my 2 cents

Weekend Thoughts ... Boo Hoo!

Surveys show Halloween spending will be down this year

 

I heard a story on the radio this morning about a consumer survey asking about spending plans for Halloween.  Overall, about 55 percent of respondents plan to trim their spending this year on Halloween costumes, decorations and candy.  A third said they will spend less on store-bought costumes, and 12 percent said they will make their own costumes this year.

When I was a kid, almost everyone made his own costume -- usually with help from Mom.  It was unusual, in my neighborhood anyway, to see kids wearing store-bought outfits other than, perhaps, a mask. 

I remember the fun of making our own outfits.  It was a project that took an evening or two as the holiday approached.  And it was like a state secret; we never told our friends how we planned to dress up.

I recall two Halloweens in particular where the costume was memorable.  One year, I dressed as a girl, with my Mom's help.  My parents had a children's clothing store at the time, and Mom brought home a wig from one of the window mannequins.  She plopped the wig on my head, put on makeup and lipstick and put a bra under the blouse she had loaned me, and filled it with two oranges.  None of my friends had a clue it was me, until I opened my mouth to say "Trick or Treat."

The other home-made outfit that I remember was a robot.  I got an empty carton from the local hardware store and decorated it with all sorts of dials and knobs.  I covered the whole thing with tin foil, and I cut out holes for my head, arms and legs.  I decorated a paper bag for my head with foil, and had cut-outs so I could see.  

It was spectacular. 

But on Halloween night, I ran into a problem.  I hadn't thought to measure the carton, and when I tried to get out the apartment door, I got stuck.  I had to get out of the outfit, pull it through the door and get back in.  But I couldn't go through that every time I had to go through another doorway in the apartment complex where I lived.  I ended up going home, putting on a tattered shirt and rubbing some shoe polish on my face to look like a hobo.

When my kids were little, we got away with home-made outfits.  But once they were in school, they had to have store-bought outfits like all their classmates.

Halloween costumes are a very big business these days  -- about $6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.  But to me, it's not about the $20 or $30 (or a lot more) that the costume costs, but rather the fun and creativity and family togetherness of making it yourself from scratch.  That's priceless.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

 

 

Weekend Thoughts ... A Message from Delia

My daughter Jennifer lost her best pal yesterday morning.  We knew it was coming, but it's never easy to lose a dear friend and a member of the family.

I last saw Delia three weeks ago, on a visit to Jennifer and her family up in Maine.  We had taken her to the beach and she frolicked in the water as if she were still a youngster.  She had a big smile on her face.  She was happy.

Before I got into the car to return home to New York, I went back inside the house to give Delia a kiss and, just in case I wouldn't see her again, I thanked her for her years of friendship to Jen and her family.  She kissed me back and looked into my eyes.  Although she didn't speak, she told me something that I wrote down as soon as I got home.

I sent Delia's message to my daughter last night....

 

 

Please don’t be sad.

You’ve given me the best life any pup could hope for.  It’s been a life filled with lots of food and treats, belly rubs and pats on my fuzzy head, playing ball and swimming and walks in the woods, and sleeping on comfortable beds, couches and special spots on the floor.

Best of all, I’ve always had a life filled with your unending love and affection, respect and attention.

Yes, some of that attention was diminished six years ago when you had Jack and then when Gabriel came along two years ago.  I’ll admit, I may have had a bit of attitude the first time, but as I matured, I realized how happy those boys make you… and I am happy for anything that makes you happy.

I remember all the good times, starting from when you brought me home in Oregon.  I remember my friends like Luna and Buster and, of course, my surrogate pup Loki.  I was there when he came home, and all of him was just as big as my fuzzy head.

And then, after a stop in New York for a few months, where I got to know Gram and Pop even better, you brought me to Maine where there was water everywhere.  Living by the lake was a great place to spend a year, followed by that awesome spot right up the dirt road from not one, but two beaches and giant lawns perfect for running and rolling.  Even after we moved to our present house, you still took me to beaches at Harpswell and Popham.  It was always fun, and it made me even happier inside to see how you smiled as I jumped in the waves and chased sticks non-stop in the water.

There were a few bumps, but you helped me past them.  That airplane ride from out west to New York was not fun.  And my unexpected meeting with a porcupine was pretty bad… much worse than getting skunked.  But you were there to hold me and calm me, and I tried to show you with tail wags and licks that I was ok.

I am still ok, except now, instead of you watching over me, my role is to watch over you.  And now I can tell you something that I suspect you’ve always felt.  Some dogs do have souls, and I’m one of the lucky ones.

So I will always be looking over you, trying to keep you happy and safe and secure.  You’ll smile sometimes, and whether you realize it or not, it will be because my soul has wagged its tail for you.  

And when you’re ready for the companionship of another pup in your life, please understand that I’ll be fine with it.  I know he or she won’t be a replacement for me, but rather a tribute to the wonderful friendship we’ve had.  I will be happy for you.

So don’t be sad.  My wags and licks and fuzziness and sweetness are indelibly locked in your mind, and all you have to do is remember and those things will be there for you.

And a very long long time from now, when you are ready to end your life journey, I will be there waiting to welcome you with wags and licks.  But don’t rush – I’m a dog and I have lots of patience…knowing we will see each other again.

With Love and Devotion always,

   D

your Sweet Delia D

 

September 2, 2011

 

 

 

Giving Thanks

 

Best wishes for a peaceful Thanksgiving,

filled with family and friends, food and love.

 

 

from NY City

David

Weekend Thoughts

Books -- The Art of Racing in the Rain

Although this is under the Weekend Thoughts heading, it's not really the weekend anymore since it's 4:15 Monday morning.  But where I am, on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, it's still Sunday night.  And any way, since I'm on vacation, every day seems like the weekend.

I hadn't planned to post while away, but on the plane over here I read a book that blew me away.  Especially if you have a dog or if you love or have loved a dog, this book is for you.

Garth Stein wrote a beautiful story, but unlike other dog books like Marley and Me, this one is different.  It's written from the dog's viewpoint.  And it's not so much about the dog, but about the family he's with. 

The book requires a leap of faith, one that most dog lovers will be able to make.  The idea is dogs think and some can have almost human-like thoughts.

The teller of this tale is Enzo, who has two great wishes.  He wishes he could have opposable thumbs, so he could pick things up and turn doorknobs.  And he wishes something he heard on the National Geographic Channel when his owner left the TV on for him is true, that some dogs come back as humans after they die.  Enzo believes he is one of those dogs.

It's a great story, beautifully told.  When I finished the book, I had to run to the back of the plane to the bathroom to catch my breath and compose myself.  It took me a good 15 or 20 minutes to be able to talk afterwards.

It wasn't because the dog dies -- you sort of know that almost from Page One.  It's just the idea that our canine friends might -- just might -- be smarter than we give them credit for, that maybe they really understand a lot of what we do and say and that they try, in ways we don't usually see or understand, to tell us what they are thinking.

So, as I said above, check this book out if you have or have had a relationship with a dog.

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, from Harper Collins for $23.95.

Life the way it should be

"Life the way it should be."  That's the slogan you see when you cross the river from Portsmouth NH into Maine.  And it's very true.

I'm vacationing in Maine this week, in a rustic cabin on the shore of Lake Damariscotta.  Daughter Jen, with grandsons Jack and Gabriel, are with us up here.  It's about 40 miles northeast of their home in Brunswick.  Our mornings are spent taking the dogs (black labs) down to the dock so they can swim and fetch sticks.  We can get some swimming in too, and today I think Jack and I will venture onto the lake in the canoe.

I'm a City Guy and I love New York City.  But this respite is really nice.  Total relaxation.  I haven't even watched the news on TV much, so other than local fires and bar fights up here, I don't know much about what's been happening in the rest of the world.  I had intended to post while up here, figuring I'd have the time to write some profound stuff.

Nah.  I'll let that wait a few days while I enjoy life the way it should be. 

For a few days, anyway.

 

Weekend Thoughts ... Father's Day

I love being a Daddy.

When my kids were little, I'd have the greatest time getting down on the floor and playing with them -- making funny faces and silly noises; teasing them with jokes and nonsensical statements; giving piggyback rides all over the house.

Being a Daddy also meant I had a legitimate excuse to do "kid" things with them, even if the kids weren't interested -- building stuff with Tinkertoys and Legos, playing vroom vroom with Matchbox cars and trucks.

As my kids grew up, I couldn't play Tinkertoy and vroom vroom with them anymore.  I still wanted to, but their interests changed and matured.  Instead, my joy that derived from playing on the floor with their toys changed to the special joy derived from pride as I watched them do well in school and develop into wonderful adults.

As my daughter has given me two grandsons over the past 4-1/2 years, I'm getting to do the "kid stuff" again.  Tinkertoys and Lincoln logs are back in my life -- maybe Lego will be soon, too, as Jack becomes old enough.

As I watch my kids moving ahead with their own life journeys, I feel like every day is Father's Day. 

I get such happiness and pride and pleasure when I hear of the little everyday things Jennifer is teaching Jack and little Gabriel.  I am so proud to see what a phenomenal Mommy she is.  The proof is there to see, as I realize what wonderful little people she is shaping.

And I am thrilled when I see the latest film work by my son Michael.  He's still paying his dues in a very tough field -- filmmaking.  But the work he's done so far is awesome, and I am always blown away by his creativity and his skill.

And not only on Father's Day, but every day, I think of my own father and all that I learned from his gentle and quiet and humble example.  I miss him terribly, even after 11 years.  But he's still with me, all the time and I know how lucky I am to have had him as the greatest example of what a Daddy could be.

It makes me feel good, as I read the card my daughter gave me today.  At the end of the nice card prose, she wrote: "What an example of a father you are-- the best."

Well, I don't know about the best, but I certainly try and I love the job. 

Going to the dogs... and cats, parakeets, gerbils

We do love our pets, that's for sure.

If any proof is needed, just take a look at statistics released last week by Packaged Facts and reported in MediaPost's Marketing Daily.  Even in the worst recession in decades, spending on pet products and services increased 5 percent -- up $2.5 billion last year to total $53 billion.

My household has certainly contributed to that increase.  Some spending last year on Loki, our 9-year old black Lab --

    *  A tooth absess and tooth extraction  ($2,200)

    *  A fractured vertabrae disc, thankfully healed now  ($2,000)

    *  Ongoing skin allergies, requiring vet and alergist and dermatologist treatments  ($1,200)

My Oxford Health Plan doesn't cover Loki, and the IRS won't let me include those medical expenses in my Deductibles.

But that's ok -- Loki is our third child, and he's the only one who hasn't left home after college.  He's always there, happy to see us when we come home, regardless of if we've been away for five minutes or five hours.  He greet us, tail wagging wildly.  (OK, so the wagging tail has claimed a few glasses that it's knocked off the cocktail table.  But it's not like he did it on purpose.)

Pets as kids -- that's a major factor in the strength of the pet market.  "The pet-parent sentiment has never been higher," says the editor of Packaged Facts.  "The human/animal bond is an excellent insulator against recessionary cutbacks."  So strong, in fact, that the publications expects sales of pet products and services to jump another 35 percent by 2014, hitting $72 billion.

Many pet owners, says the report, are unlikely to cut back significantly on pet spending, and in many cases would only do so after cutting back on their own needs.  It's equally true across the economic spectrum.  Pet owners who have cut back in other areas continue to spend on small indulgences for their pets, like biscuits, treats and toys.

Although "restraint" is the word that characterizes how many of us now shop, it doesn't always apply to the 61 million pet-owning households in terms of what they spend on their nearly 400 million pets. 

We hear talk about how the 20-somethings will lead us out of the recession with their spending, but pet owners will be right there with them.

If, like me, you're an animal lover, you might enjoy this blog from The Delta Society, a non-profit group that works "to improve people's health and well-being through positive interactions with animals."

 

Thanks

Not only on Thanksgiving, but every day I give thanks for all that I have.

I don't have Donald Trump's riches and I don't drive a sparkling new luxury car.  But I know that what I have is of much greater value.

I'm fortunate to have love -- the love of my family and my wife and best friend of 38 years Roz.  I have two fantastic  children, Jennifer and Michael, and two grandchildren, Jack (named in my father's memory) and Gabriel.  I still have my mother to keep me on the straight and narrow.  I have the memories of those who came before me.

I have many friends and a smaller number of really close friends -- the kind that, even if you haven't seen them for months or more, you can pick up the conversation comfortably, as if you'd just spoken the afternoon before.

I'm fortunate that I love my work.  I love where I live, right next to the greatest city in the world. 

I am thankful for the gift of music, especially jazz.  It never gets boring.  It inspires, soothes and moves me.

All of these things -- and so much more -- make me cherish each day that I am fortunate enough to wake up.  For it all, I always give thanks, every day.

40 Years of Excellence

One of the most famous and most-loved streets in the world celebrates 40 years this week.  It's not Broadway or Fifth Avenue here in New York, nor the Via Veneto in Rome or the Champs d'Elsee in Gay Paree.

It's Sesame Street.

Unlike most people, I came across Sesame Street not as a kid or a parent.  It was the summer of 1970 and I was finishing work on my Master's thesis, with books and note cards surrounding me on the living room floor.  I needed to take a break one afternoon at 4, so I put the TV on and this kids' program had just begun.  I was about to change the channel, but something about the show caught me and I watched it all.  And I watched it again the next afternoon and the next. Thus began my almost 40-year relationship with Sesame Street.  I was entranced by the fast pace, the captivating Muppet characters, the diversity of the human cast and the overall intelligence and humor of the show.  And they had big stars of the time as guests on the show, singing with the kids or with Big Bird or Kermit -- names like Richie Havens, Judy Collins, Bill Cosby, Buffy St. Marie. 

I became a regular watcher again about 14 years later, when my daughter was old enough to begin watching it.  I was a hit with her and her friends because I could imitate the voices of Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and Grover (my favorites), as well as passable mimics of Bert & Ernie and Big Bird. I remember around that time how nicely they dealt with the real-life death of the man who played the storekeeper, Mr. Hooper.  Instead of just pretending he'd moved away and closed his store, the show dealt head-on with death and the emotions that come with it.

And about six years later, I began watching Sesame Street yet again, with my son.  Around that time I had my first real-life encounter with Sesame Street.  I was representing a client at a luncheon at Channel 13.  I got there a few minutes late, and everyone was already seated.  I was shown to a table, sat down and everyone introduced themselves.  When the man next to me turned, shook my hand and said, "Hi, I'm Bob McGrath," I acted like a star-struck teenager.  "Bob!!" I shrieked much too loudly.  One of the (human) stars of Sesame Street, sitting next to me at lunch!  Unbelievable.

We had a nice chat and I told him how I had first discovered the show while working on my Master's paper.  He laughed and told me he's heard many similar stories, and that Sesame Street has always, right from the start, had a very big following among college students.

About a year later, I attended the opening of a McDonald's in Rockefeller Center.  Mickey D's was a client, and they had just started their first Happy Meal tie-in with Sesame Street.  Jim Henson came to the opening and I had the chance to talk with him.  I had no idea what he was saying to me, because I was so distracted hearing Kermit the Frog's voice coming out of the mouth of this tall, bearded grown-up.

Fast-forward another ten years.  I was handling p.r. for The Christopher Awards (still a client) and a puppeteer named Caroll Spiney was being honored for a children's book he had written.  Most of us have no idea who Caroll is, but we all know two of his most famous characters -- Big Bird and  Oscar the Grouch.  I got to hang out with Oscar after the ceremonies, when Caroll so graciously and patiently obliged a long line of adults who wanted the chance to get their picture taken with Oscar.  When I had my chat with Oscar, I found myself, like everyone, having conversation with the puppet and not the elegant, white-bearded man holding Oscar.  It was amazing to see adults revert so quickly back to childhood with Oscar.

And last year I hit the mother-load.  Childrens Television Workshop was being honored with a Christopher Award for so many years of excellence in children's TV, and most of the Sesame Street cast was there.  I again met Bob      McGrath, along with the actors who play Gordon and Luis.  I got to play with my old pal Oscar, and I met my grandson's favorite -- Elmo.  (That's me in the picture, with, from left, Bob, Oscar and Caroll.)

Over the past 40 years, I've had many encounters with Sesame Street -- both in front of and behind the TV screen.  It's been fun, on both sides.  I hope many more generations of kids all around the globe will have the chance to learn about letters and counting and about life from our friends on the world's most famous street.

Odds 'n ends

A couple of things of odds 'n ends today, as I just returned from the Distracted Driving Summit in Washington. 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood invited nearly 300 people involved in traffic safety to a 2-day meeting to focus on distracted driving -- a growing epidemic that's killing  thousands of Americans every year.We've all spoken on our cell phones while driving, and many of us have texted while driving. (Not me -- I don't like to text.)  This dangerous practice is especially prevalent among young people, who have the need to be constantly connected. 

This morning I met with a couple of young people, as we were prepping for a session on outreach to youth about distracted driving.  One young man, Greg, was texting while he drove and ran into another car -- killing two men.  He now has to live with that burden and he broke down as he told us the story, even though it was four years ago.  I met another young woman who now spends her life paralyzed in a wheelchair, after crashing while on her cellphone as she drove.

New studies show hands-free cell phone use while driving is almost as dangerous as hands-on units.  A key message that has to get out -- and that's a challenge we involved in public safety marketing have to address -- is that driving a car requires our full attention.  Most of us do it practically on auto-pilot because it's easy to drive.  But taking our eyes -- or our concentration -- off the road even for 3 or 4 seconds can be a fatal error if something happens (a car stops or swerves into your lane, or an animal runs into the road, or any of thousands of unexpected scenarios) while your eyes or your mind are elsewhere.   

I've developed, for my non-profit client The National Road Safety Foundation, a program to reach teen drivers and involve them in the communications challenge.  Along with National Organizations for Youth Safety, a youth-based coalition of advocacy groups, we announced today at the Distracted Driving Summit a competition for young people to create concepts for PSAs that address distracted driving and other risky driving behavior like speeding, driving under the influence, drowsy driving and failing to buckle up.  The winner gets $1,000 and a  trip to New York to see his or her idea turned into a professionally-produced PSA that will eventually be broadcast nationally and will go everywhere virally on the web. 

Pretty cool that the Secretary of Transportation likes the idea and featured it at the Summit.  And it's going to be written about on the White House blog.  The Secretary's office put us in touch with Seventeen Magazine, who will be partnering, and we welcome other media partners to step up as well.

I'll have more about this as the project progresses.  Meanwhile, corny as it might sound, don't text or talk on your cell while driving... and tell family and others you care about not to do it either.

UPDATE 10/16/09:   My client The National Road Safety Foundation, is running a competition for teens to come up with ideas for a PSA on safe driving.  It got the attention of the Secretary of Transportation, who is now working with us the project.  This story is appearing this weekend on some 200 TV stations nationally on "Teen Kids News."

....

I just saw this on the O'Dwyer's PR blog and had to share it... 

Before I began blogging almost three years ago, the letters WTF meant nothing to me.   Had you asked, I might have guessed it's the call letters of a radio station somewhere.   Then one day, when someone used it in a blog comment, I asked a friend who's a texter and she told me.  Oh... ok.  Since then, I've used the expression myself.

Pity the poor unsuspecting folks at the Wisconsin Tourism Federation.  When the group was formed 30 years, who would have thought those letters would eventually come to mean something that has nothing to do with Wisconsin or cheese or lakes or whatever else that fine state has.

It's sort of like the public relations company that handles lists and release distribution -- PR Aids.  It's now called Cision, once Aids took on another unfortunate meaning. 

So the people in Wisconsin have finally made some changes.  It's now the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin -- TFW. 

Let's hope texters don't come up with some other shortcut that uses those letters.  New logos and stationery gets expensive.

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