In Vino Veritas

What's in that wine? You may not want to know. According to the L.A. Times, federal regulators are considering new rules requiring winemakers to list ingredients on labels, thanks to an allergen-disclosure law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2004. I'm usually in favor of truth-in-labelling, and being aware of what I consume, so how bad could this be? Ponder this:

It might be disenchanting if the label also listed the chicken, fish, milk and wheat products that are often used to process wine. And it would be hard to maintain the notion that wine is an ethereal elixir if, before uncorking, consumers read that their Pinot Noir or Syrah contained Mega Purple (a brand of concentrated wine color), oak chips or such additives as oak gall nuts, grape juice concentrate, tartaric acid, citric acid, dissolved oxygen, copper and water.

Well, whatever, I don't want to know what's in my Red Head Yard Dog Petit Verdot. Thanks, but no thanks!

What Is That?!?!

Well?

Any ideas?

I check out Linda Moulton Howe's excellent website, Earthfiles, from time-to-time. She reports on all kinds of things - from environmental issues, odd weather, and crop circles to flying saucers and medical news. This report says people have been seeing and photographing these aerial drones for years. Is it some kind of secret Defense Department "black project"? Alien spacecraft? What?!?

British Soldier's Heroism "Too Positive"?!?!?!?

The Iraq "war" has been nearly as divisive in Britain as it has been in the United States. As the only major ally to commit a large number of troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom, there have been great acts of sacrifice and heroism by British troops (just as there have been many by U.S. soldiers and marines). But a film based on the story of one of them, Pte. Johnson Beharry, the first winner of the Victoria Cross in over 40 years, has been rejected by BBC as too positive(!)

He was cited for "valour of the highest order" after he drove a Warrior tracked armoured vehicle through heavy enemy fire in May 2004 to come to the rescue of a foot patrol that had been caught in a series of ambushes. The 30-ton Warrior was hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades, causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications. Pte Beharry drove through the ambush, taking his own injured crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire.

The following month, Pte Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior vehicle of his platoon through al-Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle and Pte Beharry received serious head injuries. Other rockets hit the vehicle incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.Despite his very serious injuries, Pte Beharry then took control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries and he was still recovering when he received the VC from the Queen in June last year.

Unfortunately, the BBC decided not to back the project because it didn't want to offend those in the audience opposed to the war. What utter bullsh**. It's one thing to oppose this "war" because of its rationale, or its conduct. But, to denigrate the service of a man who put the lives of his fellow soldiers above his own - twice - is truly terrible. It's basically saying that those who are killing U.S. and British soldiers-whether al-Qaeda, Sunni, Shiite, Baathists, Sadaam loyalists, whoever-are justified in their killing. Maybe ... probably, we shouldn't be there, at least without a formal declaration of war (which hasn't happened since 1941). But this guy is a hero.

The BBC's cowardice is bloody awful, really, and another example of its decline.

The Bad Signs Are Everywhere!

For years, I had a Saturday morning ritual: visiting yard sales. Most of the time, I'd plan my route out on a map, then make a list of every garage sale, estate sale, moving sale or flea market within a three-mile radius that I had seen advertised in the newspaper. I wouldn't often buy anything unless I came across an exceptional bargain, like the time I bought the entire catalog of The Smiths on CD for $8.

One of the surest indications that Spring, and "Spring Cleaning" season has arrived, is the growing number of signs appearing everywhere. Tacked on or taped to trees, or telephone pools, these signs are almost without exception, the worst possible way to advertise a yard sale.

Take for example, the sign in the photo at right. Thin lettering on fluorescent paper? You can't read the address at all until you're practically standing next to it, totally useless if you're driving around. Another common sin is using cheap paper or even ripped up cardboard as a sign, which blows away if it isn't secured right.

Maybe it's the marketer and advertiser in me thinking, but I just cringe when I see bad signs. No wonder so much eventually winds up out on the curb for trash pickup!

Take Me Out ... For Some Food on The Road

Singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos is the frontman for Franz Ferdinand, one of the best (and most successful) new bands of the decade. He is also something of a gourmand. In September of 2005, he began writing a column for The Guardian newspaper about the food he was eating while touring the world. His observations have just been published in Sound Bites.

It's an interesting read, filled with stories about friends and meals, from Milan to Melbourne. One of the best passages describes an interlude in Wigtown, Scotland. Kapranos has been recommended to visit Reading Lasses, a women's studies bookstore & cafe. There, he basks in the simple pleasure of two great loves: eating & reading:

I am brought a thick plank of wood stacked with Galloway cheeses, chutneys and homemade bread dense with seeds. I open my book and flick through it, comforted by the reassuring flavors.

You can buy Sound Bites at your local bookshop, or here.

Franz Ferdinand is at work on its next album.

Not Bitten Again ... Yet

It's Spring again, and I'm still waiting to get bitten again by the running "bug".

I've described myself as a "runner" for over 25 years now. I went out for track and cross country in high school, and was pretty good about running in the off-season as well. But when I got to college, I had quite a lot else on my mind. My running suffered, and each time I would commit myself to getting up early in the morning, lacing up those shoes, and heading out the door, I found a reason not to go.

Eventually, in the late 80s, I set myself some goals (distance races, etc.), and off I went. I entered a bunch of races, from the Marine Corps and Philadelpia Marathons, to a New Year's race that began at midnight in Central Park in New York City.

In looking through extensive logbooks I kept of my training runs, I noticed a pattern I had settled into. It went something like this: training for a race, running it, taking a break from hard running for a few months, feeling bored, setting another goal, and returning to serious running. I haven't run in a competitive road race since 2003. Maybe this'll be the year I decide on something to train for, then go out and do it.

But so far, I'm just not feeling it.

You Might Be A Tech Addict If ...

If you're feeling a bit too disconnected from the real world thanks to all of this wonderful technology we've surrounded ourselves with, you're certainly not alone. According to John O'Neill, director of social work at the Menninger Clinic in Houston, these are the warning signs that you have an addiction to technology:

1.You become upset or angry when you lose your cell or Internet connection.

2. You lose track of time when you're online; minutes stretch into hours.

3. Talking on your cell phone, checking email, or surfing the Web takes the place of physically spending time with family and friends.

4.You start and end your day checking email, chatting, etc., rather than really relating to others.

5. You travel and even vacation with all of your communication devices.

There's an old saying: everything in moderation. It sure applies here! So, take a walk. Turn off the cell & TV. Go to the beach. Visit an old friend. Read a book or magazine. Tune out for a while.

But please, come back to this blog! ;-)

More Creativity Killers

I just finished one of the better business books I've read in quite some time. Pushing the Envelope: All The Way To The Top was written by Harvey Mackay, the founder & Chairman of Mackay Envelope Company. The title is a bit of wordplay, because it's not really about how to sell or "push" an envelope. Rather, it's about trying to surpass limits, going to the edge - all those cliches we think of whether we're talking about airplane test pilots or salespeople developing their skills to be more successful. The book is full of advice on hiring, motivating, training, producing, selling, and negotiating in business, that could just as easily be adapted for life in general.

Mackay really resonated with me in listing "creativity killers", the phrases one hears (or says) in business or other endeavors in life that dampen one's spirits and hinder progress. You know what I'm talking about: "That's against policy", "We tried that before and it didn't work", "The competition does it that way" ... you get the idea. I thought of a few more I've heard over the years: "That's just how we do things here", "Oh well, you know (insert your organization's name here)", "The system already works pretty well", and "(insert person's name) is the only person who can do this", and "It's not a priority". I try my best not to buy into that line of thinking.

Harvey Mackay's Website

GEICO's Cavemen: Their 15 Minutes Are Not Up

I've been amused by those GEICO TV ads featuring the "cavemen" since the first one, "Apology", premiered back in 2004. Roast duck with mango salsa, anyone? More ads have followed, as well as print ads & direct mail. And, one of them was in a series of pieces with Phil Simms in the Super Bowl pre-game show this year. Today, I read this in the trades:

Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project."Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta. Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House").

I love my industry.

WDRE Remembered

One of the radio stations that was an essential part of the 1990s for me was WDRE-FM, whose passing 10 years ago this month will be marked by a reunion show on Y-ROCK on XPN on Wednesday.

In November 1992, the new owners of religious station WIBF (103.9 FM) in Jenkintown, PA decided to simulcast New York's WDRE (for "Dare To Be Different") into the Philadelphia market. For many of us, the "modern rock" blend was a welcome relief to the formulaic rock of WMMR and WYSP. The playlist was a mix of grunge and alternative: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Liz Phair, Cake, as well as "older" artists like U2 and REM. By the time the New York station reverted to its WLIR call letters, the station had developed its own local programming and identity. Bands like No Doubt and Garbage developed a local fan base thanks to exposure on 'DRE and Radiohead played at the station's Christmas show(!) at Egypt (a club on Delaware Avenue).

Then there were the DJs, who really seemed to be having a good time while keeping up on all this great music: Marilyn Russell, Dan Fein, Bret Hamilton, Jim McGuinn, Preston Elliott, Mel "Toxic" Taylor, and the morning show crew of Sarah, Vinnie, and Spike.

The stations was still, however, never a big ratings success, and in February 1997, station ownership announced that it was flipping the format to hip-hop. But, unusual for radio, it gave enough advance notice for the staff to plan one final, blowout concert - "Bitterfest" (featuring G. Love) - at the Electric Factory, on the last day. It sounded like a blast!

Thanks for the good times guys!

Modern rock wasn't quite dead in Philadelphia; Y-100 (WPLY-FM) would become the home for some of the jocks ... but that's a story for another day ...

Y-ROCK On XPN's WDRE Tribute

The Internet Archive's WDRE Site

WDRE Tribute Site