The Facebook

I received a phone call. It was from a friend. He had some news to share.  I was shocked, surprised and stunned. How could he? I couldn’t believe he had fallen. I had no idea. He just did it with no warning, without discussing it with anyone first – including his wife. He quit Facebook cold turkey.

He didn’t just give it up for Lent. He’s done. “How could you?” I asked.  His answer was simple,  “I was spending too much time on it.”

I’m not sure I’m ready to quit Facebook but I have decided to create boundaries.  I’m scaling back on my Facebook friends; especially work friends because I rarely contribute anything professional on Facebook. It’s too personal. It wasn’t always this way with me, in fact, I am a social networking disciple. But like most things – there has to be some boundaries.

There are many instances where some of my introverted work friends who don’t say more than two words to me in a week post really detailed, intimate, information to their page that is well – quite frankly – none of my business.  I get this. I’ve posted intimate happy and difficult times to my Facebook page from my father’s death to my wedding. It was a place where I could get all the information out to my friends and colleagues quickly and efficiently that were either too difficult to talk about (like Dad’s death) or a story I preferred not to have to tell over and over again (like how I proposed).

But now Facebook seems different due to the combination of status update fatigue and internal politics – creating boundaries is the only way I know to turn them off.

And Facebook is personal. The groups I choose to join, pages I decide to “like”, photos my friend’s post or photos, links etc., that I post and the comments from my friends outside of work are well – mine.

I understand and have implemented the privacy settings and well – it’s just obvious. So if you’ve blocked me from seeing your status updates or vice-versa – seriously – why are we friends on Facebook?

I’m not saying you can’t have work friends as Facebook friends. I still do. However, I have made a personal decision that if there is a reporting relationship based on role or authority or vice-versa then – we can be Facebook friends after one of us leaves the organization. I’m sure you understand. I’m not suggesting this as any corporate policy – it is my own – it’s personal.

And looking back, this reporter best summed up the Last Languages Campaign.

You can view the article here

I moved to Orlando and would not have considered myself a mouseketeer  by any means. In fact, I purposely chose to move on the other side of town 45 minutes away from the “attractions” so I didn’t have to drive with the “tourists.”

I’ve changed.

We don’t need to go down the reasons why but I did want to share why I like this new campaign. It’s interactive. It’s fun. It enables your own creativity. And, like most things Disney, it is simply well done. I don’t participate in many online campaigns but did share my favorite Disney memory. You can too…but check mine out first here: It’s about me. And isn’t this the year about me? Or you? Either way, the campaign still works.

It’s been nearly a year ago since that special memory was made and since that time I have gained a new wife, in-laws, and a new puppy. I’ll be filing jointly this year for the first time on taxes and can’t think of too many moments that were more defining than this special memory. Honey, I love you. And to the one other person still reading this blog, my mother-in-law, thanks for the traffic count.

Let the memories begin. And if you participate, comment on this post with your link…I’m interested.

1 medium onion, minced

3 cups ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup tarragon vinegar

Combine ingredients and cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

All that remained of a church near Gulfport, Miss.

I’ll never forget driving into Gulfport, Miss., on an October afternoon where I served my country for the first time as a field public information officer (PIO) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during Hurricane Katrina. By the time I arrived in the gulf coast,  Michael Brown had already resigned and had been replaced by Admiral Thad Allen and the national news were more focused on New Orleans despite the fact that many people were affected and a lot of recovery happened in southern Mississippi.

Why FEMA?

On April 15, 1998 as I worked for Western Kentucky University recruiting students, Bowling Green was hit by strong storm cells that demolished personal residences, businesses, and even a fleet of new corvettes.  A young university student rushed into our office bleeding from injuries received from the hail shrapnel. After the storm passed, I jumped into my new SUV to head home for the day. It was parked under a tree and received minimal damage. I smiled proudly. I drove it through campus to my apartment dodging downed trees and high water. I thought it was fun right up until the minute I tried to open my apartment door. Instantly, I was humbled.

Baseball-sized hail had demolished the shingles and water poured into my domicile soaking the drywall ceiling which collapsed from the weight of the water, ultimately leaving me homeless. Well, actually, leaving me on the couch of one of my buddies for three weeks. A FEMA officer came, collected my information and soon provided a check to get me started in a new apartment. I felt like I needed to be that officer for someone else in need.

Since then, I moved to Florida, purchased my first home, and shortly thereafter Hurricane Charley decided to do a fly-by over Orlando and specifically, my house. I didn’t receive much damage but felt compelled to help my neighbors although I didn’t know how. One year later– with my new obsession for tropical storms–I monitored the news reports and Internet until Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

The national Public Relations Society of America PRSA organization sent out a message asking for PR pros to apply for temporary disaster assistance employee positions. I discussed this with my employer, applied, and shortly after flew to Washington, D.C. for an interview, accepted the offer, and took the oath. We were told to wait for the call and to be ready to deploy. I waited. The next thing I knew I was being interviewed in Jackson, Miss., by the lead PIO  who asked, “Do you like to be in the field or in the office?” I replied, “The Field.” With that, I was on my way in a Chevy Cobalt rental car to the Imperial Palace which FEMA had federalized and turned into my new office.

Lessons

1. You will never grow taller than when you stoop to help someone else.

2. Things happen fast, prepare a go bag so you don’t have to think during a crisis. A good flashlight and extra batteries are essential even if you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area. And make sure you have wet towels, better than nothing when you feel like you need a shower.

3. If you rent, get renters insurance. If you own, seriously consider getting flood insurance. Water damage is typically not covered by homeowners insurance. If you are in the path of a storm and try to get last minute coverage…too late, they won’t cover you until the storm has passed. Do it now.

4. The American Red Cross has excellent clean-up kits and comfy (better than nothing) shelters. You never have to be homeless or hungry after a disaster.

5. The governor has to request the president to declare a state of emergency before federal officials can be deployed. You can apply for FEMA assistance after the president has declared the area a federal disaster by going here or calling (800) 621-3362 [FEMA].

6. I learned what the search and rescue matrix means. It’s a symbol spray-painted on homes or vehicles that communicates who preformed the search, the date, and how many bodies, if any were found. I had no idea before Katrina but will never forget this info:

• A single diagonal slash indicates that a search in the building is in progress. This is used to indicate searcher locations and to avoid duplication of the search effort.
• An X inside a square means “Dangerous – Do Not Enter!”
• An X with writing around it means “Search Completed”, with the time (and the date if appropriate) written above the X, the team conducting the search written to the left side of the X, the results of the search (number of victims removed, number of dead, type of search such as primary or secondary) written below the X, and any additional information noted about the structure to the right of the X.

7.  I learned what I expect in leaders. I admire leaders who are not only able to rally the troops and provide inspiration, but who also give direction and share their vision in clear, actionable items. I saw a tweet recently that stated, “Leaders provide the vision and managers implement the vision.” Admiral Thad Allen gave us a short but effective speech that I’ll never forget but he also articulated the direction that needed to be made to best assist the victims to recovery.

Admiral Thad Allen after a pep talk to FEMA employees...intense.

Recently, Allen once again. effectively communicated what was happening during the oil spill and how he, as the national incident commander was responsible and would solve the situation. He did. In our drive-thru-we want it now- mentality it didn’t happen soon enough, but like Allen did with Hurricane Katrina, he was given a clear order and executed it in less than 120 days.

8. Craig Fugate, now the head of FEMA stated recently that the ultimate goal of the agency is to, “empower the public to be part of the response, not as victims to be taken care of.” With new media and crowdsourcing applications that send instant updates empowers citizens to alert, educate and track where relief work is needed. A gap in response efforts during Katrina.

9. FEMA trailers–Most of my time was spent on this topic – especially about how many were delivered each day. They are a better short-term solution than tents but not a good long-term fix. As I mentioned, FEMA wasn’t/isn’t perfect, although the organization, like any other, has improved its processes as a result of the lessons learned from Katrina. I have followed the relief efforts in Haiti as a casual observer and realize it is a different situation; however – having been there – I am thankful that while the FEMA trailers weren’t perfect- they were still a better solution than tents alongside roadways. And I especially admired those that made the best of a horrific situation.

Christmas in Ocean Springs, Miss., Dec. 2005

I admire the arts. I didn’t have a choice. My grandmother, who began her career teaching in a one-room school, ended it as the art coordinator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Early on in that one-room school room a consultant from the state visited her class and admired the students artwork on the wall. He praised the artwork by stating he was happy to see that none of the students projects were done in coloring books. This sparked a lifelong theory in our family that coloring books stifle creativity thus we were never allowed to color in the books as she explained, “If you want to color in the lines, then draw the lines yourself.”

Despite this foundation, I did not end up becoming an artist although I get the great pleasure of working with artists occasionally.  Artists create for themselves. Their work is personal, it is true self-expression. Many don’t care if you like their work or not because they aren’t creating it for you…they are creating it for themselves. They choose the medium and the content. They own it.

Many people often miss the mark when they assume that because they are happy with how something looks, sounds, feels, etc. that the intended audience will also relate. To me, this separates the amateur communicator from the professional. The professional base his/her decision on analysis of primary and secondary research data to determine the message as well as the look and feel. A marcom professional may also test the message with polls or focus groups, but there is information beyond an opinion to plan, implement and then evaluate the campaign.

It’s not a science, many times we may miss the mark but a decision with information from asking our stakeholders/customers etc… is more credible and has a higher probability of a positive return on investment than our own opinion. Just ask your audience.

Cobia off of Port Canaveral

I just added a new category to the blog. Recipes. It’s really a place for me to organize my recipes so that I can access them wherever I happen to be. A few weeks ago we went fishing for Cobia. I didn’t realize that these are one of the lightest and best tasting saltwater fish. Here’s the marinade:

3 lbs cobia

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon peeper

Place fillets into serving size pieces and place in a bowl. Combine olive oil and lemon juice. Add all remaining spices to oil and lemon juice and mix. Pour mixture over fish steaks. Marinate for 5 minutes (I’ve done this longer) and then remove and barbecue over coals until fish flakes from the middle. Not good to overcook. Turn as necessary basting several times with the marinade. Serve hot off the grill. Enjoy!