Mocking our obsession with electronic gadgets

Awhile back I posted about the crazy number of Apple products my family owns. Most work beautifully, but occasionally I have to visit the Genius Bar for help.

A friend forwarded this video, or I should say programme, that wonderfully mocks our tech speak. Enjoy the escape.

Voicing an animal is never easy

As a kid growing up in an advertising family I got the chance, at age 9, to be the voice of a canary for one of my father's accounts. I had one line. When I got in the studio I choked. Did I mention that I was 9? Using analog editing techniques the engineer made me sound like Alvin the Chipmunk. That passed client muster, the client said ok and I got paid a large fee ... $1. Again, did I mention I was 9? I'm posting that painful childhood memory because my iTunes radio is playing Hakuna Matata (adults singing and acting as animals) while I read about the conclusion of the Aflac voice over search. A talking duck. Here's what was reported on CNN.com:

"Aflac! Aflaaac!," cried Dan McKeague, a 36-year-old father of three from suburban Minneapolis.
McKeague, a sales manager at a local radio station with some experience doing voice overs, was one of the many hopeful celebrities, voice over artists and average Joes that submitted over 12,500 live and online auditions to provide the distinctive voice of the Aflac Duck.

No, I didn't try out. Three decades are not enough to erase the memory. Hope Mr. McKeague got his $1. And thanks to the Lion King, I have no worries.

An earnest "Ernie"

I grew up a Detroit Tigers fan. For most of my life that meant listening to Tigers games on the radio brought to vivid "theater of the mind" life by the great Ernie Harwell, the voice of baseball.

On Saturday evening my wife and I had the pleasure to see a preview of Mitch Albom's new play entitled, "Ernie" about the life and times of broadcaster Ernie Harwell. Not theater of the mind. Just great theater. This two man show made me laugh, made me cry, and made me feel like a kid again. I encourage any Tigers fan, any baseball fan, any human being to get down to the intimate City Theatre on Woodward behind the Hockeytown Cafe for a wonderful show. Make it Tuesdays with Morrie. And then Friday night with Ernie.

Time to step up

Our client, the Detroit Red Wings step out on the ice tonight marking their 20th consecutive playoff appearance. A phenomenal testament to the team's consistency and standard of excellence. Fans of the Red Wings know that it all starts by heading up the steep stairs outside of Joe Louis Arena. To add excitement to this milestone, the Detroit Red Wings blessed our idea to decorate the stairs. Hockeytown is energized. And we're proud to do our part to inspire "the climb." Go Wings!

New TV Show Secret Millionaire Comes to Detroit

This Sunday evening at 8pm on ABC television, real estate investor Marc Paskin spends a week in Detroit searching for people and organizations deserving of his help. Why? He's featured on a new show called Secret Millionaire. A show that promises to follow some of America's wealthiest people for one week as they leave behind their lavish lifestyles, sprawling mansions and luxury jets, conceal their true identities, and go to live and volunteer in some of the most impoverished and dangerous communities in America. (That's how ABC referred to Detroit, not me.)

Guess I'll have to tune in to see if they really do make a difference.

Yes, right here in Detroit

Sometimes the way to ESCAPE the day-to-day challenges of our business is to get immersed in the challenges and opportunities of other businesses. Businesses beyond our agency's clients. I'm so fortunate to be able - once a month - to meet with the heads of a fascinating, diverse set of area businesses. A set of businesses that represent the dynamism and creativity inherent in the "D". To keep confidences I can't name the companies or their CEOs, but I can run down the types of businesses that are innovating and producing results. Every day.

Picture a meeting room with a company that sells prosthetics, orthotics and home medical gear; a company that collects and refurbishes mobile phones (millions of them); a company that sells and services motor homes and travel trailers; a company that makes instruments (microscopes) that can see down to the level of individual atoms!; a company that supplies steel and tubing to global automakers; a company that enables real-time, virtual prototyping with photo-realistic digital files; a marketing services company for independent retailers; a mobile security services firm; an urban fashion designer/manufacturer; oh, and a mid-sized advertising agency. Spend five minutes in that room and it's impossible not to be inspired by what's happening across the metro Detroit region.

Than you to the Chief Executive Forum team for inspiring me.

Odd escape - using the snow blower

I wish I had the protective cab!

On the eve of what they're calling Snowmageddon we've got our snow blower gassed up and ready to go. To some, clearing the driveway is a major chore. Not to mention a health hazard. Personally, I really enjoy it. It's an odd escape. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment once the driveway is clear? Or maybe it's sending the snow all the way across my neighbor's yard? (Sorry Willie.) But only recently I learned that I was doing it wrong. I always started by taking the snow blower down the left edge of the driveway and working back and forth from there. Then I saw a story in the Wall Street Journal where scientists broke down the optimal way to shovel and snow throw.

For walk-behind-and-let-the-snowblower-do-it folks, it goes something like this.

When you're snowblowing your driveway, always start in the middle and blow the snow outward. When beginning your snowblowing job, create a strip straight down the middle of the area you wish to clear of snow. Always slightly overlap the last area that you cleared and continue blowing the snow toward the outer edges of your driveway or yard.

Seems obvious now. And likely to be put to use against an amazing 15" of snow early tomorrow. I've blown plenty of hot air on this blog. Thought it was high time to blow some snow. Best of luck.