Posts tagged truth
let the din of battle begin
Feb 5th
“We await glory in silence, oh, let the din of battle begin” – A midshipman on Collingwood’s flagship wrote this in his diary as his ship sailed into battle at Trafalgar
Tom Brady (yup … this is about him – in honor of the super bowl – and I am going to use this quote).
I like him as a quarterback. I like him as a leader. I like him as a competitor. And in all instances he carries himself with a sense of active stillness. He rarely seems rushed.
With words, thoughts or actions.
‘Awaiting glory in silence.’
Great athletes seem to epitomize this quote.
Brady is all about stillness silence. He finds ‘the moment before the moment’ and it is all stillness for him.
For some reason I envision if Tom knew this obscure quote he would use it. His linemen may look at him like he was frickin’ nuts but “let the din of battle begin”? I am not sure it gets better than that.
(especially if you had a camera in the huddle when he said it)
But the quote certainly reminds us of a return to old times of the banners flying in the wind on the battlefield and the silence and stillness before battle … then the charge with horses thundering forward and thousands of feet pounding forward with weapons in hand.
And players rushing out of the tunnel on the greatest battlefield in football.
But this is about the ‘moment before’ where all empties and all becomes still. And then it all starts.
I know Brady loves “being in the battle.”
But I believe he thrives because of that moment before the battle begins … it may be only a minute, possibly even just seconds, but that moment of calmness where everything kind of just “stills.” Just before everything starts moving again and silence is replaced by the ‘din’ of activity. That is THE moment. I almost think in moments like that your body gathers all the adrenaline in one small space and prepares it for release.
It is an incredible moment.
Oddly, Tom & Winnie the Pooh have something in common with this:
“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best …” (and then he had to stop and think). “Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were …” (but he didn’t know what it was called).
Anticipation?
Geez. I think that undersells the idea.
It’s bigger than that.
And it is also more important because I believe it often delineates between Brady-like athletes and other athletes.
Try this. Maybe because it is a “me” moment.
In that moment in time there is nothing else … nothing … no sound … no feeling … just ‘me’ … just a space in time with nothing but “me” in it.
Well.
Me (being me) actually tracked down some research on this. Some researchers have imaged the parts of the brain which are in control of us in the ‘moment before’.
(please … no one ask me how the hell they did that)
Interestingly in imaging that part of the brain are not thought to be under our full conscious control or awareness. The studies reinforced the fact that, for most of us, this moment before is one in which there is not much conscious, deliberate thinking going on at all. It’s like a brain “flat-wave” (the guy whose writing I found on it called it ‘a brain wasteland’).
It’s almost like you push your brain to overload and it shuts down for however length of time to ‘reset.’
I don’t know Tom … but I bet he loves those moments.
That precious moment before the moments.
He is probably more aware of himself at this point in time.
But.
He is aware of himself ALL the time which separates himself even more:
“I want to earn it every day.” – tom brady
This is attitude. And I guess this is also about character. Like Brady or not he is not only a helluva quarterback but he has character. Resiliency. A toughness combined with a realistic humbleness (he knows he is good but he knows calling himself great is kinda silly).
And he stands out not because he doesn’t have some of the natural talent many top notch athletes have but rather because how many top notch athletes have let you down with their attitude.
And I also find it interesting to note that the patriots organization has done an amazing job surrounding Brady with likeminded athletes. Wes Welker? That dude may end up being on the best slot receivers of all time. Most talented? Nope (although … don’t get me wrong … he is supremely talented).
but. That talent thing.
There are a shitload of athletes out there with massive talent … but just never seem to develop that Brady-esque/Welker-type attitude. It would be simplistic to suggest that the ones who aren’t as blessed with massive talent are the most competitive and have the biggest heart. It’s just that we take note of this more so because … well … it is obvious they are not the most naturally talented athletes.
It is character.
Being in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction. Jerry Rice was that way. I could name dozens that way. But this is about Tom Brady (because I am using his quotes).
Here are three of them:
“What does three-peat mean? … I’m hoping to put together three good days of practice. I don’t think we’ve done that yet this year.”
- He seems to have a sense of practicality. Combined with some competitiveness and urgency.
“Every quarterback can throw a ball; every running back can run; every receiver is fast; but that mental toughness that you talk about translates into competitiveness.”
- He seems to have a sense of the mental aspect (as well as understanding he is a talented athlete so get off his back)
“Mentally, the only players who survive in the pros are the ones able to manage all their responsibilities.”
- He seems to want everyone to understand that talent alone does not guarantee success. Also. When you read this one … and think about it … he is explaining why it so many supremely talented athletes fail … in the pros … and in life … because part of being a good human (athlete, businessperson, family person, friend, etc.) is understanding how to manage all your responsibilities.
Brady doesn’t take anything, the games, the practices, the moments … for granted.
Somehow … someway … he seems to have the ability … regardless of the urgency or stress … to seemingly savor, and maximize, the time & moment.
We await glory in silence … so let the din of the Super Bowl begin.
the unAmerican american tradition
Feb 4th
Ok. This is about the American tradition (the super bowl) and an un-American aspect (the fact there just aren’t that many American beers left).
The super bowl (according to Nielsen sales studies) is the 8th biggest beer day of the year. It is behind the 4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Christmas/New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Easter (in that order) in terms of beer sales.
Oh. And I have actually seen Halloween beat out Ester in terms of sales in some reports (WTF … more beer on Fathers Day, Easter & Halloween then Super Bowl!).
Anyway.
During the Super Bowl Americans drink billions of beers.
According to Slashfood, 51.7 million cases of beer are sold in the week surrounding the Super Bowl. For a comparison, 68.3 million cases are sold on Independence Day and 63 million for Father’s Day.
Think about it.
4 hour TV event = 51.7 million cases.
That, my friends, is quite a lot of beer.
Some more factoids (just because I went factoid crazy here before I get to the un-American beer).
HOW MUCH FOOD WILL BE CONSUMED? (by the way … I cannot take credit for the numbers and math here nor do I want to because if you actually take the time to break them down they become suspect …. BUT … suffice it to say a shitload of beer & food is consumed).
8 million: Total pounds of popcorn consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
28 million: Pounds of potato chips consumed.
53.5 million: Pounds of avocados consumed.
11.8: Depth, in feet, of guacamole consumed if it were spread across the football field.
293,000: Number of miles of potato chips, laid end to end, consumed during the game.
1 billion: Number of chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
325.5 million: Gallons of beer drank by Americans that day.
493: Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with all that beer.
20%: Increase in ant-acid sales the Monday after the game.
7 million: Number of employees who will not show up to work Monday.
Anyway.
Let me get to the point. Of the 51.7 million cases of beer, or 325.5 million gallons if you prefer, most of it will not be American.
Look. I admit. I do love a good cold non microbrewed funky tasting beer.
I thought I was a huge beer lover until I went to Europe and they started giving me beers that had sweet tastes and fruit tastes and … well … then I realized I imagine I was more of an American beer lover. Yeah, yeah, yeah the “beer connoisseurs” out there are scoffing and will start ranting about their high falutin’ microbrews or Chinese beers or something.
But. I am an unabashed American beer lover.
Unfortunately. That seems to be a tough gig these days.
I haven’t really paid much attention to it but it seems like America has lost its beer (that is kind of a different version of losing your marbles … or balls).
Some background is maybe needed to explain my American beer focus.
My first beer was probably in junior high school when me and a couple of buddies stole a nasty Michelob (I think) that my father had sitting in the frig for maybe 2 years (he didn’t really drink beer). Despite that horrible first experience I ran into a high school senior when I was a sophomore who introduced me to the Champagne of Beers (Miller) and I was in heaven. Throughout high school me and my merry band of beer drinkers drank whatever we could get our hands on … but … the champagne of beers was always our number one choice.
Please. I do have some discerning tastes. There was one afternoon in high school days when over at a friend’s house and our beer had run out … but one.
Ted said “Go ahead. You can have it.” So I grabbed my first … and last … Black Label. I took one sip. Then another (because I couldn’t believe a beer could ever taste that bad) and then asked if anyone else wanted to finish it.
Yup. I passed on the last beer available. Black Label made me want to do it (that was a fairluy momentous moment amongst us young beer drinkers).
Anyway.
While I could always get my hands on a good Canadian beer (high school in Vermont) inevitably it seemed like there was a Budweiser or a Pabst or a Falstaff or a Miller in my hands. And you figure Falstaff and PBR sported the good ole USofA red, white & blue colors so I was being as American as American could be. And then as I matriculated my drinking ass off to college … Coors became the elixir of choice (although I never seemed to leave the Champagne too far behind).
Well.
I am feeling less patriotic these days as I now have discovered that these days American beer is not so much American. It’s tough to grab one of the old tried and true (what people call “watery”) American beers to quaff with friends at ye ole watering hole (damn … that didn’t sound very American did it?).
Interestingly (mostly because I am not sure I thought about it that much) Anheuser-Busch has a market share in the United States of 50.9% for all beers sold (although different sources give a range of about 42% to 52% … I guess no one is sure how to count beer).
That number is primarily Budweiser (all of them Bud brands).
so. Let’s call it 50% market share. Really? 50% of all beers sold?
That’s a big frickin’ number and it cannot be all the NASCAR race fans and their coolers of Buds. Most people don’t buy just one type but also a lot of other stuff. At the very least you would think that Miller and all of the microbreweries would account for more than 50% (or at least I would).
Bottom line? Huge number. That’s all I will say on that.
The bad news for us americans? Bud ain’t American anymore. In 2008 Anheuser-Busch sold the majority of their stock to Belgian-Brazilian beer giant Inbev creating the largest brewing company in the world (and the brewer’s market share in US actually increased after the sale for some reason).
Ok. So if Bud aint American what is the biggest American owned beer?
Not Miller which is South African based and brews: Miller, MGD, Milwaukee’s Best, Icehouse, Southpaw, Steel Reserve, Hamm’s, Pabst, Stroh’s (if you can find it anywhere) and Red Dog.
Not Molson Coors which appears to be based in Canada or maybe Colorado or somewhere in between (they also to have some sort of joint venture with SABMiller to market all beers under the MillerCoors name which confuses me). But, they brew: Coors (the world’s best beer in my eyes), Coors Light (the world’s worst beer in y eyes), Keystone, Killian’s Red and Blue Moon.
So where does that leave us? Sam Adams?
Shiner (which makes an appearance down the list)? After that the list gets slim (by market share size … actual number of choices is huge).
Regardless.
Maybe my patriotism I can hold on to the fact that they are still brewed in America.
In the meantime I still enjoy a chilled Champagne of Beers and love a good Coors original (which I think they call Banquet for some odd reason). And make believe I am being unabashedly American while drinking them.
Enjoy … and know you are probably, most likely, being un-American whilst quaffing a cold one during the American tradition called the super bowl.
my thoughts on education inspired by The Wire
Feb 1st
So.
Every time I walk into a high school I have a feeling that education … well … that it could be better. 
For everyone. Teachers & all kids (no matter their socioeconomic status or whether they live in an urban or rural environment).
Shit. Not could … that it should be better. And I imagine the crazy thing about educating our youth is that everyone wants it to be better. I cannot envision anyone in the education system seriously not having the best intentions or wanting every kid who walks through the door on day one to learn more and get an education.
I don’t know what happens in other countries but in America’s case we are more class/caste driven which has an impact on kids’ education from the earliest age.
Simplistically … the more affluent send their kids to well financed school systems (public or private) while lower income families traditionally get a worse education (for a variety of reasons) in lower financed systems. By the way … this is not an indictment of teachers because i believe great teachers exist in all school systems.
And even if a lower income kid fights their way through the system to get to college … well … the system is still against them. A Dept. of Education study states low income family students with high test scores are less likely to complete their studies (cross the finish line as it were) then high income family students with lower test scores. In other words, poor children are much less likely to make good then we often like to think. Oh. And the information shows that this fact is truer in America then in Canada and Europe.
The Australian Education system also conducted a similar study.
Let me be clear (and the rest of the post will focus on this point).
Kids are no more, or less, smart based on their associated socioeconomic background. A brain is a brain.
But.
Their socioeconomic background affects their ability to dedicate themselves to learning.
All that said … if you are interested in this topic you should watch season 4 of The Wire. It is the season which uses the high school education system as the main thread for the story line.
This season was so well done a number of universities actually use it to discuss the challenges within our existing education system.
Ok.
Let me begin by saying … if you truly believe in your heart that each and every kid deserves a “chance” then be prepared … the season is simultaneously hopeful, yet hopeless and, ultimately, disturbing … all at the same time.
You can see the challenges and opportunities all at the same time.
And it is an additional maddening aspect in that everyone who tries to fix the system loses.
I admit. It’s disturbing & demoralizing to see good intentioned people (and kids) repeatedly getting crushed (even though it is just a TV show).
And you wonder why you see good intentions squandered until you hear one of the characters on the show say something that is so sadly true … “This game is rigged.”
Look.We all know the system is “broken.”
And good income people can beat the system.
And, frankly, it is those people who suggest “there are no excuses for not getting an education or having an opportunity.”
And, frankly, that’s a bunch of bullshit.
Go teach at an inner city school for a day.
Shit. Go teach at any public school for a day.
“No excuses” is a phrase of blatant ignorance when you see what stresses face many of the lives of the children you see which actually are not ‘excuses’ but in fact … realities. Realities they must face day-to-day.
As you will see, for example, on The Wire is the drug addiction, the crime connected to the drug trade, the business of the drug trade, the barely functioning families, and the poverty which are realities impacting a young student’s ability to be engaged or even be consistently involved (and that doesn’t even touch upon the emotional “hope” aspect).
In that Wire season there are four boys who try to engage with learning and with school, and are occasionally successful (which each student recognizes and are extremely engaged in those situations) but their life situations just do not permit ongoing consistent progress.
The Wire clearly shows us that many kids, many good smart kids, will fail in school through no fault of the schools or of their own.
Ok.
On the other hand, on the ‘hopeful side’, the show showcases the amazing potential our youth exhibits – even in the face of the direst situations. I actually believe it showcases, almost better than I have ever seen, how young people grasp the ‘light’, even if it only appears for seconds, even within the darkest environments.
It is within those moments of viewing the season that you just want to pick up a phone and call someone and say “fix the education system” because it tears your heart into pieces to see what ’could be.’
I also loved how the show so definitively states that only an incredibly small number of students are so emotionally damaged by their circumstances that they are totally unable to respond to what school has to offer (and I happen to agree with them).
The show does this extremely well by taking a group of ‘project kids’ who are the most disruptive and troubled but showing how they are potentially capable of functioning in a learning environment.
The project is where they pull a small number of disruptive students out of regular classes and puts them in a special, smaller, class with a larger number of adults. The students in the project group are involved in the drug trade or are heading down that path. The project succeeds in two ways. It reduces disruption in the regular classes and it allows focused and appropriate attention, with a greater adult-to-student ratio, to the students in the project class.
Oops. Here is where a flaw in our existing system rears its ugly head … the program is terminated when the city’s educational administration decides that a program that is not raising test scores and that smacks of “tracking” is too politically risky. Oh. ‘Tracking’ or ‘profiling’ … swear words in today’s environment (although … I admit it is a slippery slope).
In other words … a promising initiative is eliminated because of rigid bureaucratic goals.
A promising initiative eliminated … that worked. And worked despite the issues that undermine learning in urban schools (although I would argue that it isn’t just urban schools but everywhere) like fragmented families, no families, teachers required to teach to the test, declining neighborhoods with few legitimate jobs, overwhelmed or indifferent leaders.
Oh.
And good initiatives get eliminated due to the fact that the education system is beholden to stats (or “jukin’ the stats” as the show reminds us).
Ah. The ‘stats’ (scores).
This season of The Wire discusses the statistics in that the school system needs to produce raised scores on standardized tests. As a result actual learning and teaching are deeply compromised. The Wire is particularly critical of the testing regime associated with the 2002 No Child Left Behind law in that just as the teachers (and the project class) are beginning to discover some viable strategies for teaching to the students they have to shift to prepping them to take the standardized tests. It is a vivid demonstration (albeit a theatrical one) of an empty gesture within the education system in which the students learn nothing of value and which derails their interest, and growing, if shaky academic engagement.
The system was set up with good intentions but the show displays the flaws.
The show also showcases another thing I encounter (nd this is my opinion) … that many of our schools seem to sanitize the troubling, often offensive, and challenging aspects of real life while the Life reality is that students are surrounded by a popular culture which deals bluntly, graphically, and harshly with real life reality. Ok. I admit I am not sure we want our schools to include all the inappropriateness that is commonplace in the popular culture because one would hope (or, let’s say I believe) our schools should show students what ‘could be’ (from a ‘taste of what is finer’ perspective). It is probably unrealistic on my part but ultimately my hope is that schools would teach the best of the best and give kids something to aim for (without ignoring what is real).
The balance is that the education system needs to exercise discretion but I believe we tend to underestimate what students can appreciate and understand.
I don’t know how schools and education can ignore perspective when teaching. The Wire reminds us that all education, whether you want to define school rules versus street rules or not, have to deal with any aspect of the following (I pulled this list from a formal sociology & education article):
- intersections between representations of race, economy, and criminality
- issues of masculinity
- gender and sexuality in police and criminal cultures
- the family, childhood, parenting, and criminality
- re-imagining of the heroic beyond traditional narratives of America
- roles for women in urban America (and roles for women in general)
- the technology of crime
- street speech and class-based communication
- cultures of addiction and treatment
- constructions of violence
- stress and trauma narratives
- education and class
- interest groups and issues of governance
Some of these are big emotional issues and some may appear to be “not my kid’s type of issue” to some more affluent family readers …. but these are real issues … to all our kids (so don’t be fooled by what you think you see in your own life).
Anyway.
Four features of The Wire’s depiction are particularly worthy of note.
First, the “inner city” kids, like kids anywhere, are shown as bright and curious, and capable of learning. Second, the ability of the schools to educate these children is shown to be strongly compromised by the kids’ world outside of school—their absent or dysfunctional families, their distressed communities, and the lack of any visible accessibility of the world of legitimate work.
Third, despite these negative forces in the students’ lives, teachers and school personnel are capable of making small but significant contributions to children’s educational and personal growth.
Fourth, public schools are portrayed as natural and appropriate places for young people to be in the context of their developing lives (although the particular distressed school the boys attend is deficient in many ways).
In addition.
The Wire did a great job showing us how, in a broad perspective, we are failing our youth with regard to education.
Oh. And it reminds us that good things don’t always happen to good kids. And life can get in the way of even the best education.
But. The main thought?
The show wants to say that most of the kids in school, even in public schools, would be capable of making significant educational progress were their lives and communities not so chaotic and troubled. The Wire portrays the students as naturally curious and constantly learning.
In conclusion, one character on The Wire states the issue better than I could ever.
He predicts … if we don’t solve it … “there will be an endless stream of kids who are not prepared for productive lives.”
never interrupt the enemy
Jan 31st
“Never interrupt the enemy when he is making a mistake.” - Napoleon Bonaparte
This is a follow up to yesterday’s “when you start to suck, stop.”
Why?
Well. Because that one was focused on your suckedness and this is focused on someone else’s suckedness.
Simplistically. If your enemy is starting to suck … don’t interrupt.
Once again, similar to knowing when to stop being difficult, it is difficult to stop from … well … stopping someone, even an enemy, when they are sucking.
Most people see it as an opportunity to shine and cannot wait to show that they don’t suck.
So … this is about patience … oh … and, actually, lack of ego.
Let me go to the ego thing first.
We all like to look & sound smart (or skilled at something). “Opportunity to shine” is how I put it earlier. As soon as someone starts sucking we inherently see the opportunity to show we don’t suck. And we want to rush in as quickly as possible to make the ‘I don’t suck’ statement (or make the point that would confirm to everyone around us that we don’t).
It’s difficult but …. wait. Yep. Wait. Rest your ego for a second (or a minute or whatever).
Your ego will have its opportunity.
Why wait (i.e., “won’t I miss my opportunity”)?
Well. Oftentimes timing is key because if you don’t rush, and pick the time correctly you get an added plus (beyond the non-suckedness) … people will also judge your character.
Oh. And earn some respect.
Trust me. Everyone else in the room knows the other person is sucking. They also know you are not pointing it out (or making the other person look foolish).
Look. Invariably your actions and words are compared to ‘your enemy.’ And it becomes a reflection of who you are as a person from a character perspective. And people recognize that. And they store it away for the future (because everyone knows they will suck at some point and they would prefer to be working/being with someone who is not going to leap at the opportunity to point it out).
So. That is the ego part.
Next. Patience?
Often we are in a rush to “do something” where patience is called for. Setting character to the side … I would like to remind people that mistakes are often like quicksand (corollary to sucking). Not always but sometimes.
Regardless. Patience simply means let your enemy make as many and as much of a mistake as he/she is willing to make. Don’t interrupt the possible depth & breadth of the mistake.
Patience permits you to assess the best opportunity … do you just sit back and let your enemy drown in the quicksand (always a viable option) or at some point when the depth & breadth has been maximized (short of going under) you reach out and pull everyone out of the suckedness zone.
You win either way.
And you don’t have the win opportunity if you aren’t patient.
Napoleon was absolutely a master at permitting his enemy to suck for as long as it took to maximize his opportunity.
Never interrupt your enemy when he/she is making a mistake.
Much much harder to do then you think.
Much much easier to do the more practice you have.
knowing when to stop
Jan 30th
“when you start to suck, stop” – Kristen Hersh
So.
This is so explanatory it needs no explanation.
However.
What I would suggest to everyone is that, in general, people don’t stop when they start to suck.
And they don’t for one of two reasons:
- They are oblivious to their sucking.
- They recognize their suckedness and begin to do whatever it takes to rise above sucking (only to find out that sucking is like quicksand)
Let’s go to # 1 first. Oblivious to sucking.
Unfortunately life doesn’t have stop signs (or any signs for that matter) with regard to sucking. Nor is there a manual you can read. You can pretty much only hope for one of 2 things … either over time you start to recognize your own signs of suckedness or you happen to have a really good friend/co-worker who has a special sign they give you to tell you that you suck (or are starting to suck).
Knowing when you start to suck is difficult. Really difficult.
I think it is easier to recognize when you aren’t sucking. So what I typically tell people is that when you know you are going good … and on a roll … as quickly as you can find a “period” point. I mean a stopping point (usually characterized by the fact you need to stop talking to actually breathe) … and … well … you stop.
Now.
That may be as difficult as stopping when you suck (maybe harder because it is natural to want the goodness (non-suckedness) to go for as long as possible. But. Stop on a high note. Trust me. If someone really likes it they will ask for more. If they don’t … well … you did great. You didn’t suck.
The corollary factoid?
Well. If you enter into the suck zone and you stop … well … I can guarantee they won’t ask for more.
It all sounds confusing doesn’t it?
It is.
Especially now as we move to #2.
This is where you actually realize you suck … and then begin paddling as hard as you can to get out of the suck zone.
Oops.
Sucking is like quicksand. The harder you work to stop sucking the further you get sucked down into suckedness.
But, once again, it is natural to try and want to end on a high note so you work to get there. This is human nature to try and get yourself out of trouble once you recognize you are in trouble (insert suck for trouble at any point)
And you shouldn’t.
Stop.
A little suckedness will be recognized as just that … a little. And most people will overlook the little for whatever made up ‘the most.’ But. A lot of suckedness? It’s … well … a lot. And difficult to overlook or ignore.
Anyway.
Kristen is a musician … but she said something relevant to anyone at any time.
It’s her quote but I would change a couple of things to create some advice.
“When you think (even an inkling) you are starting to suck, stop.”
The corollary?
“When you think it is going good, stop.”
But.
I guess truly the best thought in the end is just where I started … “when you start to suck, stop.”
confessions of an ad man
Jan 29th
Well.
Maybe its because I get to talk with a lot of teen/20somethings or maybe its because all my friends are cynical bastards … but I seem to defend the advertising business a lot.
And maybe because of that I thought I should take a moment and share some truths.
Because the business (for the majority) is not made up of liars, hucksters, clowns, alcoholics and smarmy assholes.
And mostly we try and tell the truth to businesses and consumers. I say mostly because I admit that there are some moments inside an agency where one of the minority (from the above aforementioned majority) find a voice (most typically with regard to new business) and says things that send a shiver up my ethical spine.
Regardless.
Some truth (I imagine this is just an abbreviated list of truths of which we could add many many more if I were to think about it more).
Advertising is not always about just selling stuff.
Advertising isn’t just a catalyst for buying (or convincing someone to buy) … it is a catalyst for how people see things, think about things and, sometimes, actually do things. I heard Spike Lee once say .. “I feel a responsibility for everything I create <because millions will see it>.” Advertising may be the most powerful thing out there to affect people. We know we are in a business but we also know we impact people significantly more than the sales numbers ever reflect. We in the business never forget this (albeit it may look like we have on occasion). Ok. Let’s just say that the people in advertising who really ‘get it’ never forget this.
That said …
Yes. Creativity is about results & awards (or recognition).
We understand what we do makes an impact … and should be measured by some type of results. On the other hand … because it is creativity we like some creative validation that you didn’t just have to throw mud against the wall to make something stick. The truth is that advertising people thrive on both. And we have to because sometimes bad advertising can generate results. And people get fooled by just looking at sales results (and not examining the results in terms of what people actually think … because that impacts future behavior). Good advertising can generate better results (and better long term impressions). And awards help better delineate between the crappy advertising that shows results and good advertising that shows results.
We like results & recognition. And we like people talking about it … speaking of which …
Social media is actually not that social.
We care about social media. Probably more than most business owners actually do. Many businesses create an illusion of ‘social’ but in reality maintain a relatively non-social business model (as defined in traditional social terms). So. The truth? The term social media has taken on galactic size proportions standing for everything … and nothing. Here is the truth. Most social media vehicles are simply information disseminators. They aren’t social. They permit people and businesses to narcissistically spew forth ad nausea about themselves. What makes the web different is that there is an OPPORTUNITY to respond. If you take part in responding … well … it still isn’t social … it has simply become a dialogue (sort of). It only becomes social when there is some interaction like talking with someone at a party. Trust me on this one … in most cases it remains at stage one (the spewing part). For the most part the current social world is a monologue.
Oh. Just like TV.
Now. This doesn’t diminish the importance of social media and the future … it’s just that the good agencies keep perspective and actually recommend what is going to be the best for a clients’ business.
Ok. Back to TV.
Television is not dead.
One TV ad on American Idol can reach more teens then a PitBull tweet. And make a bigger impression (because you have those funny moving picture thingies).
Anyway. As long as tv executives keep their heads out of their asses often enough to actually produce programs people will watch … there will be TV ads. And as long as there is TV advertising there will be a maddening mix of insightfully educating entertaining executions and pedantic pedestrian drivel waste of :30 seconds.
Why is that? ….
We don’t know what works (for sure).
Sure. There are some basic principles that can insure your advertising will be in the “good” portion of the gene pool but, in the end, setting research aside … people are fickle and clients (in general) find it difficult to make the hard choices (because they prefer to ‘please’ rather than ‘prod’ the mind) needed so that the advertising actually has enough sharp edges on it to stand out. I will say this … give a good advertising agency (not a hack agency) one year to do whatever they believed was the best thing to do and I would bet over 80%+ of everything they did would be good (people like it) and effective (creates results).
Anyway. We are probably like songwriters. We write songs and we know some are better than others when we write them. We also kind of recognize when we write a hit – on the off chance when we write something like that – but you can never be sure until it is actually out there for all to hear & see.
And we do care what people think …
We do care about clients (most of them).
There is nothing better than knowing you have created something people like and generates results in partnership with a client you respect.
Nothing.
The only advertising people who have no/little respect for their clients or nothing good/nice to say about their clients (most typical comment is “they just aren’t that smart”) aren’t good advertising people. And you don’t want to work with them anyway.
And we do care about the people who buy the stuff too, but …
The consumer is not the king/queen.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble but if they were (kings & queens) they could demand anything they wanted and businesses would go out of business chasing their fleeting whims.
Here is the truth. A sale is a partnership between the seller & the buyer. At its best it is a marriagelike relationship. In either case … things are balanced … with one not significantly more important than the other. And why is this important? Well. With balance there is trust. And that is the basis for any long term brand or business proposition. Treat them like a king/queen? Yikes. At some point they will believe they are one and … well … treat the company like a serf (that is bad by the way).
Speaking of how people are treated …
Creative people always have a thread of insecurity (or fear).
If people want to wonder why creative people (or agency people in general) do wacky things … well … try this on for size. Remember what it felt like the first time you were in love and decided to say it out loud? You were scared shitless it wouldn’t be reciprocated. Or, worse, someone would just laugh. Well. That’s life in advertising on a daily basis. Creative ideas and ads and thoughts are emotionally, typically insightful, parts of our soul we elected to have the kahones to share with the public. In the end no client is the enemy, the consumer isn’t the enemy … fear is the enemy. Understand that and you understand the people in the business.
Ok.
I am sure I missed some other truths, but those are probably the biggies.
Good advertising people don’t lie. Either by omission or in actual ‘untruths.’ And they actually have the clients’ business interest in mind with almost everything they do … because when a client is successful, even if an agency may not get credit, they almost never get fired.
That’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (at least for today).
rat girl thoughts
Jan 27th
So.
I wrote about Rat Girl (Kristen Hersh) awhile back … and have been meaning to come back to the book and some quotable/comment-able thoughts from Kristen and her book.
Let me say this upfront.
Rarely have I found so many quotable thoughts from one book.
Anyway.
There is no particular order for these thoughts & quotes. I simply wrote them down as I read Rat Girl. So there is some spontaneous nonlinear thinking to be shared (and several other posts will follow using specific quotes).
With that … it seems appropriate to start with this following quote because I love music and I tend to believe it is one of the few global forms of communication with the ability to cross cultures and actually bend cultures …
“They <songs> don’t commit to linear time – they whiz around all your memories collecting them into a goofy pile that somehow seems less goofy because it’s set to music. Songs are weird. They tell the future and they tell the past but they can’t seem to tell the difference.” - K. Hersh
Well.
I am not sure I have ever heard a better explanation for why music is so powerful, oh, and timeless. Great songs & songwriters have the ability to capture moments & thoughts in a way that they become timeless …’ or maybe better said they become ‘a relevant time’ to the listener.
And there are really two thoughts here.
Some songs inspire timelessness on things you are experiencing now … they just express eternal ‘truth.’
And the some songs are, well, not timeless.
What do I mean?
Well.
Not timeless is easy to describe. They are of a genre and style and wording that may make it a hit today but quickly slips away into that irrelevance space that most tepid shit ends up in.
But timeless? Whew. That stuff speaks to you forever. Because, as Kristen suggests, they live concurrently in the past, present & future in what they say and how they make you feel.
You hear it and it can make you think of something that was. And you ache, or think or just laugh a little.
You hear it and it can make you think of something that is. And you ache, or think or just laugh a little.
You hear it and it cam make you think of something that could be. And you are hopeful, fearful … or just think.
That goofy pile of thoughts is less goofy set to music … and by being less goofy it makes you think … think about something.
And that is what makes a great song great.
It doesn’t have to be great grandiose type thinking … it is just thinking.
Once again … if you ever need to explain to someone what makes music the thing that is universal globally … just pull this quote out.
It is a timeless quote.
Next.
“Play a grown up ‘til you grow up.” – K. Hersh
Ok.
Let’s think about this one a little.
This was written by a 19 year old. Bi polar. Pregnant. Fronting one of the most avante garde bands of the time. And she is often thrown into environments where she was expected to be a grown up … and make grown up decisions (or maybe think like a grown up).
Putting this quote into perspective … all she really wants to do is be a musician … to create and play what was in her head.
What did she do?
Play a grown up.
I like this one for a variety of reasons.
Mainly because it was written by a 19 year old. And one who embraced her originality (which would almost presume she would balk at being “grown up”).
But I also like it because in its simplicity it is a Life truth.
I think a lot of teens understand this (play a grown up). And will do it … that is if they are permitted to and it is nurtured.
All teens contain originality. That is what youth is all about.
Some young people are strong enough to “play grown up” on their own (see Kristen Hersh as an example).
But most young people aren’t strong enough … okay … maybe ‘resilient enough’ is a better way to phrase it. They seek to fit in first and foremost. It’s the safest path. And, therefore, true originality is few and far between (being part of a flock isn’t conducive to originality).
So. She reminds us that even those teens who are grown up – are simply acting like it … that is until they actually become a grown up.
Ok. I say all this to make a point.
We adults can either nurture it or destroy it. And destruction is a lot easier than nurturing. Destruction can happen in the smallest word or action.
We adults need to remember this. Not all teens are as strong as Kristen Hersh. Most are more fragile. Does this mean we should pamper our youth? Absolutely not. But be cognizant of repercussions of our actions as we nurture.
Also.
There is a business side to life, yeah, I said life. By business I mean there are rules of the road we all have to follow on how we are supposed to act, what is appropriate or not, all that stuff we need to do and are supposed to do … if we want to get what we want. And this is true regardless of your age. and to make it trickier it all varies depending on the situation.
What do I mean? If you are 19 but put in a situation surrounded by 40 year olds you have one of 2 choices …
(1) act like a 19 year old and get nothing
(2) or act like a 40something and get what you want.
Simple to do? Nope.
But if you don’t even try and act like a grown up and you are 19 in this situation I can promise you one thing, unequivocally, you won’t get shit.
In the end? Play a grown up until you are a grownup.
Another awesome quote in its simplicity.
Next.
This one is mindboggling as she, in her own words, defines passion in life.
“I think you need something in your life that is both beautiful and necessary. A person or a mission or a place. Beautiful might not be pretty and necessary may not be understood, but, still … I think caring, not death, is the passport to heaven.” – K. Hersh
Ok.
I have been tempted to have this quote framed.
And, once again, from the mouth of a 19 year old.
“beautiful may not be pretty and necessary may not be understood.”
Whew.
That is chill bump type stuff.
Not all passion is shared. And what is necessary to you may not be necessary to someone else.
Frankly that thought may be one of the most difficult for people to grasp.
We so often set a ‘standard’ for what is good, acceptable or the ‘best’ for people.
So what happens to the people who don’t ‘fit ‘within the guardrails? They are oddballs … out of the norm or mainstream … and are forced to swim upstream.
Shit. So what about the majority who do go easily within the guardrails? Maybe they never get to see what is beautiful and necessary (what a fucking shame).
Regardless.
This quote is a big thought. A thoughtful thought. And rather that have me define it or explain it I just posted it so everyone could read it … and all I ask is for everyone to think about it.
Because, honestly, I cannot stop thinking about it.
Next.
“If you play too many wimpy chords you’re just asking for wimpy scales. Play colors.” – K. Hersh
This one is awesome for not just for musicians but for anyone in the creative business.
Shit.
This is actually awesome for anyone.
A lot of people are really successful playing it safe. Or doing what others have done. And then there are the few … those who play colors.
I am not suggesting, using her words, that it is bad to be ‘wimpy.’ Because in this case wimpy isn’t bad … it’s just … well … maybe not aspirational. And that’s okay because not everyone does aspirational stuff. And not everyone SHOULD do aspirational stuff. Not everyone s wired for that.
But.
Boy.
“Play colors.”
If you are even closed to being wired this way this simple quote is pretty powerful.
Me?
If I could have one thing in my obituary it would be “we saw colors when he was there.”
Do I believe I deserve that now? Nope.
But that is surely what I am aiming for.
Ok.
This is the last quote I will use from the book.
“Everything about Betty is huge, bigger than life. I’m smaller than life – so unremarkable that I’m practically invisible.” – K. Hersh
So.
I lied.
There was an order in the quotes … at least I that I purposefully put this one last.
For a variety of reasons this one really struck me.
And, no, you don’t need to know who Betty is to think about this and understand it.
But.
Think about this as you read this quote … fact here was one of the most talented songwriters and singers of her generation … and she thought herself unremarkable.
And small.
And it got me thinking.
That word unremarkable.
It’s a big word.
Maybe even an immense word when referring to oneself.
Maybe I like this quote not because I am as talented as Kristen Hersh … but rather because I feel unremarkable.
Not in a bad way. Just that in comparison to some pretty remarkable people I have been fortunate to have known.
Frankly … I tend to believe a lot of people feel the same way. They feel unremarkable. And maybe not invisible but … well … not remarkably visible to the broader world.
And yet I, just as most people I imagine, would like to do something remarkable.
C’mon.
We all want to leave something behind… but how do we do that when we are so small in life.
So few of us actually make an impact … well … a really big impact.
The kind of impact that makes you remarkable.
And I do think the majority of us feel small and insignificant on occasion (if not the majority of the time). I know I do.
And once again that’s not bad. It just is.
But I want to make a difference.
Is it “making people see colors?”
Or implementing the global education initiative?
Or something else?
Heck. I don’t know.
What I do know is Kristen captured the essence of our smallness in a way that was clear and concise and thought provoking.
And it made me want to be sure I at least tried to do something that, in the end, was visible.
So.
You may not like the book (Rat Girl).
And you may not like Kristen Hersh’s music.
But, boy, you gotta like how she takes some really complex thoughts and breaks them down into some really simple words.
Thank you Kristen.
to be yourself or nobody
Jan 26th
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
- ee cummings
Just when I think the battle to be yourself ends when you have gained a certain maturity and finding a place in time when you are “comfortable in your own skin” and whatever success you have attained (which creates at least some affirmation that “yourself’ has some merit) I am reminded that good ole ee was right … it is the hardest battle and you never have to stop fighting a world doing its best to make you like everyone else.
Ok.
To be clear. I am not talking about doubting yourself.
This is about being distinct as an individual … and facing those who maybe don’t want you to be like everybody else … they just want you to be like them.
Here’s the deal.
ee never worked in an organization (as a poet he worked for himself).
So maybe he missed out on the business organization aspect. Because, sure, the world does its best to make you like everybody else but in the business world you often face leaders who try and wear you down seeking to ‘do it my way.’
Well.
Sometimes that is okay (I am not suggesting it is always wrong).
But I sometimes see organizations do their best to take their best & brightest (who are often the most distinct) and constantly do their best to recreate them in a likeness of themselves.
For young people this is often what I caution them to be cognizant of:
Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep. ~Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750
Applause is a tantalizing mistress.
And sure. On occasion you may be able to walk in someone else’s shoes and be comfortable … but the most comfortable will always be your own.
And just as each day you put your shoes on and head out we all need to learn to put “yourself” on and head out every day.
And be comfortable.
Oh. And put on a personality & character Kevlar vest.
Because this is a tricky one in the business world.
And I do believe it matters what age/experience you are. Well. At least in terms of what issues your Kevlar vest is trying to deflect.
Younger people are still being molded as well as molding/shaping themselves. So, in general, they are protecting their soul as well as some core of distinctness that kind of makes them who they are (they may get confused at times by mistaking external – how I dress and how I speak – as core distinctness but that is a different post for another day).
But older people have a more solid ‘mold’ and have to be more careful when choosing who to work for, work with and the culture of the organization.
I am not sure this is the best advice to give anyone but I tend to like ‘black & white’ thoughts more because … well … they draw a clear line you can see when considering where to step:
It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. ~Andre Gide
In the end I guess what I am saying is … if you cannot be yourself, who you truly are, day in and day out … at work and not at work … you really kind of become … well … nobody. Harsh thought? Well, yeah. But sometimes truth is harsh. Oh. And sometimes truth is enlightening … and freeing.
So. Maybe I should end this way …. at minimum … choose to at least know who ‘yourself’ is. Then at least you know what choice you end up making between what you are and what you are not.
sometimes you just have to wonder
Jan 26th
ok.
This took me a couple of days to write … as I wrapped my head around it.
So.
The other day (the 24th of January). I am driving up to a traffic light and to my left I see a dog (a Rhodesian Ridgeback I believe) kind of chugging along the sidewalk.
No owner. Just dog.
And I recognized the look.
Probably because I lived it far too many times.
The “where is my owner” look.
The “I saw him pull out of the driveway and now where the heck is he” look.
The “I miss him and, dammit, I am gonna find him” look.
It is a look of casual intensity.
Ah. That look.
To the ignorant non-dog owner the dog looks lost. But it is far from lost. It is searching … it has a mission.
And typically the dog is conducting its mission within ‘the rules’ … i.e., stay on sidewalk, be polite as you pass people, don’t pee in someone’s yard, don’t run out into traffic, etc.
Oh.
And then the dog did the damndest thing … when he reached the intersection he stopped … refocused … and he crossed in front of the first stopped car at the stoplight and started walking down the driver sides … stopping at each driver window to check for his owner.
I say the damndest because … well … Tigger used to do that.
The smart bastard would know exactly who he was looking for and how to look.
(by the way … there is nothing more disconcerting then seeing your dog unexpectedly staring at you beside the car after you were pretty sure you had left him somewhere else)
Anyway.
And this is where you really have to sometimes wonder about things … the 24th is Tigger’s 2 year ‘gone to the dog biscuit factory in the sky’ date.
Geez.
I certainly haven’t forgotten Tigger … but I have tended to put the box of all the good times (and the times I could have been a better companion) on a shelf just to pull out and scan like a box of old photographs.
But. That searching dog brought the box out and handed it to me (which as you would imagine is, mentally, different than pulling it off the shelf yourself).
Look. I knew Tigger wouldn’t be forever.
And I always knew losing him would possibly be the worst thing I have ever faced to date. But, I admit, nothing could ever have prepared me for this 2 years he has now been gone.
Yeah. It’s been a few years now. But I still miss him.
And, yeah, I have never gotten another dog (yet).
We grew up together (despite the fact I was in my 30’s when I got him).
He was a great dog. And a great friend. (and, yeah Tigger, in case you are reading this post from wherever you are, I still have your picture on my frig).
I have come to the conclusion I will always love that crazy too-smart always hyper but always devoted dog, oh, and I will always be mentally giving biscuits, treats and belly rubs forever.
My dog and I were inseparable. He went everywhere with me … pretty much always.
Oddly.
I think he visits me still on occasion.
And I know he still talks to me on occasion.
And, yeah, for some reason on this particular day … this one dog was walking down this sidewalk with the same ‘where is my owner’ look and I had this same maddening memory … which I believe only pet owners know … the one that is a mixture of unbelievable fear that your best friend is going to be roadkill in his stupidity and the unequivocal bottomless love you feel with the disbelief that he would go to such extremes just for you.
But.
Thanks to this one dog on his mission he reminded me of another one dog … on one special day.
Well.
It’s always worth writing a note about (and to) Tigger. Who knows. Maybe they have wireless in the great dog biscuit in the sky (and they taught him to read).
And.
Sometimes you just have to wonder a little about destiny and how random things truly are that happen.
hard choices
Jan 25th
Ok. Let’s talk a minute about Kodak.
And the fact that their demise had nothing to do with lack of foresight or inability to innovate (because they actually invented the digital camera). Kodak is about leadership, or the lack thereof, and people and decisions (or the lack thereof). 
When an iconic company and brand like Kodak goes bankrupt everyone should think about hard choices and people who make them.
Oh. And people who don’t make them.
I am sure in 1976 when Kodak had 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in the US and was regularly rated one of the world’s five most valuable brands that it would seem inconceivable to company decision makers that the company could disappear. I do not have to imagine that we the people couldn’t conceive it.
In addition.
What’s not often recognized is that it was actually Kodak that invented the digital camera (in 1975). And, interestingly, four years after that a Kodak executive issued a report that predicted, in some detail, how different parts of the market would switch from film to digital with an inevitable digital mass market by 2010 (whew. Pretty close, huh?).
Look.
This is surely not the first time a company, and its leaders, has decided it is so self-important it can ride out what is happening in the market.
But I believe people are focusing on the wrong things.
Successful organizations are rarely successful because of foresight (or fortune telling or predicting the future). They are typically successful due to thoughtful reaction and response to change … and making the inevitably hard decisions when the change is truly disruptive to their core business.
Yes.
Decisions get significantly harder when a company is faced with truly market disruptive innovations/actions.
And, no, corporations don’t have to inevitably die. It depends entirely on their adaptability.
So. Let’s talk about the decisions to adapt.
What I mean by that is … why couldn’t Kodak and its leaders make the hard choices to avert this demise?
I disagree with the popular opinion that it was their lack of vision with regard to the role digital in the photo business that led to their demise.
Why?
Many organizations make big innovation or lack of vision mistakes and don’t go bankrupt. Why don’t they? They make the hard decisions to course correct.
Yup. Hard decisions are called hard because they are just that – hard.
Difficult.
Not soft.
Not soft?
“I want (and need) to make significant changes. But I want to retain the core.”
(Oops … that is decision with high potential for ‘soft characteristics’).
Why? That core, or what is deemed most important, always seems to grow and grow when being discussed internally. It is almost within the DNA of an organization to think in these terms. And, inevitably, those ‘significant changes’ become soft changes.
Hard means sacrifice. Not cutting back on the decision. Making a real sacrifice.
I wrote about it in a post called “how far would you go to solve a problem?” http://brucemctague.com/how-far-would-you-go-to-solve-a-problem
Hard decisions could have saved Kodak. I truly believe that.
But let’s maybe discuss why hard decisions are hard to make (even by people who are quite capable of making a good hard decision).
Here is something to ponder.
Hard choices harden the person who makes them.
You have to harden yourself. You have to harden yourself, insulate yourself a little, from the human aspects of the decision and focus on the bigger picture and the horizon. Please don’t mistake this for minimizing the ‘little people’ or the individual. This is the forest or trees type decisions leaders need to make. It may sound callous but it is just like firefighting a big fire … burn some trees to save the forest.
Oh. And sometimes burn a shitload of trees to save the forest.
Leaders make the same decisions. In this case it is people & buildings and not trees.
Regardless.
The big hard decisions, when they are made, harden you as a person. It’s just life. It’s not personal.
Here is what makes it even tougher.
I believe all of us who make hard decisions worry a little bit that it … well … becomes too easy.
That we become so hard that we lose sight of everything else.
Oddly Richard Gere in Pretty Woman reminded us of this – if you got past the fact he was hiring a hooker in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel – in that his character lost sight of ‘being human’ as he became quite good at making hard decision for business successes.
And it was a true depiction of what can happen. Hard decisions are difficult because there is not only a financial risk & toll … but a personal toll. Each one affects you.
As with everything in life (it seems) … it is a balancing act.
I say all of this to try and share that there is a human aspect of any hard decision. And leaders don’t overlook that (despite what everyone else may want you to think).
Every one understands the repercussions.
Every. One.
Now. Having said that.
Someone at Kodak couldn’t make the hard decision.
I truly believe that.
Were they soft with regard to people or whatever? Heck. I don’t know. I believe they just inevitably made soft decisions. Soft decisions that possibly gave a glimmer of hope but once you begin the slippery slope of business issues (particularly if you are a large company and gravity really takes over) the glimmer becomes dimmer and dimmer over time.
To stop the slide a really hard decision needed to be made.
A big hairy audacious decision.
Anyway. I often believe business leaders could learn a lot from the military on how to win a war.
Do I believe a general wants to lose a single soldier’s life? No. He does not.
Do I believe a general understands that he needs to lose soldiers’ lives? Yes. He does.
Do I believe those decisions weigh upon him (even if we elect to judge the decision on the final successful outcome)? Yes. I do.
But they make the hard decisions.
And no one at Kodak did make the hard decision.
It wasn’t lack of foresight.
It wasn’t a lack of understanding of what was happening in the market (trust me … they probably saw dozens of reports of what was happening in the marketplace).
It was a lack of ability to make the hard decision.
And … it’s a shame.
