Chris Busch

Haiti Earthquake Relief

Bobby and Sherry Burnette are missionaries in Haiti, have been personal friends for years and are currently clients of our agency.  They have spent years doing relief work in Haiti and have the highest reputation for their work helping orphans, feeding the hungry, and packing medical relief into remote areas.  If you are looking for a way to contribute directly to relief in Haiti through an organization with extremely low fund-raising and administrative costs and very high ratings for financial accountablity, take a look at Love A Child.

Remembering Oral Roberts

Oral Roberts died Tuesday.  On Thanksgiving, he told his family he wanted to spend Christmas with his departed wife, Evelyn.  He got his wish.

Oral was a controversial figure, maligned mostly by those who didn’t know him.  My history with Oral started when I was but a lad. Standing about four feet in front of the magic black-and-white Sylvania television set, I felt a strange sense of wonder watching this energetic man as he preached the gospel in a huge tent and prayed for a long line of sick folks.  It was heady stuff for a 5-year-old boy growing up in the suburbs of steely and smoky Pittsburgh.  I must have made some connection between the petroleum industry and Tulsa, because my mom tells me that I called him Oil Roberts.

I later would attend the university he founded and after graduation work the first seven years of my career in one of the most incredible organizations you can imagine.

Many people will have diverse memories of Oral. Oral was as tough as crocodile hide.  I loved that about him. He told me one day I was pretty tough.  I kept waiting for the “But,” follow up.  Still am.  Oral was a visionary, but the thing that made him outstanding was his insistence on action.  He was a man of action.  Often times it was ready… fire… aim, but he knew the value of doing and not just dreaming and he knew how to keep momentum against the tide of opinions that usually ran against him.

Growing up in a “Grapes of Wrath” family that shunned California to stay in rural Oklahoma, his religious background was Pentecostal Holiness.  Now, the PH folks were known for their disdain of higher education.  Being too educated could actually decrease your chances of be selected for a pastorate.  Yet, from this background Oral Roberts emerged to found a university and through ORU he made it not only acceptable to be Pentecostal and educated, but desirable.

His impact on this stream of the Christian church in America and throughout the world was huge, and is part of the reason that while attendance has been decreasing in many of the staid mainline denominations, the charismatic, Pentecostal camp has continued to grow.

It has been one of my good fortunes in life to know this man and to be able to call him my friend.  Well done, Oral. 

Well done.

Fun Theory

We've probably all had at least a couple of teachers along the way who tried to make things fun.  Chances are, they are more memorable than some of the others. Some places are fun to work, others aren't.  Given the option of fun, is there any doubt what most people will choose?  If you are a marketer, you are trying to influence what people choose.  Hmmm....

Link

Social Media - Just a Fad?

There is a lot to say these days about social media.  I haven't seen anything that says it better than this short video.

Link for RSS readers.

The Scorpion and the Turtle

(A truth story) A scorpion was down by the riverbank looking for a way to cross. Up the bank within shouting distance was a turtle who was slowly crawling into the river. The scorpion yelled, "Hey, could you give me a lift across the river?" Somewhat incredulously, the turtle replied, "Hell no! I know you. You're a scorpion. You'll sting me and I’ll die." The scorpion, appealing to the naturally compassionate turtle stepped a bit closer and pleaded, "But be reasonable here, if I stung you, you'd go down and I'd die too! I give you my word of honor that I won't sting you." The turtle, wanting to believe the best about his stranded comrade, relented and the scorpion leapt up on his shell as they headed together out into the gently flowing river.

About halfway across, the scorpion began to dance nervously with increasing frenzy and finally, overcome with instincts, he arched his tail and jammed his stinger into the surprised turtle's neck. As the poison began its deadly mission, and as the turtle began to sink he turned in a final conscious moment and cried out to the scorpion - "Why did you sting me? You knew if you stung me we would both die! You gave me your word of honor, but now you've killed us both!"

The scorpion, adrenaline now fading, shrugged his claws and lamented, "I know what I said, and that's really what I intended. But, I'm a scorpion... it's my nature to sting." (fade to black)  

One of our most destructive denials as humans is denying the nature of a thing.  Whether it’s a wild animal thought to be domesticated, a fellow human, a politician, or an institution like the government, a bank, a credit card issuer… it is good to remember the nature of a thing.  Twill keep you a mite more rational and possibly save your sanity.

Total Online Video Streams up 41% from Last Year

The Nielsen Company reported overall online video usage and top online brands ranked by video streams for August 2009. Year-over-year, unique viewers, total streams, streams per viewer and time per viewer were up, led by a 41 percent growth in total streams.

Typefaces Give Us Signals

An interesting video for designer peeps about the importance of typeface choices in design.

Typefaces give us signals from erik spiekermann on Vimeo.

How Teens Use Media

Nielsen recently released its report on How Teens Use Media: A Nielsen report on the myths and realities of teen media trends.

Some of the key takeaways in the report are:

• Teens are NOT abandoning TV for new media: In fact, they watch more TV than ever, up 6% over the past five years in the U.S.
• Teens love the Internet … but spend far less time browsing than adults: Teens spend 11 hours and 32 minutes per month online. Far below the average of 29 hours and 15 minutes.
• Teens watch less online video than most adults, but the ads are highly engaging to them: Teens spend 35% less time watching online video than adults 25-34, but recall ads better when watching TV shows online than they do on television.
• Teens read newspapers, listen to the radio and even like advertising more than most: Teens who recall TV ads are 44% more likely to say they liked the ad.
• Teens play video games, but their tastes aren’t all for the blood-and-guts style games: Just two of their top five most-anticipated games since 2005 have been rated “Mature.”
• Teens’ favorite TV shows, top websites and genre preferences across media are mostly the same as their parents: For U.S. teens, American Idol was the top show in 2008, Google the top website and general dramas are a preferred TV genre for teens around the world.

Complete report available for free by following the link above.

Video Viewing Habits - Nielsen Report

Nielsen has just released a public report on the video viewing habits of Americans.  Here are a few highlights -

• The average American watches 153 hours of TV at home each month, up 1.2% from last year.
• 131 million Americans watch video on the Internet, averaging 3 hours per month, an annual increase of 52%
• 13.4 million Americans watch video on mobile phones, averaging 3.4 hours per month, with total users increasing 53.2% from one year ago
• Time spent watching "time-shifted" (DVR) video increased from 5:52 per month to 8:11 (41%)

You can view a PDF copy of the complete Nielsen report here.

Larry Dalton

Along with being one of the greatest musicians, Larry Dalton was also one of the finest people I have ever known.  He passed away last night.  I'll post more details as they come available. 

Hard to imagine Christmas without Larry's concert.

Larry's Web Site.

Apr. 24, 1946 - May 30, 2009

The Power of a Story

I just returned from spending about two hours (along with about 2,000 others) listening to William P. Young, author of The Shack.  The book had a profound impact on me and yet I do understand there are many who are challenged by its theology.  However, if nothing else this book is testimony to the power of a story.  And the story between the covers is only a part of the amazing story which is the life of Mr. Young.

The book was simply a manuscript he wrote for his children while working three jobs to support his family.  The first printing was 15 spiral-bound copies at Office Depot (cheaper than Kinko's).  Eventually friends chipped in some money and 5,000 books were delivered to a home garage.  In less than two years, the book has sold over 6 million copies in English.  A remarkable story which has spawned thousands of stories of lives changed.

I'm not going to debate the theology of the book here.  My main point is this - great impact comes from great stories.  You can preach and teach principles, write endless lists of rules to live by, be the champion of explaining "how to", but nothing has the power of an imaginative story. 

I once had a college professor ask me the main point I had learned in his classes.  He was a great teacher, and I got A's in his management classes, but when he asked that question years later I told him the main lesson I learned from him was about being a good father.  He always included his children in his life and just seemed to enjoy hanging out with them, even dragging them into classes on occasion.  Henry taught me a lot of great principles and knowledge, but the strongest lasting impression I retain is from watching the story of his life with his wife and children.

Paul (as he likes to be called) Young is like the rest of us in that he is a compelling story.  Unlike most of us, he has effectively communicated his story as a compelling metaphor that is challenging people's perception of God and offering relationship as an antidote for religion. 

You can find more of his stuff over at WindRumors.com.

Sensible Talk about Stimuli and Bailouts

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Does America's Economy Need Some Tough Love?

Global investor Jim Rogers has an interesting take on a fix for the financial crisis in this Business Week article.

A Picture of the Banking Bubble

Click on the image at the left for a stunning graphical view of the financial collapse of the past 18 months.  This massive loss in market capitalization won't soon be reflated.

That being seen, times like this still produce opportunity if you can think about what the world is becoming and not get stuck on what it's been.  If you are looking for opportunity on this chart, I think it will be found in the white space.

The Inauguration

I just finished listening to President Obama's speech.  As always, his oratorical skills were magnificent.

If you've followed the cultural shift driven by generational cycles at much in the past few years, you can recognize that the President's speech was replete with "civic" generation language and devoid of the idealistic speech of the previous 40 years.  The themes of shared sacrifice, the renewal of responsibility...

A new cycle is in place, cemented by the cataclysmic economic meltdown of 2008.  Some day the children of this emerging generation will rise up, declare that their parents had it all wrong, and a new president will ride the wave of an idealistic generation into office.  But for now, we have about 35 years of a civic cycle to ride, and it matters less who is President and more the social and socio-economic cycles that carry us.  I'm glad for the change, especially since it is inevitable.

Best wishes to our new President.  Let's just not expect that he has the ability to countermand cycles, walk on water, or turn lead into gold.

When did America become a marketing proposition?

An interesting marketing/sign-of-the-times article from the Boston Globe, "We, the Target Audience."

"Nothing is off-limits from the dumb hard sell anymore - even things that aren't identifiably for sale. The long-lamented creep of commercialization has now crawled outside the bounds of commerce entirely, till real experiences and events have become promotional versions of themselves.

When public and governmental institutions are the ones doing the marketing, it's especially unsettling."

Read the entire article here.

I'm Thankful

In some ways, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It's a great family time without quite the level of busyness and intensity that seems to dog Christmas.  I love Christmas, but I have a special fondness for Thanksgiving.

My friend Jim King, former NBA player with the Lakers and Bulls, once told me it was impossible to be dejected and thankful at the same time.  I think he's right.  Here are but a few of many things I'm thankful for:

• A wonderful wife who's been with me for over 34 years.  Linda is truly the bomb.
• My mom is 87, and is still doing well.  I'm really proud of her.
• My bro and sis, both outstanding humans in their own rights.
• Three children who are now adults.  It's rewarding to have them as friends.  I really like them.
• Three grandchildren who have enlarged the meaning of marvelous.
• An awesome group of comrades at work.  These peeps rock.
• A plethora of friends who have enriched my life, challenged me to think hard, inspired my faith, encouraged me in ways beyond their awareness, and blessed me with their caring advice.
• The Internet (I love technology, but not as much as you, you see...)
• Health
• America

There's a lot of pain in the world and in our country right now.  But in the midst of it I'm still thankful.

May you find hope and wonder in the midst of your circumstances as well.

Change.gov - Share Your Vision for America

I dropped by the Obama transition site, Change.gov, where I found a request to share my vision for America on this page.  Their request seemed sincere - "Start right now. Share your vision for what America can be, where President-Elect Obama should lead this country. Where should we start together?" -  so here's what I submitted  (with a tweak or two) -

"I envision an America that returns to its Constitutional roots.  An America which eschews spread-the-wealth talk and instead emphasizes personal responsibility.  I see an America that takes care of those who truly are unable to take care of themselves, but insists that the able bodied be self reliant, rather than ruminating on what their government can do for them.

I envision an America with a Federal government scaled down to its Constitutional boundaries, not interfering with the lives of its people, but providing for the common defense of its citizens, including those in the womb.  I envision an America far from the current disaster created by the Demopublican party and their cronies and contributors from Wall Street. 

I see an America where racism has been dealt a mortal wound with no hope of recovery.  I long for an America where all lame excuses for dependence on the government have passed away.  I hope for an America where the schools are controlled locally, insulated from federal mandates.  I dream of an America where the government spends no more than its income, where pork barrels are shattered and earmarks are not tolerated.

I cry out for an America that has shed the false responsibility of policing the world, instead defending its own borders while warmly welcoming guest workers and legal immigrants who carry their fair share of the burden of taxation in return for sharing the benefits of this great nation.  I envision an America where people love their President, pray for him daily, and oppose him or her when their philosophies and policies inflate the power and role of government at the expense of the freedom of its citizenry.  I hope for an America that will reward entrepreneurs and those who create jobs instead of punishing them with incentive-suppressing tax policies. 

I pray for an America where politicians can be trusted and an America that realizes its greatness comes from its people, not from its government.

President-Elect Obama, my vision may differ from yours, but you will have my prayers during your tenure.  

Congratulations on your historic victory, and may God bless America and you!"

Why don't you go share your vision too, and then cut and paste it into the comments below?

If I get a response from the Obama team on my vision, I'll post it in a future entry.

And a quote from Winston Churchill - The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.

Warren Buffett on the State of the Economy

Thanks to Ben Bennett at 29e for the point to this OpEd piece in the New York Times by Warren Buffett.

Buffett is moving his private funds gradually into 100% US stocks.  Why?  "A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."

Interesting reading.

Tracking the Bailout - Follow the Money

So we've got 700 billion dollars going to bailout the institutions who, along with their willing accomplices in Congress, are largely responsible for the current financial catastrophe.  Unless you are one of those 40% of residents in the US who pay no federal income taxes, you might have some interest in how your taxes (and ultimately those of your great grandchildren) are being disbursed.

Mark Cuban over at Blog Maverick has given us a point to Bailout Sleuth, a site tracking the Treasury Department's execution of the bailout.  And, while I know this might stun you, the first documents released relating to the Treasury Department's contract with the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. - well, they actually blacked out the compensation amounts and terms.

Since we're just taxpayers, maybe we don't need to know such details.  You can click the images on this post to see a larger version of these "censored" documents.  You may want to download them and send them to your Congressman and Senators and ask them if a shroud of secrecy between the Treasury Department and these financial institutions is what they had in mind when they handed over $700 billion of our money?

Seems like a reasonable question.