E-Mags in a word: Cool!

I like to read. You know, stay current on stuff I'm interested in from news, to sports to hobbies. Like most folks, I subscribe to several magazines and have done so for years.

But like everything else, the publishing business is going digital. Publications like Businessweek, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic and even Model Railroader are all available on digital devices like your iPad.

The best part is you get your issue days before the print issue ever arrived. And it's more than just the same content in the print version. I just downloaded the latest issue. My favorite part, the "Leading Off" photos are incredible in a digital format. There's also sections for breaking news. The content evolves like it never could in print. Best of all, lots of video and interactive content.

Businessweek is also making good use of electronic delivery, with updated audio content and you can esaily share stories of interest with friends on Twitter and Facebook.

Our most recent subscription is to National Geographic. They're doing an absolutely fabulous job of transitioning their epic coverage of our world into digital content. Always a great read, it's become a great experience.

My hobby is model railroading. Model Railroader Magazine has been part of the hobby way before I was born. Now the magazine arrive via Zineo, and while not quite as elegant a delivery system as others, it's still fun to learn more about my hobby on my iPad.

Of course there are many other publications available digitally, you must have your own favorites. But what a grand experience when the content is digital shareable and ever changing.

Finally I rarely read actual books anymore, you know, the ones that sit on bookshelves. You can buy bestsellers for devices like the Nook or Kindle and of course my favorite, the iPad. Libraries have full digital collections and there's always a new read waiting for me when I digitally return one just completed.

The digital world can be bewildering sometimes, and often annoying. Especially Facebook during election season. But the digital evolution of magazines and books is here to stay and just going to be better and better. I like it!

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you!!

The "Economic Plan" I want to hear

Both candidates for President are bombarding the airwaves and digital media with their economic plans. All are vague, lacking in any sort of meaningful substance and therefore a huge waste of our time and money.

Both candidates will be asked the same questions during the debates. Hopefully moderators will try and nail them down to specifics, but this is the answer I'd like to hear from either candidate.

"The day after the inaugural, I will schedule a 6am meeting at the White House. I am however, willing to drive to the capitol should meeting space be available. Invited are the following people:

The House Speaker and Minority Leader from both parties along with the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders. And me of course.

That's it, no aides just the 5 of us. A live video and audio feed will be available for any and all news outlets for the duration of the meeting.

We'll have plenty of coffee and healthy food because we'll need it. The first thing we're going to do is look each other in the eye and agree that what we're about to do is in the best interests of the people we work for, the American People. We understand that not everything we do will be agreeable to everyone, but the greater economic good is our goal.

Then we get to work. We will trim $1 Trillion from the deficit not matter how long it takes. We will look where to raise revenues in a fair and equitable way, but more importantly identify the waste we all know exists in our spending habits, which have been part of a broken process going back for decades.

This is not about blame, but fixing things and doing what's right. I'm sure we'll argue and tempers might flare so we can take a time-out if needed. But we don't go home until we've trimmed back that first trillion bucks. No smoke and mirrors, just the real deal.

When we're done, and we can do it, we will hold a joint news conference to share what we've done. In advance we'd like to apologize to our friends in the media as that news conference could happen at likely a very weird hour and frankly, we won't be looking our best as we'll be pooped and a little stinky. But we will tell you we have found a way to knock that first trillion from the debt. Real solutions, not projections or political hoo-ha. We will also agree to no political grandstanding. This is a team effort.

Then we'll go get a few hour sleep and get on with the business of governing. That said, we will meet again the following month to knock another trillion from the debt. Maybe we could alternate between the White House and Capitol. The important thing is we meet.

THAT is my economic plan."

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you!"

SunRun Solar. So far so GREAT!

I've blogged a couple of times before about our switch to solar power here at home late last year. I've been interviewed by media about the switch a couple of times and asked this question both times:

"How is it?"

My answer is easy; "Exceeds every expectation."

It's been a very long, hot and dry summer. We set a record for the number 90+ degree days. Last year we used our AC very sparingly, it was just so expensive. Not this year, we had the thermostat set at between 76-78 degrees every day. No worrying about the power bill, because we were generating more power than we were using.

Some Stats:

1. We've generated 6761 kWh of power since installation last December. That 820 MORE kWh than we used. We have a new power meter that runs both ways. It's been running backwards all summer. At the end of the year we'll get a credit from the power company for the power we SOLD them! 
2. We saved 10278 pounds of CO2 emissions. To put it in perspective, the savings in emissions is equal to us planting 120 trees. Or NOT driving 10,669 miles.

We got our system through a company called SunRun. We had multiple options to either purchase, finance or lease the system. We chose the lease option, our monthly price being about half of what our previous electric would have been. The other advantage is we'll always know what our bill will be, comforting especially during long hot summers. Should we ever put our house up for sale, we'll just pay out the lease and be able to advertise our home as having free electricity.

Our goal with solar was simply to save money, but when you look at the positive impact it's had on the environment, it feels good. It also has me thinking of what things could be if more people gave solar a try.

The technology is just plain simple from installation to using every day. You can also go to your customer link on SunRun's home page to monitor your power use, along with the additional meter installed at the back of the house.

OK, I know the government is talking about all sorts of massive solar power "farms" using thousands and thousands of acres. Just not practical and you don't want the government involved in things anyways. Some neighborhoods up in the mountains are pooling resources for solar "gardens." Even on cloudy or rainy days, you're still generating power.

So whether on your own roof, or a community garden, solar works. It's easy and affordable.

Ka-Ching!

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations

Lies, Damn Lies and Political Ads

Each campaign cycle, the political ads keep on getting nastier and nastier. This year both sides have really raised the bar on nasty.

There are two types of ads; those produced by campaigns and those produced by Political Action Committees or PACS. By law, campaigns and PAC's aren't allowed direct contact but my guess is there is a lot of nodding and winking involved.

How bad is it? Both sides, directly and via their surrogates are saying some of the most hateful and untrue things about each other. These often outright lies are then further distorted to the point of nausea. How are we folks on Main Street served by all this? The answer of course is, not at all.

What's quite fascinating is the good work many media outlets do in fact-checking these ads. In just about every case, we learn the truth is being stretched a tad, OK a lot. By both parties. So why run the darn things? Either people are believing the ads or not believing the news.

Political "experts" say they work. These "experts" of course live in New York and Washington DC and are about as connected to us here on Main Street as Vladimir Putin. 

Our economy is in a world of hurt and the national debt passed the $16 Trillion mark before the opening gavel in Charlotte. If both parties don't come together, and quickly to deal with this issue we'll be toast. Period. We're in the back seat with Thelma and Louise headed for you-know-where.

I saw an interesting interview this week about all this with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. He'll be speaking at the DNC this week, but was talking about negative ads. A former restauranteur, he told about talking with a soda marketing executive about how negative advertising would work in the soda business.

In essence he said, if Coke started bad mouthing Pepsi, Pepsi would have to respond. It would escalate to the point where no one would buy either product. Hickenlooper is not a fan of negative ads. What I've always liked about the man is he never uses them. Remember his "Shower" Ads?

Up until recently, we didn't have a voice in all this. We had to just sit there and watch this crap. Not any more. Thank goodness for the DVR where you can skip through them. But Social Media, being used extensively by both parties, is also being used by the people they're trying to influence. Campaigns and PACS post  clever, is not entirely accurate graphics and urge followers to "Like" and "Share" them. People click without verifying. The response is anything but positive as flame wars break out.

All because of lies and damn lies. From both sides.

This nation is divided, dangerously so. Both the Democrats and Republicans seem hell bent on simply breaking us in half entirely.

Enough is enough. (I'm going to have a shower)

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations