It is a joyous Thanksgiving tradition within this company more sacred than almost any other. I hope it gives you the pleasure to watch that it gives us.

Please say a prayer for those traveling and those away from home (fighting on our behalf) or without a home on this or any day. We’re lucky and we know it but sometimes we don’t know it.

Happy Thanksgiving – click away to the tradition here.

Tags: commentary, radio, silliness, video // 4 Comments »

LOGO CHOICE A

LOGO CHOICE B

Many folks remember the Good Housekeeping seal of approval on products. What you might not know is that it still exists.

To combat that “little” marketing problem, they’ve redesigned their logo. They’ve freshened the brand.

Please vote for the logo you think is the new logo. (Now of course if you know the answer, don’t ruin it for everyone else, by spilling the beans…just vote).

Is it obvious? Am I playing a trick on you? Cast your vote for fun and in a few days we’ll review.

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, logo design, marketing // 5 Comments »

My “friends” at US Airways lost my luggage making my trip a bit more inconvenient than it needed to be (although to be fair the ground staff at US Airways GSP- who had to deal with the outcome caused by the baggage dolts’ who did the losing of the bag – were nice, especially Chad). But the trip has otherwise been terrific including a nice dinner Wednesday in North Carolina with my friend and the man beloved by all voice talents Bob Souer, who brought along his very bright and charming son.

He and I plotted our individual world tour travels to personally meet every voice talent in the world, lull them into a state of complacency and then steal all their voice work. Bwahahahaha! (That, by the way, is the correct spelling for “evil laugh”).

Of course I’m kidding but he and I have been able to meet so many of our fellow VO’s over the past few years, we both feel very fortunate.

While we could have spoke for hours, Bob had some narrations to do and I had luggage to find but we’ll get together for a late lunch today before heading home. Another successful trip.

Tags: commentary, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups // 11 Comments »

I am such a computer dolt that I firmly believe that when God created the computer repair man He used a picture of me as the ideal cash cow, er, customer in the training.

But because as I get older I not only realize how much I don’t know but also how many of my peers are also faking it, I am more willing to share my shortcomings. That’s because I’m pretty sure you’re a dolt as well but you just hide it better.

With all this in mind, I share with you an article from the Lifehacker blog that helps provide you will simple steps to cut down on the time it takes for your computer to boot up.

At one time I think I knew some of this stuff but I know between kids and work this stuff just seeped out of my ears.

For a few of you, this info will be way too rudimentary. But for most of us, enjoy the speedier start to you day.

Tags: commentary, technology // 3 Comments »

I never met Howard Reig, the former announcer for NBC and specifically NBC Nightly News but his great service and the retirement of his voice was well covered on these pages. And as a fellow voice talent, I consider him a friend of sorts.

So it is with a heavy heart that I note the passing of my friend Howard at age 87 at his home in Venice Florida.

I’ve noted before how difficult it was to replace him as an announcer and I am sure that same sentiment is now felt by his family, magnified to infinity. I am so sorry for their loss.

NBC News’ Brett Holey wrote this tribute to Howard in 2007 and it is wonderful. Here is a wonderful tribute site Howard’s son created for his Father.

Requiescant in Pax, sir. I was a fan.

Tags: commentary, NBC News, NBC Nightly News // Comments Off on a friend has died

Usually I’ve not subscribed to the theory that if all the other kids are doing it, I should be doing it too.

As examples I never smoked, drank or did drugs. I’m not better than anyone who does those things (although I think its a rare case where I may be considered smarter) but I just never felt the need to fit in socially with such crutches. My obnoxious personality has always seen me through.

But lately as I have been studying Twitter, I did develop a case of wallpaper envy. You see for some reason (and for the life of me I cannot figure out why this happened) I clicked on CC Chapman’s Twitter home page and saw his very attractive wallpaper that he obviously created (you have to sign in to see it).

It occurred to me that this might be yet another example of a fad or trend that I had been completely oblivious to so I checked Chris Brogan’s, Leesa Barnes’ and Christopher S. Penn’s pages.

Yup, fancy, cool, well branded wallpapers on all of them.

I was yet again late for lunch; I had missed the bus, I was an east coaster working on Central time. Action had to be taken.

Well I slogged through about 20 me-made designs that technically and artistically looked like crap (clearly all the aforementioned have Macs) before I yelled “uncle” and called Ann Hackett over at aHa designs to bail me out of my pathetic state. She did.

OK, so I’m “me too” on this one. But doesn’t the page look subtle and smashing? Why, it’s Twitterific!

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, marketing, social media, social networking, twitter // 1 Comment »