful some, however troubled others, we came together during the formative years that saw us transition from children to young adults. We had no choice in originally being brought together. It is all our choice to have reunited. And isn’t it beautiful that so many with varied interests and passions have made that choice? Should God bless me with another 30-40-50 years of life I’m looking forward to them knowing I am stronger reconnected with those who helped form who I am when I was being shaped.

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If you find this blog interesting I hope you will Share it. TY.

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Bank of America Plaza (Photo credit: Frank Kehren)

It used to be that when you did a bad or a stupid thing you suffered a negative consequence. The end result being those making bad or stupid decisions would learn from their previous actions and avoid such foolishness in the future. “Learn” being the operative word in the previous sentence. Ultimately one could look back on previous mistakes and turn them into a positive.

Increasingly, thanks to the liberal mindset in this country, nobody deserves consequences. Nobody should suffer negatively for doing a bad or stupid thing. Everyone is forgiven or rehabilitated, or saved. There are no consequences.

con·se·quence

[kon-si-kwens, -kwuhns]  noun