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Its 1 am and I have had a really long day. I got up and went and had a meeting in the morning with a lawyer to pitch to him why he should let me contact one of the men/companies that he represents. You see, in my short time in pitching CEO’s, CFO’s and just the regular jo or jane I have found that it is always better to start at the top and let them work their way down. It saves a lot of time, trouble and I sleep better at night. You also don’t have to deal with the “watchdog” or the minimum wage person who is paid to say “NO”. Sorry, I got off on a tangent…so … the meeting went well and 30 min later I had the cell phone number of the owner of this company and to add some nicety to the situation the Lawyer had called him up and done a nice little intro for me. 5 min later I had what I was looking for, an appointment to go to his HQ in Saint George and pitch him in person. Well, it did not go 100% as I had wanted. The day he had available I will still be in Peru, so my cohorts will have to take care of it without me.

Let me back up just a bit. This is a rude way to start a story. Sometimes I forget that the reader is not reading my mind. It was 1 am (like I said above) and I was trying to sleep but my roommate and his brother are playing video games and it is really loud. I had contemplated about getting up and asking them to turn it down but that would have required more effort than I wanted to expend ( I am trying to conserve my caloric burn, you know, you don’t want to burn too many or you will lose weight and who wants to do that.) So I did what every other person would do… I picked up my smart phone. Most nights I will read my popsci.com articles and catch up on what is going on in the world with foxnews.com and I really like the foxnews.com/scitech section… always lots of good stuff in there. Then after a while a good jaunt on engadget and then if I am still awake, I find out how my cougars are doing. But stuff at the capitol was slow today so I did that already.
Next on my list of fun things to do is to search people I know or don’t know. One can always find out crazy stuff about someone if they just do a google search. Naturally I googled ( it is being added to the dictionary) you. I mean why not right. I could have searched you because of the norm… I mean you are talked about (in passing) by a good number of people at the capitol. They are all good things. Most interns have crushes on you and you are very pretty. And (yes I started a sentence with a conjunction, it is legal you know) you are one of just a few girls I know that can rock a pair of “cow” cowgirl boots at the state capitol as an Intern. But those are not the reasons why I did the search that lead me to your blog, which by the way is very fun to read and insightful but drastically neglected for a self proclaimed writing addict. Apparently you joined writers anonymous and got over that weakness, good for you. No, I did the search because you seem different. How else can I say that? You project an air of superb confidence yet you are down to earth. You get stuff done yet you are still learning. You love what you do and I think you want to keep going down this path and really make a difference. I get this sense that you love a challenge and you like to be your own boss, calling the shots and taking responsibility. You seem passionate about doing well and keeping those whom you report to very satisfied…which you do by doing good work. It does not seem to me that you are in it for power or even recognition ( which I think you do like secretly) but you do it because you like to serve and use your perceived and recognized talents to do things others can’t or won’t do. I could be way off… or I could be spot on. This should be super weird coming from guy you have only seen 5 times with 3 or 4 of those times coming in a 6 hr span but then again maybe it is not. I can’t tell you why I think these things, I just do. I guess my purpose in writing to you was….. well….. because I wanted to. So I did, I mean I am. You see I have always tried to live my life by a few standards, one of which is I don’t ever want to say “I wish I coulda woulda shoulda hada but I didn’t.” Because of that little saying I literally do things that others would not do… like walk down the stairs with/after a girl who is obviously in a hurry ( or trying to avoid me, maybe a combo of both)and try to say 10 words to her so she thinks you are not too pushy or forward but all you really want to do is learn more about her and what makes her tick but you don’t have time to do it in a normal setting cause she is super busy and she did not go to lunch with you, which by the way made you feel a little silly because this is not your first time asking a girl to lunch and you should have done better recon but you were inpatient because you are going to Peru in 4 or 5 days and you did not feel like you had the time to play the friend card to learn more about this person, plus she seemed flirtatious when you first met. If you wanted a good example of an emotion based run-on sentence there you have it.
With all of that said and not said let me finish this, this…. what ever this is…. with a few thoughts. Writing to you like this is reckless and im embracing it like a mother a new born child, with excitement in the moment and fear of the future. You could get this and think it was funny and right up your ally. You could never read it or you could think it was inappropriate. If it is the latter, I am truly sorry. I would be very happy to tell you a little about me but ill leave that up to you. Im not asking for anything. Pen pal at best. If you enjoyed this or found it a bit intriguing write me back or say hi to me on Monday. If not, I took the scary dive off of the high dive and belly flopped. It will sting for a bit but I will always have style points to fall back on. Now I can go to bed and say I did instead of saying I wish I woulda.
Spence
P.S. My hair is not usually this long and I always have a clean shaven face but I have to grow it out for a project I am doing. I promise I am not a member of the mafia.
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Uhhh… a bit much right? I’m not sure much more explanation is needed but your heckling and comments are encouraged.

I confess I really might be addicted to writing. Like an alcoholic craves a longneck, like a crack addict pines for the pipe, like a smoker yearns for a Marlboro, like Joan Rivers yearns for Botox, I jones to write.

Write about what? What do I have to say that is of any real significance? Write about my life? My many jobs and volunteer positions? I am Jack Bauer. Not in the sense that I have a plethora of sky miles, sweet government connections, or a license to kill, but in the sense that my life is so segmented and diverse that it can be told one hour at a time (give or take a few hours).

Hour 1: Morning. Living alone does have its advantages. You can get up or sleep in as early or late as you want with no accountability to anyone. Appropriate breakfast attire is extremely flexible and any mess left out is your own and you can clean it up whenever the heck you feel like it. Frequently my morning ritual has been a glass of milk and a text book while listening to “Good Things Utah.”

Hour 2: Class. It never ceases to amaze me how every professor seems to overlook the fact that their class is not the only one we have, nor is it the absolute center of our universe. Granted, we are paying ridiculous amounts of money to listen to them drone on and on but regardless, we have lives, show them some respect! Marketing, management, PR, and college algebra are the current entrees on my extremely overcrowded plate this semester. I am still making them priority #1 since I would rather have exploratory surgery than go back for seconds on some of them. My PR class is the only exception. God bless Preston Parker.

Hour 3: Work. I’m a nanny for a 9-year-old girl. Her family is rodeo friends of mine whom I lovingly call my Logan family. Every day is an assortment of reading, math reviews, and karate lessons with the occasional bowling trip or sledding excursion. What was I like at this age? Did my babysitters and teachers have the same perspective I currently have with Sydney? A looking glass into our own lives is always covered with rose colored cellophane and paste.

Days I’m not a nanny, I’m in Salt Lake as a legislative intern for Utah’s Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff. Yes, it is as cool as it sounds, maybe even cooler. A majority of what I do is listen in on committee meetings and ascertain the views and opinions of the senators and representatives, as well as any action taken on bills with specific interest to the AG’s office. There is a little more involved but is not blog-approved material. I feel like that kid in 3rd grade with a secret everyone wants to hear so it fuels their fire to keep it confidential. Hardy har-har!

Hour 4: Community involvement. I’m a PR consultant for OneSix.org, Assistant PR Director for the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo Committee, USU Agricultural Communication Club VP of Communications, and Assistant Director of the Miss Davis County Pageant, as well as give lessons to aspiring young rodeo queens. It’s a juggling act for sure but most of it can be done with this remarkable new invention known as the internet. Thanks Al Gore. (not!) Meetings typically take place in the evenings after jobs 1-2 with the occasional rescheduling of school or real jobs to fit it all in.

Hour 5: Social life. YA RIGHT!!! Did you even read hours 3 and 4? What social life?! This is replaced by homework, research for the AG job or lesson material, or work on projects for all my community involvement.

Hour 6: Night. The wee hours of the morning are frequently spent ironing clothes, organizing school papers, or doing general housework. I’ve made a habit of falling asleep to M*A*S*H or Designing Women re-runs. Oh, Hawkeye, how I adore your quick wit and sharp tongue!

I might lack the intrigue of Jack’s travels and near-death experiences, but my life is far from quite or slow paced. I thrive on it, though. I become possessed by the ghosts of Edgar Allen Poe or Mark Twain and have to write anything and everything on my mind to get my junkie’s fix. My apology if this seems like a journal entry.

In what seems like a previous live as a rodeo queen, I had constant demands on my time from sun up to sun down. All of which had to be conducted to the fullest extent with a smile and warm hand shake. That was my gateway drug into the current debacle I find myself in. this self-inflicted chaos is only reversible through intervention or a month’s stay in a rehab clinic. Hold my spot open, Tiger Woods and Brittney Spears, I’ve got to get to my math night class… Hour 6…

As a third year PR student, I would like to formally submit my resume to apply for her now vacant position. (alright, it is currently filled by her deputy, Dan Pfeiffer, but never-the-less!)

First, I would commit to never referring to a vicious, murderous, dictator as my favorite philosopher. CHECK!

In Anita Dunn’s address to the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, she stated that Mao Tse-Tung was her favorite political philosopher along with Mother Teresa. Not only is that near blasphemy to speak of such a Christ-like person and that wretched scum in the same breath, but it is absolutely terrifying to think someone who shares similar political ideals with a man responsible for more deaths than any other 20^th Century leader could be so close to our president. The killer of more than 70 million of his own countrymen and creator of re-education camps is the role model of our recent White House Communication Director. No matter how many times I say it, it just seems inconceivable!

Second, I promise not to engage in name-calling arguments with major news outlets who, after all, primarily control the amount, content, angle, or coverage of what I am trying to publicize. CHECK!

Spearheading the annexation of the FOX News Network is Anita Dunn. Why any communications director would call out and try to publicly discredit an entire news network is beside me. FOX is the highest rated cable news channel at any time of the day and this witch trial is only helping to boost those ratings and deepen the animosity between the current administration and this media outlet. This only encourages them to focus on negative aspects of this presidential term.

Dunn was quoted as saying FOX news, “operates as the research and communication arm of the Republican Party.”

President Barack Obama has even said FOX was, “entirely devoted to undermining my administration.”

This spat with what should be a mutually beneficial partnership is strangely reminiscent of the Nixon v. New York Times debacle. All administration figures have been barred from appearing for interviews with the network and have also been excluded from many press events.

It should be the communication director’s priority numero uno to strengthen ties with all news sources. They are the vessel through which you communicate your message and that position demands a certain level of respect. Nothing comes closer to shooting yourself in the foot.

Third, I will not become so arrogant and power hungry by publicly stating the White House controls the media. CHECK!

Oh yeah, she went there. In another interview, Dunn said, “we control the media. We make the media cover what we are saying.”

Further into her statement, she expounded by adding, “Very rarely did we communicate through the press anything we didn’t ABSOLUTELY control.”

Is she crazy!? What did she think would happen after her now sworn enemy, FOX, got a hold of that clip? It is impossible to CONTROL the media. I will add that you can sway them to give attention to certain topics and only provide information you want them to have, but they also have license and responsibility to explore and investigate what you are presenting to them. But with role models such as Mao Tse-Tung, controlled communistic media isn’t too far fetched for her now, is it?

So what do you say, Mr. President, do I have the job?

After I attended the prestigious PBR World Finals in Vegas a few weeks ago, this incident has reemerged as an important point of discussion.

Prior to the illustrious World Cup event, PBR’s CEO Randy Bernard was quoted during a live podcast saying, “I don’t think they’re (Team Canada) the (same) quality of team as Brazil and the U.S., and I think you’re kidding yourself or anyone that says they are is kind of kidding themselves.”

The World Cup, held in Brazil, is one of the crowning competitions the PBR produces. Bull riders from four countries are teamed up with their fellow countrymen and pitted against riders from other nations. According to Cody Snyder, captain of Team Canada, this prestigious title is so coveted because, “you’re not competing for yourself and really you’re not for your team, we’re competing for our country”.

This could potentially be one of the reasons why Bernard’s comments were viewed by some as damaging to the organization because it goes deeper than criticizing a few bull riders; he was viewed as offending their fellow countrymen and all of their accompanying fans who hail from the Great White North.

Bernard also stated that they were, “definitely the underdogs and it would be a great story if they were to pull it off,” but negated those comments by reiterating that the Brazilians were the real powerhouse and, “the only story there.”

These remarks didn’t go down well with many angry fans, who left comments on PBR’s website, or the Canadian bull riders.

“Nobody’s very happy about it,” said Snyder, “that’s OK, we’re fired up.”

Perhaps Bernard’s remarks are just what the Canadians needed as a motivator. After the first two rounds, Bernard admitted, “Team Canada is riding their guts out.”

The Canadians finished this year’s event in third place out of five countries, with a cumulative score of 1,027 points compared to 1,387.75 scored by the Americans and 1,217.50 by the Brazilians.

“Randy’s a great CEO (and) he’s done wonderful things for the PBR, but for him to say it, it’s out of context,” said the Canadian team captain.

Synder said, “If Ty Murray said it or Cody Lambert or a guy who’s done it in the arena and has been on bulls, rode bulls and really understands bull riding—there’s only one way to understand something and that’s to have done it, and that’s kind of where we’re at with it.”

Later, Lambert agreed with Bernard that the Canadians were unlikely to put this in the “W” column but as a commentator, I believe he has license to do so.

I think the role of a CEO, of any sporting organization, should be that of mutual support and praise of all the athletes, not offering unsolicited opinions that reflect negatively on the organization and could even be skewed as showing favoritism.

If I were to contribute to the PR plans for the PBR, I would take certain measures and precautions to prevent such a folly. I would have ensured Bernard was prepped, briefed, and given talking points to refer to every time before he makes a public statement of any kind. By following this prescribed method of “press-prep,” I am confident such a slip would not have been made.

His interview seems to indicate he did have some good talking points but simply strayed from the formula. He was armed with interesting numbers (75,000-80,000 fans are presumed to be in attendance every night of the World Cup, 56 bull riding events are currently held in Brazil and they are hoping for between 75 and 85 next year, bull riding is the #2 spectator sport in Brazil). Clever phrase-ology or taglines (“could be the greatest sporting event PBR has ever had”, “looking for some good match-ups on great Brazilian bulls,” or “it’s going to be a heavy-weight fight.”)

I would presume his intent was to target the Brazilian fan base through this podcast, evident by him continually spewing praise about their riders, and nation as a whole. I would also venture a guess to say he was attempting to increase attendance at the upcoming bull riding event and popularity for the industry as a whole. He used phrases like, “Brazilian Superstars,” and repeatedly commented on the growing popularity of the sport in South America. If I may, I would like to point out a few problems with this approach:

1)      The interview was in English, not Portuguese, the national language of Brazil. Oops!

2)      Fans from the three other countries involved in the World Cup were also listening, but completely disregarded.

3)      He spoke negatively of some of the top riders in an industry that carries a huge fan base and were more likely to hear this podcast than his intended Brazilian audience.

As an official representative of such a successful GLOBAL organization, it is imperative to never forget your audience while tailoring your message for the appropriate topic. To coldly discount such a large portion of the contestants and fans is detrimental to the future progress of the association.

Politicians make this same folly all the time, by speaking more candidly in front of their own party. This is where damming quotes such as these are born:

“This is an impressive crowd — the haves and the have mores. Some people call you the elite — I call you my base.”

–George W. Bush at the 2000 Al Smith dinner

We’ve got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?”
Lee Iacocca

“We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”

Hillary Clinton

“It isn’t poluion that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our airand water that are doing it.”

John F. Kerry

“I’ve read about foreign policy and studied, I now know the number of continents.”

George Wallace, 1968 presidential campaign

“It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Obama explaining his troubles winning over some working-class voters

I believe the bull riding contestants should always be held in the highest regard. Despite all of the sponsorships, publicity, promotion, advertising, and marketing, the cowboys are what the fans come to watch. They sell tickets and fill stands. They are the “goods” you are selling, and as such, deserve a certain level of respect. Other associations have yet to realize this key concept.

Keith Ryan Cartwright, the podcast interviewer, astutely set Bernard up to make a positive statement about the other teams, but Bernard seemed to have dismissed it entirely.

The next PR lesson to be learned here is following the cues from those who have the media savvy and similar goals to promote the same event, person, or product you are. Cartwright knew what could be accomplished by this interview and attempted to steer the conversation towards that result.

I remain, now and forever, a PBR enthusiast and you can bet I will be cheering like crazy for the now World Champion Kody Lostroh in the upcoming season. My goal is to one day be able to contribute to the sport I love so much and make a positive impact on its image, popularity, and add to the limitless success it will achieve in the future (hopefully with a little direction from me.)

I feel like slapping those kids on campus that wear shorts in a snow storm. If their moms could see them dressed like that they would be sent to their rooms and instructed not to reemerge until they are dressed appropriately for the weather.

Worse than that is the perpetual internal debate I have whether to wear my coat into the mall/store or not. Several factors play a part in this not so important decision such as: Is it snowing? If so, how hard? How long will I be in there? What is the approximate temperature outside and how far did I park from the door?

You see if you do decide to wear it in you then have to battle through cramped aisles while wielding your heavy down coat and sifting through bins, racks, and shelves of merchandise. Not a pleasant experience. If you tough it out and refuse to wear it, opting to leave it in the car, you then face a potential chilly stroll into the mall and could get bombarded with precipitation which melts instantly upon entry into the building blasting you with heat from the huddled masses and cranked thermostat. The rest of your shopping trip is spent as a soggy Scrooge with wet clothes, hair, and runny makeup.

UUUUGGGG!!!

Decisions, decisions.

A complete digital world mirroring the real one, with the few exceptions of being able to levitate, transport, wild appearances as well as being able to die and be instantly resurrected. With video game undertones, but no gaming goal other than interact with other participants I would ask, why not just do it in REAL LIFE? There is no way to really connect with someone on a personal level through channels of fiber optic cables. It just doesn’t work.

That being said, companies have done a really good job of taking advantage of these World of Warcraft loners by using it as a PR outlet. They are able to offer previews of upcoming released products, events, and advertise services that could be offered in Second Life that they can also benefit from in the real world. Just like Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook it becoming over run with companies spamming consumers with advertisements.

One more digital fad I will not be participating in.

I dread grocery shopping.

It is easier to find the Lost City of Atlantis than a package of yeast through the treacherous aisles of Wally-World.

Weaving and winding through the onslaught of carts, unruly children, and indecisive housewives holding two flavors of Kool-Aid is enough to send anyone to the loony bin. You take your life into your own hands just by walking through the doors as you enter a life size version of Frogger. I wonder how this charge compares to storming the beaches of Normandy.

This weekend I made dinner and Halloween desserts in an attempt to lighten the spirits of my hospital-bound Granny and her caretakers, my mom and aunt. To avoid, at all costs, a trip to Wal-Mart, I first went to pillage the pantry at my grandparent’s abandoned abode but, sadly enough, still had to make the trip.

Why hasn’t a shopping cart equipped with GPS been invented yet? It could be fully programmed to locate the precise placement of ground cumin saving not only valuable time but frustration. Am I asking too much?

How about a detailed directory of all items offered by the big box mart? Aisles should not only be numbered, they should be lettered based on what row and section of the aisle the item is found on. Color coding would even do it one step better.

During this particular adventure, I was on a quest to find 4 things: caramel dip for apples, a green pepper, biscuits, and a can of pumpkin guts. The following dilemmas ensued…

1. I could only find caramel wrap for whole apples in the produce section, not the dip. Is it in the dessert section? Baking goods? Guns and ammo? I found it next to the bread in the corner of the produce area. Sure, whatever.

2. A green pepper was easy enough to find. I just had to elbow my way past two loaded-to-the-hilt shopping carts and a slender brunette with a jalapeño complex.

3. Are pumpkins a fruit or a vegetable? This falls in the same debate category as what section of the food pyramid tomatoes are found in. Canned fruit or canned vegetable aisle? NEITHER! One of the few and far between Wal-Mart employees pointed me towards the baking goods because it is currently a seasonal item. Good grief!

4. My biggest weakness in these situations is the enticing look of everything edible on the shelves. My mission was to procure four items. After my scavenger hunt was complete, I found the aforementioned items along with eggnog, bacon, shells and cheese, butter, and evaporated milk. It’s a disease for which there is no cure.

Cursed Wal-Mart! I put off those necessary trips as much as possible in hopes that lessening the frequency will minimize my anxiety. So far to no avail and I haven’t even begun to venture onto the topic of checkout lines.

The inventors of such worthless items such as the Sham-Wow or Snuggee have made millions. I wonder what endless fortunes await the creator of a shopping cart equipped with GPS.

I know all of you who profess to hate Julia drone on and on about her arrogance, haughtiness, and self-righteous attitude, but secretly I know you, as I do, wish we all had a little more Julia in us.

I’m referring to one of the main characters from the 1980’s sitcom Designing Women. The show is about 4 southern women who own an interior design firm and their African American delivery man. It chronicles their adventures, personal and professional crises, and witty banter about life in the South as women clinging to the romance of yesteryear and progressing with the modern vibe of tomorrow. Twenty times better than The View because they have more class and less BS.

I envy these women.

Mary Jo Shively, Charlene Frazier, Suzanne Sugarbaker, Anthony Bouvier, and Julia Sugarbaker are my idols. Mary Jo is the small-in-stature, meek, single mom of two. Charlene is the busty blonde from the back woods of Missouri who has a heart as big as her family tree and dreams of marrying a soldier. Suzanne, younger sister of Julia and former beauty queen, is the quintessential southern belle and debutante who is more like a modern day Scarlet O’Hara, rich, self-centered and flashy, brimming with self confidence, beauty, and alimony from her geriatric ex-husbands. Anthony is a considerate falsely accused ex-convict attending night school at the local community college fighting stereotypes and prejudice with humor and sarcasm. Julia, the self-assured ring leader, who drips with bravado and grace, is armed with a sharp tongue and sashay to match. Her check bones are the only thing higher than the society she was born into.

Truth be told, I am more like Suzanne than any of them with our similar pageant history, flamboyancy, and attraction to older men.

If I could take a piece from each one of these women, I would undoubtedly be “Iron-Woman with a sense of style.”

I am constantly reminded that I was born in the wrong era. When I watch this sitcom I am transported to a time when women were worshiped for their beauty, class, charisma and were courted like queens. One Elvis Presley song and I am done for.

Julia, more than the other members of the cast, sparks a fire in my soul with her heated one-woman tirades and harsh reprimands. Her moving and inspiring rants would make Ari Gold from Entourage wet his pants like a school boy being punished by the Head Master.

Terminator speeches delivered by Julia pack a punch. I plan on practicing my verbal assaults and honing my skills for an oral whipping to unleash when the opportunity presents itself. If I could master even 1/10 of her potency as a word ninja, even the most unruly of town hall meetings wouldn’t prove to be much of a challenge.

Now all I need is a southern accent, air of pride in my stride, a 1980’s teased wig, a jewel-toned ill-fitted dress complete with shoulder pads, and tacky costume jewelry to match.

I refuse to be one of those women who, “go down the freeway of life with the back of my dress tucked in my pantyhose.” Armed with the grace and dignity these women possess, I plan on being in their same league of class (with only half the volume in my hair) while still eating for breakfast any man and ignorant soul who crosses my path.

Watch out, world! The South, and the women that created the romance of that era, will rise again!

While riding one of the shuttles up to campus this afternoon, I drew the short straw and had to stand for most of the trip (oh ya, it’s a stiletto day.) Previous experience has taught me that at least one Good Samaritan gentleman, who I usually presume to be a returned missionary, will give up their seat and trade me places. Not the case today. One of my fellow standing passengers and classmates commented that he was equally shocked by this lack of chivalry because he too was used to the traditional act of consideration bestowed by the male students.

More noteworthy than my making a fool of myself while losing my balance, stepping on toes, and gripping the handrail for dear life, is this apparent lack of common courtesy. Further scholarly examination of the human psyche and discussion on human philosophy, all within a 5 minute bus ride, produced the conclusion that the down-turned economy is to blame.

Might I interject in this riveting tale for just one minute?

I’m sure by now you have either A) stopped reading this obviously trivial post, B) determined that I am over-reacting and should get a real life so I have better things to worry about other than a crappy bus ride, or C) waiting to see how this scenario ties into a bad economy. Allow me to make my case.

Here is the answer to option C: Job-loss, cut wages, more costly consumables, and Wall Street being in disarray brings out primal instincts in society. We are becoming focused on looking out for #1, survival of the fittest, and have an inherent lack of sympathy for those that fall short.

The National Conference on Citizenship’s ‘America’s Civic Health Index for 2009′ cited the following trends:

66%
polled said that people are responding to the current economic downturn by looking out for themselves, while only 19% said people around them are responding to the recession by helping each other more.

Charitable giving has slowed due to less income as well as civic engagement. It is a double-edged sword because non-profit’s services are on the rise because of a loss of jobs and an increase in the demand for financial assistance.

20%
Of households reported the loss of a job by one of its members

31%
Had trouble affording food or medication.

4%
Fell behind in mortgage payments or lost their homes to foreclosure (and additional 3% had a household member in that situation).

Results of the survey include that 72 percent of respondents said they have cut back on time engaged in civic participation, including time spent volunteering, participating in groups or performing other civic activities in their communities.

Where are all of the strategies following the Great Depression that helped to resurrect our financial infrastructure? Where is the New Deal? Where is the volunteerism for the sake of neighbor helping neighbor? Where are the civil engineering and building projects? Where is the relief? Certainly not from the stimulus package. Where is the reform? No major changes in how banks are doing business. Where is the recovery? WPA? NRA? AAA? FDIC? FHA? Anybody?

“A different world cannot be built by indifferent people.”
- Horace Mann

This change in psyche and service habits is reflected in our day to day lives. Traffic courtesy, crowd behaviors, even a ride on a campus shuttle illustrates this negative social impact of a slowed economy.

A decrease in chivalry is only the tip of the iceberg. It is becoming more and more apparent to me that a lack of respect for elders, and authority figures, is becoming common place. Do you think the riotous town hall meetings would have happened even 10 years ago? How about Obama-Healthcare putting a price on the life of the elderly?

Two weeks ago I attended the Ascend Alliance Gala as a liaison to the contributing celebrities. This non-profit is one of the greatest service organizations I have ever been associated with. As a humanitarian alliance based in Salt Lake City, they work with 10 countries on two continents. They provide services such as assisting with literacy programs, school construction, and the acquisition of books and supplies. They also work side-by-side in enterprise training, small business development, health training, medical and dental services, and in building health clinics. The Ascend Alliance continually invests resources into technology training, clean water systems, community gardens, greenhouses, food storage, stoves, latrines, and community bathrooms. The list goes on and on. I couldn’t have been more impressed with their commitment to public service and selfless giving of means, time, and heart.

I’m not advocating we all sell our worldly possessions and jump on the next flight to South America to build schools, but what can be done to stop and reverse this depressing trend of philanthropic indifference?

“Insomuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto me.”
-Matthew 25:40

I encourage all readers to find something they can do this next week to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Do something in your day-to-day life to serve your fellow man. Pay for the drink and Snickers the guy behind you in line is holding, when making dinner tonight, cook a little extra and give it to your neighbors, wait the extra 10 seconds and allow someone to pull in front of you in a long line of cars, and for heaven’s sake guys, give up your seat on a campus shuttle to the girl teetering in high heels!

“By small and simple things, are great things brought to pass.”
-Alma 37:6

Service won’t help your bank account grow, but it does have the potential to increase your quality of life not only for you, but those you choose to serve.

Ride tough, stay tough

Renaé

Last Thursday David Letterman, host of “The Late Show with David Letterman,” admitted on-air to having sexual relations with women who worked on his TV staff. On Monday ratings and viewer-ship were up and teetered upon peaking at the top of poll ratings. Are viewers simply interested in watching a Steve Martin and Martin Short interview or has Letterman’s well-played admission of guilt put him on a PR pedestal?

I would argue the latter.

Letterman declared he was being blackmailed for $2 million dollars to come forth about his indiscretions. Delivering the admission in a comical setting made many question the validity of his story. His heart-felt apology to his wife and staff gained him respect from a majority of viewers. He acknowledged his wrong-doings and past “creepy behavior.” His bare-all honesty has made him a perfect example of what to do during an image crisis.

Perhaps Bill Clinton should have consulted Letterman’s PR guy before denying his sexual relationship with a staff member then coving his tracks by claiming it depended on the definition of sex.

She had been “horribly hurt by my behavior,” said Letterman concerning his wife.

I would predict his personal embarrassment and admission of guilt to help fuel his personal career. He has the upper hand of a very precarious situation by owning up to it and being the first to break the story of his extortion.

Oddly enough, I also think, despite his flawed moral compass, audiences will sympathize with his situation, but someone has to take the blame, in the public’s eye. Enter alleged extortionist, Robert Halderman.

Accused blackmailer, 20-year CBS TV producer, represented by apparently skeazy defense attorney, Gerald L. Shargel, is the perfect witch to burn at the stake Shargel has already made himself and his client easy to dislike by playing the victim of the late-night host’s media savvy and not admitting to any guilt.

The question is whether Letterman’s personal embarrassment will help fuel further professional triumph. This could be a dangerous precipice Letterman currently treds with the possibility to define his career and launch him towards a TV ratings victory.

His reminder that he’s a guy “motivated by nothing but guilt,” is an extremely well-played strategy in his self-disclosure. This immensely popular host has positioned himself to gain my PR star of approval.

As a society we acknowledge that we aren’t perfect and mostly accept subtle flaws in our celebrities and political figures. It is their sincere apology and full admission of guilt while accepting responsibility, which gains them our respect. With the blame heaped onto Halderman, Letterman gets to play the “our boy” role.

The statement that there is no such thing as bad publicity could be true, but if I could tweak it to Renae standards it would read: any potentially negative publicity can be handled well, from a PR standpoint, and made into great publicity, which is exactly what he has done.

Well played, Letterman, well played.

Read more at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33183121/ns/entertainment-television/