“Dentists are generally pretty smart and they have the highest suicide rate of any profession. In stark contrast, dogs are goofy and they always look happy. You almost never hear about a dog trying to shoot himself. I know you want me to make a joke along the lines of “Dentists would be happy too if they could lick themselves.” But this is a serious discussion and I won’t have it. Plus that’s why dentists have office assistants.”
— Scott Adams
When I had lunch with Jeff Bassinson last week he was stressed from being unable to come up with an idea for his annual holiday greeting card. The bar had been set awfully high last year (he used tiny magnets to hold the lights to his head and face). In a moment of inspired desperation, he has again come through with what I am sure will be this years most original card. Again. [Larger image]
Madison radio station WIBA has sold the naming rights to its newsroom. According to a story in the Wisconsin State Journal, beginning January 1, the WIBA newsroom will be called the Amcore Bank News Center. Jeff Tyler, vice president of Clear Channel Radio-Madison, says the deal will not affect news content.
(Disclosure) Our company does business with WIBA and I met Jeff Tyler some years ago. A very sharp guy and a well-respected radio station.
What happens if the FDIC decides to investigate some of the Amcore Banks in Wisconsin? If WIBA does a story (or does not), a listener might wonder if there was any influence. Now that I think about it, it won’t matter. A swarm of bloggers will be all of any such story. Just one more missing frog in the broadcast journalism ecosystem.
I thought I had heard about all there was to hear on the subject of smoking but I learned some new things from this week’s Living Healthy Podcast (show #7, by the way). If you smoke or have a friend or family member that smokes, this episode is worth a listen. Dr. Domke told a chilling story about an acquaintence (a doctor!) who had not smoked for 12 years…smoked one cigarette at a party or bar or something…and still smokes today, years later. The addictive quality of nicotine is staggering. Of those who stop, only 10% are still smoke-free one year later. But Henry is convinced that smokers can quit. No question, this is our best show to date.
Henry and I are having a hell of a good time doing these. And they remind me of all the interviews and radio shows I produced back in the day. But podcasting is sort of the distilled essence of that “radio” experience. It peels away everything but the fun. To all my old radio buddies who saw corporate PD’s and greedy owners suck the joy and life from “radio as we knew it,” I highly recommend podcasting.
Barb’s annual Golden Retreiver Holiday Card will be going out soon but they’ve been embargoed so we can’t show them here until the snail-mail runs.
The best I can do in the meantime is this image of two co-workers who donned costumes for today’s office party. Not a great shot because the restraining order prohibits me from getting closer than 100 feet.
Got an email today from a life-long friend (who happens to be my age) who said something to the effect of “…I only plan to work for 6 or 7 more years.” My first thought was, why so soon. Then I did the math and realized he (and I) will be 63 or 64. Daaaammnnn. Is it retirement time already?
We can’t predict what will happen in the next 6 or 7 years, but I don’t plan to hang it up anytime soon. I think I can do 75 in a walk. Maybe longer. And as long as world continues to be populated by clueless and lazy people, I’ll have something of a competitive edge (I’m not talking about you).
“First National Bank, may we help you?
“Yeah, this is Steve Mays. I’m just checking on my fuck-you money.”
“Hang on a second. (Pause) Yep. It’s all there.”
“Cool. Talk to you next week.”
A coworker came by my office today, held up a little cup, and told me to draw a name. When I asked why, she explained it was for my Secret Santa. I said I’d be glad to contribute some money but didn’t think I wanted to have a Secret Santa. Too late, she explained.
“I sent an email around yesterday and it clearly said to contact me by 5 p.m. (yesterday) if you didn’t want to take part in Secret Santa.”
Seems the Secret Santa program is opt-out only.
“I got a couple of hundred emails yesterday,” I explaind. “If one of them had ‘Secret Santa’ for the subject line, I probably didn’t open it. Can’t I just give you some money?”
“No. Someone already has your name and if you don’t participate, I’ll have to go back to them and have them pick another name,” she explained.
“Uh, what’s involved in being a Secret Santa?” I asked.
“You buy a small ($5.00 limit) gift for your Secret Santa pal each week for the next four weeks,” she replied.
Right. I gave my wife a check for our 28th wedding anniversary. I won’t be searching the mall for a clever gift for a coworker. I came off sounding like an asshole that didn’t want to join in the holiday fun and my coworker huffed out.
While it’s too late to be Jimmy Stewart, maybe I can offer some alternatives to Secret Santa. You could buy a card for the person in the next cube. Or bring in some fudge to share. Remember, it dosn’t matter if they get you a card or some fudge, it’s the giving that counts. But that’s no fun and there’s no…mystery. So how about this: Secret Scrooge.
The SS is chosen by lot. Nobody knows his or her identity. Early in the morning (before anyone else is at the office) on the last work day before Christmas, the Secret Scrooge leaves a sealed note on the desk of coworker, informing him or her that they have to work Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day. They don’t have to do anything, they just have to be at their desk. And — here’s the fun part– they spend that time trying to guess the identity of the Secret Scrooge. Can we count you in? It’ll be fun.
Looking for that perfect –yet affordable– gift for smays? I can always use some some new production music and the clever kids at Wayne Kozak Audio Productions have the hard-to-find stuff I’ve been searching for. [via AdRants]
A list of masthead images used here at smays.com since we moved to Typepad. All photos by smays unless otherwide indicated:
Town Grill, Jefferson City, MO
Ecco Lounge, Jefferson City, MO
Sunrise Over Learfield, Jefferson City, MO (David Sprague)
Waffle House, Destin, FL
Missouri River, Rocheport, MO
KBOA, Kennett, MO (John Reeder)
Boogie Board Boy, Destin, FL
Sunset, Destin, FL
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (David Sprague)
Joe Browning, Memphis, TN (unknown)
Delta Fair Midway, Kennett, MO (Charlies Jolliff)
Delta Fair Midway, Kennett, MO (Charles Jolliff)
Stonebrook Acres Pond, Jefferson City, MO
Whistler, BC (Barb Miltenberger)
KBOA Studio A, Kennett, MO (John Reeder)
Church Attic, somewhere in Mississippi (Charlie Peck)
Parking Lot, Jefferson City, MO
Chili’s, Jefferson City, MO
Day Cruise, Destin, FL (Barb Miltenberger)
Mt. McKinley, Alaska (Jeff Bassinson)
PR Technology Luncheon, January 10, 2006, Clayton, MO.
State Capitol, Madison, WI, Photo by Jackie Johnson, February, 2006.
Joe Browning, Church St., Kennett, MO (Photo by Trish Wareing)
Missouri River, South of Cooper’s Landing 5/28/06
Strip Club, Downtown Kansas City 10/21/06
Whiteout, Kim Lang’s back yard (in or near Omaha, NE – March 1, 2007)
The first U.S. investor-backed retirement community for gays and lesbians is set to open this week, and will feature drag queen shows and gay pride parades. RainbowVision is a 146-unit complex on the outskirts of Santa De, N.M., and is scheduled to open after Thanksgiving. While there are other gay and lesbian retirement communities, mostly in Florida and California, they are mostly run on a communal basis.
If you don’t want to blog, have a parade. Good for them.