We, the fans, unite with WGA by supporting their strike. The writers are the backbone of Hollywood. They deserve to receive a share of 8 cents in DVD and internet download sales. If it was not for the writers, there would be no television shows, made for TV movies, and motion pictures to entertain the fans worldwide. We encourage those in charge to do the right thing and come up with a solution to end this dark day in Hollywood as soon as possible.
Please end the strike. If you are a fan of television and do not want your favorite shows to be canceled because of this strike, please sign this petition. We will make sure that this petition will be sent to AMPTP and to ALL major studios.
"Pencils Down Means Pencils Down ... BUT don't put them down until you've written to all of the Studios that are making these fantastic people strike so that they can get the compensation that is rightly theirs!"
Which will end first? The Writers strike or the unexplained and unwarranted bannings of Alpha99Wolf and XWARP. The longer this goes on without being addressed by an ADMIN the more it becomes simple and solid proof of the ramshackle and seemingly devious excuse for moderation we have here. Silence will only be an option for so long and this thread is being documented offboard.
Lewis Green, Chief Communications Officer and Founder of LandG Business Solutions, a marketing and communications firm, brings three decades of business management experience. LandG Business Solutions, LLC, represents his third company. Additionally, he held management positions with GTE Discovery Publications, Puget Sound Energy and Starbucks Coffee Company. He has been invited to speak to groups large and small about various business practices. Lewis’s fifth book is entitled Lead With Your Heart.
1. Who is Lewis Green?
I'm a 61-year-old baby boomer with a lot of enthusiasm for life. Everyday brings the opportunity for a new adventure. And I have been blessed with more than a few, including: 8 years military service, undergraduate degree in Journalism for the University of Florida, post-graduate and graduate work in education and theology, daily newspaper writer, teacher, book editor, publisher, free-lance writer, magazine editor,corporate communications manager, VP Marketing, and entrepreneur. My wife and I have been married for 33 years and traveled throughout North America, Hawaii and Europe.
2. Why did you start LandG Business Solutions?
LandG Business solutions is the son of Lewis Green Communications, a firm located in Seattle. My family and I are long-time New Englanders, so when I had the opportunity to head the marketing department of a Connecticut business, I jumped at the chance. Within six months, that position went away when the company died, and I started LandG Business Solutions because I love working for myself and crave the entrepreneurial challenges of serving others in all phases of communications, including creative and marketing.
3. What interests you most about social media?
I believe that building a business has more to do with building human relationships than with our products and services. Social media is a great way to build relationships, both personal and business. I don't see the social media toolbox as a panacea or a one-stop shop. The tools of social media need to be integrated with traditional tactics to create a marketing/communications plan that meets our customer's wants and needs. At the end of the day, everything we do and say should focus on our values and people, and social media allows us to both talk and listen. And listening tells us what people want and need if we share the right content and ask the right questions.
4. "Lead With Your Heart, Sell Happiness and You and Your Business Will Flourish" is your latest book. You talk about happiness from a business perspective. Isn't business really about profits?
Profits are a part of business, but the business model I propose in the book is about the "who"(people) not the "what" (profits, products and services). If we go to work everyday with the goal of making people happy, creating great people experiences, the profits will come. And I believe that happiness begins inside the business and then spreads to everyone we touch, like a giant warm blanket, which makes us feel both safe and happy.
5. What is your philosophy for LandG?
LandG Business Solutions is build on a foundation of values, which are: 1. LandG treats every person with respect and dignity. 2. LandG promises always to place trust, credibility, honesty and integrity above profits. 3. LandG only takes on clients where L&G can make a difference and can help that client’s business grow. 4. LandG gives back to the community by offering its services pro bono to organizations and institutions deemed suitable and appropriate. 5. LandG commits to enhancing both working environments and natural environments.
And our purpose is to grow our client's business, and we guarantee our work.
6. You say,""Blogging is the least expensive and most productive marketing tool in terms of marketing and growing LandG Business Solutions brand..." How could television networks use blogging and bloggers to grow their audience?
I think television is already reaping the benefits, and the arrows, of blogging and bloggers. They are a variety of blogs focusing on TV fare. If TV executives were smart, they would facilitate the ease of blogging by inviting bloggers to use their materials to discuss shows. Give it away and join in the discussion. Don't hide. That really annoys bloggers and who needs bad press? Joining in the discussion won't guarantee good press, but at least TV executives would have a chance to participate in the conversation. Who knows? Maybe they might learn something about viewers' wants and needs.
7. How do you feel about being authentic? How can that help a business owner?
To me, authenticity is about being true to yourself; being who you are. That means that some will like us and others won't. And that's okay, especially in the b2b world, where relationships are the key to success. Sooner or later, people figure out who we are. We can't fool them with a fake persona. And the most important values within any relationship are trust and credibility. If we fake it, if we aren't authentic, trust and credibility take heavy hits and so will our integrity and our business.
8. You have also said,"Blogging is best-suited for those who care more about readers than rankings." How do you feel about page rank, Alexa? Are they important?
Rankings are important because they drive new readers to our blogs. However, we make a huge mistake if we write for rankings, in other words links. We should, instead, always write for readers just as our business always should exist first for people not profits. When we write for readers, we add value to the blogosphere. And they will respond either positively or negatively based on how well we do. And that is a good thing, as readers will choose who survives and who doesn't.
9. What do you think is next for social media? For you?
I think social media needs to work out the kinks, especially in the way businesses use the tools. That will take time. As for me, I have a 10-year plan for my business, and that features an exit strategy to build valuation and then sell LandG to some lucky entrepreneur or corporation. I won't ever completely retire, but I want to get back to the days when my job was writing. I have more books in me, and most aren't business focused. Instead, I want to expand on the happiness idea to help make people's lives better. If the Pursuit of Happiness is good enough for our Constitution, it should be good enough for us.
10. Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you so much for thinking me worth of an interview. I am humbled.
"CBS has found a way to soldier on as the WGA hits the streets during the writers strike. It seems that the Eye Network realized that one of their bigger shows during the dog days of summer is a thrice-weekly reality show that requires no writers and they already have the set built. Don’t look now, but Big Brother is coming back sooner than planned!"
"As striking screenwriters continued attempts to close down film and TV production, television networks and media companies are calculating they can contain the damage so long as the strike doesn't last much beyond January.
The television networks are seen as the most vulnerable to a strike initially because they rely heavily on members of the Writers Guild of America for scripted programming. But a tight advertising market is expected to provide some cushion, with advertisers seemingly reluctant to make any rash moves at a time when advertising prices are so high.
If the strike runs for several months, the picture could change dramatically. "It could be a downward spiral for the networks if it drags on into the first quarter," says Steve Kalb, director of broadcast media at MediaHub, a unit of Interpublic Group's Mullen."
"Teletrax today announced that CBS Television Distribution (CTD) will electronically monitor and evaluate usage of its broadcast marketing and promotional content on television stations nationwide using the digital watermarking and broadcast tracking service. Teletrax is a subsidiary of Medialink Worldwide Incorporated .
CTD, a unit of CBS Corp. , a leader in worldwide television syndication, will utilize the Teletrax(TM) comprehensive suite of broadcast intelligence services to electronically monitor and analyze affiliate stations' usage of its on-air television show promotions across all 210 major cities, or DMAs, in the United States. Teletrax will provide CTD with reports detailing how its video content is used and aired by affiliate stations, so it can evaluate marketing campaign performance and more precisely measure return-on-investment and maximize overall profits."
"We've all read stories heralding the death of advertising as we know it. But have consumers really abandoned advertising?
The answer, it seems, rests on the shoulders of the people who buy our brands and recommend them to others -- not with advertisers, marketers or consultants. That's why we went straight to the source by visiting people's homes in Columbus, Ohio (a test-marketing Mecca) to do the unthinkable: mess with their media. We deprived them of their TiVos, their laptops and their cellphones. We added ourselves to their e-mail lists. We asked them to journal their feelings and attitudes. We discovered that consumers don't do what they say, and that they've become experts in ignoring and rejecting messages. They can instantly recognize messages that are irrelevant or ill-timed."
"The writers' strike has started today, and the writers themselves will be picketing studios and making themselves heard. If the Writers Guild of America strike keeps TV scribes off the job for a while, it's going to alter your viewing habits big time. The WGA called for a work stoppage after failing to get a bigger slice of revenue from DVD sales and a piece of what the networks expect to earn from digital downloads of TV shows.
While procedurals such as CSI and Criminal Minds tend to draw viewers in repeats – giving CBS an edge over the competition - the network has been loading up on game shows. Power of 10, a moderate success over the summer, will be back. CBS also has Do You Trust Me and a new version of Password hosted by Regis Philbin.
The network is also ready to let the cameras roll in the Big Brother house if necessary. On the scripted side, you'll definitely see all seven produced episodes of Jericho. The network will also have close to 13 episodes of The New Adventures of Old Christine ready to go. The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will go dark immediately, but the conventional wisdom is that Letterman will return after a few weeks out so that the rest of his staff can remain employed. Once he returns, so will Ferguson."
"Jay Leno rolled up to a picket line on his motorcycle with doughnuts for striking writers at NBC.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus marched with pickets at Warner Bros. in the shadow of a giant billboard advertising her CBS show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
Even Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama weighed in with a prepared statement urging producers to work with writers to end the strike.
Writers got a little help from their famous friends on Monday as the Screen Writers Guild launched their strike against movie studios and TV networks."
BlogCatalog.com challenges members and bloggers everywhere to do something good offline — an act of kindness — and then post about it, using words, pictures, and/or videos to tell the story on Dec. 17.
"Thousands of acts, touching and changing lives, shared on one day."
The Acts of Kindness theme aims at putting a human face on the bloggers responsible for so much good in the world. The goal is to expose their kindness and generosity as well as serve as an example to non-bloggers that volunteering for a charity, donating to a cause, or simply doing something kind for another person has a ripple effect around the world.
“Maybe 20,000 bloggers, vloggers, photographers will make a difference.”
Will you be one? It only takes a few seconds to sign up and join us on Dec. 17.
There will be a first prize and 2 runner up prizes.
1st prize: IPOD TOUCH
2nd prize: A Full Access Pass to BlogWorld 2008 in September!!
**I have been blogging Jericho for 7 days a week since May. It's time to take a break and I've chosen Sundays as my day off. Thank you all for understanding. Be back Monday.
"Whether or not you watched Veronica Mars while it was on television, you should know that this was one series that was full of surprises and mystery.
One of the many surprises lies in the fact that this was actually a very smart and engaging series."
Veronica Mars' fans would certainly agree. Here's the final installment of my interview with four of them.
6. What do Veronica Mars fans want now? A movie?
"Every Veronica Mars fan still desperately wants a 4th season", says Sarah V. "Most however, have accepted that won't happen; and so we are hoping for a movie. A movie would be the next best thing! Although I think generally vm fans feel, that it will either happen, or it won't; but that their getting involved won't help -- which isn't true! Fans also want syndication, and some think Comic books are cool. We basically just want Veronica Mars to continue on in ANY way! But I think for the most part VM Fans just want to be heard. We're not satisfied with how the show was dealt with, we think it was too good to have ended; and we want the world to know just how much we love and miss it!"
Tami says, "We want to be treated with respect, not the way the CW treated us. We want a movie, preferably a trilogy of movies, we want syndication and we are also aiming for complete re-instatement."
"Absolutely! The movie is our goal, but also a fourth season, even if it it unlikely", says Sara P.
Rachel says,"I would love the show back or a direct to dvd season. But I don't see that as possible since cast and crew all have new jobs. So the next best thing would be a movie."
7. What happened with the Mars Bars campaign?
"We didn't think that they were really going to cancel VM, so we got started late. we were not able to stick with only "mars bars" since they are no long made in the states and are not readily available. we bought most of the available ones in the states",says Rachel
Sara P. says,"Apparently, we were late... The bars and marshmellow shipment was huge...but late. But it was great, even Rob mentioned our shipment."
"The Mars Bars Campaign was not as successful as it should have been, we started too late due to the fact the Cw did not give us a clear answer on whether Veronica mars was cancelled. No -one was around to film the delivery unlike the Jericho "nuts" campaign which appeared on you tube. We managed to raise an awfull lot of money for Candy Bars in a week. If we could of started earlier and had longer for our campaign, The Truckload of Candy may have made a difference to the outcome, due to the physical evidence of Veronicas Overwhelming Loyal Fan Base and the realisation we do not give up without one hell of a fight, as we are still proving with our continuing efforts",says Tami.
8. What are your feelings about Nielsen ratings?
"I'm not an expert on how the Neilsen Rating work; but I can tell you I think they should definitely find a better way to calculate ratings!! From what I've heard it seems they're are a lot of problems with their ratings system, and changes should be made to make it more accurate!",says Sarah V.
Tami says,"Not a reliable source for ratings. Who gets these nielson boxes? There isn't that many around. What if the new viewers that we get on board don't have nielson boxes? They won't be counted of course. Hardly Fair, especially in this day of fancy high tech wizardry. How do you count all the people at a Veronica Mars Viewing party? If there is 10 people in that room and they don't have a box? They don't count. Nielson is outdated."
9. Do you think HeyNielsen and the new Nielsen iFamily will help TV viewers?
"I think it will only be accurate when it is part of your tv and can take readings from "everybody"!!!!",says Rachel.
10. What's next for Veronica Mars fans?
Sarah V.:
"Veronica Mars fans will always continue to support there beloved show, that's for sure! We are in this for the long haul! Considering how long it could take before a movie ever happens; we will remain dedicated and in support of the show we love, for as long as it takes! You can't forget a show as unforgettable as Veronica Mars, so we could never give up; and we could never forget!"
Tami:
"We will continue to grow our campaign, getting more fans to sign on to the forums and participate in the campaigns we run. We will strive for a movie, syndication and re-instatement. we will also support the cast in any other ventures they embark on. We will continue to have fun and make friends and strive for Victory. Veronica Mars fans never give up , after all Veronica wouldn't."
Sara P.:
"We'll support the cast and crew letting them know we'll do everything to have more Mars but also supporting them in their new projects."
Rachel:
"Hopefully enjoying VM in movie form. We just keep plugging away at our campaigns."
#1 Free Link Exchange Directory On The Web - Link Market Have you ever tried to exchange links, swap links, or trade links? Was it hard? Use link market instead; - it is easy to use, free and very smart. It will save you hours of work.
My StumbleUpon Page
