Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

It's Rigged

Donald Trump is correct. The system is rigged.

It's just not rigged against him.

Rather, it's rigged against the American people's wishes, hopes and needs.

The news media chooses the individuals to cover that they believe are best for their bottom line, blocking from view candidates that actually have something to offer. Make no mistake. We don't choose the final combatants...they do, through who they deign to cover and who they deign to ignore.

The 2-Party system cringes and holds its nose at the results...but stands firm to preserve their relevance.

And then, somebody decides that any candidate not polling at 15% shouldn't qualify for the debates (which is when the fence-sitters commence to commit). Why 15%? Dunno...I guess it just seems like a good number.

But, here's a better number: 60%. That's the percent of Americans that don't like their choice this year...and that would vote for a do-over, if they could.

Here's another number: 10%. That's the polling number for the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson (and it's 19% among Independent voters, 39% among the Military and 35% among Young Voters). No other third-party candidate has polled that high as late as August in 24 years.

And yet, the American media has virtually ignored his candidacy. Thus, the only way (given that dynamic) to get to 15% in the next few days is for the Johnson campaign to spend gobs of money.

Which is how we got into this mess in the first place.

If the majority of Americans want another option, the shadowy organization behind the debates (whose stated mission is to "provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners") should stop hiding behind an arbitrary number...and include Gary Johnson.

And then, let the people decide.

"You may say I'm a dreamer...but I'm not the only one."

#LetGaryDebate

The Fraidy-Cat Millennial

Afraid is not a word normally associated with Millennials.

They are generally self-assured because their parents told them they were perfect and qualified for anything the world tossed their way. But, there were signs early on that there was a degree of self-doubt at play as this generation craved validation for every decision they made.

Now comes a study that (sadly) identifies this generation as ascribing to the "work martyr" stereotype far more than other generations. Likely due to the recession in which they entered the workforce, the need to prove their dedication to the job has resulted in a generation reluctant to take vacations. And, oddly, it's not just trying to impress their boss but fellow employees that fuels this counterproductive behavior.

The companies that benefit from this brightest of all generations need to stress the importance of time off. A lot. And over and over.

 

  

Getting the Facts Right

As children go back to school across this land in a month that used to be reserved for family vacations, the debate over when School Start should occur raises its head once again.

And, as with most arguments in this conflict, the facts get blurry...as they do with this letter to the editor.

The writer, a mother of a 13-year old, says starting school after Labor Day so that "our high school students (can) earn $80 to $100 for an additional week or two," is misguided public policy. That these children's education is more important.

Fair enough. And, if her kid grows up to be a slacker, maybe that's all he earns in two weeks. But, for kids that are motivated and have selected the right job, those two weeks could mean $1,000...money that will be essential for buying college text books or helping with tuition.

She says she doesn't want her child to have to go to school in June because the buses are so hot. Except, the average temperature in the Poconos is higher in August that June.

And, then (yeah...I saved the best for last), she says she wants to "enjoy the precious, short season of summer together as a family."

Ummm, whether you start early or late, there are still the same number of weeks for your precious short season. It's just a question of when you want to spend them. For most families, that's August.

Hey Christine, if you really think that summer is preciously short (and most of us do), adding 15 minutes to the school day allows schools to start later and end earlier. Maybe you should be asking your School Board to consider the Michigan model...rather than trot out old arguments that don't hold water.

Somewhere in Iowa

The venue can often be as cool as the performer. And, there aren't many venues as cool as the Codfish Hollow Barn in Maqoueketa IA.

Located in a small town in the northeastern part of the State, this venue has hosted hundreds of acts, including Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Norah Jones, Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts and a plethora of others.

On this Music Friday, this is "Throw Your Arms Around My Neck" by Counting Crows...in a barn.

 

Video Perfected

It's shaping up to be a video world. Some believe Facebook will be textless in the next few years. Nobody reads because we don't have to. Want to jump start your snowblower? Watch a video. Want to prepare a smashed peppercorn seared bacon wrapped scallop? There's a video for that. Want to learn how to sew a button? YouTube.

Thus, it should be no different for destinations attempting to get on that elusive list for consideration.

Case in point...VisitKC, which has simply knocked it out of the park with a series of destination videos that suck the viewer in by using locals to tell the story, showing the evolution of the cocktail culture, showcasing the essence of KC BBQ and KC's Music Scene.

You wanna know how this is done? Click all three. Or go here for the complete collection.

Well played, KC...well played!

The Unintended Consequence

Airbnb is one of those platforms that provides an amazing opportunity for destinations and individuals while, in some cases, sewing the seeds of a destination's destruction.

We've warned about the increasing pushback against the growth of tourism in cities across the world like Barcelona, St. Augustine, Asheville, Reykjavik, Savannah and others.

Add to that list Joshua Tree CA (population 7,000), where the number of visitors to this fragile State Park ecosystem (and community) has been historically constrained by the limited number of hotel rooms nearby. However, with the availability of an additional 200 vacation homes on Airbnb (and even more on other platforms like VRBO), this once sleepy town is being overrun by more visitors than the infrastructure can effectively handle. And, the home buying market has all but dried up because owners who once would have placed their houses on the market are now retaining them as income generators. 

One resident reports that of the ten homes on her street, five are full-time rental properties. And, that's just wrong.

As I've said before, we really need to begin having a serious discussion about a DMO's role in the sustainability of the visitor economy in the face of an increasingly deregulated society. 

A Brilliant New Revenue Stream

National college fraternities have always been faced with a conundrum: how to keep alumni engaged enough to keep paying dues to the mothership.

It's somewhat easier to extract dues from the Actives while they're on campus. But, with each successive year away from college life, the importance of the "the National" becomes less and less. And yet, alumni have the greatest ability to pay dues...and at a higher annual rate than Actives.

Despite being a Board member of my Chapter Alumni Association, I have to admit that my track record of paying dues to the National has been spotty, at best. Indeed, through my affiliation with the Chapter, you'd think I'd be more tuned into the activities of the National and, thus, more likely to pay dues. Imagine what my contemporaries that aren't involved with their Chapter do when it comes to National dues. Hell, most don't pay their Chapter Alumni dues.

Which is a dilemma for more than just fraternities. We are all joining fewer associations than the generations that came before us. So, how to keep the lights on when the dues slow to a trickle?

My National just hit me up with a genius idea. Subscribe to their exclusive wine club where a accomplished vintner (and fraternity Brother) selects three small batch wines from some of the best vineyards in America for $99 a quarter. And, half of all proceeds go to the Mothership. That means each year, subscribers get 12 rare bottles of wine for $200 and the National gets $200.

And, while that may seem like some pricey wine for some...the revenue to the National per Alumni is likely more than they could extract by simply appealing to their nostalgia and loyalty.

Can't wait to see how this pans out.

Brandon Bizior

We first saw Toronto's Brandon Bizior doing YouTube covers of some of his favorites three years ago.

Before that, he performed on Canada's Next Star. His star trip video is offline...but the track "Better Off Anyway" is pretty inspired for a 15 year old. Kind of reminiscent of Ashley Parker Angel (without, hopefully, the bizarre career decisions that plunged him into relative obscurity).

We started our "Music Fridays" a few years ago to hip you to new or rare tracks. This is one of those moments.

His new single is miles from those days. This is "In the Dark" by Brandon Bizior.

 

There's a Convention for Everyone

Preppers take a lot of crap from the mainstream. While called out-of-touch and fringe by many, there is something to be said about what happens when there's no electricity, no grocery stores and no law enforcement.

We all love apocalyptic movies...but, the majority of us believe it akin to science fiction.

Count me among those that sincerely believe it could happen...but are yet to have been motivated to do something about it.

So, in the category of "there's a convention for everything," look what arrived in my e-mail box the other day: The National Preppers and Survivalist Expo 17 (click image to enlarge).

Bring one to Wisconsin and my curiosity might just get the better of me.

Not Unlike the Bigs

In a recent Skift interview, Airbnb's Joe Gebbia offered an interesting take on the company he co-founded:

Airbnb isn't all that different from the large legacy hotel chains.

Airbnb doesn't own the rooms in which people stay. And, (for the most part) neither do Marriott, Hilton and the rest of the large hotel chains operating today.

There is, however, a difference. Despite Chip Conley's declaration at DMAI16 that Airbnb wants its members to pay Room Tax...most don't.

And, until that is rectified, no amount of spin will change the minds of many communities that fail to see the similarity between Airbnb and the bigs.