Musings, Notes & Quotes

The Grammys

2012-02-13T08:49:00.003-06:00

The Grammys typically have one or two jaw-dropping performances per annual awards show and more than its share of "what the hell was that" moments too. Last night was no exception. Here are my hits and misses from The Grammys, held at the Staples Center and L.A. Live last evening in downtown Los Angeles.

Hit: Let's start here with Adele. What a voice! And, on a night when the music industry honored Whitney Houston and her incomparable voice, it was nice to see Adele--an artist who sings--singled out as the biggest honoree of the night.

Miss: Where to start? The top of my list here is Nicki Minaj. I mean, what the hell was that performance about? Was there something musically in there that I missed?

Hit: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band opened the show and used the platform to highlight what good ol' kick-ass rock-and-roll is all about.

Miss: I'm not even going to look up the appropriate name for the mouse D.J. bit--why bother? If that was a performance intended to honor Don Cornelius, then the former Soul Train founder's legacy was permanently scarred last night.

Hit: Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "I Will Always Love You" was hair-raising, goosebump chilling and amazing, given Hudson's short amount of time to prepare for this showcase moment. She knocked it out of the park.

Miss: The Beach Boys reunion, fronted by off-key renditions of Beach Boy songs by Maroon 5 and Foster the People, was painful to watch. Brian Wilson was clearly uncomfortable, casting rather horrified glances around during the performance of "Good Vibrations."

Hit: LL Cool J did an admirable job as show emcee. I wondered, as I watched, if LL aspired to this post back when he began his rap career in the mid-1980s.

Miss: The Coldplay and Rihanna collaboration on "Princess of China" fell flat. There are times when the Grammy attempt at placing performers together simply doesn't work--this pairing was one of them.

Saturday morning coffee

2012-02-11T09:04:00.002-06:00
- Let's give birthday shout-outs, shall we, to Missouri girl Sheryl Crow, who turns 50 today; Jennifer Anniston, still cover girl fodder at age 43; and Burt Reynolds, who clocks in at 76.

- CNN's Candy Crowley received the William Allen White Citation at the University of Kansas' School of Journalism & Mass Communications yesterday. And, in her remarks, Crowley noted that she's worried about an electorate that only gets its information from one news source. She also, when asked, said that if she'd done one thing different in school it would have been to "pay more attention in history." Crowley used that statement to point out that we live history every day.

- Did you see Modern Family on Wednesday night? Greg Kinnear's character was re-enacting the Saturday Night Live skit of the family who loves to kiss on the lips, regardless of gender or station. Funny stuff...

- When will Oklahoma Joe's in the old TGIF restaurant space open at 119th and Roe in Leawood, KS? There finally appears to be demolition and retrofit activity going on but the presumed opening date of this month seems optimistic.

- The Los Angeles Police Department captain who handled the crime scene on the day Don Cornelius killed himself was once on Soul Train. Captain Tina Monett Morris once appeared on the show, when she was a teenager, as a dancer.

- Given all of the lingering discussion about the commercial, and Clint Eastwood's role in the spot, methinks that Chrysler was successful with its Super Bowl advertising. The continuing conversation only keeps the brand in the public discussion well after the game is over.

- Google Wallet may be virtual but it appears that there is still danger of "losing" your wallet. According to Forbes.com, Google Wallet is "easier to crack than a walnut." A new hack surfaced today found that if you get your hands on a Google Wallet-enabled device, you can easily get at the personal information inside by tweaking a few settings and clearing the app data, allowing you to input a new pin all your own. Yikes!

- Search engine rankings for January 2012: Google, 66.2%, up from 65.9% in December; Bing, 15.2%, up from 15.1%; Yahoo, 14.1%, down from 14.5%.

- My favorite social media post of the week: "You can't be married to Gisele and win the Super Bowl at the same time. Fair's fair." (Source: Wall Street Journal)

- Finally, to all of my friends on Facebook who use that social media device as an hour-by-hour "here's what I'm doing" diary--have you ever heard of Twitter? Just sayin'...

Catching up on the world of entertainment

2012-02-07T13:51:00.001-06:00
- The 2012 Best Picture nominations for the Academy Awards are in place and The Help leads the field when considering domestic gross numbers. The Help is currently at $170M followed, distantly, by Moneyball at $76M and War Horse at $72M.

- While it's great that Red Tails has elevated the story of the Tuskegee airmen, the story deserved better. This is a movie which needed the understanding touch of a Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks collaboration, a la Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. The dialogue in this movie was painful and the sub-titling on the German flight scenes was downright laughable.

- Well, I'm flattered by the company I'm keeping. Readers of this blog know that I'm an unabashed fan of Homeland (Showtime.) And, others are now picking up on the quality of this drama--Showtime's public relations department is having a hard time keeping up with the demand for DVD sets of Season One. Yes, I know the first season has not yet been released to the general public but no less than ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer and a staffer for former President Bill Clinton have asked for the 12 episodes of this show.

- If you didn't tune in to the premiere of Smash, you need to check it out. NBC's much-hyped new show opened last night to solid numbers--11.5 million viewers and the biggest 9:00 p.m CT/10:00 p.m. ET drama ratings this year. However, industry observers expected bigger ratings given the lead-in of The Voice, which had 17.7 million viewers. Smash is very well done and stars ex-American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee along with Debra Messing.

- Finally, Saturday Night Live comedienne Kristen Wiig is in negotiations to star opposite Ben Stiller in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The film will center on a timid magazine photo manager who goes in search of a missing negative. Wiig plays Stiller's co-worker and girl of his fantasies. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

Super Bowl: Hits and misses

2012-02-06T08:53:00.001-06:00
The day of gluttony is over. The antacid tablets have been consumed. Some of you may be battling hangovers this morning. Yet, there's work to be done--what do we make of last night's Super Bowl commercials and non-football activity?

Hit: The pre-game was spot on with Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton offering up a touching duet on America the Beautiful and Kelly Clarkson hitting it out of the park on the always difficult Star Spangled Banner.

Push: Madonna's halftime was okay...but not great as in "Prince great." Madge rocked it out well for a 53-year old but the entry to the stage took up too much valuable time thus keeping us from hearing other hits from the pop star. I was expecting more...

Miss: Hyundai. It was another year of automotive advertising taking center stage and Hyundai, who just three years ago had offered up the Hyundai guarantee via the Super Bowl, ran work which was so-so at best.

Hit: Audi. An automaker who gets it is Audi--this year's spot highlighted their LED headlights and took advantage of the current fascination with vampires.

Miss: Coke. I hate to say it but the polar bears are getting old. This brand needs a major refresh at the Super Bowl.

Hit: Doritos. One of only two laugh-out-loud spots for me last night was this brand's spot featuring a dog who did away with the family cat.

Miss: Busch Light Platinum. The bottle's cool--the advertising was not.

Hit: VW. Last year's best spot (child Darth Vader) was followed up by this year's overweight dog who ultimately loses weight to chase the VW Bug.

Miss: Dodge/Chrysler. I loved last year's spot for this automaker which featured Eminem and paid homage to the city of Detroit. It's hard not to like anything with Clint Eastwood but this rendition tried too hard and struck too political a tone.

Hit: Kia. Let's face it, it's hard to make a Kia sexy. This ad tried hard and did a pretty good job.

Hit: Chevrolet - Camaro. A hot car plays right into a college graduate's testerone-fueled fantasy of the riches the auto can provide.

Hit: Career Builder. Yes, I know--apes/chimps in advertising is considered off-limits by some. But, seriously, did you not laugh at this spot featuring, yet again, the worker tormented by his scheming "co-workers?"

What was missing? Well, thankfully, the sophomoric humor which has been so popular over the past five years or so was nowhere to be seen. GoDaddy continued to showcase their sexist approach to "advertising" and Adriana Lima will likely be one of the most downloaded women on the 'net today after being showcased on the Teleflora (a really bad spot) and Kia commercials.

GE tried to use the Super Bowl as a platform for their corporate message but it felt flat amidst the auto and other, more entertaining work.

Overall, it wasn't a great portfolio of work but, of late, what is on this biggest viewing event of the year? The game and associated broadcast has grown so large and overwhelming that little can stand up to the immensity of that programming.

Super Bowl Sunday gluttony

2012-02-02T18:09:00.001-06:00
We all know that Super Bowl Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving when it comes to food consumption among Americans. But, holy guacamole, get a load of these statistics, as highlighted today in the Wall Street Journal:

- 4.4 million pizzas will be sold on Sunday by Pizza Hut, Dominos and Papa John's--more than five pizzas for every man, woman and child in the Super Bowl host city of Indianapolis.

- 111 million gallons of beer will be consumed--enough to fill 168 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

- 43.2 million pounds of tortilla chips are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday, reinforcing the decision by Doritos to be a Super Bowl advertiser. That's the equivalent of 96 Statues of Liberty!

- Not to be outdone, we will consume 45.8 million pounds of potato chips--no word if these are baked or not--which equates to 10 space shuttles.

- You want wings, you say? Okay, 100 million pounds of wings will be served on Sunday--1.25 billion pieces, enough to circle the Earth more than twice.

- Pretzels bring up the rear in the salty snack category but 13.2 million pounds will be consumed, no small amount of sodium being inhaled by we football fans.

- And, finally, as guacamole has grown in popularity, the use of avocadoes has risen to where we now consume 71.4 million pounds of the fruit. If you stacked, on a football field, the 143 million avocadoes which make up this amount, that structure would rise 27.5 feet above the playing surface.

It was this latter statistic which caused the executive director of the Avocado Board to pontificate, "avocado people are party people!" Rock on, guac lovers...

(Source: Nielsen, Wall Street Journal)

Brilliant...or desperate?

2012-01-26T14:54:00.001-06:00
JC Penney is crashing down a path in retail marketing that will either be considered, after results are in, a home run or a colossal failure.

In a presentation yesterday in New York, the CEO and President of JC Penney outlined their planned dramatic changes. These changes will be unveiled to consumers on Wednesday, February 1.

First off, the retailer shared a new logo--a square red box with a blue box and "jcp" in reversed out white in the upper left hand corner. Think of it as a patriotic, American-flag sort of vibe.

Second, JC Penney announced that Ellen DeGeneres will be the new company spokesperson. In addition to DeGeneres, Martha Stewart will have a partnership with the retailer and a new line from designer Nanette Lepore was announced.

Yet, perhaps the biggest change is in the retailer's pricing strategy. This strategy, called "fair and square" pricing, will include everyday, regular prices; monthlong values; and best prices, which will happen on the first and third Fridays of every month. Overall, the pricing shift will trim Penney's promotions from 590 a year to 12 a year.

The dramatic cut in promotions is being teased in new work from Mother which includes the tagline "Enough is Enough." I saw the spot for the first time last night and, honestly, I found it to be on the level of irritant as that of the Target shopper who was that chain's spokesperson in pre-Thanksgiving advertising.

The overall strategy shift--massive in size and scope--will also include merchandising updates to store personality and color palette. Overall, it's a major move for a retailer who has become irrelevant in a land of Target, WalMart and other smaller, successful retail chains.

As has become the trend in marketing these days, the name of that brand called Apple was evoked to explain the wisdom of this move. "Just like Apple, we're going to learn that the best days aren't in the rear-view mirror, they're right down the road," said CEO Ron Johnson. "I believe the department store is the number one opportunity in American retail. And this isn't something I decided last June when I took the job. This is something I decided 10, 15 years ago."

(Source: AdAge.com)

Golden Globe winners and losers

2012-01-16T09:42:00.001-06:00
Let's just shoot it straight, shall we--last night's Golden Globes telecast was pretty much a snooze. But, in the public interest, let's break down the true winners and losers from last night.

Winner: Kate Beckinsale. This stunningly beautiful actress picks some questionable acting roles but, wow, was her total look gorgeous last night. She won big time in the looks department.

Loser: Meryl Streep. C'mon--you forget your glasses and use that as the reason for dropping the F-bomb on national television? You've won a few times so that acceptance speech should be second nature and without need of notes, shouldn't it?

Winner: Homeland. Thank goodness the best drama on television did, indeed, win last night.

Loser: Damien Lewis. Really!? How did this guy lose in the best actor category to Kelsey Grammer?

Winner: Modern Family. The best comedy on television won a much-deserved Golden Globe.

Loser: Ricky Gervais. Sometimes funny, this acerbic comedian simply tried too hard last night and came off as flat.

Winner: Sofia Vergara. She looked great and was very, very funny when accepting the award for Modern Family.

Loser: George Clooney. Clooney won for The Descendants but his speech came off a bit too self absorbed. The guy is incredibly handsome and looks the part of true movie star but I found his tone a bit off-putting.

Winner: Selma Hayek. Gorgeous and sexy.

Loser: Chris Tucker. The camera kept finding Tucker in the audience. Tell me, what in the world has that guy been in recently? Nothing!

Winner: Morgan Freeman. The remarks by Sidney Poitier and Helen Mirren, coupled with the clips, made his Lifetime Achievement Award a highlight of the evening.

Loser: Nicole Kidman. In the words of Jonathan Anton on The Today Show, "get out in the sunlight already!"

Winner: Jimmy Fallon. Watching Fallon impersonate Mick Jagger always makes him a "winner."

Loser: Angelina Jolie. Yes, I know, this is heresy--the dress was beautiful but can someone please get Angie a meal (or two?) Please...

Sunday morning coffee

2012-01-15T09:45:00.001-06:00
- It's a big week for TV viewership as many shows begin their winter/spring season of new episodes. Alcatraz (FOX) starts tomorrow night, Justified (FX) starts season three on Tuesday night as does season four of Southland (TNT) and American Idol (FOX) begins on Wednesday.

- If you've been wondering "whatever happened to Adam Lambert?," you can catch up with the American Idol star on Tuesday night when he appears on Jay Leno. (And, in full disclosure, the whereabouts of Lambert haven't been keeping me up at night.)

- In the "I can't wait" department, author Tom Wolfe (Bonfire of the Vanities) is reported to have a book coming out in 2012 about Miami and immigration.

- The state of Colorado is usually a state one associates with good health and smart eating habits. Yet, Coloradoans celebrated Cinnamon Roll Day on January 8. Now, I like a good cinnamon roll as much as the next guy but who knew we could have a day dedicated to this delicious treat? Sam Tollison, a 10-year old in Colorado, collected over 100 signatures on a petition to give the snack its own day. Governor John Hickenlooper was so impressed that he agreed to grant this special day and make it into law.

- In the "you can't make this 'stuff' up" category, residents of a Fresno, CA apartment building received quite the surprise recently. A stolen car ended up on the building's roof after the perpetrator/driver, fleeing in foggy conditions, struck a curb, bounced off rocks and a tree stump, went airborne and landed 20 feet off the ground. The car was later removed from the roof by a crane.

- If you're reading this and are a college undergraduate, majoring in architecture, here's a word to the wise--get out! According to a new study by Georgetown University, unemployment for college grads is highest among architecture majors. Why? The researchers cite the collapse of the housing market as the culprit. (Source: New York Times)

- And finally, in this election year, more and more Americans are identifying themselves as independents. 40% of Americans now say they are independents, compared with 31% who say they are Democrats and 27% who say they are Republicans. (Source: Gallup)

Tebow dominates social media

2012-01-14T09:40:00.001-06:00
Name another pop culture-sports phenomenon, in recent memory, that competes with Tim Tebow's impact on societal conversation. Want proof? Look no further than Tebow-related chatter which has become pervasive across social media.

Bluefin Labs and Ad Age tracked Tebow-related conversations and found that the 2,137,220 comments, during and after last Sunday's Broncos-Steelers game, dwarfed other sports events during 2011. The 2+ million comments were far higher than the 1,809,310 comments during Super Bowl XLV; the 901,238 during World Series Game 6; the 720,668 during game six of the NBA Finals; and the 293,304 during game seven of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

An average number of social media comments for an NFL game on CBS is 107,637 during the past season. The average number of social media comments for an NFL wild card game--based on the four games last weekend--is 788,050.

Tebow mania? It's definitely true in the world of social media.

(Source: AdAge.com)

Saturday morning coffee

2012-01-07T09:32:00.001-06:00
- In the never-ending category of "no lack of material," we turn once again to the world of business language and the increasing use of the term "perfect storm." This phrase is being used to describe when a series of conditions comes together to create a "perfect storm"--sometimes in a positive way and sometimes in a negative. I would remind my business colleagues who use this term that the origination of the phrase comes from the book and movie of the same name--the story where all but one member of the ship perish in the "perfect storm."

- Singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins turns 64 today. And, for those who of you who only remember Loggins as the voice behind hits like "Danger Zone," there was a time when he was a part of a hit duo, Loggins and Messina. Loggins teamed with Jim Messina, at the beginning of his career, in the early to mid 1970s and together they created hits like "House at Pooh Corner" and "Danny's Song." Messina's roots were with classic, country rock bands Buffalo Springfield and Poco.

- How are those New Year's resolutions coming along for you all? Yeah, I thought so...

- I made the move this week from an Android device to the iPhone 4S. And, while my past two Android wireless phones have been outstanding, there is simply something about the Apple operating system which, as a friend says, "just works." The UI is unmatched and the touchscreen keypad is lights years better than on my last device.

- Here in the ol' cowtown, Southwest Airlines is our primary airline option to go from here to there. And, for those of you who have flown Southwest, you know that they have an employee culture of having fun and creating a unique flight experience for their guests. Personally, I'm not a fan of the singing flight attendant who typically has a song prepared for the aircraft's landing but those I fly with like this little touch of humor versus the normally surly attitudes which seem to be the hallmark of other airlines' attendants.

- Target has split with longtime advertising agency Weiden & Kennedy. Target's former Chief Marketing Officer worked well with W&K before his departure to J.C. Penney, thus the move is not totally surprising.

- Coming up: The premiere of season three of Justified (FX) is January 17. Tune your DVRs now.

Best television of 2011

2012-01-01T16:58:00.001-06:00
What were the best TV shows of 2011? You saw the shows I mentioned last week in "Hits, Misses and 'Who Cares' of 2011," but what about none other than The Hollywood Reporter? Let's look at this magazine's "best of" list.

Comedy

1. Louie (FX)
2. 30 Rock (NBC)
3. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
4. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
5. The Inbetweeners (BBC America)
6. Archer (FX)
7. Community (NBC)
8. Wilfred (FX)
9. Modern Family (ABC)
10. Raising Hope (FOX)
11. Enlightended (HBO)
12. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
13. Suburgatory (ABC)
14. The Middle (ABC)
15. Episodes (SHO)

Drama

1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
2. Game of Thrones (HBO)
3. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
4. Homeland (SHO)
5. Justified (FX)
6. Boss (Starz)
7. Treme (HBO)
8. The Walking Dead (AMC)
9. Southland (TNT)
10. Friday Night Lights (NBC)
11. Men of A Certain Age (TNT)
12. Lights Out (FX)
13. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
14. Shameless (SHO)

Saturday morning coffee

2011-12-31T10:26:00.001-06:00
It's the last day of 2011 so let's wrap up with one final installation of "Saturday morning coffee," shall we?

- If you're looking for an entertaining alternative to a New Year's Eve party or New Year's Rockin' Eve with Dick Clark, check out Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in the theaters. There's a reason it's the box office hit of the holiday season.

- Imitating Santa Claus does not pay. A Stockton, CA teen, George Herrera, tried to sneak back into his home, after breaking his parents' curfew, by climbing down the chimney. Herrera got stuck and firefighters had to be called to pull him to safety.

- Viggo Mortensen, star of such movies as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, offers us this week's quote of the week. Mortensen has no patience for actors who go through the motions once they've made it big and said this in a recent interview: "You're tired!? Come on! The crew isn't tired? The crew who got here two hours before you and who'll be here two hours after you leave, and who are being paid, in many cases, one thousandth of what you're being paid!? Life is too short to work with idiots."

- Of the 11 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced this month, only one is a woman--singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. Since its founding in 1983, only 40 of the 296 inductees have been women or included female members.

- On any given day, 58% of us go online for no other reason than to have fun or pass the time. (Source: Pew Research)

- Looking ahead, what should we expect from 2012? According to The Hollywood Reporter, here are five trends for 2012: 1. Facebook finally goes public. 2. Stars take more control, i.e., taking more control of user-generated content. 3. NBC's Olympics battle Twitter. (Can the network control the flow of information so that tweets don't pre-empt programming?) 4. Hollywood's box office slump faces a crucial test--was the box office lag of 2011 an aberration, or the sign of a trend? 5. James Murdoch feels the heat as the News Corp. scandal deepens.

Let me sign off by saying that, once again, it's been a kick writing for those of you who follow this space for my idle ramblings. Here's wishing you the absolute best in the New Year!

The hits, misses and "who cares" of 2011 - vol. 4

2011-12-30T09:16:00.001-06:00
Here you go, readers--the final volume of the "hits, misses and 'who cares' of 2011."

Hit: The Good Wife (CBS) lost a step this season but is still the best written, best acted primetime drama on network television.

Miss: What is up with Target's insistence on using the wildly irritating actress, in pre-Christmas advertising, hyping their pre-Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales?

Who cares: Taylor Swift--I still Just-Don't-Get-It.

Hit: Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez joined holdover judge Randy Jackson on American Idol (FOX.) And, guess what--it worked! The chemistry of the trio was better than all but the earliest years of Idol.

Miss: AMC went to war with Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men, in intense negotiations about the future of the show. While it appears that Weiner won several concessions from the network, the losers were viewers of this top-notch show which went dark throughout 2011. The next season of Mad Men will begin in March 2012.

Who cares: Conan O'Brien returned to nighttime television after a very public dispute with NBC. And, Coco's return has been met with a collective yawn by the vast audience of potential viewers, netting less-than-stellar ratings for Conan (TBS.)

Hit: Daniel Craig, star of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, publicly called out the Kardashians in British GQ for getting paid to behave "like f--king idiots on television."

Miss: Is there a Broadway show in recent memory which has been as troubled as Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark? This most expensive production in Broadway history had several false starts, including injuries to actors involved in stunts, before finally opening in June. Reviews for the show have been less than kind.

The hits, misses and "who cares" of 2011 - vol. 3

2011-12-29T09:12:00.001-06:00
I know you're sitting there with your morning coffee, waiting anxiously for this third installment of the "hits, misses and 'who cares' of 2011." So, let's get after it, shall we?

Hit: In this age of the dressing down of America, it's nice to see shows like Mad Men and Pan Am succeed, given their 1960's fashion-forward look. Can we please bring that fashion sense back to today's work world?

Miss: Elizabeth Taylor as in "we will miss Ms. Taylor." Taylor was a movie star in every sense of the phrase--she achieved artistic success with her on-screen exploits and was tabloid fodder for her off-screen activities. Her beauty made her one of the most adored women in the world and her involvement in AIDs research raised millions.

Who cares: Maybe it's just me but does anyone really care about Paul McCartney anymore? Who McCartney has married this week is of no interest and his music is irrelevant.

Hit: HBO knocked it out of the park again with its original series, Game of Thrones. Other cable networks--notably AMC--are doing great work with their original series but HBO still sets the standard.

Miss: When I first saw Scotty McCreery two years ago on American Idol, I thought "nice, knock off voice of Josh Turner (country and western artist.)" Now, seeing McCreery appear on a variety of national television shows and on tour, my question is "really!?"

Hit: Is there a funnier actress in America than Melissa McCarthy? I first noticed McCarthy on Samantha Who?, the short-lived sitcom starring Christina Applegate. This year, McCarthy broke out with her performance in Bridesmaids coupled with her TV turn on Mike & Molly.

Miss: In 2011 we lost an iconic rock-and-roll presence in Clarence Clemons, longtime saxophonist and sidekick for Bruce Springsteen in the E Street Band.

Who cares: It was a bad year for Eddie Cibrian. First, he fails miserably at elevating The Playboy Club from the list of really bad television. And, he makes this list a second time due to his marriage to singer LeAnn Rimes. These two are a "celebrity" couple which just falls in the "who cares" category.

What if "Fatal Attraction" had ended differently?

2011-12-28T14:50:00.000-06:00
Who doesn't remember the chilling ending to Fatal Attraction, the 1987 thriller starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close? That suspenseful ending wasn't the original conclusion to the movie, which grossed more than $300 million in box-office earnings, and it was through the involvement of Joseph Farrell that the planned ending was changed.

Farrell, a marketing executive at Paramount Pictures, died on December 7 and his passing brought back the story of the drama surrounding the end of Fatal Attraction.

The original planned ending had Close's character, the psychopathic stalker to Douglas' Dan Gallagher, commit ritualistic suicide as she listens to a recording of "Madame Butterfly." Farrell insisted on testing the movie with preview audiences--and those consumers openly rejected the ending as unsatisfying. Given the findings, Farrell insisted that director Adrian Lyne re-shoot the ending. And, we all now remember that captivating finish where Douglas seemingly kills Close's Alex Forrest in a struggle in the bathtub, only to have her re-emerge and then be shot by Douglas' wife, played by Anne Archer.

The movie was nominated for six Oscars but would not have gained this critical and consumer acclaim if not for the efforts of the late Farrell, the unknown and offscreen hero of Fatal Attraction.

The hits, misses and "who cares" of 2011 - vol. 2

2011-12-28T09:42:00.001-06:00
Here you go, loyal readers--the second volume of this week's feature on the hits, misses and, of course, the "who cares" of this past year.

Hit: Modern Family (ABC.) This smart comedy is the best sitcom on network television and, unlike most shows, is picking up momentum in season three.

Miss: The Playboy Club (NBC.) Eddie Cibrian did his best poor man's Don Draper but where this show failed was with the implausible story line. Unlike Pan Am, this period piece failed.

Who cares: Charlie Sheen. Why even devote another line of copy to this "story?"

Hit: Justified (FX.) If you didn't watch season two of this FX drama, you missed terrific acting and writing plus the Emmy performance of Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett. Timothy Olyphant stars as Raylan Givens, a Federal Marshall who goes back home to Kentucky and the various crime activities which take place in Harlan County. The new season of Justified starts on January 17.

Miss: James Franco's host role on the Oscars was painful to watch. Anne Hathaway, as co-host, tried her best but Franco's performance as Oscar emcee was not only a puzzling pick but a sad reality--he was horrible.

Who cares: The X Factor (FOX.) This much-hyped reality show, the brainchild of Simon Cowell, was much adieu about little and failed to eclipse the standard of Cowell's former show, American Idol.

Hit: Finale, Friday Night Lights (NBC.) Few shows in recent TV history have combined the ensemble cast excellence, taut writing, and real life drama of Friday Night Lights. Unfortunately, the critically acclaimed FNL failed to build critical audience mass given little help from NBC in how the drama was yanked around on the network's schedule. The emotional final episode, while sad given the show's end, was poignant and fulfilling. "Clear eyes, full hearts...can't lose!"

Miss: Lights Out (FX.) You say you've never heard of this show? Don't fret--few did as it lasted only one season. The drama, starring Stacey Keach and Holt McCallany in the lead role as "Lights" Leary, was gripping in its account of a retired heavyweight champion who struggled with life outside the ring.

Who cares: It/they starts with a “K” and ends with an “N.” Can we all make a pact to not buy any of their products or watch any of their reality TV shows this year?

Hit: The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach. My favorite novel of 2011 follows the exploits of Henry Skrimshander, a baseball fielding savant, and his peeps at fictional Westish College.

Miss: Steve Jobs, as in "we will miss you, Steve Jobs." Jobs' impact on our lives has been well documented--it will be interesting to see how his legacy continues to play out at Apple.

Who cares: Justin Bieber has the hair and, apparently, the voice but watching him move from adolescence to adulthood is just plain creepy. Why do so many young stars find it necessary to leap from pre-teen to 30 in their behavior?

The hits, misses and "who cares" of 2011

2011-12-27T09:31:00.000-06:00
What were the hits and misses of this past year? And, of course, what were the "who cares?" Let me break it down for you with this first edition of "hits, misses and 'who cares'."

Hit: Homeland (Showtime.) This modern day espionage thriller may have been the hit of the television year. Homeland is a smart drama featuring Claire Danes in an Emmy-worthy role complemented by strong performances by Mandy Patinkin and Damian Lewis.

Miss: Charlie’s Angels (ABC.) Those of us who are old enough to remember the original show know that it was bad but the eye candy was first rate. This show was so bad that one couldn't even focus on the eye candy.

Who cares: Coke may have been guilty of a poor brand identity move by producing white Coke cans for its "regular" Coke brand. But, the outcry from devotees of “real” Coke who felt that the can color changed the taste was just plain silly.

Hit: The Royal wedding was "the" event of the year and made a pop culture star out of Pippa Middleton, sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The lovely rear view of Middleton, broadcast to millions worldwide, immediately made her an internet sensation.

Miss: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC.) One, is there a more dislikable ensemble acting cast on television? And, two, the various story lines for this former ABC hit have not yet jumped the shark but are in pre-jump position.

Who cares: Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore split given rumors of his philandering and stories of her insecurities about her looks. Raise your hand if you were shocked by this news. Yep, that's what I thought...

Hit: Volkswagen’s “The Force” commercial first aired during Super Bowl week, as well as on the game broadcast, and became one of the most-watched YouTube commercials of the year.

Miss: Does anybody really understand why the erectile dysfunction spot for the Cialas brand ends with a couple lounging in separate bathtubs outside? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Who cares: The final season of Entourage whimpered through 10 or so shows before trying to neatly tie up all story lines in a convenient bow at the conclusion of this formerly fun series on HBO.

Tomorrow--Check this space out tomorrow for volume II of our "Hits, Misses and 'Who Cares' of 2011."

Social buzz for Holiday television

2011-12-26T10:54:00.000-06:00
Can you imagine George Bailey's consternation--beyond the mere fact that he got to see what the world would be like without him--had he known that those who watched It's A Wonderful Life could utilize this thing called social media to comment as well?

Bluefin Labs has analyzed the social media buzz around holiday-themed television and found that Elf, the holiday comedy starring Will Ferrell, won the social media sweepstakes by a wide margin. But, that victory had to do with the number of times the movie aired--eight times on USA and twice on SyFy between December 1-18.

When Bluefin factored number of mentions compared against number of airings, the social media winner was Michael Buble's A Michael Buble Christmas, which aired just once on ABC. Buble benefited from fellow crooner Justin Bieber's Twitter following as Bieber's tweeting posse helped promote the show given the young star's appearance on Buble's special.

The other interesting phenomenon was that shows which aired later in the month, closer to Christmas, garnered more social media mentions thus indicating that the holiday spirit built over the course of the month. A Charlie Brown Christmas which aired on December 15 received three times as many mentions as the one airing December 5.

Here is the top ten list based upon mentions per airing:

1. A Michael Buble Christmas (NBC)
2. CMA Country Christmas (ABC)
3. A Very BET Christmas 2011 (BET)
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC)
5. It's A Wonderful Life (NBC)
6. Elf (USA/SyFy)
7. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (ABC)
8. Christmas in Washington 2011 (TNT)
9. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (ABC Family)
10. The Polar Express (Disney)

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T08:32:00.000-06:00
Merry Christmas Eve, one and all! Let's take a cruise around to see what's going on in that world of last-minute shopping, shall we?

- Did you know that Dom Perignon was a 17th-century Benedictine monk? Nope, I didn't either, but I thought you might like that little fun fact given the bubbly which will be imbibed over the next week at various holiday gatherings and such.

- None other than TV and radio mogul Ryan Seacrest is a Christmas Eve baby. Seacrest turns 37 today.

- The wild, wild west isn't alive and well in Steamboat Springs, CO. Three people recently left a bar in that ski town, commandeered three horses, and then rode them into a Starbucks and a Safeway in search for some munchies. (Hmm, wonder what they were smoking along with their bar libations?) The night ended for the three amigos when local police tasered and arrested them.

- In case you had not heard, don't be licking the bowl today if you're baking any Christmas cookies. A recent study found that a 2009 E.coli outbreak, that sickened 80 people in 30 states, was caused by eating raw cookie dough.

- It's a cat's life: A former stray Italian cat recently inherited more than $15 million. Real estate investor Maria Assunta died last month and bequeathed her entire fortune to Tommasino, a stray cat Assunta had adopted. Assunta's former nurse is trustee for Tommasino's millions.

Say it ain't so, Smokestack!

2011-12-23T09:01:00.000-06:00
It's a sad day in the barbecue community of Kansas City--Smokestack barbecue, on Wornall, has closed.

The original Smokestack, opened in 1957 by the Fiorella family, was located off of Highway 71. Jack Fiorella, a son of the owners, branched off in 1974 and opened Fiorella's Smokestack in Martin City. This location, and two others he would eventually open, became Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue.

Mary Fiorella, a daughter of the owners, also branched off and opened Smokestack BBQ at 8920 Wornall during the mid-1980s. Mary died a few years ago and her son had been managing the Wornall location since her death.

Smokestack closed a few days ago but there are plans in the works to sell a Smokestack line of barbecue products at select retail locations in Kansas City.

(Source: The Kansas City Star)

Here you go: The top Christmas movies ever

2011-12-22T21:13:00.001-06:00
Hello, dear readers, and Happy Holidays. You probably read the headline to this piece and thought "just what I need--another top ten list of Christmas movies." But, you see, this is my list so read up to find out which are "must see" movies this holiday season.

Holiday Inn (1942): This isn't technically a Christmas movie but it is the first time we hear Bing Crosby sing "White Christmas." For that alone, this one makes the list. (And, the dancing of Fred Astaire isn't bad either.)

A Christmas Carol (1984): I prefer this version with George C. Scott, one of the best American actors ever. Or, maybe I'm just intrigued at watching the guy who played General George S. Patton (Patton) and General Buck Turgidson (Dr. Strangelove) take a turn as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978): This makes the list because of how fun it was to watch with my daughter. Big Bird worries when Oscar tells him that Santa can't fit down the chimney. And, of course, the story is told with typical Sesame Street grace and care.

White Christmas (1954): It's not really the Christmas season until I see Crosby singing "White Christmas," with Rosemary Clooney, in those redder-than-red outfits at the end of this classic.

The Preacher's Wife (1996): This is a remake of The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant) but gets the nod due to Denzel Washington as an incredibly charming Dudley and a pre-meltdown Whitney Houston displaying her gospel singing chops.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947): A young Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn, as Santa Claus, star in this black-and-white classic. What I love is how the importance of magic and make-believe is central to this sentimental story.

Home Alone (1978): Yeah, it's goofy and unbelievable. But, c'mon, the "battle scene" in the house is great slapstick humor and Roberts Blossom, as Harley, turns from threatening neighbor to cuddly grandpa by the end of the flick.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946): Everyone's favorite never grows old--the story of George Bailey and what life would have been like had he not existed is timeless. The all-star cast includes James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Thomas Mitchell.

And, now, it's time for the final two. Let me first qualify by saying that one isn't technically a movie but it's multi-year run as America's favorite Christmas special qualifies it for status on this list.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989): This is the best of the "vacation" movies featuring Clark Griswold and family and the highlights are many--Clark's attempt to create the best "exterior illumination" display ever, the escapades of Cousin Eddie, and the all-too-familiar tension created by invading in-laws during the holidays. This movie shines with the one-liners which have woven their way into our vernacular, particularly at this time of year.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965): Yes, I know--this is not a movie but a television special which has now aired for 46 years! Charlie Brown, upset at the commercialism he sees around him, seeks the true meaning of Christmas. Leave it to Linus, Charlie's deep, even-tempered friend, to calmly explain it, reciting those wonderful lines from the gospel of Luke. Ever the klutz, Charlie gang of companions rally around him and display the wonder of this special season.

There, quite the list, isn't it? Happy viewing!

Happy Birthday, Keith!

2011-12-18T07:44:00.000-06:00
Happy Birthday today to Keith Richards, one of rock-and-roll's bad boys, who turns 68. The Rolling Stones guitarist was recently voted the tenth best guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Saturday morning coffee

2011-12-17T09:37:00.000-06:00
Good morning, campers--happy Saturday morning to you! Are you plotting your attack today on the last full weekend of holiday shopping? Yeah, me neither...

Let's look at what's going on out there in the wild world of popular culture, consumer behavior and interesting "news."

- The final episode of Homeland airs on Showtime tomorrow night. The series is one of the best of the season, earning impressive ratings and critical acclaim. Claire Danes' performance as Carrie Mathison is Emmy-worthy stuff and Damian Lewis, as Sgt. Nicholas Brody, offers a simmering unease--is he really a terrorist or not? It will be interesting to see if Homeland delivers a knockout finale, or disappoints viewers, a la The Killing (AMC), which left its murder mystery unsolved in its final episode last spring.

- Attention, Baby Boomers, 2012 looks to be the music tour year for you. As previously reported, not only will acts like The Eagles and Bruce Springsteen tour next year, but look for The Rolling Stones to figure out what they plan to do to honor their 50th anniversary. Now, none other than The Beach Boys have announced that they will hit the road in support of a new studio album. The lineup will include original members Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine, as well as early members Bruce Johnston and David Marks.

- Say it ain't so! Daniel Ruettiger, best known as Rudy from the 1993 inspirational movie by that name, is in trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ruettiger has been named as a key participant in a so-called pump-and-dump stock scheme that generated more than $11 million in supposedly illegal profits for Rudy Nutrition, a now defunct beverage company. The SEC contends that Ruettiger and 12 others made false and misleading statements about the company in news releases, SEC filings and promotional materials, in 2008, in a scheme to lure investors. Ruettiger agreed to pay over $380,000 to settle the SEC's charges without admitting or denying them. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

- A recent Pew poll indicates that fewer Americans are getting married. Social media reaction to the poll indicates that 38% are upset at the results, 36% theorize as to the cause, 22% remain optimistic about marriage, and 4% joke about the results. (Source: Netbase)

- The end-of-year "best" lists have begun as I've seen two different major media outlets publish their list of "best books of 2011." My top three would be The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, plus the book I'm currently engrossed in--11/22/63 by Stephen King.

The best Christmas music ever

2011-12-16T15:53:00.001-06:00
Let me make an observation and offer up an opinion--the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas is the best Christmas music...ever.

I make that observation because I find that most everyone reacts positively when hearing one of Guaraldi's songs from that soundtrack. And, I think the positive reaction stems from the ability of the listener to immediately link the song with the right scene from the show, and the good feelings generated by that 1965 classic.

Maybe it's the visual of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, and how that descriptor has become a part of our vernacular for trees which aren't quite to the lush standard that we aspire to; or maybe it's the visual of the children singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," with comically open mouths, at the end of this Christmas show. Or, maybe it's simply because Guaraldi's music for this show is just good and right on for the context of Charles Schulz's classic.

Whatever the reason, Guaraldi's music engenders nostalgia, hope, wonder and a smile. It's withstood the test of these 46 years and always seems to hit just the right chord, each year, as we seek to keep the true meaning of Christmas in Christmas.

A Charlie Brown Christmas track listing:
1. O Tannenbaum
2. What Child Is This?
3. My Little Drum
4. Linus and Lucy
5. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
6. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)
7. Skating
8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
9. Christmas Is Coming
10. Fur Elise
11. The Christmas Song

The good, the bad...and the indifferent

2011-12-11T12:59:00.001-06:00
- Good: Peter Larson, a Plymouth, MN teenager, has been sleeping in a sleeping bag in a box since age six in order to raise money to help the homeless. Larson has spent almost 300 nights sleeping outdoors in temperatures as low as 20 below zero. He's hoping to raise $100,000 this year after raising $400,000 via his previous efforts--he gets donors to pledge based upon the number of nights spent outdoors.

- Bad: Kim Kardashian is on "lockdown," according to RadarOnline.com. Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, has reportedly quarantined Kim from the press given the fallout from the failed nuptials with Kris Humphries. Does it strike you as odd that Jenner is giving her daughter crisis management advice?

- Indifferent: A British study found out that men now spend 81 minutes a day on personal grooming, i.e., shaving, moisturizing, washing and picking out clothes. Women, in contrast, spend 75 minutes per day on personal grooming.

- Good: In the "you can't make this 'stuff' up" department, it was revealed that Medicare has spent $240 million over the past decade on penis pumps for recipients over 65 who suffer from erectile dysfunction.

- Bad: A suburban New York elementary school teacher is facing disciplinary action because she told her second grade class that there is no Santa Claus. The fateful news to the youngsters came after they identified the North Pole as the "place where Santa Claus lives."

- Indifferent: Scarlett Johanson and Blake Lively are feuding over Ryan Reynolds, according to UsMagazine.com. Johansson is supposedly upset because her ex-husband is dating Lively, the former girlfriend of Leonardo DiCaprio.

- Good: Thank you, Target, for jettisoning the irritating female in your earlier holiday advertising and replacing that campaign with the current, far more appealing work.

- Bad: Is there any jewelry advertising, during this holiday season, that stands out? The "Every Kiss Begins with Kay" campaign has long worn out its welcome and the Jared work is, well, bad.

- Indifferent: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt installed a special lighting system in their French chateau. The lights are designed to help them ward off the effects of jet lag given their many worldwide travels. The expensive lighting system is usually found only in private aircraft and first class airline sections.

Love-hate relationship with snow

2011-12-06T08:05:00.000-06:00
We're experiencing our first snowfall of the season here in K.C.-town and it's thus time to list out all of the reasons why snow is cool, and not so much.

Why I love snow:

- The beauty of soft snowfall when the ground is covered and not yet bruised by feet and tire tracks.

- The reminder of the excitement of snow from when one was a child.

- Is there anything better, on a snowy day, than building a fire and hunkering down inside?

Why I hate snow:

- Those SUV drivers--and you know who you are--who decide that snowfall means "look at me go fast! Whee...!!!"

America's hottest brands

2011-11-28T08:50:00.001-06:00
Advertising Age has published a list of America's hottest brands based upon "strong sales, savvy marketing and overall buzz."

Here's the list:

- Uniqlo: This retailer opened two mammoth stores in New York, blanketed the city with differentiated advertising and coaxed shoppers in with impactful pricing.

- Sharpie: Who knew that this brand would become one known for its creativity?

- Skillet Street Food Spices: Spreadable bacon--what a concept!

- Poise: This brand tapped into a consumer insight that "light bladder leakage" is more common than women thought.

- JackThreads: Exclusive fashion-line collaborations.

- Crossfit: This fitness brand is exploding in popularity.

- Arizona Tea: Arizona Tea is challenging Lipton for control of the $5.3 billion ready-to-drink iced tea category.

- Chegg: A textbook rental company fahioned after Netflix.

- Finish: Used positive reviews of its product to become a force in the dish detergent category.

- Dove: This brand is the poster child for good consumer packaged goods marketing.

- Kia Soul: Who doesn't love the Soul's campaign featuring hamsters!?

- My Little Pony: Kids' cable network, The Hub, re-imagined this 1980's cult hit.

- Chevy Cruze: GM's hottest selling car brand.

- Goldfish: This 50-year old brand is now the second best selling cracker.

- DC Comics: Licensing, merchandising and movies--they are doing it all.

The lunacy of Black Friday

2011-11-24T10:42:00.000-06:00
Last year, the Kansas City Star had 59 flyers (a k a free-standing inserts) in its Thanksgiving edition. Today, the Star had 65, not counting the numerous print ads in the run-of-press portion of the paper, all extolling this or that Black Friday deal.

"We open the doors at 10PM tonight!" "Big savings--only from 4-5AM." "Doorbuster sale starting at 5AM."

Really, really...!?

I'm going to go all Andy Rooney (rest in peace) curmudgeonly on you for a bit now. So, those of you who plan to stay out all night to hit the sales may want to stop reading.

Back in the day, there was no Black Friday, there was the "day after Thanksgiving." On the day after Thanksgiving, we would shop but we'd also go to a movie, go out to lunch or dinner together, and perhaps nab a bit (or two or three) of leftover turkey and pumpkin pie. Retailers didn't promote sales as much as they promoted the first official day of the holiday shopping season.

Thanksgiving Day was reserved for family--no stores were open and no one gave a thought to missing out on the possibilities.

Let's see a show of hands--how many of you have worked retail on the day after Thanksgiving? If you have, you know it's a grueling, demanding day. Now, for a moment, consider those who are at home now, readying for their Thanksgiving meal but also pondering leaving home at 9:00 p.m. or 3:00 a.m., or whatever time it may be, working retail so those of you who feel so led can get out "early" and hit the various sales and deals which are being so heavily promoted this week.

It's a sad commentary on a day which originally was put into place to celebrate the harvest of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving, Kansas City!

2011-11-24T08:50:00.000-06:00
I started this blog in February 2009 and for my Thanksgiving posts the past two years I’ve written a serious piece about all of the true reasons I have for being thankful on this, my favorite holiday of the year.

As I drove on the streets of my town, Kansas City, yesterday, I realized that I had special reasons to give thanks again this year—very much focused, though, on this amazing city where I and my family reside. So, with no further adieu, here are the reasons I’m thankful for Kansas City:

- I’m thankful for the people of this expansive geographic metropolitan area—from the tony suburbs to the rural communities and in between. I am thankful for the sincerity of feelings, the kindness which represents our community, and the passion for our state—whether Kansas or Missouri.

- I’m thankful for the prettiest shopping district in the country, the Country Club Plaza, and how no other place else feels so special during the holidays.

- I’m thankful for local icons like George Brett, Tom Watson and Len Dawson. I’m thankful for those who represent Kansas City in the entertainment business—Eric Stonestreet, Jason Sudeikis, Paul Rudd and others.

- I’m thankful for Grandstand Burgers, Rudy’s Tacqueria, Grinder’s, Stroud’s, LC’s, the original Peanut on Main, and Jess & Jim’s.

- I’m thankful for barbecue of all types, sauces, and venues—for Oklahoma Joes, Gates, Arthur Bryants, LC’s, Danny Edwards, B.B.'s Lawnside Barbecue, Jack’s Stack and Rosedale.

- I’m thankful for prime cuts of good ol’ red meat—for The Capital Grille, Ruth’s Chris, Plaza III and JJ’s.

- I’m thankful that our multi-purpose sports complex is updated and still a terrific place to watch baseball or football. I’m thankful for the Sprint Center and Kansas Speedway. And, I’m thankful for the vision of the local ownership of Sporting KC and for the best soccer venue in the United States.

- I’m thankful for Ward Parkway, the Paseo and all the other boulevards in our fair city. I’m thankful the J.C. Nichols fountain and all of the various waterways and water features in our cowtown, which boasts “more fountains than Rome” and “more boulevards than Paris.”

- I’m thankful for local leaders who give of their time, money and management skills to make Kansas City a case study in philanthropic leadership.

- I’m thankful for the companies that call K.C. “home.” And, I’m thankful for the local leaders who have recruited those companies here and work to keep them here.

- I’m thankful for this thing called “Kansas City Pride”—for a town, which engenders loyalty and a desire to make our community a great place to live and work.

Mid-week musings

2011-11-23T08:26:00.001-06:00
It's the day before Thanksgiving so let's catch up, shall we, on the comings-and-goings in the world of pop culture, advertising and that big ol' world out there.

- I'm really surprised at Target's holiday advertising. The use of the irritating female in their pre-Black Friday television advertising is a radical departure from their differentiated, smart work which is their normal modus operandi.

- And, on the topic of irritating, what is with the casting of the female in the McDonald's McRib commercial? Her "I married a 14 year old" line, delivered in little girl voice, is like nails on a chalkboard (for those of you old enough to remember a chalkboard.)

- Did anyone out there really think that someone other than J.R. Martinez would win the mirror ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars? Well done, J.R.

- Happy Birthday, Robin Roberts of ABC's Good Morning America!

- This is a true feel good story: Brian McGuinn of Florida realized that he had accidentally thrown his wife, Anne's, engagement ring in the trash last month. Vowing to do whatever necessary to retrieve the ring, McGuinn contacted the local sanitation company, suited up in a hazmat outfit, and waded into tons of rotting food and other trash to find the $10,000 piece of jewelry. After 30 minutes of work, McGuinn found the ring, had it professionally cleaned, and presented it to his wife.

- Researchers in Italy found that drinking one to two pints of beer per day has the same cardiovascular benefits as red wine, which can lower the risk of heart disease by 31 percent.

- Great concert: Chris Isaak at the Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO, last Friday night.

- And, finally, Americans filled 254 million prescriptions last year for pain-killing drugs like OxyContin and Percocet. That's enough to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month! (Source: Fortune)

2012 - The year of classic rock anniversaries?

2011-11-21T19:17:00.001-06:00
The big news coming out of the music business today is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's plans for a new album and tour in 2012. As a stand-alone announcement, that's big news, but couple that with rumors of a Rolling Stones 50th anniversary tour as well as announced plans for The Eagles and their 40th anniversary tour and 2012 shapes up to be the year of classic rock.

The Stones have been coy with the possibilities for 2012. Reports have Keith Richards, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts practicing together in England while Mick Jagger has been tight-lipped about any anniversary plans.

As for The Eagles, the country rock stars last toured in support of their Long Road Out of Eden album, in 2008-2009.

The Springsteen tour will be the first for the band without Clarence Clemons. No tour dates have yet been set but the band plans to first play in Europe and then in the U.S.

Throwin' it around...

2011-11-15T13:34:00.000-06:00
Greetings from Gotham! Let's look at what's going on in the world of pop culture, shall we?

- Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men, revealed today that he knows how he plans to end his successful drama series and what will become of lead character Don Draper (Jon Hamm.) Weiner plans to end the show in present time after the final season. Mad Men returns for Season Five next March and will have two more seasons after that.

- Justin Timberlake wrote an emotional thank you to his date and her fellow troops after attending the Marine Corps Birthday Ball this past Saturday. Timberlake escorted Cpl. Kelsey DeSantis after she extended an invitation to him in a YouTube video which quickly went viral. Wrote the singer, on his blog: "I knew I would have an evening that I wouldn't forget...What I didn't know was how moved I would be by the whole experience."

- Spotted on the streets of New York today was Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone magazine. Wenner co-founded Rolling Stone in 1967 and now also owns Men's Journal and Us Weekly.

- How cool is it to see One World Trade Center rising up over the skyline in downtown Manhattan?

- Kris Humphries--the former Mr. Kim Kardashian--is back. Humphries is in New York today meeting with Chris del Gatto, CEO of jewelry company CIRCA. Humphries apparently will be announcing a business partnership with CIRCA sometime later this week. Do I hear a "who cares!?"

- A barber in Canton, OH is trying to help out during these rough economic times. Gregory Burnett, the haircutter, has signs up in the window of his shop which read "Times are hard" and "Pay what you can for a cut." Haircuts that normally go for $12 are now going for as low as $5.

- And finally, billionaire Warren Buffett, historically averse to tech stocks, has placed a $10.7 billion bet on IBM. The stock purchase makes IBM the second biggest holding for Buffett, trailing only Coca-Cola.

Monkey see, monkey do?

2011-11-07T09:52:00.001-06:00
American shoppers have been urged, in recent years, to get out and start their post-Thanksgiving shopping early--as early as 4:00 a.m. for some retail outlets.

This year, the start time has moved up even further as Best Buy just announced that they will join in with Target, Macy's, and Kohl's, to name a few, who will open their doors at midnight after Thanksgiving.

Brian Dunn, the CEO for Best Buy, had this particularly sad quote about the announcement, "It will change some Thanksgiving plans for our employees. It certainly changes mine."

The move follows what has happened recently in the retail sector--once one major retailer makes a move of this type, the others feel bound to follow. The only major retailer who has not announced plans to open at midnight is Wal-Mart. Keep in mind, though, that Wal-Mart has many stores which are already open 24 hours a day and had others open at midnight last year to sell toys.

While some shoppers welcome the earlier time, citing the ease of staying up versus getting up early, the move signals yet another cultural shift in the difficulty of Americans to shut down, even for one day, and spend time with family. Old fashioned? You bet. True? C'mon...you know you agree.

Picky eaters spell trouble for some restaurant chains

2011-11-01T11:58:00.000-05:00
Chipotle and Subway are winning; Quizno's and Friendly's are not. These are the headlines from the latest round of data from the NPD Group on the success of mid-size restaurant chains among 18-24 year olds, and as reported today in the Wall Street Journal.

Friendly Ice Cream recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as did Real Mex Restaurants, the owner of Chevy's and other sit-down Mexican food chains. And, Quizno's, citing heavy competition from Subway, hired restructuring advisers earlier this year.

The chains with the most marketing clout, coupled with their ability to react to rising costs, are beating the smaller chains or those who fail to attrack the choosier (read "pickier") eaters.

Among the coveted 18-24 year old crowd--the key audience for these chains--restaurant visits are down dramatically. In the year ended May 2011, 18-24 year olds visited restaurants 192 times each, on average, down from 245 times five years ago.

The weak job market is a factor as this demographic group has been hard-hit by unemployment. And, the taste buds of this crowd is changing too with a greater focus on the need for fresh and healthy ingredients, coupled with the obvious desire for high value.

What once was the most reliable visitor to these less expensive chain restarants is now more picky--not only with the food they eat but because of less money in their pockets.

Sunday morning coffee

2011-10-30T09:36:00.000-05:00
- YouTube is launching new video channels which will feature content producers like Shaquille O'Neal, Madonna and Modern Family's Sofia Vergara. More than 100 new channels will be launched with most of the celebrities/content producers using their own production companies.

- Among the thousands of apps in the Android catalog is one called "I'm Getting Arrested." The app lets users press a single on-screen icon to notify family and friends that they're being hauled off to the pokey.

- In the category of "you can't make this 'stuff' up," a champion goat at the Colorado State Fair lost his title after failing a drug test. The goat had been crowned Grand Champion for his size--83 pounds--and general condition. Yet, subsequent urine tests showed the presence of ractopamine, a banned additive used in hogs. The owner suggested that the goat had been "sabotaged."

- Speaking of urine (sorry--I couldn't resist), officials at Evergreen Park High School in Illinois put into place a policy that only allows students to leave class three times per semester to go to the bathroom. Those who have to "go" more often will have to make up class time after school.

- From Time magazine: 54% of Americans have a positive view of the Occupy Wall Street movement while 23% have a negative view. Conversely, only 27% have a positive view of the Tea Party while 65% say that the movement has had a negative impact on politics.

- Looking for a good thriller to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon? You may want to tune in TCM at 2:00 p.m. ET for Alfred Hitchcock's classic Dial M for Murder. The movie stars Ray Milland and an always beautiful Grace Kelly.

-And finally, for all of you out there wondering just how long to keep that pillow and running shoes, I pass along the following from Men's Health on when to replace certain household and personal items: Pillow - one year; Toothbrush - three months; Running Shoes - seven months; Razor Blades - two to four weeks; Smoke Alarms - eight to 10 years; Bedsheets - wash every one to two weeks; Vitamins - three years; Passwords - every 30 to 90 days.

The cost of television advertising

2011-10-24T09:49:00.001-05:00
The NFL is vying with music as the programming which gets the most eyeballs on network programming.

In information reported on today by AdvertisingAge, NBC's Sunday Night Football is challenging FOX's American Idol for supremacy as the costliest prime-time show on this year's schedule.

The average 30-second spot on Idol costs $468,100-$502,900, according to AdAge's survey, while the average 30-second spot on Sunday Night Football is $512,367. Keep in mind that Idol's costs go up as the show reaches its finale--some spots in that program fetch as high as a $640,000 price tag.

These results emphasize one other viewing phenomenon--the shows most in demand are those that viewers tend to watch live versus after the fact via DVR or video-on-demand.

Here are some other prices for 30-second commercials in current and former premium programs:

- Grey's Anatomy, ABC = $203,078, down from an average price of $419,000 in 2007-2008.

- Desperate Housewives, ABC = $149,556 versus an average price of $394,000 in 2006.

- X Factor, FOX = $320,000 average price on Wednesday nights and $283,034 on Thursday nights.

- Glee, FOX = $267,141

- Two and a Half Men, CBS = $252,418

- Modern Family, ABC = $249,388

You just can't make this "stuff" up

2011-10-17T17:13:00.001-05:00
- Those loonies over at Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, KS, recently said that Steve Jobs was going to hell and called for a protest of his funeral. Interestingly, the church tweeted for the protest and had a "via Twitter for iPhone" at the bottom of that message. When asked for an explanation, a church spokesperson said "God created the iPhone," not Steve Jobs. So, I'm guessing we should now ask God why Apple didn't release an iPhone 5?

- A woman is suing Texas police, claiming that after her arrest she was forced to listen to Rush Limbaugh. The woman--an African-American--says that she was unjustly arrested and then handcuffed and placed in the police car. It was there that she had to listen to the conservative radio host "make derogatory comments about black people."

- Continuing in the litigation category, a Michigan woman is suing the distributors of Drive, claiming that the movie contains less driving than the trailer would suggest.

- Columbia University researchers found that single women consider overweight men more attractive if they are wealthy. (Can I get a "duh!") For each 10% increase in body mass, a single man must a 2% raise in salary to stay in the same "dating pool."

- A 27-year old woman recently completed a full marathon...while 39 weeks pregnant! She then gave birth to a healthy baby girl only a few hours after completing the run.

- And finally, down Alabama way, a company is turning the ashes of deceased folks into ammunition. The reason? The company is marketing the ammo as a "final tribute" to honor those who have passed. The firm packs the deceased's ashes into shotgun shells or rifle cartridges, which can then be shot into the air or at targets. Said the company's owner, "We know how strange it sounds to people who aren't comfortable around guns. But, for those who are, it's not weird at all."

Design Stars

2011-10-14T14:56:00.000-05:00
Who are the American companies that "get it"--who understand the value of design as a valuable competitive advantage?

According to Fast Company magazine, the following companies top the list.

Icons of design:

- Herman Miller (office furniture)
- Apple ("Style, specs and sophistication...")
- Burton (snowboards)
- Viking (cooking appliances)
- Oxo (kitchen tools)
- JetBlue (airline)
- Nike ("...bringing art and fashion to sport")
- Kohler (fixtures)
- Target ("Where designers go to sell...")
- Starbucks (coffee culture)

Sleepers:

- The Container Store ("unexpectedly attractive products")
- McDonald's ("systems-design upgrade")
- Black and Decker (tools)
- WalMart ("greening the supply chain")
- Crown (forklifts)
- Whirlpool ("can appliances by sexy?")
- Johnson & Johnson ("functional, sustainable design")
- Interface (carpet maker)
- GE
- 3M

Newcomers:

- Gilt Groupe (fashion website)
- Flipboard (real-time virtual magazines)
- Jawbone (headsets and speakers)
- Method (cleaning products)
- Fitbit (health data monitoring)
- Tesla (sleek electric sports cars)
- Fuego (outdoor grill company)
- InCase ("the most stylish maker of Apple accessories")
- Twitter (easy-to-use interface)
- LiveScribe (smartpen)

Any others that are out there which didn't make this list? For me, Beats by Dre would be on this list as well as Hitpad, yet another stylish iPad app.

It's tough working in broadcast TV

2011-10-11T09:23:00.001-05:00
Perhaps we should place "Network programming manager" on the list of tougheset jobs in the U.S. If recent data is any indication, it's becoming harder and harder for the television networks to break through with programming which reaches a critical mass and effectively competes with other media outlets.

The current broadcast season has already seen the cancellation of a heavily promoted show like The Playboy Club. And, other shows are in line to follow.

Overall, network viewership among adults younger than 50 is down 4.1% from a year ago. Conversely, viewership on advertising-supported cable channels, among this same viewing audience, is up 4% year over year.

The coming weeks are the time when networks analyze the viewership data of the new shows which have premiered and decide whether to pull the plug or keep the show for a second season. If the initial data is any indication, look for some pretty significant cancellations.

(Sources: Nielsen, Wall Street Journal)

The Pop Thermometer

2011-10-10T08:53:00.000-05:00
What's hot and what's not? What's trending in the world of social media and online chatter? Take a look at some of the interesting findings from Advertising Age.

Celebrity designers: Trending - Jennifer Lopez for Kohl's; Trailing - Sofia Vergara for Kmart; Tired - Kardashian sisters for Sears.

TV genre: Trending - Retro; Trailing - Song and dance realilty; Tired - Procedurals (take that, CSI.)

Marketable quarterback: Trending - Aaron Rodgers; Trailing - Peyton Manning; Tired - Tim Tebow.

Dessert-flavored vodka: Trending - Whipped cream; Trailing - Chocolate; Tired - Vanilla.

Must-Have photo app: Trending - PopBooth; Trailing - Instagram; Tired - Hipstamatic.

Video delivery: Trending - Vudu; Trailing - Netflix; Tired - Blockbuster.

The Secular Prophet

2011-10-08T08:58:00.001-05:00
The Wall Street Journal has an op-ed piece, in today's edition, on Steve Jobs titled "The Secular Prophet." It's required reading for all those intrigued by the magic of Jobs' impact on consumer behavior and our society:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203476804576615403028127550.html?KEYWORDS=The+Secular+Prophet

In the piece, the writer, Andy Crouch, picked up the following excerpt from Jobs' acclaimed commencement piece at Stanford in 2005. This is what Jobs had to say about death, knowing of his initial cancer diagnosis in 2003:

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you. But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it's quite true. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

As Crouch went on to write, Jobs' was not the first to articulate this vision of a meaningful life. What Jobs did was to give us hope in the cold comfort of technology and, in the process, kept hope alive. Need proof? Look no further than the outpouring of affection (see all of the public sentiments voiced on Facebook) for a man that few knew personally, but all knew through the impact that he'd had on their lives.

Throwin' it around in the middle of the week

2011-10-05T20:15:00.000-05:00
- It's a sad day given today's announcement of the passing of Steve Jobs. Name another person, in the world, who has changed consumer behavior like Jobs. His impact cut across personal computing, music, video and mobile communications.

- I watched the premiere episode of Homeland last Sunday evening on Showtime and I am hooked. The espionage thriller stars Damian Winters (Band of Brothers) and Claire Danes.

- Thank goodness these fish don't live in New York: A recent study found that ornamental fish kept in tanks are more apt to bite, murder and cannibalize each other far more often than those in the wild. The reason? Apparently they don't like living in cramped, confined spaces.

- In the category of "you just can't make this 'stuff' up" is news about Jane Fonda's dog, Tulea. Fonda's pet has achieved the unofficial mantel of "most spoiled dog in Hollywood." The owner always warms the dog's blanket in a dryer "to make sure Tulea feels extra snug when she's relaxing on her cushion." When the dog gets her weekly massage, Fonda has two tables set up so that she can get her own rubdown along her canine. (Like I said "you just can't make this 'stuff' up.")

- Stat of the day: The iPod currently accounts for only eight percent of Apple's revenues. In 2006, the music player's sales accounted for 56% of revenues.

Sunday morning coffee

2011-10-02T08:44:00.000-05:00
- Why do we have driveways at our homes but you never ever really "drive" on that patch of concrete or asphalt?

- In the "you can't make this stuff up" category, Ronald Wade applied for a job as a jailer in Warren County, MS. During his background check, the police found that Warren was wanted for DUI manslaughter in Florida. He was subsequently arrested and jailed--in the jail where he wanted to work.

- The American Royal Barbecue was not the place for the non-meat eating faint-of-heart. Many cows' and pigs' lives were taken in the feeding of the masses on Friday and Saturday here in the ol' cowtown. Good times...

- The latest market data shows that people 24 years and under now send an average of 110 texts per day. Let's face it--we're becoming a society who doesn't talk to one another any more.

- In Florida, a vice cop creatively bypassed a law which says undercover police cannot expose themselves to prostitutes during sting operations. The creative cop displayed a "rubber replica of a penis." The hooker was impressed enough to offer her services, thus ending in her arrest. (Is this where we insert the legal language "don't try this at home?")

- It's been a bad few weeks for New York Yankee love connections. First, Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly break up and now we learn that Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz have called it quits--again.

- Did you know that the average SAT score for reading, for the graduating class of 2011, was 497--the lowest mark since 1972?

- Quick, name the most popular national political figure in the U.S. Yes, I know that's almost an oxymoron but who do you think would be chosen as the most popular? In a Bloomberg poll, Hillary Clinton had the highest percentage of "very favorable" or "mostly favorable" marks.

Winners and losers: Fall television premieres

2011-09-28T20:52:00.001-05:00
Comedy has made a comeback, if network television ratings are any indication. In the recent fall television premiere ratings contest, nine of the top 10 rated shows, among the highly coveted young adult segment, are sitcoms.

The winners: Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Simpsons, The Middle, 2 Broke Girls.

The losers: X Factor (a disappointment given a premiere which netted about half the audience of American Idol), Terra Nova (just nine million viewers), Playboy Club, Free Agents.

Too soon to tell: Revenge, Pan Am.

Past hits with disappointing numbers thus far: The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives.

(Source: USA Today)

Saturday morning coffee

2011-09-24T09:16:00.001-05:00
- Week one of the fall television premieres is almost complete and no show, which I watched, truly stood out. Modern Family's first episode was a miss as they made little use of the obvious material available to them in the dude ranch setting. The follow-up show, to fill out the hour, was much closer to the mark. As for Glee, the first show was okay, establishing some of the new story lines for this season. The much anticipated Playboy Club started out with an implausible storyline and main character Eddie Cibrian doing his best poor man's Don Draper (Mad Men) imitation. (Cibrian even tried to affect Draper's speech cadence.) A Gifted Man, debuting last night, showed promise. Still on the DVR are Charlie's Angels and Grey's Anatomy and still to come, on Sunday night, are the opening episodes of The Good Wife, Pan Am and season two of Boardwalk Empire on HBO.

- In the reality show genre, The X Factor opened with a whimper. The show has little positive word-of-mouth and will have a hard time matching the "appeal equity" of American Idol.

- This falls in the "that's a special date on the calendar" category. A couple in Cincinnati was married on September 9--a date which happened to be the 50th wedding anniversary of the bride's grandparents, the 75th anniversary of her late great-grandparents, and the 100th anniversary of her late great-great-grandparents.

- Catalina Robayo, the Miss Universe contestant from Colombia, received a unique warning during the recent competition. Robayo was, shall we say, going commando and was warned by judges to stop wearing tiny skirts with nothing underneath. The judges were fearful of what audiences and photographers were "viewing."

- In the crassly commercial product placement category, Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood appeared together on last night's premiere episode of Blue Bloods, the police drama starring Tom Selleck. Bennett and Underwood were woven into the storyline, singing together, and just happened to be singing a tune from Bennett's new album, Duets. A special commercial then followed, promoting the album which is being sold exclusively at Target.

- I'm having a hard time dealing with the break-up of Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly. Just sayin'...

- Stat of the day: 46% of Americans don't care about the gender of their boss. Of those who do, 32% say they prefer a male boss to 22% who prefer a female boss.

- And finally, a perhaps sad sign-of-the-times is the fact that lottery sales across the U.S. have increased. In 17 states, record numbers of tickets have been sold in the past fiscal year.

My report from the couch: The Emmys

2011-09-18T21:59:00.001-05:00
Looks great: Sofia Vergara, Rob Lowe, Timothy Olyphant, Kate Winslet, Mark Wahlberg, Minka Kelly.

Looks questionable: Laura Linney, Steve Buscemi, Juliana Margulies, Diana Agron and Amy Poehler. And, Ashton Kutcher--cut the hair, dude.

What were they thinking!?: Gwyneth Paltrow--bare midriff? C'mon! Plus, the hair looks like a photo out of a 1970's high school yearbook. Katie Holmes...really!? And, Julie Bowen, did you really think that gown front looked attractive? (As my wife said, "Put on a bra and eat something!")

Red, red, red: Red gowns were sported by Kate Winslett, Sofia Vergara (okay, alright--it was "coral"), Lea Michele and Nancy O'Dell, among others.

Where did you find these people?: The FOX red-carpet interviewers, with the exception of Nancy O'Dell, were horrid. And, what was up with the female talent's Princess Lea hairdo?

Really!?: Verizon's product placement in the opening number by Jane Lynch.

Emcee: In the most thankless job in television, Lynch assumed emcee honors for the Emmys. And, she did a passable, while not great, job.

SO deserving: Margo Martindale won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for Justified. It's about time that stellar show (on FX) got recognized. Mad Men won--again--in a year when they were truly deserving given how season four got back on track after a meandering season three. And, FINALLY--Kyle Chandler wins Best Actor-Drama for Friday Night Lights. Too little, too late, however, for that fine show...

Overrated: Don't get me wrong, I love Modern Family. But, Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell were not the most deserving nominees from that comedy.

Disappointment: Elisabeth Moss was outstanding during this past season of Mad Men, opening up a new side of Peggy Olson each week during season four. Julianna Margulies is really good in The Good Wife but Moss was the most deserving in the Best Actress-Drama category.

The Emmys: Who should win

2011-09-17T09:25:00.000-05:00
There are few, if any, awards show where the most deserving nominees wins. So, with that in mind, let's talk about who should win on Sunday night when the Emmy trophies are handed out in Hollywood.

Best Actor in a Drama: Sentiment is with Kyle Chandler for Friday Night Lights and that fine show's final season, Steve Buscemi proved that he could move from a supporting role to leading man with his turn on Boardwalk Empire, and many pundits are selecting Hugh Laurie for House. My pick is Timothy Olyphant for Justified, an underrated drama on FX which shines due to Olyphant's portrayal of a Federal Marshal in Harlan County, KY.

Best Actress in a Drama: Mireille Enos from The Killing is the leader in the clubhouse for this award and, like Chandler, Connie Britton deserves strong consideration for Friday Night Lights. But, if Elizabeth Moss does not win for her stellar season on Mad Men, it'll be one of the biggest mistakes ever by Emmy voters.

Best Actor in a Comedy: Steve Carrell has never won an Emmy for The Office--that will change on Sunday night.

Best Actress in a Comedy: Tina Fey is the darling of Emmy voters but Amy Poehler deserves to win in this category for her work on Parks and Recreation.

Best Comedy: Modern Family and Glee get all the publicity in this category given their popular appeal. But, don't be surprised to see Parks and Recreation win, if voters truly vote on which comedy deserves the trophy based on original writing and first-rate acting.

Best Drama: This category is loaded--Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones from HBO, Mad Men, Dexter, Friday Night Lights and The Good Wife. While I expect one of the HBO shows to win, the most deserving show here is The Good Wife. Yeah, I know, it's not a cable program but, guess what--that's all the more reason why this show shined. The CBS drama had twice the number of episodes than did Boardwalk Empire and it provides quality adult drama with much tougher restraints than those of cable networks.

9/11/11 tribute advertising

2011-09-13T14:58:00.005-05:00
In an interesting bit of online debating, AdAge.com published a story this morning which included comments from several "in the business" who took to task those companies who aired commercials themed to the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, e.g., State Farm, Budweiser and Verizon.

In case you missed it, here is Budweiser's spot--a replay of the spot which aired ten years ago around the time of the tragic attack on the U.S.

This afternoon, AdAge.com published a story which summarized consumer attitudes about the advertising. And, perhaps not surprisingly, the consumers felt much more positive about the effort, and the work, than did those who commented from within the advertising sector.

Ace Metrix, which polled 500 adults, found that "by and large, they (those surveyed) rated the ads very favorably."

The favorite spot was Budweiser's tribute spot, above, which also included a call-to-action for viewers to donate to the 9/11 memorial. The famous Clydesdales beat out State Farm's spot, directed by Spike Lee, and a series of Chevy ads which aired during the Discover Channel's "Rising Rebuilding Ground Zero" program.

Not only did Budweiser's spot win among those brands who tied in to the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, but it also tallied one of the highest beer ad scores for this quarter--a 665 on the Ace Metrix scale versus the category average of 478.

Perhaps we marketers should continue to remember who really counts in this debate--the consumers.

You just can't make this stuff up

2011-09-13T12:25:00.001-05:00
- Beth Krohn caught quite a surprise on her summer vacation on Lake Ida in Alexandria, MN. Krohn hooked something heavy and discovered, once she got it near the boat, that she didn't have a lunker on her line but an artificial leg. She was successful at finally finding the owner, Pam Riley, who had lost the leg while swimming in the lake three years ago. Krohn and Riley met in a Wal-Mart parking lot in order to return the prosthetic appendage.

- An Illinois appeals court recently dismissed a lawsuit by two grown children who had sued their mother for "bad mothering." The two claimed that she failed to buy them enough toys and sent a birthday card that the son didn't like.

- If you thought the Kardashian-Humphries nuptials were excessive, listen to this--billionaire heiress Petra Ecclestone wore a $130,000 Vera Wang wedding gown and hired Eric Clapton and the Black Eyed Peas to entertain at her recent wedding reception.

- A flight from Moscow to London returned to the airport shortly after takeoff due to a female passenger who rose from her seat and performed, ahem, erotic dances in the aisle. Russian officials who detained the woman said that she "was in a state of insobriety." No kidding...

- More than 450,000 people have joined a Facebook group called "I Hate Reading." A rival group called "I Love Reading" was formed but their efforts have garnered fewer than 45,000 members.

- And, locally, a Kansas City, KS man was charged with running down a police officer who was directing traffic Sunday after the Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium. The perp faces felony counts of assault of a police officer while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. The officer was not seriously hurt and police were able to detain the car and driver about four blocks away. There was no word whether the Chiefs' poor play caused the club to be named in the suit as reason for the intoxication and reckless driving.

Ten years after

2011-09-11T09:45:00.000-05:00
I sit this morning, watching on television as the remembrance activities for 9/11 take place in New York and elsewhere. A tear rolls down my cheek as I remember that fateful day of ten years ago.

I think of a friend who was supposed to be on the flight which ended up crashing in Shanksville, PA, thankfully canceling his trip late the night before. I remember the business associate who came into my office that Tuesday morning and said "turn on your television--they said on radio that a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center." I remember my office flooding with people, coming in to watch as the events unfolded that morning. And, I remember my anxious call and conversation with my daughter who we'd just dropped off at college, 600 miles away from home.

I, like millions of Americans, walked out of my home that September morning only to have my life forever changed by the events in New York, Washington, D.C. and somewhere over Pennsylvania on United flight 93.

I remember.

Hits and misses

2011-09-07T10:24:00.001-05:00
Miss: Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz was fired over the phone yesterday by the company's Chairman of the Board.

Hit: San Francisco City Supervisor Scott Wiener introduced legislation requiring that nudists in the city put something under their "bottoms" if they take a seat in public and that they "cover up" when in a restaurant. (No, I'm not making this up.)

Miss: It's apparently quite easy for a business to be reported as closed in Google Places, the company's online version of the local Yellow Pages. In recent months, dozens of thriving businesses across the U.S. have been reported as closed--sometimes just for a matter of hours but at other times for weeks.

Hit: The Super Bowl remains a hot forum for brands willing to dish out big bucks for massive, one-time exposure. According to NBC, the broadcast network for this season's big game, only five 30-second ad slots remain. The cost? A record $3.5 million each...

Miss: Emmanuelle Chriqui is the actress who plays Sloan McQuewick on HBO's Entourage. The daughter of Moroccan immigrants, Chriqui had this to say about last year's Vanity Fair cover which featured only white actresses, which she says symbolizes her struggle to get quality acting roles: "They were all white girls--and I mean white. It's frustrating. I'm a little too exotic, or I just don't match the family. I'm constantly up against it." Have the publishers of VF seen this woman!?

Hit: Jennifer Lopez will return as a judge on American Idol.

Miss: Robin Roberts, who I respect greatly, is interviewing the Kardashian sisters on Good Morning America today. Puh-lease...

Hit: It ended up being a big summer at the theater box office. From May 1 through August 18, box office revenues are up 5% over summer 2010 and attendance is up 3%.

Things that can get you fired

2011-09-06T10:42:00.000-05:00
It's not often that I venture into the self-help space with this blog but I was intrigued by an article I read recently on The Wall Street Journal's online site titled "Ten things that can get you fired."

Much of what they suggested was spot-on but there were a few points on which I disagreed or felt even more strongly about than the WSJ writer.

Here is the list and my accompanying comments:

1. Get conveniently sick. This may seem like a no-brainer but it's always amazing how many workers take a sick day, when they're not really sick, then do it again, and again...and again. If the sick days happen to occur consistently on a Monday, then you're really exposed. The right approach? Only take a sick day when you're really sick.

2. Lie on your job application. One may think that companies don't really check out job applications and resume information, but they do. Don't lie.

3. Be disgusting. The WSJ writer suggested that improper hygiene could put one in harm's way, i.e., the "firing" line. While I agree that disgusting body odor and personal care habits are, well, disgusting, it's hard to suggest that they are grounds for firing. The key point here is to never underestimate the impact of how you look, how you groom, and how you dress. As the saying goes, better to over-do in those departments than to cut corners.

4. Stay anonymous. I once had a colleague who suggested "blend in--be nice." While the latter is important, the "blend in" part makes you no different than all the others who are trying to fly under the radar.

5. Never compromise. Standing up for what you believe is one thing. Knowing the importance of picking your battles is another. Be careful about never compromising.

6. Be ungrateful. The impact of saying "thank you" and showing gratitude for a promotion, that special assignment, or recognition from your boss is very, very important.

7. Don't respect the chain of command. Reporting structures aren't put into place to be bureaucratic--they are there to increase efficiency. Sure, layered organizations can become unwieldy and slow but always respect that you should first go to your direct-line supervisor with any issue--not a level or two above that manager.

8. Spend time with the complainers, non-performers and gossips. This is a trap easy to fall into so, take the advice you would give your children--don't hang with the wrong crowd. These folks may be nice people but they are easily labeled for what they are and who needs guilt by association?

9. Never take responsibility when things go wrong. You are more apt to be rewarded by saying "I screwed up" versus doing everything possible to shirk responsibility for the mistake. Most managers want any errors to be errors of commission, thus acknowledging that mistakes do happen.

10. Take credit for other peoples' work. No one likes the co-worker who consistently takes credit for something they didn't do, or were involved with peripherally. Don't be that guy--your manager will soon figure it out.

From the wacky world of marketing

2011-08-31T14:17:00.001-05:00
- A friend, who knows my fascination with the convenience store chain Kum & Go, and their brand name, sent me a photo of a woman actually wearing a Kum & Go t-shirt. Now, I'm no expert on female fashion but the thought of a woman wearing a shirt with those words makes me wonder the impression she's trying to leave with those who see her.

- The Center for Science in the Public Interest (really--who knew there was such a group) has started a campaign, "Life's Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks." One, that campaign title doesn't just roll off of the tongue and, two, the group has no money for a campaign. They do have a website--fewersugarydrinks.org. I have to believe that site traffic will be off the charts, don't you?

- Those fun folks at ABC are using the following approach in promoting the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. Their pitch seems to be "look at all the provocative, crazy characters we have on this season's show!" The question is, "will America tune in to watch the opinionated Nancy Grace, goofball David Arquette, talk show host Ricki Lake, celebrity brother Rob Kardashian, gender switching Chaz Bono and former NBA provocateur Ron Artest (who is working to change his name to Metta World Peace?)" Given that DWTS' target demo skews older, I think this lineup is a big risk.

- Here's a tasty quote from musician and noted womanizer, John Mayer, "Anybody who tells you to have a fallback plan are people who have had a fallback plan, didn't follow their dreams, and don't want you to either." Interesting insight from the guy who once called Jessica Simpson, "sexual napalm."

- And, finally, the marketing gimmick of the week goes to Beyonce. The multi-talented singer and actress performed on the MTV Video Music Awards, then revealed that she is pregnant. Since that announcement, sales for Beyonce's latest album, 4, have risen appreciably. The album had been underperforming, compared to prior releases, prior to the appearance.

T.G.I.F.

2011-08-26T09:14:00.001-05:00
- Those of you who are fans of Good Morning America and their Friday concert series may not have noticed the guitarist sporting the long, frizzy hair to the left of Stevie Nicks. Waddy Wachtel has worked with Nicks and fellow Fleetwood Mac bandmate Lindsey Buckingham, and is a noted session guitarist. Wachtel has backed a who's who of rock-and-roll artists including Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Warren Zevon and Linda Ronstadt.

- Speaking of Nicks, the rock diva still has "it." What a unique voice...

- TV recommendation: If you haven't watched Picker Sisters on Lifetime, you need to check it out. It does American Pickers one better by turning the procured junk into furniture and other household items.

- App recommendation: Check out EW's Must List, an iPad app which provides not only hot topics from those who bring you Entertainment Weekly, but also recommendations on books, movies and more.

- In the category of "you'd think people would learn" comes the following. Seasons 52, a new restaurant coming to the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO, is tearing down its modern facade after negative consumer reaction, primarily via social media, which included boycott threats. Consumers in Kansas City are passionate about the look and feel of the Plaza and its Spanish-style architecture and have united to stop not only this inconsistent design but other recent threats to the Plaza vibe.

- Charlie Sheen has purchased a home in his neighborhood for former wife Denise Richards. He apparently is also looking to purchase a third home in the same area for Brooke Mueller, another former wife. The supposed rationale is to have his children close by. We can only stand back and watch this train wreck play out.

- Keith Richards memoir, Life, has now sold over a million copies. The book is one of the best-selling rock memoirs ever and has been positively reviewed since its release last year. If you are a Rolling Stones/Richards fan, it's a must read.

Steve Jobs

2011-08-25T12:09:00.000-05:00
Every media outlet in the country is reporting today on yesterday's announcement from Apple that Steve Jobs is resigning as the company's CEO.

The best line I've read comes, not surprisingly, from Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. Mossberg has long been an Apple fan and wrote this about Jobs' impact:

CEOs resign every day, so why is this one so meaningful?

Most people are lucky if they can change the world in one important way, but Mr. Jobs, in multiple stages of his business career, changed global technology and media in multiple ways on multiple occasions. And that changed the way people live.

Saturday morning coffee

2011-08-20T08:54:00.001-05:00
- As if print media wasn't in enough trouble we now hear this from Hilton Hotels. A California man is suing the hotel chain over USA Today. It seems that the hotel charged the guest 75 cents for the copy of USA Today left outside his hotel door. The guest accuses Hilton of contributing to an "offensive waste of precious resources" and "deforestation" by distributing unwanted newspapers.

- In the category of "not the brightest bulb in the closet," Victor Burgos, a fugitive in New York, taunted police on his Facebook page, posting "catch me if you can." Law enforcement officials tracked Burgos to an apartment in Brooklyn, where they found him sitting at his computer with his Facebook page open. Maybe Victor should check those privacy settings.

- According to the London Daily Mail, the average British tourist gains eight pounds during a two-week trip to the U.S., a byproduct of big meal portions and all-you-can-eat buffets. Did the newspaper ask tourists to weigh in both coming and going?

- The cast of Modern Family wrapped up shooting of episode one this week at Lost Creek Ranch in Moose, WY. The cast and crew followed our stay there with a week spent readying the story line of a family trip to a dude ranch. Should be fun--the opening episode of this season will air in mid-September.

- It didn't take George Clooney long to rebound from his breakup with Italian model Elisabetta Canalis. The 50 year-old actor is now squiring WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler--yes, the same Stacy Keibler who appeared on the second season of Dancing With the Stars.

- Happy Birthday to Robert Plant. The former lead singer of Led Zeppelin and most recently recognized for his duo work with Allison Krauss, turns 63 today.

- And finally, Katy Perry now has five songs from one album, "Billboard," which have cracked Billboard's Top 100 chart. The only other artist to do that is Michael Jackson with his album "Bad."

T.G.I.F.

2011-08-19T10:37:00.000-05:00
- Happy Birthday to one of my favorite country singers--Lee Ann Womack turns 45 today.

- The average Facebook user is connected to 60 pages, groups and events.

- Our quote of the day comes from the great Mark Twain, who once said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

- Sign of the apocalypse: Security for the Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries nuptials this weekend are incredibly tight because the Kardashians "don't want the footage to leak out before their special airs on TV." (Source: TMZ)

- And, in case you missed it, Ms. Kardashian was the celebrity judge on last night's Project Runway.

- Kansas City peeps: As reported here a couple of weeks ago, Oklahoma Joe's is, indeed, planning to open a new restaurant at 119th and Roe in the space vacated by TGIFriday's. The barbecue dudes at Okie Joe's are in final negotiations for the space and could be open by late winter.

- Danica Patrick--she of the godaddy.com commercials--will soon announce that she'll race a full-time schedule in NASCAR in 2012. Patrick plans to drive the entire Nationwide Series schedule and select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

- Finally, Burt Reynolds is facing foreclosure on his Jupiter, FL home. The suit, filed by Merrill Lynch Credit Corp., claims that Reynolds hasn't made a mortgage payment since September 1, 2010.

Reflections on the Great American Roadtrip

2011-08-15T09:57:00.000-05:00
The Great American Roadtrip is over--2,661 total miles, seven states visited, and a host of memories.

Hitting the open road was enlightening. The trip opened my eyes to the wonders of the great West and, in particular, the state of Wyoming--a state of 580,000 people and stunning geological and wildlife eye candy. Seeing wonders like The Badlands and the Grand Tetons even verged on being a religious experience, it was that impactful.

- There is a freedom to traveling by car which I had forgotten--no security lines to pass through, no limitation on the number of bags, no rental car counters to navigate, and no time schedules to meet. It was exhilarating to simply get in the car and go.

- It was amazing to me how many people reacted with "You drove here!?" when asked how we arrived in Jackson, WY. Yes, we drove, and along the way discovered the joy of seeing all there is to see.

- Hundreds of bugs gave up their lives to make our roadtrip a success. We squashed many a buggy creature on our way through Missouri-Nebraska-Iowa-South Dakota-Wyoming-Colorado-Kansas.

- There still are small towns with places to eat which simply are marked with a sign which says "Cafe."

- That bike rally event in Sturgis, SD is quite the deal. And, I saw plenty of biker chicks who scared me.

- I felt like I was in the middle of a Western for most of our trip. We passed through territory where films like Dances With Wolves and Shane were filmed.

- You can't do Yellowstone National Park in a day. The park is the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, and there is simply too much to see in an area with a 45 MPH speed limit.

- Finally, if you ever are concerned about the lack of wide open space, simply head west to South Dakota, Wyoming, eastern Colorado and western Kansas. It's there, and it's refreshing to see.

M,N & Q: On vacation

2011-08-09T17:47:00.002-05:00
You'll have to excuse me, loyal readers, but I'm having such a good time on vacation that I won't be posting anything here until the week of August 15. Please check back in then.

Day Three: The great American roadtrip

2011-08-07T10:19:00.000-05:00
On day three, we set out from Sheridan, WY for Yellowstone National Park. Little did we know that the drive from Sheridan to Cody would be the highlight of our trip thus far.

- The ascent into Bighorn National Forest, between Sheridan and Cody, offered the most stunning, panoramic vista I've ever seen. My photos don't do the magnitude of the sight justice.

- The Cody High School teams are nicknamed the Broncs and Fillies.

- I'm glad that I got to experience Yellowstone National Park. However, for those contemplating a trip, make sure you allow adequate time as the park is huge and the speed limit only as high as 45 given the winding roads.

- Yes, wildlife are prevalent in the park--we spotted a small cub making its way down to a lake, and also got to witness a buffalo making what would become a buffalo chip.

- Old Faithful blows every 90 minutes or so. We were about three minutes late but got to witness the tail end of the show. Again, word to the wise--this national treasure was surrounded by people waiting for the eruption. If you're expecting an intimate encounter with Old Faithful, think again as this is the most popular attraction in Yellowstone.

- The Grand Tetons are unlike any mountain range I've seen in the U.S. Jagged, spectacular peaks.

- The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole had about a million bikers in it last night.

- Hotel recommendation: The Wyoming Inn, Jackson Hole.

Day two: The great American roadtrip

2011-08-05T21:51:00.000-05:00
- Is there a worse business name in America than Kum & Go? Seriously, if so, what is it?

- As we've traveled through town after town, it's interesting to see the small town stadiums which, just a few weeks from now, will be filled with those watching the "boys of fall"--Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals and Bulldogs, to name a few.

- There are literally thousands of bikers in the Black Hills area of South Dakota for the Sturgis Motorcyle Rally. This year's events include midget bowling, the Miss Buffalo Chip beauty pageant and hula girls in bikinis, plus concert acts like Toby Keith, Edgar Winter, Lynryd Skynryd, Def Leppard and Poison. Obviously, rally organizers understand their target audience.

- The Crazy Horse Memorial will be spectacular when it's finished. The issue is that the project, started in 1948, currently only has a head which is discernible. Korczak Ziolkowski's tribute to Native Americans receives no federal funding and is fully reliant upon private support.

- The carving of Mt. Rushmore occurred from 1927-1941, using 400 workers and costing $989,992.32.

- It's hard to picture the climactic scene in North by Northwest, which took place at the top of Rushmore, when looking at the memorial in real life. It's easy to see Dances With Wolves, filmed around Rapid City and the Black Hills, as one travels west on I-90.

Day one: The great American roadtrip

2011-08-04T22:22:00.002-05:00
700 miles, road construction scattered throughout four states, dodging the floodwaters of the Missouri River, and driving in-and-out of Harley riders on their way to Sturgis--day one of the great American roadtrip vacation is in the books.

- The first road construction was encountered 17 miles from home. It became a pattern as I'm still daydreaming about orange cones and barrels.

- Spending time on Highway 59 through Iowa was nostalgic as that was the route my family took "back in the day" on our summer vacations to Minnesota. My reaction now is "wow--we really did that!?" The two lane highway was filled with truckers, forced to this route given flooding on I-29.

- Weirdest vehicle of the day: A van with Texas plates and a Philadelphia Eagles spare tire cover.

- North of Tarkio, MO is a wind farm with dozens of structures--modern-day windmills.

- The flooding on I-29 is the real deal. A McDonald's on I-29, just north of Omaha, had thousands of sandbags around the structure, still braced for the raging waters.

- Hundreds of signs along I-90 in South Dakota advertise all of the virtues of Wall Drug. Save your time--the tourist trap serves overpriced, low quality food, and the 40,000 square feet of the store is filled with every manner of kitschy tourist crap available.

- The Badlands are stunning!

We're hittin' the road!

2011-08-03T12:41:00.001-05:00
Some of my fondest childhood memories were our family vacations. Dad would pack up the car the night before and we'd head off to the same spot every year--a lake in northern Minnesota. Our General Motors product would be stuffed with fishing gear, clothes, towels, linens and food and we'd travel north, on two-lane highways, taking in the Iowa and Minnesota countryside while passing through small towns--Shenandoah, Clarinda, Harlan, Montevideo, Menagha and on to our destination. Perhaps a night would be passed in a motel and usually lunch was consumed at a joint marked "Cafe."

That great American roadtrip will be re-created tomorrow as my wife and I head off to Jackson Hole by way of the Badlands in South Dakota, and Devil's Tower and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. And, Musings, Notes & Quotes will be along for the ride.

Check back in with us here as I document observations about the new millenium's version of a road trip versus what I experienced in the 1960's and 1970's. It'll be fun...

Dive alert: Grandstand Burgers

2011-07-30T16:49:00.001-05:00
You can add a new name to the list of best burgers in Kansas City--Grandstand Burgers in Merriam, KS. Grandstand is another one of the mom-and-pop eating establishments along Merriam Lane and its little more than a hole in the wall or, in this case, a very small building.

The menu is simple, straightforward and tasty--hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, fish sandwich, french fries, tater tots, malts/shakes, and Coke products. Standard dress on the burgers is mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickle, onions and tomato. The mayo-mustard-ketchup blends together into a nice sauce and the cheese on my burger was melted just right.

The single burger is plenty--I made the mistake of going double-cheeseburger and couldn't finish it. I had the tots and my wife had the fries--both were crispy and done to perfection.

When you come, don't expect an inside seat--by my count, there were two at the counter. There are three picnic tables outside or you can retire to the comfort of your car to consume your meal.

Check it out--Grandstand Burgers, 4942 Merriam Drive, 913-362-0111.

How to enter a room

2011-07-28T12:54:00.001-05:00
How do you enter a room? Yeah, yeah, I know--you open the door and walk in.

No, what I'm referencing here is the attitude one presents when entering a meeting room and the impression you provide before a meeting even begins.

Entrepreneur magazine tackled that very topic in an effort to give those of us in the business world a tip or two on how to enter, and command, a room.

Tip #1: When introduced to someone, say their name back to them and, most importantly, remember their name. Saying their name back to them, 20 or 30 minutes into the meeting, suggests respect.

Tip #2: Don't give out business cards before the meeting begins--you're not a card dealer.

Tip #3: Look everyone in the eye for a slight beat longer than is comfortable.

Tip #4: Don't carry yourself in a way that can be described as "jaunty" (their word--not mine. And, rather than explain it here, go ahead and look it up.)

Tip #5: If there are less than six people in the room, shake everyone's hand. If there are more than six, shake a few hands and nod to the rest--otherwise, the hand-shaking gets out of hand.

Tip #6: Avoid the phrase "let's do this!"

Tip #7: No fist bumps. (See #5.)

Tip #8: Don't talk about anything that isn't pleasant. For example, don't complain of the (a) heat, (b) cold, (c) that you have a cold or (d) the traffic.

The article concludes, "You're amiable and confident and pleased with the way things are going. You're ready to talk and to listen. You haven't given them any reason why they couldn't see themselves giving you a lot of money or offering you a contract or partnering with you in some way. You're someone they could see themselves doing business with, is what we're trying to say. All that, and you haven't even sat down yet."

Odds 'n' ends

2011-07-27T20:14:00.000-05:00
- Women are better investors than men because they don't take as many risks with their money, according to a new study by Barclays Wealth and Ledbury Research. Women in the survey tended to buy stocks and hold them, trading less and thus more likely to earn more.

- If I would have told you a couple of years ago that a show called Pawn Stars would be one of the most successful on cable television, you would have laughed, right?

- Please don't tell our cat but being obese apparently has its advantages. Eddie, a 15-pound cat in Manhattan, was resting on a terrace recently when a red-tailed hawk swooped down and carried him off. Alas, the hawk wasn't able to hold on to chubby Eddie for long and dropped him in a garden behind a nearby building. Eddie fell five stories but escaped with minor scrapes and bruises. Eddie's owner had this to say, "The moral of the story is that your flaws can be an asset."

- A South Carolina couple claims that they see the face of Jesus on--get this--a Wal-Mart receipt. After returning from church recently, the couple noticed that the receipt had become discolored and looked to bear the image of a bearded man's face. Jacob Simmons, the holder of the receipt, said, "The more you look at it, the more it looked like Jesus." Everyday low prices, indeed!

- This week's TIME magazine writes about how men and women share work at home. While most believe that women carry the load at home with tasks like food preparation, child care and housework, TIME's research found that men and women with full-time jobs have almost equal total workloads, with or without kids under 18.

- Captain America is definitely a three star-out-of-four movie. If you go, be sure and stay through the credits in order to see a special trailer previewing The Avengers, due in theaters next summer.

- The Harry Potter movie franchise has earned $6.37 billion at the box office over the past decade. What's amazing is that exceeds the annual GDPs of more than 50 countries.

Rant alert: Air travel

2011-07-25T13:12:00.001-05:00
Those who are frequent readers of Musings, Notes & Quotes know that I have a low patience level for the current state of air travel in the U.S. After a full week of travel and another trip to come this week, let me expand upon my travel beefs:

- To the family of five: Do your homework and figure out that you can check in online at Southwest Airlines' website. And, also understand that those in the coveted A1-A15 slots in line paid a small premium for their tickets and also checked in prior to heading to the airport--thus they are not going to jump up to willingly give up aisle seats so that you and your three darling children can sit across the width of the airplane. (Footnote: My traveling companion, stuck next to said three "darlings," had this to say after exiting the plane last week--"I have changed my point-of-view about waterboarding." Word.)

- To the guy with the oversize duffel: The airline may not have been doing their job by allowing you to carry on this small body bag but all of the rest of us cowboyed-up and paid attention to directions. You should too--check the damn bag!

- To "chatty Kathy" sitting next to me: If my headphones are on and my face is buried in my iPad or Wall Street Journal, that is code for "please, I'm not being rude but I'd prefer you talk to the dude next to you who has no paperback, no newspaper and no apparent need for entertainment on the four-hour flight to San Francisco."

- To the guy who seemed to think that nudging me in the security line would actually make my briefcase and other items get through the x-ray machine more quickly--back off, bucko.

- To Southwest Airlines: I just want you to know how much I appreciate the lack of multiple direct flights to my intended destinations, thus setting up the dreaded "ladies and gentlemen, this is a totally full flight..." announcement on the airplane's intercom.

- And, finally, to those who think the current Kansas City International Airport is a fine facility: Really!? Have you spent any time in KCI recently in the overcrowded Southwest terminal or had your flight delayed with the only food options a Quizno's sub or pre-packaged salad which was likely made last week?

Whining? Yes, probably so. But, thanks for listening--I feel better. Now, off to KCI...

John Mosca

2011-07-21T18:12:00.000-05:00
Every so often, an obituary just happens to catch my eye. Yesterday was one of those moments as I perused The New York Times and other newspapers on the packed Southwest flight from Kansas City to Oakland.

In the obituary section of the Times was a reasonably sized obit for John Mosca. What was so special about Mosca? Mosca, 86, died in his Louisiana home last week, a victim of prostate cancer. What struck me was that his story was one which we now seem to read on a daily basis as we continue to lose members of "the greatest generation."

Mosca's story started in suburban Chicago where he was born and ultimately began working in his parent's restaurant. When World War II broke out, Mosca--as did so many in his generation--enlisted and served in the infantry. He was injured by shrapnel in Italy, earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, and came home where he immediately went to work again in the restaurant, now located in Louisiana after his family's move there. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Mosca family restaurant, west of New Orleans, became a destination for those seeking Louisiana seafood coupled with the family's Italian roots. A specialty of the house was the blue crab claws drenched in garlicky Italian dressing. Word spread of the tasty cuisine which ultimately included a broader menu and another specialty--baked gulf oysters in bread crumbs with chicken, a dish called chicken a la grande.

None other than New Yorker food critic Calvin Trillin (who once proclaimed Arthur Bryant's of Kansas City as "the greatest restaurant in the world") journeyed to Mosca's, and wrote a glowing article about the restaurant, and the owner, last November.

Mosca's survived not only time and changes in diners' tastes but also weather--the restaurant was so damaged by Hurricane Katrina that it took 10 months to re-build and re-open. Air conditioning was ultimately added to the building but a few things stayed constant--a cash only policy, the menu, the jukebox, and Mr. Mosca's constant presence.

Today, we salute another of the greatest generation who has passed--John Mosca, 86, of Hanrahan, Louisiana.

Review: U2, St. Louis, 7.17.11

2011-07-19T12:20:00.001-05:00
Guest Reviewer: Jared Goff

ST. LOUIS, MO – U2’s performance Sunday night at Busch Stadium began with a set straight from the time William Clinton was about to take the presidency from H.W. Bush. It's not at all a bad thing when the two albums from that time of U2 were like nothing they’ve done before or since. Bias aside, the three best “rock” songs U2 has written were over before we were 15 minutes into the show.

The atmosphere at the show after the opening was electric, perhaps better than any concert I’ve been at since the Stones pushed 70,000 baby boomers to fit their leather and bell-bottoms into the now Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Busch Stadium was filled to capacity with a great mix of classic rock fanatics and young adults who grew up in the '80s and '90s.

After the opening set, things got random. The audience was treated to one of the oldest U2 radio hits then one of the newest. I judge live performances by songs I like or dislike more than the ones I’m neutral to. “Get On Your Boots” is my least favorite U2 song but was somehow very enjoyable to hear live with the booming riff from Edge. In that same category is another great song, “Where the Streets Have No Name.” I don’t listen to the studio version often--the ringing guitar riff is not done justice unless it’s performed live. Hearing "Streets” is as close to having a religious experience at a concert these days this side of hearing the Boss perform “Born in the U.S.A.”

During the second half of the show, U2 utilized the extravagant stage they’ve hung out on for nearly two years. The round and vertical display of what seems to be thousands of interconnected smaller displays is spectacular. During “Zooropa” and “City Of Blinding Lights,” the displays were extended to cover the vertical length of the set. Extravagant stages are successful if they simply complement the music rather than distract (see giant yellow arch from U2's Pop Mart Tour). The stage here put the foursome close up and personal with the audience, and Bono is better than anyone I’ve seen at interacting with an audience while performing.

Speaking of fan interaction, it was a nice touch when Bono read off the set list from U2’s first performance in St. Louis at a small venue on the Washington University campus. After 30 years, there’s no sign that they’re getting burned out or don’t enjoy performing as much as they did in the 1980s.

To wrap up the show, U2 added on a few more staples. “Walk On” and “One” seem to have become standard practice during or just before the encore. A pleasant surprise though was “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me.” My favorite song growing up along with Journey’s “Separate Ways,” it was the first time I’d heard the song performed live. The title track from Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever is an example of what makes U2 great in that it doesn’t sound like U2. So many groups either don’t know how or just don’t want to venture outside their comfort zone. U2 did that in the 1990s with mixed results but it ultimately made them one of the top five groups of all time, in this writer’s opinion.

Compared to other U2 shows, the stadium tours will always fall a little behind arena shows strictly because of acoustics. No other group could have drawn 60,000 fans without even a notable opening act as U2 did on Sunday. Even with a recent record that didn’t live up to the group’s expectations, there’s no reason to think U2 won’t be back in the Midwest a few years from now with an even bigger performance. Let’s just hope they choose their city more wisely next time.

Set list: Even Better Than the Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Until the End of the World, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Stay, Beautiful Day, Elevation, Pride (In the Name of Love), Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Walk On, Where the Streets Have No Name Encore: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me; With or Without You; Moment of Surrender.

Saturday morning coffee

2011-07-16T10:04:00.001-05:00
- I am shocked about the news of J-Lo's split with Marc Anthony. Shocked, I say...

- Ricky Bobby turns 44 today. Happy birthday to actor Will Farrell!

- Much has been written about the passing of Friday Night Lights. Let's just say it again here, about the show which ended a five-year run last night--FNL was one of the best shows ever about the ins-and-outs of small-town life, featuring a terrific ensemble cast and a classic depiction of husband and wife, so masterfully acted by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.

- Speaking of J-Lo, Weeds star Mary Louise Parker had this to say about Lopez and her antics at the BAFTA Brits to Watch event which Prince William and Kate Middleton attended on their recent visit to the States. Said Parker, "I didn't meet them (Prince William and Middleton)--I was shoved out of the way by Jennifer Lopez. Uh oh, I shouldn't have said that."

- "We are sorry." That is the headline today in British newspapers as Rupert Murdoch tries to quell the uproar over the phone-hacking scandal which has shaken News Corp. It could be too little too late as Murdoch and his son and presumed successor, James, appear in front of Britain's parliament on Tuesday.

- Social media now accounts for one out of every six minutes spent online in the United States. (Source: Journalism.co.uk)

- A letter appeared in the Baltimore Sun on July 7 attacking U2 lead singer Bono's ONE campaign and accusing the band of moving their business to a tax haven in Holland in order to avoid the strict tax rates in Ireland. The Edge fired back with his own letter, writing that there are "so many inaccuracies that it is pointless to correct them all." He insisted that "U2 and individual band members have a totally clean record with every jurisdiction to which they are required to pay tax and have never been and will never be involved in tax evasion." The Edge, Bono, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, a k a U2, will appear at Busch Stadium in St. Louis tomorrow evening. Interpol will open the St. Louis show.

- And, finally, in the category of "I'm not making this stuff up," a prison inmate in Michigan is suing his jail for the right to read pornography. The convicted bank robber claims that he has "Chronic Masturbation Syndrome," and that the jail's ban on pornographic materials constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment."

The 2011 Emmy nominations

2011-07-14T21:44:00.002-05:00
- There are four actors from Modern Family nominated in the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy category. Yet, this isn't the most nominees ever from one show. In 1982, five actors from Hill Street Blues were nominated--winner Michael Conrad, Charles Haid, Michael Warren, Bruce Weitz and Taurean Blacque. This year's nominees from Modern Family are Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Ed O'Neill and Ty Burrell.

- This is the first year that only one drama from the broadcast networks is represented in the Best Drama Series category. CBS' The Good Wife garnered the only drama nomination from the four primetime networks.

- The Best Drama category is packed with worthy candidates, yet it's a shame that Justified didn't make the cut. Thankfully, Timothy Olyphant was nominated for Best Actor.

- Even with the controversy about the historical facts of the show, The Kennedys, which aired on ReelzChannel, scored a nomination in the Movies or Miniseries category.

- Nominee Chris Colfer (Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy) claims that he learned via Twitter that he'd be leaving Glee after next season. Colfer's Kurt Hummel character will, apparently, graduate from the show's fictional McKinley High.

- Mad Men scored 19 Emmy nominations. It's thus ironic that the popular series has been dark since October 17, 2010 and won't start again until sometime next year on AMC.

- Every year there are notable stars and shows left out when the nominations are announced for the Emmys. Here are some notable snubs given today's announcement: Sean Bean from Game of Thrones, Kyra Sedgwick of The Closer, Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele from Glee, Katey Sagal of Sons of Anarchy, plus The Walking Dead and True Blood from the Best Drama list.

- And, our quote of the day goes to Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. Sons did not receive any nominations in the major Emmy categories so Sutter went to Twitter to air his frustration. Tweeted Sutter, "Best part of not getting an Emmy nod--now I don't have to pretend to give a s--- about the profiterring d-bag academy." Sutter, by the way, is married to Sagal, who stars as Jemma Teller on the show and deserved a nomination. (Sagal won a Golden Globe earlier this year for her role on Sons.)

Comings and goings

2011-07-14T08:29:00.000-05:00
- Chief Executive magazine (yes, there is such a publication) selected Alan Mulally as CEO of the Year. Mulally is a 1969 graduate of the University of Kansas with undergraduate and graduate degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering.

- Tomorrow is a big day in Kansas City--the two Trader Joe locations open in our cowtown. The Missouri side location is at Ward Parkway Center and the Kansas location is at 119th and Tomahawk Creek Parkway.

- Also in the 119th Street corridor, there still is no confirmation that Oklahoma Joe's will go into the old TGIFriday's location.

- Need an app recommendation for iPad? Check out HitPad, a daily listing of the hottest trending topics on Twitter with resulting news information and stories.

- U2 invades the Midwest on Sunday with a stop in St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Check back in this space for a concert review next week.

- While bottled water sales have gained in the U.S., far more American consumers drink carbonated soft drinks than water. In 2010, per capita beverage consumption showed soft drinks in first (44.7 gallons), bottled water in second (28.3 gallons) and beer in third place (20.8 gallons.) Both soft drinks and beer declined from 2005 levels while water increased. (Source: Advertising Age)

T.G.I.F.

2011-07-08T21:06:00.001-05:00
Greetings from Branson! Yep, that's right, Branson, MO--home of fried foods; early dinners; bodies of every shape, size and mullet color; American flags (with a few Confederate flags thrown in); and amazing southwest Missouri scenery. I'm here for my annual golf trip with my son and there are few places better to observe the middle-class American consumer.

- Things you don't find in Branson: foreign cars, dinner reservations, linen shorts, bookstores, Apple products, Whole Foods and Starbuck's. (Okay, there's one Starbucks...)

- A year after Facebook achieved 500 million users, it announced that it now has 750 million users. Yet, there are lingering concerns that Facebook has plateaued, or at least slowed its growth. Last May, its audience in the U.S. fell from 155.2 million to 149.4 million. Globally, Facebook's reach continued to expand thanks to gains from heavily populated, developing countries. There is speculation that users of Facebook in the U.S. have tapped out on who they can "friend"--once you have friended past girlfriends/boyfriends, high school pals and current colleagues, your friends list stagnates. (Source: USA Today)

- How many bad movies is Kevin James going to be allowed to make?

- The American Idol tour kicked off in West Valley City, UT this week. The top 11 finishers on the show are part of the entourage which will perform 47 shows over the next few months. As expected, the Utah show was a sellout.

- Curb Your Enthusiasm starts season number eight on HBO, debuting this Sunday. Entourage will begin its eighth and final season on Sunday, July 24, also on HBO.

- Kansas City peeps--the Trader Joe's at Ward Parkway Center opens on Friday, July 15.

- Back on Branson--this tourist area tranformed into a major destination in 1983 when the 7,500 seat Swiss Villa Amphitheater opened. The venue was later named the Black Oak Mountain Amphitheater and, ironically, became a place where acts like Def Leppard, Lynryd Skynyrd, Ozzy Osbourne and REO Speedwagon performed. The next major move, also in 1983, was when Roy Clark of Hee Haw fame opened the Roy Clark Celebrity Theater. Clark thus became the first major country performer to have his own venue in Branson, paving the way for others to follow.

- Music sales are up 8.5%, year-over-year, during the first half of 2011, meaning that this is likely to be the first year of positive music sales since 2004. Not surprisingly, digital sales are driving the growth--digital album sales are up 20% and digital track sales are up 11%. (Source: AdAge Mediaworks)

- R.E.M is working on a new album, according to a web post from Michael Stipe. The band's last release, Collapse Into Now, was the last record of their contract with Warner Bros.
Records.

- Can someone explain why certain California wineries will ship product to Kansas and others will not? Just wonderin'...

Comings and goings

2011-07-05T20:22:00.001-05:00
- Bridesmaids officially passed Sex & the City as the highest grossing female-based comedy ever.

- In local Kansas City news, Oklahoma Joe's is rumored to be soon opening a third barbecue restaurant, joining the original location off of Mission Road and the newer, suburban venue in Olathe. The speculation is that Okie Joe's will take over the former TGIFriday's space at 119th and Roe in Leawood.

- Glee's Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson) will be a regular cast member when the season begins anew in the fall. And, Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans) will occasionally appear on the show but will no longer be a regular actor on the hit series.

- Blair Underwood is going to make his Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. Underwood is best known for his small screen turns on The Event, L.A. Law and Dirty Sexy Money.

- Quote of the week: The View host Joy Behar, when she heard that Oprah Winfrey wanted to interview O.J. Simpson if he'll confess to the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, said, "Oprah said her dream interview is O.J. Simpson. I can't wait for this to happen...I always wanted to know O.J.'s favorite things."

- According to various sources, American Idol judge Randy Jackson has been pitching a talk show concept to potential buyers. The proposed show would not be limited to just musical guests.

- And finally, I keep expecting a fantasy fashion league to start so that we can all guess Kate Middleton's wardrobe selections for the three days she'll be in Los Angeles with that Prince William fellow.

Independence Day

2011-07-04T07:56:00.000-05:00
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following entry is reprinted from this blog on July 4, 2010.

I have an axe to grind, America. Can we please stop commonly referring to this weekend's holiday as the "Fourth of July," and refer to it as "Independence Day?"

For a quick history lesson, on July 2 (yes, 2nd), 1776, the American colonies legally separated from Great Britain. This was accomplished when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the resolution offered up by one of our Founding Fathers, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for our country's independence, Congress then focused on the Declaration of Independence. This statement explained the decision of our forefathers and had been prepared by a committee of five men with Thomas Jefferson as the principal author. The wording was debated and reviewed by Congress and ultimately approved on July 4.

A day earlier, John Adams, another one of the five authors, wrote this to his wife Abigail:

- The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

The suggestion that Adams offered up, in this letter to his wife, turned out to be two days off from the ultimate date used for celebrating America's independence. While resolution of our independence occurred on July 2, the date on the Declaration of Independence is July 4.

To further complicate our history's calendar, the signing of the Declaration of Independence did NOT occur on July 4--rather, it was signed on August 2, 1776. So enduring was the myth that signing occurred on July 4 that both Jefferson and Adams, late in their lives, recalled the signing occurring on that date. And, as we all know, both men died on that very day--July 4, 1826--our country's 50th anniversary.

So, when observing our country's independence this weekend, and carrying out Adams' vision of how we should celebrate, let's do just that--honor our "independence"...not the "4th of July."

Checking back in after the hiatus

2011-06-29T12:48:00.001-05:00
Hello, dear readers of MNQ...sorry for the too long hiatus from my blogging responsibilities. Let's catch up a bit, shall we?

- SPOILER ALERT: Viewers of The Killing didn't take kindly to the lack-of-closure with the recent season finale. AMC'S acclaimed drama ended season one with a cliffhanger ending after tempting viewers that the final episode would wrap together the "whodunit." Charlie Collier, president of AMC Networks, said, "If I could do anything differently, it would be to manage expectations."

- Rolling Stone magazine issued yet another "greatest" special edition--this one for "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time." Not surprisingly, The Beatles were voted number one by the all-star voting panel followed by Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. The list is heavily made up of classic rockers and iconic R&B and blues legends, with a few more recent rock and rap/hip-hop acts thrown in. Notable artists were U2, who was voted #22, Nirvana #30, Public Enemy at #44, Metallica at #61, Eminem at #83 and R.E.M. at #97. Others in the top ten were Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.

- Now, this is eco-friendly, huh!? The Toronto Zoo sent 3,000 tons of feces from rhinoceroses, giraffes, bison and other animals to a new biogas plant. The power plant converts the animal waste into heat, fertilizer and electricity. Who knew that poop had such power?

- During the same week that same-sex marriage was being ratified in New York, an overzealous security guard at a Minnesota Twins game chastised a lesbian couple. The guard, after the couple had a quick kiss, told them not to do that, saying "Here in the stadium, we adhere to the Ten Commandments." The Twins have since reprimanded the security guard.

- Many of Los Angeles' and Hollywood's power elite like to golf. And, the clubs they call "home" come with a pretty steep price. The Hollywood Reporter provided the following information on fees, and notable members, at these elite L.A. country clubs: Riviera Country Club, $250,000 initiation fee, members include Mark Wahlberg, Adam Sandler, Dennis Quaid and Ari Emanuel (the inspiriation for Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold character in Entourage); Bel-Air Country Club, $150,000 initiation fee, members include Jack Nicholson, Quaid, Luke Wilson and Tom Cruise; Lakeside Country Club, initiation fee of $80,000, members include Nicholson, George Lopez and Justin Timberlake; Brentwood Country Club, initiation fee of $180,000, members include Joe Roth and Ron Weiner (30 Rock); El Caballero Country Club, initiation fee of $45,000, with members like Kevin James, Ray Romano and Irving Azoff.

- Esquire magazine published their annual list of the "best bars in America." And, as usual, the local region had little representation on the list. Bars from this area which made the cut were Replay Lounge, Lawrence, KS; and R Bar, Kansas City, MO.

- Independence Day weekend is almost upon us. So, here goes with your stain removal guide for barbecue sauce, which will flow abundantly this holiday: Rinse with cold water, then sponge the stain with white vinegar. Rinse, apply detergent to the stain, and let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing again. Repeat. There now--you can't get that kind of personal care advice just anywhere, can you?

- 53% of Americans say "sexting"--exchanging sexual communications over the Internet or via cell phones--while in a relationship is cheating; 17% say it isn't; and 30% say "it depends." Depends on what, you third of those surveyed? (Source: The Economist)

- And, finally, speaking of sexting, here's a record to be proud of--during his 14 years as a congressman, Anthony Weiner sponsored 191 bills. Not one of them passed.

Dad

2011-06-19T09:48:00.000-05:00
My father will turn 80 in December. The man who coached me, taught me, scolded me, read to me, supported me and worked to support me is now grayed, stooped, slowed and living in a place where others cut the grass, weed the flower beds and shovel the snow in the winter. A body which used to pitch batting practice, prune trees, shoot baskets, throw passes, build houses, bait hooks, repair plumbing and harvest a garden now sits.

My father was a vibrant part of my life. He sacrificed in order that I might have. He coached on nights when I now know he would've liked to have sat. Yet, my father never sat back--he was involved in my life at all levels, whether coaching, becoming a leader of the PTA, leading the church youth group, or taking Mom and me on trips in the summer.

Today, on this day when we honor our fathers, I say "thank you" to mine. It took becoming a father to appreciate all that my Dad did for me. And, even though he now sits, I still see that active man who made a huge difference in my life and, I now know, a difference in the lives of others touched along the way.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T09:31:00.001-05:00
- Rivals.com listed out the best father-son combinations in the history of college football. Not surprisingly, the Manning family took first place--father Archie (Mississippi) and sons Peyton (Tennessee) and Eli (Mississippi.)

- In a survey of over 700 parents of kids 12 and under, Ipsos found that fathers are spending 50% or more time than mothers with their children online, playing video games and going to movies, live theater and sporting events. Whereas Mom is the one noted as more often handling the cleaning and cooking duties, Dad is making time to largely do the fun stuff.

- In the celebrity Dad category, here's some insight into what those crazy Kardashian gals are planning to get their dad, Bruce Jenner, for Father's Day. "Kourtney, Kim and I--we're gonna, because he got his ears pierced, maybe go in on a pair of diamond studs," Khloe Kardashian said. "We need to jazz him up a bit." Who knew that when Jenner won Olympic Gold and appeared on a Wheaties cereal box that he'd eventually end up as Daddy to these three.

- The Christian Science Monitor writes that fathers are more active as parents than their male counterparts of a generation ago, but more kids than ever are growing up without a father even living in their home. According to researchers, the institution of marriage is more accepted by those with college degrees and higher incomes compared to working-class families with lower levels of education. On the high end of the demographic, fathers are more engaged, as noted in the Ipsos research cited above. On the lower end, fathers more often are absent. The Pew Research Center, this past week, released the data under the heading "A Tale of Two Fathers." The sobering data point is that more than one-in-four fathers with children under age 18 live apart from their kids.

- What are the top five cities for Dads? Newsweek/The Daily Beast compiled the list based upon fathers-per-capita, educational quality, quality time with kids, cardiologists (heart disease is the number one killer of men, 25-54) and Father's Day fun (e.g., number of golf courses, number of sports bars, etc.) Here is the list: #5 - Tampa, FL; #4 - Orlando, FL; #3 - Gilbert, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix); #2 - Scottsdale, AZ: and #1 - Irvine, CA.

Musings on the work week

2011-06-18T10:22:00.000-05:00
- Do you notice that Friday is becoming the new Monday? Not only are Mondays still Mondays, but on Friday, everyone seems to get into a panic because the work week is officially ending. Boxes on "to do" lists need to get checked, work needs to be moved off one's back to someone else's, decisions have to be made...and on and on.

- Why is it that when you wear a tie to work the two inevitable questions are either "who died?" or "how'd the interview go?"

- Does anyone call an office phone number anymore?

Candy's place

2011-06-14T12:31:00.002-05:00
Los Angeles--a city known for excess and gaudiness--is about to close a chapter in its real estate history which is without precedent.

"The Manor," the five-acre estate of the late Aaron Spelling, has reportedly been sold for a price of roughly $150 million. Spelling's former abode is in the Holmby Hills area of L.A. and measures in at 57,000 square feet--roughly the equivalent of 15 Overland Park, Kansas residences placed side-by-side. The home sits on five acres and features a bowling alley, beauty salon, and space to park 100 cars.

The buyer is Petra Ecclestone, heiress to the Ecclestone Formula One car racing fortune of her father, Bernie Ecclestone. Ecclestone will split time between Los Angeles and London after her upcoming August wedding to entrepreneur James Stunt. (By the way, Ecclestone's London accomodations are valued at $91 million, meaning her two residences are valued somewhere in the vicinity of $240 million!)

Spelling made his fortune by developing successful TV shows like Charlie's Angels, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and The Mod Squad. The seller is his wife, Candy Spelling.

The Spellings bought the property in the early 1980s and tore down the existing home on the land in order to build this French chateau-style estate. The double staircase entryway was inspired by Gone With the Wind and, in addition to the aforementioned rooms, the home has a china room, a library, a flower-cutting room (who knew you needed an entire room for that), and a suite named after Prince Charles. (Yes, he once was a guest of Spelling's.) In sum, the sale will be the largest real estate transaction for a single-family home in U.S. history.

Don't fret for Mrs. Spelling though--she says that she's "downsizing" to a condominium in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles. Her smaller place is a mere 15,555 square feet worth $35 million.

(Source: Wall Street Journal)

Sunday morning coffee

2011-06-12T08:28:00.001-05:00
- USA Today compiled its list of Emmy nominations, now that the official television season is over, and the Best Drama lineup is a hard one to call. USAT's nominees are The Killing (AMC), Mad Men (AMC), True Blood (HBO), Justified (FX), The Good Wife (CBS) and Boardwalk Empire (HBO.) My wish would be this list but with Friday Night Lights (NBC) replacing True Blood.

- The finale of Army Wives (Lifetime) is tonight. And, while there is some horrid acting on this show, the story lines about life in the military are really first-rate.

- Apple has blinked. According to Friday's Wall Street Journal, Apple has relaxed its guidelines for digital content sales through its App Store. The changes will give magazine, newspaper and video publishers more freedom over how they price and sell their content to owners of Apple's devices. Google has been much more aggressive, with attractive terms, in wooing publishers for its Android app store.

- Ford plans to pump new life into its Lincoln luxury brand. Later this year, the car company plans to give Lincoln a new identity by highlighting its production of high-tech luxury vehicles.

- Both ABC and NBC will try to emulate the success of Mad Men by debuting period shows this fall. Pan Am will appear on ABC and NBC will have the Playboy Club, both shows set in the 1960's. I can see the Playboy Club possibly making it but wonder about Pan Am--how many potential viewers even remember that airline and brand which went away in 1991?

- One of my favorite blues guitarists, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, turns 34 today.

- Here's another proof point about the shifting tide of manliness--television network executives are saying that they heard more pitches, this year, than ever before about the changing dynamics of men. The recently announced fall lineup will include shows like Man Up, about three men "who struggle with what it means to be a real man in a world of Axe ads;" Free Agents, with Hank Azaria in the role of a divorced office worker; and Work It, about two guys laid off in a car dealership who must dress like women to get a job selling pharmaceuticals.

T.G.I.F.

2011-06-10T07:22:00.000-05:00
- Heard recently from a respected media source: Approximately one in 10 new television shows makes it into season three or four, which is the longevity needed to take a show into syndication which is where profitability truly happens.

- The most creative person in business, according to Fast Company magazine? It's Wadah Khanfar, the mastermind behind Al Jazeera. Others in the top ten are: Scott Forstall, Apple; Yuri Milner, Digital Sky Technologies; Jack Dorsey, Twitter; Sebastian Thrun, Google; Guo Pei, Rose Studio; Sal Khan, Khan Academy; Conan O'Brien; Jim Yong Kim, Dartmouth; and Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post Media Group.

- Who knew that there was a demand for bedbug-sniffing dogs? Apparently there is so much interest in these canines who can sniff out the dreaded bedbugs that concern is building as to which dogs truly can sniff out the pests. The National Pest Management Association, beginning this month, will offer certification and training for dogs and handlers.

- So far this year, tornadoes have killed 504 people, the highest such death toll in the U.S. since 1953.

- And, our quote of the week goes to Courtney Love, wife of the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Said Love, who has dated a varied lineup of men since Cobain's death in 1994, "I'm only interested in plutocrats--the really,really rich guys. I think I can be a real asset to a wealthy man." Hey, at least she's honest, huh?

Idle chatter

2011-06-07T12:12:00.001-05:00
- Yesterday was the 67th anniversary of D-Day--arguably the most important battle in our country's history. Yet, no Saving Private Ryan, no The Longest Day, no special on The History Channel. What gives?

- Like a fly drawn to the light, I turned on The Bachelorette last night and watched for a bit. The boys had to appear at a comedy club and roast not only each other, but this season's bachelorette--ultra-perky Ashley. (Has there ever been a bachelorette on this ABC show who couldn't be described as "perky?") Wow...painful stuff.

- Quote of the day: Reese Witherspoon, accepting the Generation Award at the MTV Movie Awards, said, "I get it girls, that it's cool to be a bad girl. But, it is possible to make it in Hollywood without doing a reality show. When I came up in this business, if you made a sex tape, you were embarrassed and you hid it under your bed."

- Katie Couric's move to ABC has several implications. One, the demise of the afternoon soap opera will continue as ABC noted that it would give away General Hospital's 3 p.m. ET time slot to make room for Couric's new afternoon show. Two, Couric mentioned that she'd be happy to make appearances on Good Morning America which could be code for "I'll appear even more frequently on GMA, if you'd like." The network obviously hopes that Couric can take up the syndicated show slack left behind by the ending of Oprah.

- Country star Ronnie Dunn has released his first album since the demise of Brooks & Dunn, the power duo which topped the C&W charts for 20 years. Today's New York Times review of the album said it was "one of the year's most impressive country releases and a showcase for sounds and moods that rarely felt at home in Brooks & Dunn."

- It was a busy weekend here in K.C. town. The NASCAR boys were in for the truck race on Saturday and the Sprint Cup Series event on Sunday; it was First Fridays down in the Crossroads District and Jazzoo out at the Kansas City Zoo; the Prairie Village Art Fair took place and summertime crowds sweltered out at Kauffman Stadium to see the Royals and Twins.

- So, let me see if I have this straight--Representative Anthony Weiner of New York sent lewd photographs of himself, via Twitter, and didn't think he'd get caught!? People, people, people...if you post/text/send/tweet something, there is no magic eraser to make it go away.

Sunday morning coffee

2011-06-05T09:16:00.000-05:00
- If you need a summer TV show for viewing, it's not too late to catch up on The Killing. Available on AMC On-Demand, the show traces the murder investigation of a Seattle teenager, Rosie Larsen over the course of 13 days (episodes.) The show airs on Sunday nights on AMC and will conclude on June 19.

- Mark Wahlberg turns 40 today. The former rapper, who claims to have had "20-25" run-ins with Boston Police during his younger days, has done quite well for himself as an accomplished actor and producer of film and television.

- The Starlight Theatre season opens this week with The King and I. Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba) plays the role of the King of Siam--quite the way for Kansas City's best outdoor venue to kick off another stellar lineup of musicals. This summer, the theatre will also feature 9 to 5, Cinderella, Mamma Mia, Guys & Dolls and Xanadu.

- Talk about grouchy--a wealthy lumber baron, Wellington Burt, died in 1919 but did not allow his $110 million fortune to be split among his heirs until 21 years after the death of his last grandchild. You see, Burt hated his immediate relatives, thus he placed the restriction on his inheritance.

- In perhaps a bit of life imitating art, January Jones (who plays ice queen Betty Draper on AMC's Mad Men) has revealed that she's pregnant--but she's keeping the identity of the father secret. One rumor is that Jones and director Matthew Vaughn became quite close on the set of the upcoming X-Men film. (Vaughn is married to model Claudia Schiffer.) Jones also dated Saturday Night Live--and Kansas City and University of Kansas alum--Jason Sudeikis last year. Much like her character on Mad Men, Jones is being very secretive.

A bad month for car sales

2011-06-02T12:47:00.001-05:00
Which car brand's sales improved the most in May? Honda? No. Toyota? Nope. GM? Wrong again.

The answer is Hyundai--yes, Hyundai, that Korean auto manufacturer which now ranks fifth in total U.S. sales behind Toyota.

In a report in today's Wall Street Journal, Hyundai (20.7%) and Chrysler (10.1%) are the only two auto brands which reported increases from year-ago-this-month levels. Ford was close to flat, at -0.3%, followed by GM (-1%), Nissan (-9.1%), Honda (-22.5%) and Toyota (-33.4%.)

I think one would have to credit the inspired advertising of Chrysler, launched with a Super Bowl blitz in February, for that brand's improvement. And, Hyundai's marketing efforts have been on a roll since they offered the you-lose-your-job-we'll-buy-back-your-car guarantee of early 2009.

Honda's and Toyota's troubles can be traced to lack of inventory which is a direct result of the March earthquake in Japan.

Interestingly, while sales are down, the total transaction price for an average vehicle rose to $29,817, the highest level ever recorded. (Source: TrueCar.com)

The most valuable brand

2011-05-31T17:17:00.000-05:00
What's the most valuable brand in all the world? Not surprisingly, it's Apple. The strength of sales of the iPad pushed Apple past Google as the world's most valuable brand in Millward Brown's BrandZ 2011 study of global brands.

Here is the list of the top 20 global brands along with their brand value and percentage change from the year prior.

1. Apple: $153,285M; up 84%
2. Google: $111,498M; down 2%
3. IBM: $100,849M; up 17%
4. McDonald's: $81,016M; up 23%
5. Microsoft: $78,243M; up 2%
6. Coca-Cola: $73,752M; up 8%
7. AT&T: $69,916M; n/a
8. Marlboro: $67,522M; up 18%
9. China Mobile: $57,326M; up 9%
10. General Electric: $50,318M; up 12%
11. ICBC: $44,440M; up 1%
12. Vodafone: $43,647M; down 2%
13. Verizon: $42,828M; n/a
14. Amazon: $37,628M; up 37%
15. WalMart: $37,277M; down 5%
16. Wells Fargo: $36,786M; up 97%
17. UPS: $35,737M; up 35%
18. HP: $35,404M; down 11%
19. Deutsche Telekom: $29,774M; n/a
20. VISA: $28,553M; up 15%

(Sources: Millward Brown BrandZ 2011, Advertising Age)

Saturday morning coffee

2011-05-28T09:32:00.000-05:00
Happy Memorial Day weekend, dear readers! Here in the Midwest, it feels like anything but the unofficial start of summer given cool temps and cloudy skies.

Let's throw it around a bit, shall we?

- Check out 715 restaurant in Lawrence. The small-ish space, in one of downtown Lawrence's historic buildings, is modern yet intimate. The focus here is fresh ingredients--yesterday's menu included lamb fresh off a local Kansas farm. Everything we had, from smoked salmon appetizer to cauliflower soup to spinach and ricotta ravioli was first-rate. And, the grilled peach with homemade vanilla ice cream was the topper to an excellent meal.

- If you're not watching The Killing on AMC, you need to catch up.

- Speaking of AMC, Jon Hamm will follow in fellow actor John Slattery's footsteps and will play a role behind the camera on Mad Men. Hamm is directing the series' first show of Season Five with filming not starting until August of this year. The series will begin airing again in early 2012.

- For fans of The Hobbit, director Peter Jackson has caused a stir by casting Orlando Bloom, in his Lord of the Rings role of Legolas, in The Hobbit movies. The issue, for purists, is that Legolas doesn't appear in J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit novel. One post on Jackson's Facebook page accused the director of "blatant fanboyism."

- Leave it to Lawrence to come up with this. In Kansas City, we have "First Fridays" in the Crossroads District, a monthly celebration in the midst of art galleries in the Union Station/Freighthouse area of town. In Lawrence, they have "Final Fridays," a quirky art exhibition where, in last night's case, student artists displayed their wares in a vacated space downtown.

- Motorists in Los Angeles recently lined up at a local gas station. The occasion? A computer glitch allowed unleaded gas to be purchased at $1.10 a gallon instead of the usual $4.29 per gallon.

Finales

2011-05-25T09:54:00.000-05:00
Tis the season for television finales and, per the usual, some shows are hitting the mark and others are going out with a whimper. Two high profile network TV shows concluded seasons last night and both finished on a reasonably high note although one had a very up-and-down second season.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC) crowned Hynes Ward as the champion last night. Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers football star, beat out Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane in a year which featured some of the best celebrity dancers in DWTS history.

Ward and his partner, Kym Johnson, displayed a strong chemistry throughout Season 10, so much so that the rumor media mills had the two as a potential couple off of the dance floor. Ward brought an athlete's mentality to the competition and was praised throughout the season for his preparation and solid technique.

DWTS has built a loyal viewership among the older adult demo and succeeded this season after a less-than-stellar group of competitors in Season Nine.

As for Glee, the hit show on FOX stumbled throughout this second season following the kids from McKinley High. The show capitalized on the talent of the actors and became much more about the singing and dancing than the life lesson stories which highlighted last season. New actors, most notably Darren Criss, received increasing air time throughout this season and a guest appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow went on for far too long. Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester character moved from acerbic to downright mean for most of Season Two and Chris Colfer's Kurt was reduced to a complementary role until late in the season.

Last night's Glee ended with a bit of a twist yet also nicely tied a bow around this hodge-podge Season Two storyline. The network knows it has a franchise hit on its hands and is playing it a bit safe in prep for next year's Season Three.

Over on CBS, perhaps the best drama on television, The Good Wife, finished its first season last week with a juicy ending. Julianna Margulies' character, Alicia Florrick, finally succumbed to her attraction for Will Gardner (played by Josh Charles.) The couple enters a hotel room only to have the camera pan back to an empty hallway, yet a hallway where the question seems to be "is somebody watching?" In a show with a topical storyline, terrific ensemble cast, and Margulies' stoic brilliance, The Good Wife will be much anticipated next fall.

Saturday morning coffee

2011-05-21T09:10:00.001-05:00
- Happy Birthday to Mr. T.--dude turns 59 today. Whaddup fool!?

- Apple is reportedly close to offering a cloud music service--the ability to upload and store music on the Web so that one can listen to it on smartphones, computers or tablets. I've tried out Amazon's version of the service and it's okay--a bit clunky and basic, and the uploading is not a quick process. Apple's likely entry into this space, which could be announced as soon as next month, would represent another occasion where the brand came into a space already occupied, and likely will offer something better and more user-friendly.

- I'm a little late to the game but I saw Thor this week. My review? A solid C+.

- Did you know...? Workers in Chicago and New York walk faster than those of us suburban types, thus elevator companies program the doors to shut faster in buildings there.

- Sign of the apocalypse: Ronald McDonald is under attack from health-care professionals and consumer groups who recently have asked McDonald's to retire the clown spokesperson. Thank you, McDonald's, for standing firm and defending Ronald. While the company has been fairly diplomatic in its response, mine would be "Hey, all you parents out there--grow a pair and guide your children on what constitutes healthy eating versus not. It's not a food chain's responsibility to parent for you!" It's unfair to single out McDonald's in this fashion given the improvements the fast-food chain has made in its menu to offer healthy eating alternatives.

- American Idol improved dramatically this season, what with the addition of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as judges, and the overall final group of singers was the best in many seasons. Yet, in one area, the song remains the same for Idol--the finalists tend to be middle-of-the-road, no risk singers. Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery both seem to be nice young people but neither has the vocal chops of jettisoned contestants like Pia Toscano or James Durbin.

- Idol, by the way, continues to put up killer audience delivery numbers--on Thursday night, over 21 million viewers tuned in.

CBS at the Upfronts

2011-05-18T20:59:00.000-05:00
Are you used to watching CSI on Thursday night? Don't get comfortable--that time is changing this fall. How about The Good Wife on Tuesday night? Yep, it too is changing its time slot.

The big news coming out of CBS' upfront presentation today was the shift of successful dramas to new times in order to provide better opportunity for success by new programs. And, oh yeah, the other news? In case you didn't know, that show Two and a Half Men has a new co-star.

CBS is planning two new comedies and four new dramas for next season, with three of the dramas in the established cops formula which has worked so well recently for the network.

All three of the CSI dramas will return--CSI: Miami remains on Sunday nights, CSI will move to Wednesday nights and CSI: New York goes to Friday nights. Blue Bloods, which is finishing up a very successful first season, will stay on Friday nights, airing right after CSI: New York.

The new comedies are How to Be a Gentleman, which stars Kevin Dillon of Entourage fame, and Two Broke Girls, about twenty-somethings living in Brooklyn. The rookie shows join successful comedies The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.

On the drama front, the new entries are a J.J. Abrams-produced drama, Person of Interest, about an ex-CIA agent, long thought dead, who partners with a billionaire to stop crime. Jim Caviezel will star alongside Michael Emerson (Lost.) One of the police dramas is Unforgettable, starring Poppy Montgomery (Without A Trace.) Montgomery's character is able to remember everything which, obviously, is a big plus at work but a bit problematic on the homefront. The 2-2, about six NYPD rookies, is produced by Robert De Niro and stars Leelee Sobieski.

One more drama, A Gifted Man, stars Patrick Wilson as a surgeon whose dead ex-wife gives him life lessons from the great beyond.

What didn't make the CBS cut? Mad Love is out as is $@*! My Dad Says and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.

CBS also revealed that the story line of Two and a Half Men will change in order to accommodate the addition of Ashton Kutcher. Execs sounded almost giddy about the addition of Kutcher which finally allows the network to move on from the Charlie Sheen media circus of the past few weeks.

(Sources: USA Today, AdAge.com)

What's on your mind?

2011-05-18T08:15:00.002-05:00
"What's on your mind?" That's a seemingly ubiquitous question now that we live in a world of Facebook where every time one visits the page, you are faced with that probing question.

What to say? What to reveal? How to word it so that my friends and those viewing my wall will have their curiousity piqued versus a reaction of "that poor S.O.B.--such a pitiful life he leads."

A group called Buddy Media researched the making of a good wall post on behalf of companies and individuals, trying to determine which lengths, which days and even which times were best for engaging viewers of the site. Here's what they found out:

- Posts of 80 characters long or shorter cause a 27% increase in engagement. Thus, the adage of "give me the headline" seems to be true here.

- Posts made outside of business hours caused a 20% increase in engagement. Does this mean that employers can rest easy, knowing that their employees are more dialed into Facebook away from work versus at work?

- Posts on Thursday or Friday were likely to cause an 18% increase in engagement. Hmm...getting ready for the weekend, perhaps?

- Posts that end with a question cause a 15% increase in engagement. What's that you say...?

What decreases engagement? According to Buddy Media, there is an 18% decrease in engagement if the post is on a Saturday versus other days of the week. In other words, don't screw around with Saturdays. And, the weekend hangover causes a decrease in engagement as readers are 3.5% less engaged with posts on Monday through Wednesday versus other days of the week.

There you have it--lessons for those struggling with how best to answer "what's on your mind?" Go forth, Facebook posters, and write great things (but just do it on Thursday or Friday and make it 80 characters or less, ending with a question.)

ABC at the Upfronts

2011-05-17T21:03:00.000-05:00
You have to give ABC credit--they're rolling the dice by ordering up 13 new shows while throwing in the towel on all but two shows from this past season.

Perhaps the biggest source of optimism for the number three network is Good Christian Belles, a prime-time soap set in Dallas (sound familiar?) and starring Kristin Chenoweth, Annie Potts and Leslie Bibb. The show is from Darren Star, best known for Sex and the City.

Another hoped-for hit is Apartment 23, even though the storyline is tired and over-used. Krysten Ritter is a naive girl from the Midwest (no word if she's from Kansas) who has big dreams which take a hit in New York.

Among the 13 new shows are remakes (Charlie's Angels) and a period piece (Pan Am) which sounds similar to what NBC is attempting with its Playboy Club.

Former TV star Tim Allen returns on the network in Last Man Standing--Allen plays the sole male in a large household.

ABC's only holdovers are Body of Proof, starring Dana Delany, and Happy Endings. Mr. Sunshine did not make the cut meaning that, once again, a Friends alumnus (Matthew Perry) was part of a losing effort. Others cancelled are Better With You, No Ordinary Family, Detroit 1-8-7, Brothers & Sisters, V and Off the Map.

What's working for ABC, long mired in third place behind FOX and CBS? Well, Dancing With the Stars had another successful season and Modern Family is perhaps the best sitcom on TV. Paul Lee, ABC's programming chief, has to hope that he can mine similar gold with one of the lucky 13 he served up to media execs and advertisers earlier today.

It's a wacky, wacky world...

2011-05-17T17:25:00.000-05:00
Let's see if I have this all straight...

- The governor of California had a child out of wedlock with a woman on his household staff.

- A mother admitted to injecting her eight-year old daughter with Botox and subsequently had the child taken from her custody.

- Good Morning America reported on a man who has eaten 25,000 Big Macs, dating back to 1972.

- Donald Trump decided not to run for President...and the media treated that revelation as major news.

- 57% of Americans say that college isn't worth it. (Source: TIME)

- Lady Gaga hit the 10 million mark for Twitter followers.

- The Winklevoss twins are taking the Facebook case to the Supreme Court.

- Vin Mazzaro of the Kansas City Royals gave up 13 runs last night...in three innings.

- And, a couple named their newborn after the Facebook "like" symbol.

That, my friends, is "news" from only the past 24 hours. Oh yeah, there's also this "the world will end on May 21" thing coming up too.

Weird, wacky stuff...

FOX at the Upfronts

2011-05-17T12:15:00.001-05:00
Can you say Glee? Can I have an "amen!?"

FOX network executives took the stage yesterday afternoon for their upfront presentation to media execs and advertisers and, not surprisingly, used smash hit Glee to tie their performance together and not so subtly say "we're number one!"

The network's show opened with the Warblers, led by Darren Criss, singing "Hey Soul Sister," and featured other Glee Cast members singing and dancing. Jane Lynch, in full Sue Sylvester mode, followed and, true to form, used her time to insult the audience.

What shows did FOX trumpet? Not surprisingly, The X Factor was the headliner. Simon Cowell's new show will take over the time slot of American Idol this fall with Idol then starting up after the NFL's NFC Championship Game (if there is one) on January 22, 2012.

Terra Nova, another Stephen Spielberg project, was the other new FOX show which received lots of buzz. Nova was promoted at last year's upfront but got delayed--the show is about a family who travels back in time to when dinosaurs ruled the earth.

J.J. Abrams has created Alcatraz, which could be interesting. The premise? No one ever escaped Alcatraz until one night when 302 men disappeared, never to be heard from again.

Other shows unveiled included Touch, a new outlet for Kiefer Sutherland, and The Flintstones, another animated show from Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy.

FOX played to its strengths by showcasing Glee, Idol and the upcoming X Factor, affirming why the network is rated first among adults 18-49. The one-time fourth network has come a long way in its 25-year history.

NBC at the Upfronts

2011-05-16T12:40:00.000-05:00
Perhaps it's fitting that NBC--the network which once gave us "must see TV"--kicks off this week of upfront presentations by the television networks to media planners, buyers and advertisers. NBC has given us anything but "must see TV" of late given the network's fourth place standing among the major networks in terms of total viewership.

Here are the highlights of what advertisers will see today from the network of the Peacock:

- Wonder Woman, the re-make from David E. Kelley and starring Adrienne Palicki (Tyra on Friday Night Lights) didn't make the cut for the fall lineup.

- Christina Applegate, one of my favorite comedic actresses, is back in Up All Night, a sitcom about a working mom and stay-at-home husband, played by Will Arnett. Applegate was last seen on Samantha Who?, an engaging comedy which only lasted one season. Up All Night will air on Wednesdays, followed by Free Agents, a comedy starring Hank Azaria which is about co-workers on the romance rebound.

- Smash will premiere on Mondays next year--it's a musical set behind the scenes of a Broadway show and is based upon an idea from Stephen Spielberg.

- The Firm, based upon John Grishman's novel and movie of the same name, will air on Sunday nights.

- Awake is a brain-twister show set in two alternate realities--one in which the protagonist's wife dies in an accident and the other in which his son dies.

- Mario Bello will star in Prime Suspect. This show is a remake of the British detective series which starred Helen Mirren.

- Finally, The Playboy Club--perhaps NBC's riskiest bet--is a prime-time soap opera about this famed Chicago hideaway and the club's various ties to celebrities and gangster types. There's no word whether Playboy owner Hugh Hefner might be asked to make a cameo.

The shows which didn't make NBC's fall lineup include Law and Order: Los Angeles and The Event.

Saturday morning coffee

2011-05-14T10:43:00.001-05:00
- Wow, Joe Queenan, who writes for the Wall Street Journal, isn't a fan of the sneaker set. And, I have to agree that the prevalence of sneakers as a fashion statement has gone a bit too far. Queenan writes, "Young people say they worry about their future. This may be because it's hard to muster much optimism about a country where so many adult males in positions of power think that stone-washed denim jeans with white sneakers is still a good look. It is not. It was not a good look when it was introduced on April 12, 1973, and it is not a good look now." Continuing, Queenan opines, "White sneakers, particularly on a tall man, make him look like a duck. A sad, clownlike, poorly shod duck."

- Researchers in Brisbane, Australia, in an attempt to better understand human altruism, went to three T-shaped intersections where motorists who stopped had to wait for an opening in traffic flow. In 959 different interactions, drivers slowed to let the other driver in about 40% of the time. In general, men and women acted equally altruistic, but men were--surprise, surprise--more altruistic than women when the waiting driver was a female. Also not surprising, drivers of high-status cars were less likely to slow down than drivers of average cars. Of all the factors measured, the one that was most important was peer pressure--drivers with at least one passenger acted altruistically 25% more often than those traveling by themselves.

- Sofia Coppola turns 40 today. Francis' little girl is quite the director but her turn in
The Godfather III as Michael Corleone's daughter is still one of the hardest acting performances ever to observe in a major film.

- People, people, people--please...there is no such word as "anyways."

- Speaking of The Godfather trilogy, is anyone else surprised that Al Pacino accepted a role in an upcoming film about John Gotti?

- The media upfronts begin in New York on Monday and today's New York Times has a story about how media executives are more and more working to appeal to the 55+ year old set. The upfronts are the annual preview of the fall television season and kicks off the time period where media planners and buyers negotiate with the network for "upfront" inventory. The focus on this boomer audience reverses what had been a trend of working hard to appeal to the 24-35 year old segment. Why the shift? For one, the 55+ audience is more likely to hold a job, and thus have disposable income, compared to younger audience demos.

- As successful as American Idol has been this season, the process of picking a winner showed its flaws again this week. James Durbin, a competitor who was different than the normal Idol contender, was booted off, following in the footsteps of another worthy singer, Pia Toscano and her premature exit. We are left now with three vanilla competitors who bring little in the way of unique styling--Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, and Haley Reinhart. The show continues to deliver whopping numbers as a total of 21.6 million viewers watched Thursday night's elimination show.

Eli

2011-05-13T12:39:00.000-05:00
In the wake of the death of Osama Bin Laden, accolades for the Navy Seals rolled in and there was a seemingly insatiable appetite for information about the successful raid. As a result, word that a canine was part of the operation elevated interest in the role of military dogs.

Dogs in Afghanistan are primarily used to sniff out bombs, particularly the homemade varieties which have proved so lethal to U.S. troops in country. By the end of this year, it is projected that nearly 650 dogs will be involved with U.S. troops in Afghanistan out of a total of 2,700 dogs on active duty in the U.S. military.

Pfc. Colton Rusk was a handler of one of these military canines. Rusk, a machine gunner, was a 20-year old Texan who sent his family back in the States a consistent diet of photos and news about his beloved dog and partner—Eli.

In December, Rusk was gunned down by sniper fire in Sangin, one of the deadliest areas in Helmand in Afghanistan. As Rusk’s body lay mortally wounded, Eli crawled on top of his companion in an attempt to guard him from further harm.

When the obituary was written for Rusk, the first survivor listed was Eli, the black Labrador Retriever. Fittingly, Rusk’s parents adopted Eli and brought the dog home to much fanfare in Colton’s hometown of Orange Grove, Texas. After a ceremony at Lackland Air Force Base, the Rusks took Eli home with them.

Upon entering the Rusk home for the first time, Eli made straight for Colton’s bedroom. After sniffing out the room, Eli jumped up on the bed and assumed the spot formerly occupied by his fallen owner, trainer and friend.

The identity of the dog who took part in the Bin Laden raid is still a mystery, except to a chosen few which now includes President Barack Obama. When the President said his “thank you’s” to the Navy Seals last week, the group included the commando dog who was there when the secret raid eliminated America’s, and the world’s, greatest terrorist risk.

Eli, the anonymous dog who helped seal Bin Laden's fate, and the hundreds of others in harm's way each day--these animals deserve our appreciation. Rebecca Frankel, deputy managing editor of ForeignPolicy.com, summed it up by saying "I think people go weak in the knees for these dogs. But, their contribution is significant. These are serious dogs."

(Source: The New York Times)

Catching up...

2011-05-09T12:18:00.001-05:00
I'm sorry, loyal readers, for a slow blog week last week. Let's try to catch up, shall we?

- Mike Wallace turns 93 today. As most know, the broadcast journalist served on CBS' 60 Minutes for 37 years. But, it was his early career jobs which may come as a surprise. In the 1950s, Wallace hosted several games shows--in that era it was fairly common for newsmen to also double as game show hosts. Not only did Wallace follow this career path but so too did journalists like Walter Cronkite, Douglas Edwards and John Cameron Swayze.

- Isn't it amazing the number of Facebook and Twitter messages, posts and the like which were devoted to mothers yesterday? It makes Mother's Day even more special although we know that few were actually seen by the motherly set in the 65 and up age range given this audience's lack of interaction with social media.

- Oprah's last episode is next week and the venue is moving to one suitable for the audience and hype--the United Center in Chicago.

- For all of you Lady Gaga fans, the pop star is releasing a new song, "The Edge of Glory," today at 3:00 p.m. CDT. The song will be available via iTunes.

- Remember the photo released from last weekend's successful raid on Osama Bin Laden's lair which showed President Obama and his national security team in the Situation Room? Well, the Hasidic newspaper, Der Tzitung, has removed Secretary of State Hollary Clinton and another woman, counterterrorism director Audrey Tomason, from this now iconic photograph. The newspaper, which is "ultra Orthodox" (according to Jewish Week), apparently has a policy that it never publishes photos of women because it thinks it could be sexually suggestive. In the photo, Clinton has her hand over her mouth and a look of attentive anxiety.
(Source: The Huffington Post)

- A study released today by the Pew Research Center for Excellence in Journalism found that Facebook is influencing what news gets read online as
users share and recommend content. While Google remains the leader in this space, Facebook and other sharing tools/sites are empowering users to rely upon their circle of online friends and acquaintances to recommend interesting stuff.

The devil and Bin Laden

2011-05-02T09:47:00.000-05:00
DEVIL: “Welcome, Mr. Bin Laden. We’ve been waiting for you. While I expected you sooner, we’re glad you’re here.”

BIN LADEN: “It’s a bit hotter than I expected here. I trust that you have superior accommodations for me similar to my palace where those American infidels invaded my privacy and shot me through the eye.”

DEVIL: “Yes, yes, a very nice accommodation for you, sir. And, we have a doctor on staff who can take a look at that nasty looking left eye. I’m sure he can repair it—Dr. Martin Bormann is an excellent physician.”

BIN LADEN: “Good, good…now, let’s take a look at where I’ll live.”

DEVIL: “Live? Hmm…that’s an interesting choice of words. But, yes, follow me down to our special wing of suites. We have a very nice place for you here—you’ll be next to Mr. Hitler and just down the hallway from Pol Pot and Genghis Khan. Watch out for that Khan fellow though—a bad temper, that one. You’ll also notice that we keep the temperature nice and hot for you fine fellows down here. You'll have no square meals a day, zero water and you'll burn here forever. Enjoy!"

Sunday morning coffee

2011-05-01T09:33:00.000-05:00
It's been another busy week so let's catch up on some of the action, shall we?

- Did you get a load of the headgear sported by those attending the William and Kate nuptials on Friday? Sarah Lyall, writing for The New York Times, described it best: "The outfits of the guests were generally tasteful and royal-friendly. A few things stuck out...The hats worn by the ladies, which resembled, variously, overturned buckets, flowerpots, lampshades, fezzes, salad plates, tea cozies, flying saucers, abstract artworks or, in one case, a pile of feathers."

- No tweeting was allowed from Westminster Abbey at the royal wedding but in the month leading up to the big event, there were roughly 600,000 posts per day.

- Traveling from midtown to downtown New York in a cab is bad enough but cross-country? Mohammed Alam, a New York cabdriver, received the fare of a lifetime--$5,000 to drive John Belitsky and Dan Weubben of New Jersey from New York to Los Angeles. The trip took six days and was Belitsky's idea for a birthday adventure. Not only did Alam get a huge fare, he also got to see Universal Studios--a dream of his since childhood.

- In our house, we have a hard time getting our cat to use the kitty door. In Florida, a woman discovered that an alligator had figured out the kitty door--she found the creature in her bedroom.

- Katie Couric confirmed that she is stepping down as anchor of the CBS Evening News. That once proud news franchise--the home of Walter Cronkite--is bringing up the ratings rear among nighttime news shows.

- Back to the royal wedding, Christopher Hitchens had this to say on Slate.com: "Every decade or so, the pathetic bunch of scandal-prone, dowdy misanthropes Britain calls 'the royals,' seems to require a 'human sacrifice'--a fresh-faced outsider like Diana or Kate who is forced to live an unendurable existence of constant scrutiny, and then is 'punished or humiliated when they crack up.'"

- Here is another sign of the growing irrelevance of print media: In the past decade, 18 newspapers have closed their foreign bureaus. The Boston Globe, Miami Herald and The Philadelphia Inquirer are among those on this list.

- And finally, some juicy tidbits from today's Parade magazine: West Virginia has the most strip clubs of any state in the U.S. and is also the state which has the highest percentage of adults who report not getting enough rest; Minnesota is the top state for physical activity; Connecticut's residents visit the dentist most frequently; and Vermont leads the nation in the consumption of fruits and vegetables.