Super Bore!

Yawn!   Just think, I could have spent the entire SuperBowl 48 in the restroom or leaning on the edge of a bar watching the Puppy Bowl or a rerun of Heidi,  would have been more interesting. Heck,  oiling my hair or trimming my mustache would have given me more joy.

The game, was lop-sided and lacking energy for Denver.  Why is it that the NFC and AFC Championship games are more superbowl-ish than the big game itself these days?  Perhaps, except for Superbowl 47, the Har-bro game thanks to the brotherly love conflict between big brother John and envious wannabe little bro, Jim ( Baltimore Ravens/San Francisco 49ers),  and the big power outage event.  Even Bruno Mars brought it like Beyonces' boodie last year, was on the mark!

Conspiracy lovers blame Las Vegas for pulling the plug on the electric grid, Denver needed a power outage last night.  Where was the Vegas Conspirators? 

I see an entire new industry,  stress management for teams the day before the game.  Imagine, relaxation chairs, motivational dvd and satellite feeds to help players focus on the task at hand.  I see a cool guy with a robe, sandals and a staff looking like Charleston Hesston in the Ten Commandments giving them Holy Grail instructions to help them show up during the game and score points.  

The commercials were even tired and blah!   Perhaps,  launching them before the Superbowl is a bad idea and then not showing your pre-promoted ads during the first half hour is another disaster.  Perhaps advertisers do not understand their role for the SuperBowl..  It is your duty to be bigger than life,  to offer that belly laugh or wow, no way experience.  Maybe, Ad makers are tired from designing ads for broadcast, cable, and online.  Super commercials for Super Bowl, ad geeks, please!
Yawn!

The hunt for the Superbowl is about the drama, the give and take, the back and forth, and the build.  The only build was the score for Seattle and how even penalties made by Seattle, didn't hinder their thematic build.  Hopefully, every Seattle fan (although, I am tired of the 12th man hype) celebrated the victory. They deserve the kudos.  Russell Wilson, deserves the credit of overcoming height jokes, and draft comments.   He is a powerhouse that deserves credit for making his team run to victory.

Remember, any team wanting to play in the big game, please show up for the big day! More than three to five players have to show up.  Thanks for trying Peyton Manning and Wes Welker. 

For future Superbowl fans,  we need a plan B to prevent Superbowl Boredom.  Have a theme party just in case, like a Beatle or Motown party or a best scenes in gangster movies event and have a child in the other room watching just in case something happens in the third or fourth quarter. Perhaps, a road rally party where people can drive to each others homes and eat and see if anything interesting is happening on the football field, other than clean up from the halftime show.

We all need something to prevent that Yawn, let's go to bed feeling.  Well, anyway onto St. Patricks Day.  That won't disappoint!

Shared American Interest

There was a time that all Americans shared the same experience.  There were only A.M. radio stations.  People listened to the same music,  same news,  same dramas and comedies.  Then there were three major television networks and everyone watched the same news events,  same situation comedies and dramas and there were ratings to tell us how many people watched the M.A.S.H or Cheers finales.

Once we expanded to a world full of newspapers, A.M/F.M. radio stations,  broadcast/cable television and internet news/radio/television stations, there is no common source or unity of viewing or watching.

There are only moments of shared experiences.  The Oscars, All-Star Game, The World Series, and yes,  the Superbowl seem to be all that is left of the shared American Experience.   These are the few fleeting moments that people talk about the same thing- offer facts, opinions, and jokes.

The Superbowl provides Americans an opportunity to cheer and to see people win. The Superbowl provides victory over obstacles, emotional dramas over a year of defeat, loss, illness, and injury. 

What else do we Americans have that invoke discussion,  not the State of the Union, not a space launch, or the Publishers Clearing House winner, or Kentucky Derby.  If it not for the Superbowl and the pre-game show, Half Time show, or its' commercials, there wouldn't be much to discuss.

Despite, which team wins or scores, every American has a point of view about it. Where is there a common town square, or water cooler anymore?

We don't even share the same social media sites?  It would be difficult to create another War of the World scare again- there is a lot of noise but not the same frequency.

Tribute to Jeff Zaslow



Many People, and most American men are accused of not being expressive.  Jeffrey Zaslow was not like most men.  He was expressive, in written and verbal word.

The way he captured a concept from someone he was writing about flowed off the page with such description and precision.

He had a way to create in written word a scenario, and he made it look simple to the reader to tell a story, to pinpoint the facts and paint a picture in a complete sentence or paragraph.

In knowing him, I will miss his wit, his humbleness, his humor which was either in your face or laidback and whimsical.

Depending upon the listener, his wit would invoke a five second delay or full throttle laughter.

Surely America, and the world has lost a gem,  a voice of and for the people.  He was a symbol of what it means to be a husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend.

What made him successful was his drive and determination to tell the truth, to get the facts right, to write and to edit and rewrite with the acumen of an Olympic athlete.

Although he may have been known to millions as an accomplished , best selling author.  He would say that he was just part of his job but his success was his family and friends.

When you read a good book, enjoy a great phrase or paragraph, tell a whimsical joke, or see a father hold his daughters hand , think about an American great-Jeff Zaslow.  He would tell you after writing a book about a dying professors last lecture, to enjoy each moment with family.

Thanks Jeff-  You spoke volumes in mere words!

Detroit at the Crosswroads-Tale of Two Cities

The Detroit Chamber of Commerce just completed its annual regional conference at Mackinac Island. One of its sessions was titled "A Tale of Two Cities". 

The private sector of Detroit, its business community is focused on creating a cool new Detroit, where people live, work and play. From offering incentives for employees to live near work, satellite storefronts, foot traffic and soon light rail through the heart of downtown on Woodward Avenue. New Detroit reflects the type of conveniences that once made up the culture of Old historic Detroit.
Unlike its counterpart, the government sector is not united or striving toward partnering its agenda to create a new sense of servicing its populace. 

Focused on survival of the status quo, rather than the direction of salvaging what government can provide its citizenry during economic decay and criminal entrenchment. 
It seems impossible for the players in the State of Michigan/City of Detroit Consent Agreement chess game to identify their roles and compromise toward stablizing the speeding bullet of decline.

Although government has not learned to process progress with speed and certainty as its' private business community.  The Corporate community is speeding its' way to its goals like a passenger on a light rail track, whereas government is galloping its way on horse and buggy using a 1890 street map.

Alas, government can use warp speed when it wants to pursue a common goal.  For example, multiple county governments and even Michigan State government is banding together to ban K2 or Spice from the hands of youth.  A worthwhile endeavor.  A necessary endeavor.

This same example can be used to improve quality of life issues for its' citizenry.  Take a page from the business playbook as a guide to successful working:  "get 'er done".  There is too much debate,  too little research, too little financial management and too much living life from the sidelines.  Business is making decisions using high speed internet while watching results with a 48 inch plasma screen television and business is making decisions with a 1980 typewriter,  watching itself with a black and white broadcast television technology.

Let's have some faith in our government.  It can move forward with speed and insight like its work with banning K2.  It is not a slow moving boxcar but it is a shared train track.  Working together, compromise and vision are necessary. 

The tale of two cities can be joined as one with shared responsibility and vision.  Let's go!

EntertainThis360

The alphabet network, ABC canceled most of its' daytime serial schedule of All My Children and One Life to Live, despite protest by fans.
It is amazing how a major multimedia conglomerate can virtually "disappear" all of its communications.
ABC offered a call in telephone line to express opinions but never offered any real reason as to why.  The ratings of both dramas were high.  Fan outreach was amazing.  The websites, promotions, and related projects were active.
It is a shame that any major network would disavow its' viewers.  Whether one million or two million viewers watched, it is a significant number these days considering cable tv dissecting mass media as we once knew it. 
Networks will continue to lose viewership as it continues to disrespect and disenfranchise the voice of its viewers. 
Talk shows and food shows will not replace peoples love for its daytime relationships.  The ABC network will learn what CBS learned from canceling Guiding Light and As the World Turns- people won't watch it, as a matter of fact, my television is off during those previous time slots.