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!"
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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:
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
"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:
- 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!
- 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.
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
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Honoring the first, and last men on the moon.
We all mourn the loss of Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. We honor that small step all those years ago and his passing is one great loss for mankind.
I never got to meet Armstrong, not a lot of folks did unless you worked directly with him. It was his nature to quietly go about life as a pilot, engineer and teacher.
I was fortunate to see two men who walked on the moon, including Buzz Aldrin who followed Armstrong to the lunar surface as the 2nd man to walk on the moon.
A couple of years ago I got to see the the last man to walk on the moon, Gene Cernan. He was honored by Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum with the 2010 Spreading Wings Award.
Here's a video we produced of his speech that night. While we remember Neil Armstrong for being first, let's not forget those who followed in his foot prints and more importantly, when if ever, will we go back.
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
I never got to meet Armstrong, not a lot of folks did unless you worked directly with him. It was his nature to quietly go about life as a pilot, engineer and teacher.
I was fortunate to see two men who walked on the moon, including Buzz Aldrin who followed Armstrong to the lunar surface as the 2nd man to walk on the moon.
A couple of years ago I got to see the the last man to walk on the moon, Gene Cernan. He was honored by Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum with the 2010 Spreading Wings Award.
Here's a video we produced of his speech that night. While we remember Neil Armstrong for being first, let's not forget those who followed in his foot prints and more importantly, when if ever, will we go back.
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Facebook Fatigue
I think I'm suffering from Facebook Fatigue. Granted it's not as bad as the heartbreak of psoriasis but it is what it is.
This has nothing to do with the over-hyped and underwhelming IPO by the company. It's all been documented, once in a while accurately by local and national media. I'll leave any thoughts of buying Facebook stock to you, your investment advisor and possibly your pastor. I'm not any sort of financial expert but Facebook is essentially a platform for about a billion freeloaders. I've never bought a product or service through Facebook and likely never will.
My question about Facebook is exactly what is it good for? (See above paragraph) It's supposed to be a fun place. One friend described her circle of friends as an online "Class Reunion" on demand. A cool notion for sure.
From a business point of view, it is a good platform to engage customers. Some businesses do a great job, keeping followers posted on good deals, new products and responding quickly to suggestions and complaints. Too often however, most companies presume that it's the 20-sometings who "get" social media because, well, they're kids and are experts at all things social.
Wrong.
Social Media, like traditional media is all about messaging and content. To paraphrase a great Duke Ellington tune, "It don't mean a thing if it don't mean a thing."
My main cause of fatigue however, is just how hateful so many posts are becoming. The source of it all is the current Presidential Campaign. One recent post from a friend accused GOP Candidate Mitt Romney, and by extension the entire party of "Hating women." Poppycock. Another post had a picture of President Obama next to a communist flag. Disgraceful. Whether or not you disagree with the man, respect the office.
Yes I agree that Candidate Romney should disclose more tax returns than he has, but at the same time I'd like to see the sealed school records of President Obama. Sealed? Why? But both can be asked for politely, and discussed politely. Granted it's the campaigns, sadly that are setting the tone for all this, but why must we be sucked into the cesspool?
Both campaigns produce lots of dubious graphics and videos, post them, then too many of us blindly click the "share" button. Which in turns ignites the firestorm of responses.
Then there's the foul language in so many posts. Why? Aren't we supposed to be friends? What ever happened to civil discourse?
I'm not going to leave Facebook, it's so much fun to see pics of family and friends, or hear about what they're doing and where. Love it. I've got so many friends I haven't seen in person for years, but this is the next best thing. I don't want to lose touch.
But the other stuff, at least right now is simply so much hoo-haw so no offense, if you post crap, I'm cutting you off. Glad to re-engage after the election.
I'm just so fatigued.
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
This has nothing to do with the over-hyped and underwhelming IPO by the company. It's all been documented, once in a while accurately by local and national media. I'll leave any thoughts of buying Facebook stock to you, your investment advisor and possibly your pastor. I'm not any sort of financial expert but Facebook is essentially a platform for about a billion freeloaders. I've never bought a product or service through Facebook and likely never will.
My question about Facebook is exactly what is it good for? (See above paragraph) It's supposed to be a fun place. One friend described her circle of friends as an online "Class Reunion" on demand. A cool notion for sure.
From a business point of view, it is a good platform to engage customers. Some businesses do a great job, keeping followers posted on good deals, new products and responding quickly to suggestions and complaints. Too often however, most companies presume that it's the 20-sometings who "get" social media because, well, they're kids and are experts at all things social.
Wrong.
Social Media, like traditional media is all about messaging and content. To paraphrase a great Duke Ellington tune, "It don't mean a thing if it don't mean a thing."
My main cause of fatigue however, is just how hateful so many posts are becoming. The source of it all is the current Presidential Campaign. One recent post from a friend accused GOP Candidate Mitt Romney, and by extension the entire party of "Hating women." Poppycock. Another post had a picture of President Obama next to a communist flag. Disgraceful. Whether or not you disagree with the man, respect the office.
Yes I agree that Candidate Romney should disclose more tax returns than he has, but at the same time I'd like to see the sealed school records of President Obama. Sealed? Why? But both can be asked for politely, and discussed politely. Granted it's the campaigns, sadly that are setting the tone for all this, but why must we be sucked into the cesspool?
Both campaigns produce lots of dubious graphics and videos, post them, then too many of us blindly click the "share" button. Which in turns ignites the firestorm of responses.
Then there's the foul language in so many posts. Why? Aren't we supposed to be friends? What ever happened to civil discourse?
I'm not going to leave Facebook, it's so much fun to see pics of family and friends, or hear about what they're doing and where. Love it. I've got so many friends I haven't seen in person for years, but this is the next best thing. I don't want to lose touch.
But the other stuff, at least right now is simply so much hoo-haw so no offense, if you post crap, I'm cutting you off. Glad to re-engage after the election.
I'm just so fatigued.
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Bonfils Blood Center: A Community Treasure
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The folks at Bonfils Blood Center just released their annual report, and they did it online. The report impacted me in three ways:
1. We were honored to again produce the video elements of the report. (Pages 4 and 14)
2. I'm a regular donor, recently donating my 51st pint of O-Neg blood.
3. The fact the report is online, easily shareable and much more cost and message effective than the traditional glossy report you get in the mail.
But as Paul Harvey used to say, "Now ...for the rest ...of the story." We spent the first day of shooting video for the report at a blood drive, following the collected blood back to Bonfils HQ, watching the exhaustive testing and preparation of the blood supply to it being picked up by area hospitals. As smooth a running operation as I've ever seen.
We did all this on Thursday July 19. Very early the next morning, a gunman opened fire on theater-goers in Aurora, CO. Many died, many were critically injured and taken immediately to area hospitals. They survived because highly trained surgeons and ER staff had the most precious of elements available to them; Human Blood.
I talked with Dr. Eric Lung of Sky Ridge Medical Center afterwards. He told me, "Without that supply of blood, people would die." Bonfils made sure the blood was there and people survived. When I first heard the news of the shootings, I immediately thought about all I'd witnessed the day before, especially that box of blood being picked up by an area hospital.
While Bonfils was literally mobbed with people wanting to donate blood after the shootings, the hard fact is only 4% of eligible donors in Colorado actually donate. The two most common reasons for not giving are understandable. They hate needles and think it's a very time-consuming process.
The 4% who do give have just one reason for doing so. They know that when they donate, they save a life.
So let this 6+ gallon donor put you non-donors at ease. First, the Bonfils staff is highly trained and while you feel a bit of a poke from the needle when donating, it's just that, a little poke. Secondly the whole thing takes less than an hour.
Less than an hour of your time to save a life. Think on that. Bonfils' operating hours make it possible for must about anyone to fit that hour into their schedule.
Bonfils has 400 dedicated and talented staff. From the professionals who takes your donation either at a blood drive or a Bonfils Blood center, to the people that work so hard to make sure the blood supply is safe to those who prepare it for delivery to area hospitals, all are incredibly dedicated.
It's great that so many folks offered to help out after the theater shootings. But the need for blood is year-round. For accident victims, cancer patients, even routine surgeries the need is daily, make that hourly.
If you've never donated, I urge to try it just once. When you're done, know that you've saved a life.
It's a nice feeling. Even better when you've done it 51 times!
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Let's hear it for the Techies!
A couple of events the past week or so remind me to give a big SHOUT OUT to the techies who love and work among us.
This week's landing by NASA's Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory is nothing short of extraordinary. The darn thing took 8 months to get to Mars, and there was about a 8 minute window of disaster where they had to slow it down from 13-thousand MPH, release a drogue shoot, then this rocket hovercraft kind of doo-hickie slowly lowered the lander to the planet.
Extraordinary doesn't come close to describing the engineering skills that went into getting Curiosity to Mars where it's going to supply us with all sorts of data over the next couple of years. NASA needed the PR shot in the arm too, what with the Space Shuttle retired and us having to hitch a ride with the Russians to get to the space station.
Then there's the Olympics. We've seen some amazing performances, made even more amazing the the digital video technology being used. The best example being events like diving and gymnastics. Spectacular multi-image views of dives to vaults instantly. Plus we're watching on a multitude of video pipelines. As I write this I have one set of events on TV, another on my iPad.
A large number of the folks involved in bringing it to our various screens are actually controlling it all from New York, "Across the pond" from England.
Back to the Mars mission, Curiosity is sitting on a planet about 56 million miles away. How far is that? Well, it can take anywhere from 5-25 minutes for the signals carrying the picture data to reach earth. That's after the 8-month trip to get there in the first place.
The next big test will be to send a probe to Mars, then have it take off and return home to earth.
All of the above proof positive that science and technology is anything but boring. Thank goodness there are still some folks willing to dig deep into the science of it all, so the rest of us non-geeks can sit back and watch in awe.
Which this non-geek is doing!
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
This week's landing by NASA's Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory is nothing short of extraordinary. The darn thing took 8 months to get to Mars, and there was about a 8 minute window of disaster where they had to slow it down from 13-thousand MPH, release a drogue shoot, then this rocket hovercraft kind of doo-hickie slowly lowered the lander to the planet.
Extraordinary doesn't come close to describing the engineering skills that went into getting Curiosity to Mars where it's going to supply us with all sorts of data over the next couple of years. NASA needed the PR shot in the arm too, what with the Space Shuttle retired and us having to hitch a ride with the Russians to get to the space station.
Then there's the Olympics. We've seen some amazing performances, made even more amazing the the digital video technology being used. The best example being events like diving and gymnastics. Spectacular multi-image views of dives to vaults instantly. Plus we're watching on a multitude of video pipelines. As I write this I have one set of events on TV, another on my iPad.
A large number of the folks involved in bringing it to our various screens are actually controlling it all from New York, "Across the pond" from England.
Back to the Mars mission, Curiosity is sitting on a planet about 56 million miles away. How far is that? Well, it can take anywhere from 5-25 minutes for the signals carrying the picture data to reach earth. That's after the 8-month trip to get there in the first place.
The next big test will be to send a probe to Mars, then have it take off and return home to earth.
All of the above proof positive that science and technology is anything but boring. Thank goodness there are still some folks willing to dig deep into the science of it all, so the rest of us non-geeks can sit back and watch in awe.
Which this non-geek is doing!
Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
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