"My mama loves me, she loves me. She gets down on her knees and hugs me. She loves me like a rock. She rocks me like the rock of ages and she loves me."
He was a new man. Or maybe he was merely reborn. People would look at him and wonder what exactly had changed. Was it a new hairstyle? Nope, same unruly, uncontrolled cut. New glasses? No it wasn't a vision problem. Had he grown somehow? Only in immeasurable ways. No one could quite figure it out, yet everyone knew he was somehow different.
"When I was a little boy and the Devil would call my name. I'd say 'now who do... Who do you think you're fooling?'"
He now walked with a bit of a swagger. People clung to him like a wet diaper. They expected answers, innovations, and all that leadership entailed. He always claimed he was but a simple man, but no one listened. They expected more, expected him to give them a sense of direction.
He wasn't always this way. He was once somehow different. He had taken his privileges, his blessings to a new height. And fate smiled upon him. He had gotten further, much further than was fair, than where he expected to go. He was on some kind of a roll.
"When I was grown to be a man and the Devil would call my name. I'd say 'now who do... Who do you think you're fooling?' I'm a consummated man. I can snatch a little purity. My mama loves me, she loves me."
People seemed to like him. They may not have exactly understood where he was coming from, or what was important to him, yet they seemed to like him nonetheless. There were exceptions of course. Those that ended up closest somehow always seemed the farthest away.
"If I was the President the minute the Congress would call my name. I'd say 'who do... who do you think you're fooling?' I've got the Presidential Seal. I'm up on the Presidential Podium."
One day he finally shared his secret. In the beginning he was a lucky kid but his luck ran dry. Then suddenly a mirror appeared and she gave him, among much else, a lucky rock. He clung to that even after she disappeared. He was never able to forget what she taught him, never able to shake what she had given to him. And he held tightly on to that rock through good and bad. If you believe in something long enough and strong enough, mere faith will get you a long ways. More than a pebble, same as a stone, not quite a gem, still, a rock of his own.
One day he lost the rock. He was very distraught and yet he knew it was silly to cling to a good luck charm. So he got by without it. Very well in fact. Still he missed that rock a lot . He wondered if it had somehow managed to find its way home, find its way back to where it came from. He never stopped wondering, never quite could. Would he find it again? Should he keep looking? Miracles happen every day. Reunions happen with uncommon regularity. A rock is forever, passing through time. People lookin' at the big picture, what they want, lose sight of what they already have, what has always been there.
And then one day, his parents invited him over. Days before, they had shook one of their sofas hoping to get some spilled M&M's out of the cushions when a small clump appeared. It was no ordinary clump. It was perfectly shaped, perfectly formed and colored. It was his rock. And they gave it back to him, gave him back hope. A feeling of pure happiness rolled over him. He was a changed man. It showed. Have faith in faith and the disbelief can turn to stone.
"My mama loves me, she loves me. She gets down on her knees and hugs me. She loves me like a rock. She rocks me like the rock of ages and she loves me."
Years of formation, washed upon the shores of Australia, picked for its near perfect palm sized comfort; who knows how long this rock lay. Displaced but passed with affection from one to another, it found its way to St. Paul, Minnesota. Broken knees to broken hearts, yet somehow, this heart of stone, mended but never fully recovered. Rock solid heart of mine.
"Well I'm hangin' on to a solid rock. Made before the foundation of the world. And I won't let go, and I can't let go, won't let go. And I can't let go, won't let go, and I can't let go no more."
Monday, February 27, 1995
Monday, February 20, 1995
What We Really Need
It's part of human nature to value recognition for accomplishments. It's part of our psyche to value the acknowledgment of those who employ us, a feeling of worth for our contributions, hard work, and efforts. Often it is enough to feel the boss has noticed and appreciates a job well done; other times it's a desire for something more substantial. To many people the most effective recognition in the work place comes through monetary bonuses. Others appreciate memos of note, plaques, awards, a tip of the hat at a staff meeting. The need for recognition doesn't stop in the work place however. It permeates all areas of life.
Thus this past week, it was of major tragedy, with a capital T, the omission of Hoop Dreams from the Academy Awards Best Documentary category. What should have been a sure nomination for a stirring and moving movie, became an abomination by its glaring absence.
Hoop Dreams in the very least was a major effort, an impressive piece of work, following the lives of two Chicago teenagers, and their dreams of one day playing professional basketball. When one is making a piece of work, one is not necessarily doing it for the purpose of awards and accolades from a group of peers; however, this movie was something special, and a nomination would have gotten it the attention it clearly deserves.
Now, the only thing that the Academy can do to restore lost faith in its selection process is to choose Pulp Fiction over Forrest Gump for best picture (as it clearly was). Not likely, but as the saying goes, "life is like a box of chocolates..."
Perhaps the makers of Hoop Dreams can take some consolation in the celebration of today, President's Day 1995. And perhaps they can even learn a lesson from our nation's greatest leader, Benjamin Harrison who although is often overlooked for his contributions, nonetheless remains a striking figure in our nation's history.
There are several reasons why Harrison was our greatest President. Our 23rd President, Benjamin had to first overcome the shadow of his grandfather, Old William Henry "60 Days" Harrison. The country was in a time of turmoil. Benjamin in the face of weary woes (and swollen toes), when the dusk seemed its absolute darkest, came through with a smile and a winning personality. He led his country through tough times and he did it all in a creative, positive tone.
What made him such a special leader? He had the cunning ability to work with a Congress run by the opposite party. They tried to silence his voice, take from him his forum of governing, but he prevailed. It wasn't out of strength, he later revealed, it was out of fear of the alternative. During a time of unparalleled economic growth, he held down inflation and interest rates simply with the nation's extreme confidence in his ability to lead. People sensed Benjamin was a man of destiny, that he was bound for great things. Expectations were high and that he didn't always produce what was expected at him, in retrospect seems less of a weakness and more of a tribute to one man's strong leadership and individuality.
Rumors of extra marital affairs hounded him, and yet, his was one of the great lost love stories in the history of American Presidential politics. He managed to survive a passionless marriage and spend his life around but never with his heart's true desire. His love life is well chronicled, storied and admired by those impressed with such affairs of the heart. Harrison had his quirks: some say that he viewed time as an illusion, not in the linear sense, but as a fluid. His sense of urgency was acute and had he lived he would be 162 years old. His bouts with melancholy were also well known, causing Harrison to often times isolate himself inside the White House.
There is some historical theory that suggests without Benjamin's charismatic leadership, America would have succumb to more traditional European ways of life such as eating meals with the knife held continually in the left hand. He fought hard against the wilderness preservation lobby to keep cod a fish America could eat. Benjamin voiced a strong opinion that the young country he was chosen to lead should remain true to its formative intentions: to be a land of opportunity. For example, he worked hard to meet his vision and help the state of Florida remain a sunny Mecca of tourism. He resisted all attempts to consolidate the nation into a younger version of what it had broken away from. In honor of his achievements, we now take the time to salute him, by closing down governmental services, and schools for an extra long weekend. There were flashier Presidents, but after all is said and done, Benjamin Harrison stands above them all.
Thus this past week, it was of major tragedy, with a capital T, the omission of Hoop Dreams from the Academy Awards Best Documentary category. What should have been a sure nomination for a stirring and moving movie, became an abomination by its glaring absence.
Hoop Dreams in the very least was a major effort, an impressive piece of work, following the lives of two Chicago teenagers, and their dreams of one day playing professional basketball. When one is making a piece of work, one is not necessarily doing it for the purpose of awards and accolades from a group of peers; however, this movie was something special, and a nomination would have gotten it the attention it clearly deserves.
Now, the only thing that the Academy can do to restore lost faith in its selection process is to choose Pulp Fiction over Forrest Gump for best picture (as it clearly was). Not likely, but as the saying goes, "life is like a box of chocolates..."
Perhaps the makers of Hoop Dreams can take some consolation in the celebration of today, President's Day 1995. And perhaps they can even learn a lesson from our nation's greatest leader, Benjamin Harrison who although is often overlooked for his contributions, nonetheless remains a striking figure in our nation's history.
There are several reasons why Harrison was our greatest President. Our 23rd President, Benjamin had to first overcome the shadow of his grandfather, Old William Henry "60 Days" Harrison. The country was in a time of turmoil. Benjamin in the face of weary woes (and swollen toes), when the dusk seemed its absolute darkest, came through with a smile and a winning personality. He led his country through tough times and he did it all in a creative, positive tone.
What made him such a special leader? He had the cunning ability to work with a Congress run by the opposite party. They tried to silence his voice, take from him his forum of governing, but he prevailed. It wasn't out of strength, he later revealed, it was out of fear of the alternative. During a time of unparalleled economic growth, he held down inflation and interest rates simply with the nation's extreme confidence in his ability to lead. People sensed Benjamin was a man of destiny, that he was bound for great things. Expectations were high and that he didn't always produce what was expected at him, in retrospect seems less of a weakness and more of a tribute to one man's strong leadership and individuality.
Rumors of extra marital affairs hounded him, and yet, his was one of the great lost love stories in the history of American Presidential politics. He managed to survive a passionless marriage and spend his life around but never with his heart's true desire. His love life is well chronicled, storied and admired by those impressed with such affairs of the heart. Harrison had his quirks: some say that he viewed time as an illusion, not in the linear sense, but as a fluid. His sense of urgency was acute and had he lived he would be 162 years old. His bouts with melancholy were also well known, causing Harrison to often times isolate himself inside the White House.
There is some historical theory that suggests without Benjamin's charismatic leadership, America would have succumb to more traditional European ways of life such as eating meals with the knife held continually in the left hand. He fought hard against the wilderness preservation lobby to keep cod a fish America could eat. Benjamin voiced a strong opinion that the young country he was chosen to lead should remain true to its formative intentions: to be a land of opportunity. For example, he worked hard to meet his vision and help the state of Florida remain a sunny Mecca of tourism. He resisted all attempts to consolidate the nation into a younger version of what it had broken away from. In honor of his achievements, we now take the time to salute him, by closing down governmental services, and schools for an extra long weekend. There were flashier Presidents, but after all is said and done, Benjamin Harrison stands above them all.
Monday, February 13, 1995
Make the World Go Away
This week we ask the question, "what's the difference between ignorance and indifference?" We don't know and we don't care.
Well, I hope all of you have big Valentine's Day plans. This is a day to celebrate coupledom, partnerships, and teamwork. Nothing is more important, more special than the significant other in your life. With this in mind, the thoughtful staff on your newsletter offer the following service: a generic Valentine's card you can give to your sweetie. If you have more than one in your life, feel free to make copies of this page and share it with all! So fire up the simultini and watch the pictures as they fly through the air.
Dear ________________________________,
Today is our special day and I'm so glad we can share it together. We are like two peas in a pod, inseparable like road salt to a newly scrubbed car.
When I'm with you I'm reminded of our song, Debbie Gibson's Lost in Your Eyes. The words of which almost capture what my heart feels. "I get weak in a glance. Isn't this what's called romance? I don't know what I'm headed for. You can take me to the stars. It's like being in heaven, when I'm lost in your eyes. I just fell, don't know why. Something's there we can't deny." Profound poetry.
Cupid's aim was straight and true when he found us. If we were two major metropolitan corporations we would most certainly merge. We are like the gopher and his shadow, unpredictable. We are as connected as Minneapolis and St. Paul. My day isn't complete until I hear the dulcet tones of your voice, your laughter. And you help me understand my own voice.
You inspire me, and what greater thing can anyone do? You know the song in my heart and sing yours to me with little inhibition. I've never met anyone like you, yet it's like you've always been there, always been around. The prosecution and the defense rest when our case comes to trial.
We are like two snowflakes that fall to the floor. They say no two are exactly alike, but after they all melt, we know the common, the essence, what's left, blends perfectly together. What we share can't be separated. As thoroughly as baking soda smothers a smell you heighten all of my senses including my sense of humor.
We are like the Siskel and Ebert, the Abbott and Costello, the Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Conan and Andy, the Lennon and McCartney, the Verlaine and Rimbaud, of lovers. Salt and pepper ain't got nothing on us. We work well together, but more importantly we play well together.
On the coldest, briskest of days when you're not here, my being remains warm with thoughts of you. I could play Skipbo with you all night. Time is flying by like a cloud on a windy day. Here we stand together taking it all in. The penny may eventually lose its shine, the gold teapot may lose its luster, but for us today is like yesterday and tomorrow promises to be too.
XXOO,
Well, I hope all of you have big Valentine's Day plans. This is a day to celebrate coupledom, partnerships, and teamwork. Nothing is more important, more special than the significant other in your life. With this in mind, the thoughtful staff on your newsletter offer the following service: a generic Valentine's card you can give to your sweetie. If you have more than one in your life, feel free to make copies of this page and share it with all! So fire up the simultini and watch the pictures as they fly through the air.
Dear ________________________________,
Today is our special day and I'm so glad we can share it together. We are like two peas in a pod, inseparable like road salt to a newly scrubbed car.
When I'm with you I'm reminded of our song, Debbie Gibson's Lost in Your Eyes. The words of which almost capture what my heart feels. "I get weak in a glance. Isn't this what's called romance? I don't know what I'm headed for. You can take me to the stars. It's like being in heaven, when I'm lost in your eyes. I just fell, don't know why. Something's there we can't deny." Profound poetry.
Cupid's aim was straight and true when he found us. If we were two major metropolitan corporations we would most certainly merge. We are like the gopher and his shadow, unpredictable. We are as connected as Minneapolis and St. Paul. My day isn't complete until I hear the dulcet tones of your voice, your laughter. And you help me understand my own voice.
You inspire me, and what greater thing can anyone do? You know the song in my heart and sing yours to me with little inhibition. I've never met anyone like you, yet it's like you've always been there, always been around. The prosecution and the defense rest when our case comes to trial.
We are like two snowflakes that fall to the floor. They say no two are exactly alike, but after they all melt, we know the common, the essence, what's left, blends perfectly together. What we share can't be separated. As thoroughly as baking soda smothers a smell you heighten all of my senses including my sense of humor.
We are like the Siskel and Ebert, the Abbott and Costello, the Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Conan and Andy, the Lennon and McCartney, the Verlaine and Rimbaud, of lovers. Salt and pepper ain't got nothing on us. We work well together, but more importantly we play well together.
On the coldest, briskest of days when you're not here, my being remains warm with thoughts of you. I could play Skipbo with you all night. Time is flying by like a cloud on a windy day. Here we stand together taking it all in. The penny may eventually lose its shine, the gold teapot may lose its luster, but for us today is like yesterday and tomorrow promises to be too.
XXOO,
Monday, February 6, 1995
#9 Dream
Sandra Bullock was born in Washington DC on July 26, 1966. She graduated from Arlington High School in 1982. (I was born in 1964 and graduated in 1983- this of course means, she is some type of genius!) Her mother was an internationally known opera singer, while her father was an equally famous vocal coach.
Rene Magritte was born on November 21, 1898 in Lessines Belgium. He was the oldest of three brothers, later declaring, "I detest my past, and anyone else's. " Not much is known about his childhood.
Bullock's first major motion picture role came in the movie Love Potion #9 (written, produced, and directed by Dale Launer). Bullock plays a nerdy scientist who studies the behavior patterns of monkeys. She later through a series of bizarre events, ends up with a vile full of love potion that makes her irresistible to men. By the end of the movie a balance is reached. Her nerdiness disappears as does the false beauty the potion creates, leaving a self blossomed beauty.
In 1925, Magritte painted what he considered his first "realized" picture, The Lost Jockey. In it, the jockey is situated in a forest of trees whose trunks resemble giant balusters, similar to those used to support a stair rail or a parapet coping. Or, equally, they could be said to resemble turned wooden table legs or magnified chess pieces.
Bullock's next movie, Thing Called Love, costarred River Phenix, and Bullock's close friend, Samantha Mathis. Here, we get to hear her musical debut as she plays an aspiring country singer who auditions material down in a Nashville bar/restaurant. Like most of her roles, Bullock is portrayed as an uncommon beauty, one more quirky than conventional.
"In short," Magritte once said, "When I paint, and as far as possible when I am not painting, I try to remain outside the conventions. But there is no doubt that, although my pictures are conventional in their appearance, they in fact resemble pictures without, I believe, corresponding to what the aesthetic treaties designate as such."
Bullock's big break came when she landed the female lead in Sylvester Stallone's futuristic thriller, Demolition Man. Instead of playing a drop dead knock 'em out babe, Bullock created an aggressive, positively curious woman of the future, giving us all hope that in the future all things will be as beautiful.
"I don't believe that man decides anything, " Magritte said. "The future or the present of humanity? A world made of chance? I don't know. I detest that kind of talk, it is meaningless. I think that we are responsible for the Universe, but that does not mean that we decide anything."
Bullock truly hit the big time last summer, with the runaway hit, Speed. Once again rather than play the expected damsel in distress to Keanu Reeves' strong silent type, Bullock created a charismatic, spunky, out of the norm, caught in the fire, but refuse to be a victim, woman.
Magritte died on August 15, 1967. His life had been a solitary posture of immense effort: to overthrow our sense of the familiar, to sabotage our habits, to put the real world on trial. "My painting implies no supremacy of the invisible over the visible. The mind loves the unknown. It loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown."
Bullock has a couple of movies due out over the next year. In While You Were Sleeping, she plays a lonely subway token collector, who worships a man from afar, witnesses an attempt on his life and nurtures him back to well being. In The Net she plays a computer systems analyst who plummets head first into danger after tapping into an off limits database. Also in the works is a sequel to Speed which both Bullock and Reeves have agreed in concept to do.
Rene Magritte was born on November 21, 1898 in Lessines Belgium. He was the oldest of three brothers, later declaring, "I detest my past, and anyone else's. " Not much is known about his childhood.
Bullock's first major motion picture role came in the movie Love Potion #9 (written, produced, and directed by Dale Launer). Bullock plays a nerdy scientist who studies the behavior patterns of monkeys. She later through a series of bizarre events, ends up with a vile full of love potion that makes her irresistible to men. By the end of the movie a balance is reached. Her nerdiness disappears as does the false beauty the potion creates, leaving a self blossomed beauty.
In 1925, Magritte painted what he considered his first "realized" picture, The Lost Jockey. In it, the jockey is situated in a forest of trees whose trunks resemble giant balusters, similar to those used to support a stair rail or a parapet coping. Or, equally, they could be said to resemble turned wooden table legs or magnified chess pieces.
Bullock's next movie, Thing Called Love, costarred River Phenix, and Bullock's close friend, Samantha Mathis. Here, we get to hear her musical debut as she plays an aspiring country singer who auditions material down in a Nashville bar/restaurant. Like most of her roles, Bullock is portrayed as an uncommon beauty, one more quirky than conventional.
"In short," Magritte once said, "When I paint, and as far as possible when I am not painting, I try to remain outside the conventions. But there is no doubt that, although my pictures are conventional in their appearance, they in fact resemble pictures without, I believe, corresponding to what the aesthetic treaties designate as such."
Bullock's big break came when she landed the female lead in Sylvester Stallone's futuristic thriller, Demolition Man. Instead of playing a drop dead knock 'em out babe, Bullock created an aggressive, positively curious woman of the future, giving us all hope that in the future all things will be as beautiful.
"I don't believe that man decides anything, " Magritte said. "The future or the present of humanity? A world made of chance? I don't know. I detest that kind of talk, it is meaningless. I think that we are responsible for the Universe, but that does not mean that we decide anything."
Bullock truly hit the big time last summer, with the runaway hit, Speed. Once again rather than play the expected damsel in distress to Keanu Reeves' strong silent type, Bullock created a charismatic, spunky, out of the norm, caught in the fire, but refuse to be a victim, woman.
Magritte died on August 15, 1967. His life had been a solitary posture of immense effort: to overthrow our sense of the familiar, to sabotage our habits, to put the real world on trial. "My painting implies no supremacy of the invisible over the visible. The mind loves the unknown. It loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown."
Bullock has a couple of movies due out over the next year. In While You Were Sleeping, she plays a lonely subway token collector, who worships a man from afar, witnesses an attempt on his life and nurtures him back to well being. In The Net she plays a computer systems analyst who plummets head first into danger after tapping into an off limits database. Also in the works is a sequel to Speed which both Bullock and Reeves have agreed in concept to do.
Monday, January 30, 1995
Integrity
Well it's but a month into the new year and I've already modified one of my resolutions. But that's okay. Change is good. Adaptability and flexibility make fine middle names.
I resolved on New Year's Eve that by the end of the calendar year 1995, the Chinese Year of the Boar, I would have some piece of my writing published in a major publication, or if you will, have a major piece of my work published. A lofty ambition indeed, but having just turned the corner past thirty, it was a feat long striven for and seldom sincerely sought. Now that I was a mature adult, it was time to become a serious writer.
Events of this past week may not have entirely squelched that desire but they certainly shed new light on the worthiness of such a goal. I had the fortune to be asked to attend a conference of many of the major Minnesota magazine publishers at the Metrodome Sheraton last Monday. The event itself was quite inspiring. I learned that the printing and publishing industry is the second largest industry (next to manufacturing) in the state and that many fine people are connected with it.
I was there as a clerical worker whose duties it was to help with the registration of the members. I smiled and politely collected the fees due. Many of the people I met were powerful people in their own daily worlds; owners of magazines, publishers, editors and people in charge. I was fortunate after the registration process was completed, to be able to eat lunch and sit next to Craig Neal, the publisher of one of the few magazines I read with any regularity, the Utne Reader.
Mr. Neal commanded the most attention at the table I was at, being the publisher of one of the largest, best known, and most respected Minnesota based magazines. His charisma, knowledge, and education came across very clearly in his conversation. He was the center of the rest of us, obviously quite comfortable and used to being there. I took in the discussion and the unspoken role playing, with great curiosity. I tried to figure out how exactly I fit in. Here was my big chance, a once in a lifetime experience to network with, and impress with my witty repartee', someone who had it in his grasp to alter the very direction of my life.
So I quietly snarfed down my cheesecake.
I was a bit disappointed at the conversation that swirled on around me. The arrogance and elitism hovered as clearly as the clanking noises of goblets and fine china. Many of these people seemed to have little connection with every day concerns that probably confront their readers. Indeed, personally they made me feel every bit the lowly state clerical person who somehow managed to seat himself at this high powered conference in their world. Was I being paranoid? To a degree. Was this going to be a bit much on the old self esteem? Quite possibly.
But as the conversation turned to the common concerns each of these high powered people faced (the cost of printing on recycled paper; potential tax increases facing the industry; the danger of changing too fast for one's audience; the cost of magazines in Germany) a strange sense of pride swept through me. I didn't have to take a back seat. My problems were certainly just as bothersome as any of their's. I just about blurted out that I was the editor of the finest newsletter in the state and felt like asking them all in all seriousness, if any of them had seen my work. More cheesecake. As the back patting moved on, I really felt like I didn't need heed to the inferiority that should have been inherent in the situation. My work, my writing means as much if not more to me than anyone I observed in the room, and in the end, that means just as much as circulation or profits.
As the lunch ended and the publishers congratulated themselves, I hustled out of the room feeling slightly smug, and a lot more satisfied with where I was at in my own world. One of the leading critics of my work has suggested that my writing is too personal to have any type of universal appeal. This is of course a concern, because like any other writer, I want my work to be read and enjoyed by as many people as possible. Since most of my work these days is for the newsletter and this may not be a major publication, and the writing we do here might not be any more than an individual catharsis, nonetheless I don't think it can be said we suffer from the ills of trying to be too popular or that we have lost our self in self congratulatory elitism. This isn't exactly brain surgery, but that's the very point, we don't need to be.
The same thing might be said for our company. The issues we as an organization face as we move forward, as we face new and bigger challenges, as we decide our direction at the same time trying to survive in an increasingly competitive market, can be difficult and it can be easy to lose ourselves in the chaos itself. But as long as we keep on recognizing the services and products that make our stores unique; keep on identifying and doing whatever we can do to best meet the needs of our customers, we can consider ourselves a success. We may not reach the sales totals of larger corporations, but we can take pride in what we do provide and the uniqueness of our identity.
I resolved on New Year's Eve that by the end of the calendar year 1995, the Chinese Year of the Boar, I would have some piece of my writing published in a major publication, or if you will, have a major piece of my work published. A lofty ambition indeed, but having just turned the corner past thirty, it was a feat long striven for and seldom sincerely sought. Now that I was a mature adult, it was time to become a serious writer.
Events of this past week may not have entirely squelched that desire but they certainly shed new light on the worthiness of such a goal. I had the fortune to be asked to attend a conference of many of the major Minnesota magazine publishers at the Metrodome Sheraton last Monday. The event itself was quite inspiring. I learned that the printing and publishing industry is the second largest industry (next to manufacturing) in the state and that many fine people are connected with it.
I was there as a clerical worker whose duties it was to help with the registration of the members. I smiled and politely collected the fees due. Many of the people I met were powerful people in their own daily worlds; owners of magazines, publishers, editors and people in charge. I was fortunate after the registration process was completed, to be able to eat lunch and sit next to Craig Neal, the publisher of one of the few magazines I read with any regularity, the Utne Reader.
Mr. Neal commanded the most attention at the table I was at, being the publisher of one of the largest, best known, and most respected Minnesota based magazines. His charisma, knowledge, and education came across very clearly in his conversation. He was the center of the rest of us, obviously quite comfortable and used to being there. I took in the discussion and the unspoken role playing, with great curiosity. I tried to figure out how exactly I fit in. Here was my big chance, a once in a lifetime experience to network with, and impress with my witty repartee', someone who had it in his grasp to alter the very direction of my life.
So I quietly snarfed down my cheesecake.
I was a bit disappointed at the conversation that swirled on around me. The arrogance and elitism hovered as clearly as the clanking noises of goblets and fine china. Many of these people seemed to have little connection with every day concerns that probably confront their readers. Indeed, personally they made me feel every bit the lowly state clerical person who somehow managed to seat himself at this high powered conference in their world. Was I being paranoid? To a degree. Was this going to be a bit much on the old self esteem? Quite possibly.
But as the conversation turned to the common concerns each of these high powered people faced (the cost of printing on recycled paper; potential tax increases facing the industry; the danger of changing too fast for one's audience; the cost of magazines in Germany) a strange sense of pride swept through me. I didn't have to take a back seat. My problems were certainly just as bothersome as any of their's. I just about blurted out that I was the editor of the finest newsletter in the state and felt like asking them all in all seriousness, if any of them had seen my work. More cheesecake. As the back patting moved on, I really felt like I didn't need heed to the inferiority that should have been inherent in the situation. My work, my writing means as much if not more to me than anyone I observed in the room, and in the end, that means just as much as circulation or profits.
As the lunch ended and the publishers congratulated themselves, I hustled out of the room feeling slightly smug, and a lot more satisfied with where I was at in my own world. One of the leading critics of my work has suggested that my writing is too personal to have any type of universal appeal. This is of course a concern, because like any other writer, I want my work to be read and enjoyed by as many people as possible. Since most of my work these days is for the newsletter and this may not be a major publication, and the writing we do here might not be any more than an individual catharsis, nonetheless I don't think it can be said we suffer from the ills of trying to be too popular or that we have lost our self in self congratulatory elitism. This isn't exactly brain surgery, but that's the very point, we don't need to be.
The same thing might be said for our company. The issues we as an organization face as we move forward, as we face new and bigger challenges, as we decide our direction at the same time trying to survive in an increasingly competitive market, can be difficult and it can be easy to lose ourselves in the chaos itself. But as long as we keep on recognizing the services and products that make our stores unique; keep on identifying and doing whatever we can do to best meet the needs of our customers, we can consider ourselves a success. We may not reach the sales totals of larger corporations, but we can take pride in what we do provide and the uniqueness of our identity.
Monday, January 23, 1995
Name of the Game
"Business information, this is David..."
Back in the Dark Ages when I used to help answer the Minnesota Secretary of State's corporate information lines, one of my major duties was to check on "name availability" for new corporations and businesses that wished to change their corporate name.
I had a computer that accessed a database; I would punch in the proposed name and an alphabetical listing of similar names popped up on my screen. It was my job to do a preliminary check, trying to determine if the proposed name conflicted with any other names currently registered with the Secretary of State.
Previous state law said the name standard for the filing of a business name was that names could not be registered that were "deceptively similar" to another on file. The name standard changed in recent years to allowing the Secretary of State to accept names that were "distinguishable" from all others registered. This helped free up options for businesses trying to file an acceptable name. It also was a big change in the law.
For example, under the old law, businesses wishing to file a name that contained the word, "Daytons" would have a difficult time getting a name accepted. Under the new law, a business probably would be allowed to file the name "Hudson-Dayton, Corporation" because the name is different and thus distinguishable from "Dayton-Hudson Corporation."
The key in all this is that names are not filed with the state to establish rights to that name. Rights to a business name are established by a business using the name in the market place and thus developing common law rights to its corporate name. So, while it would probably be possible to file the name "Hudson Dayton Corporation" Daytons no doubt would probably have a problem with the other business, and would send a room full of hungry young lawyers after the other company. If the other business had begun using the name, Daytons probably could claim any earnings used under the name "Hudson Daytons" infringed on their rights to the name and punitive damages would be awarded.
People took name registration very seriously. For good reason- deciding on what you should call your business somehow hovers over all the other decisions you have to make to succeed. No matter how good your product or service, if your name is inappropriate, chances are you won't make it. Registering a name was yet one more area where the threat of a lawsuit hung heavy in the air. The mantra I chanted after many of the tens of thousands of calls I answered was:
"That name appears to be available, however we will not make the final decision until you submit your papers and a final search is conducted."
Names are filed with the Secretary of State, the great keeper of records, for public information, to help maintain a certain amount of information on corporations. One of the major stress factors in answering a great number of these phone calls was having to tell callers that yes indeed, there was a $35 dollar fee for filing information such as a name or address change. "$35 bucks to change my address? I'm going to call my congressperson!" What people didn't understand was that the filing fee wasn't for changing the information, it was for the process of reviewing the change for legal standards, plus the costs of maintaining a database as well as microfilm and retrieval costs.
The point of bringing all this up is not to impress you all with my knowledge of filing articles of incorporation and corporate amendments. The point being the relationship that exists between businesses and the government is a difficult one. The current administration is moderately "business friendly" trying to establish an atmosphere that will keep Minnesota businesses happy and profitable. Working from the government side, I had to straddle the line between helping business people with paperwork, while also trying to deal with a public that wanted to find out as much as they could about the businesses.
With the changes we are all facing in our company, deciding on the corporate name will be challenging. To find a creative and innovative name that helps describe and promote our business will be hard enough. That the name has to meet certain criteria to be accepted for filing with the state, makes it all the more difficult. So for all of you with input on what our new stores will be called, good luck.
Next week: D/B/A (doing business as) names.
Back in the Dark Ages when I used to help answer the Minnesota Secretary of State's corporate information lines, one of my major duties was to check on "name availability" for new corporations and businesses that wished to change their corporate name.
I had a computer that accessed a database; I would punch in the proposed name and an alphabetical listing of similar names popped up on my screen. It was my job to do a preliminary check, trying to determine if the proposed name conflicted with any other names currently registered with the Secretary of State.
Previous state law said the name standard for the filing of a business name was that names could not be registered that were "deceptively similar" to another on file. The name standard changed in recent years to allowing the Secretary of State to accept names that were "distinguishable" from all others registered. This helped free up options for businesses trying to file an acceptable name. It also was a big change in the law.
For example, under the old law, businesses wishing to file a name that contained the word, "Daytons" would have a difficult time getting a name accepted. Under the new law, a business probably would be allowed to file the name "Hudson-Dayton, Corporation" because the name is different and thus distinguishable from "Dayton-Hudson Corporation."
The key in all this is that names are not filed with the state to establish rights to that name. Rights to a business name are established by a business using the name in the market place and thus developing common law rights to its corporate name. So, while it would probably be possible to file the name "Hudson Dayton Corporation" Daytons no doubt would probably have a problem with the other business, and would send a room full of hungry young lawyers after the other company. If the other business had begun using the name, Daytons probably could claim any earnings used under the name "Hudson Daytons" infringed on their rights to the name and punitive damages would be awarded.
People took name registration very seriously. For good reason- deciding on what you should call your business somehow hovers over all the other decisions you have to make to succeed. No matter how good your product or service, if your name is inappropriate, chances are you won't make it. Registering a name was yet one more area where the threat of a lawsuit hung heavy in the air. The mantra I chanted after many of the tens of thousands of calls I answered was:
"That name appears to be available, however we will not make the final decision until you submit your papers and a final search is conducted."
Names are filed with the Secretary of State, the great keeper of records, for public information, to help maintain a certain amount of information on corporations. One of the major stress factors in answering a great number of these phone calls was having to tell callers that yes indeed, there was a $35 dollar fee for filing information such as a name or address change. "$35 bucks to change my address? I'm going to call my congressperson!" What people didn't understand was that the filing fee wasn't for changing the information, it was for the process of reviewing the change for legal standards, plus the costs of maintaining a database as well as microfilm and retrieval costs.
The point of bringing all this up is not to impress you all with my knowledge of filing articles of incorporation and corporate amendments. The point being the relationship that exists between businesses and the government is a difficult one. The current administration is moderately "business friendly" trying to establish an atmosphere that will keep Minnesota businesses happy and profitable. Working from the government side, I had to straddle the line between helping business people with paperwork, while also trying to deal with a public that wanted to find out as much as they could about the businesses.
With the changes we are all facing in our company, deciding on the corporate name will be challenging. To find a creative and innovative name that helps describe and promote our business will be hard enough. That the name has to meet certain criteria to be accepted for filing with the state, makes it all the more difficult. So for all of you with input on what our new stores will be called, good luck.
Next week: D/B/A (doing business as) names.
Monday, January 16, 1995
St. Rose of Lima Defeats Highland Park
In a clash of eighth grade private school girls basketball titans, the determined team from St. Rose of Lima defeated the mighty Highland Park Catholic school last Wednesday at the University of Minnesota Women's Basketball Pavilion.
Half of the game is available for asking via video tape, the other half is not due to a malfunctioning camcorder battery. A greater appreciation for the work done by camera people at sporting events should be had by all... Ladies and gents, these folks' job ain't easy.
Led by power forward Jessica Deutsch, the girls from St. Rose of Lima held off the feisty Highland Park team by a score no longer remembered by this reporter. In the end, St. Rose's trapping defense provided too big an obstacle for the guard play of Highland Park.
St. Rose won its fourth game of the year behind the solid ball handling, rebounding and defense from Deutsch, along with solid scoring from Cree, Jill, and the rest of St. Rose's starting five. St. Rose's inspired effort in a neutral sight arena proved that girl's basketball can provide for an excellent afternoon of entertainment. Pay equity aside, determination, spirit, and skill played with passion and intensity demonstrated that the game at any level is worth a peek.
Rumor has it that St. Rose's underclasses will exceed this year's group, and big things should be expected out of the program.
********
A NOTE ABOUT LAST WEEK'S ARTICLE IN THIS SPACE: Last week we had a tirade that probably made little sense to many of you. As you might recall if you read the article, I had a bit of a problem with the advertising and philosophy of one of our local newscasts.
The article was a self indulgent effort bemoaning the lack of ethics by one of our local stations. Yes, the article had little to do with what our stores are about, and most of you probably did not make it through the entire piece, but it had to be written. I woke up screaming one night about the travesty of Channel 4's news, and I couldn't get back to sleep until my thoughts were down on paper. I'd seen one too many self promoting commericals, one too many warm fuzzy newscasts.
An alternative viewpoint was expressed to me, for which I am grateful. Said viewpoint pointed out that Channel 4 is giving an ideal example of applying Quality principles to their newscast. Indeed, Channel 4 has followed the Quality mantra by listening to its customers and providing the service the customers have called for.
While my argument might be that journalism is not about Total Quality Management, it has to be conceded that WCCO is a business and thus applying Quality standards to its "product" is a customer friendly type of thing to do. This was entirely overlooked in last week's article and we appreciate the education given.
Perhaps it is the frustrated journalism student that lingers inside of me, but despite my admiration for those businesses that truly develop better organization and productivity via Quality, I can't quite convince myself that the role of the media is to follow the whim of its audience.
********
Here's a TV recommendation to all of you closers who get home sometime after midnight: The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder. Last week the show debut, and like Snyder's CNBC effort and the classic Tomorrow shows from the late 70's, this one isterribly entertaining.
Snyder is a charismatic interviewer/ personality. He isn't afraid to ask a difficult question from his always timely guests (the first week of shows featured Newt Gingrich's parents, Ice-T and Mrs. Huffington, Kelsey Grammar, and Jon Bon Jovi), and his laugh and sense of humor are infectious. Snyder is an ideal follow up to Letterman; arrogant yet never pompous; establishment yet skeptical; show biz yet entertaining. The Late Late Show is television at its most watchable: spontaneous, funny and for the bleary eyed. Snyder provides the perfect way to unwind and end your day.
Half of the game is available for asking via video tape, the other half is not due to a malfunctioning camcorder battery. A greater appreciation for the work done by camera people at sporting events should be had by all... Ladies and gents, these folks' job ain't easy.
Led by power forward Jessica Deutsch, the girls from St. Rose of Lima held off the feisty Highland Park team by a score no longer remembered by this reporter. In the end, St. Rose's trapping defense provided too big an obstacle for the guard play of Highland Park.
St. Rose won its fourth game of the year behind the solid ball handling, rebounding and defense from Deutsch, along with solid scoring from Cree, Jill, and the rest of St. Rose's starting five. St. Rose's inspired effort in a neutral sight arena proved that girl's basketball can provide for an excellent afternoon of entertainment. Pay equity aside, determination, spirit, and skill played with passion and intensity demonstrated that the game at any level is worth a peek.
Rumor has it that St. Rose's underclasses will exceed this year's group, and big things should be expected out of the program.
********
A NOTE ABOUT LAST WEEK'S ARTICLE IN THIS SPACE: Last week we had a tirade that probably made little sense to many of you. As you might recall if you read the article, I had a bit of a problem with the advertising and philosophy of one of our local newscasts.
The article was a self indulgent effort bemoaning the lack of ethics by one of our local stations. Yes, the article had little to do with what our stores are about, and most of you probably did not make it through the entire piece, but it had to be written. I woke up screaming one night about the travesty of Channel 4's news, and I couldn't get back to sleep until my thoughts were down on paper. I'd seen one too many self promoting commericals, one too many warm fuzzy newscasts.
An alternative viewpoint was expressed to me, for which I am grateful. Said viewpoint pointed out that Channel 4 is giving an ideal example of applying Quality principles to their newscast. Indeed, Channel 4 has followed the Quality mantra by listening to its customers and providing the service the customers have called for.
While my argument might be that journalism is not about Total Quality Management, it has to be conceded that WCCO is a business and thus applying Quality standards to its "product" is a customer friendly type of thing to do. This was entirely overlooked in last week's article and we appreciate the education given.
Perhaps it is the frustrated journalism student that lingers inside of me, but despite my admiration for those businesses that truly develop better organization and productivity via Quality, I can't quite convince myself that the role of the media is to follow the whim of its audience.
********
Here's a TV recommendation to all of you closers who get home sometime after midnight: The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder. Last week the show debut, and like Snyder's CNBC effort and the classic Tomorrow shows from the late 70's, this one isterribly entertaining.
Snyder is a charismatic interviewer/ personality. He isn't afraid to ask a difficult question from his always timely guests (the first week of shows featured Newt Gingrich's parents, Ice-T and Mrs. Huffington, Kelsey Grammar, and Jon Bon Jovi), and his laugh and sense of humor are infectious. Snyder is an ideal follow up to Letterman; arrogant yet never pompous; establishment yet skeptical; show biz yet entertaining. The Late Late Show is television at its most watchable: spontaneous, funny and for the bleary eyed. Snyder provides the perfect way to unwind and end your day.
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