The notion of gum commercials and exhilarating creativity rarely appear in the same sentence. With this new video from Extra...that ends right here, right now.
I know, I know...we are so not out of the woods yet. But, if this video doesn't move the unvaccinated to jump onboard, nothing will.
Enjoy...and thanks to TravelAbility's Jake Steinman for the catch.
Or is it the other way around?
Discover Puerto Rico has launched a campaign to encourage people to work (very) remotely from the sensationally colorful island this summer. And honestly, for those of us that can work remotely, why not do it in paradise?
Terri and I have often dreamed of such a life...but the sheer joy of a grand daughter within 5 minutes cuts those conversations short every time. But a two week sabbatical? Oh, hell yeah.
Discover Puerto Rico is offering remote workers a "desk makeover" as part of its Deskover Puerto Rico program. Six two-week workations to the Island will be awarded and, to enter, all applicants need to do is visit www.discoverpuertorico.com/deskover and share what they would accomplish if they had two weeks to work in full color from paradise.
Write a book? Launch a new business? Change your life?
I did just that one day, alone on a beach where I had nothing to do but think as I watched an undulating surf, unencumbered by life's demands. And, my life has been richer beyond my wildest expectations ever since from the decisions I made that day.
Enter.
On a recent assignment (damn, it's good to be back on the road), I interviewed a community stakeholder who told me, "C- is easy; A+ is hard."
Are you ready for an A+ week?
Do it.
The story line behind this song (and the album "Room 41") is that it is a recounting of Paul Cauthen's descent into an alcohol and drug-fueled period after a painful break-up. And, while some of us may not have gone as far as he did, we all have had that moment.
This track blends a sinister, sexual groove with lyrics that perfectly capture life after Midnight. On this Music Friday, it's some "Cocaine Country Dancing," filmed at the Electric Cowboy in Fort Worth.
"It's a quarter to two, whatcha wanna do?"
It was a year ago that Zoom Happy Hours had their genesis...and we craved those early times to share our shifting realities and raise a glass with friends and associates in a hope that it would all go away by Easter.
Remember how much we looked forward to those meet-ups?
Today...sigh. Another one? Really? Many of us would rather sort our socks.
To be sure, there aren't nearly as many Zoom Happy Hours as last Spring, when we so needed the camaraderie and support. But, they still happen and a lot of people are done, according to this study from Australia.
It's one thing for friends to Zoom voluntarily...but required Happy Hours to build team culture appear to be over.
Something to consider...
To a point, with every rotation around the Sun, our individual life expectancy increases as we learn to be more careful with this most precious of gifts called life. And, it's been fascinating to watch how political affiliation has tampered with this naturally increasing instinct for caution in the face of the 'VID.
But, when we were young, we were teflon. We were indestructible. Even if we really screwed up, we'd likely heal. These days, I look at my shins and marvel at how many scars I have from my days playing catcher when metal cleats were still allowed. Who would stand there and dare someone to slide into you as fast and hard as they could with spikes on their feet? Yeah...a 20-something.
I considered that this morning as I scanned Destination Analysts' weekly COVID update that shows a marked uptick in travel interest since the President guaranteed vaccines for all by Independence Day. But, it also showed that 43% of Spring Breakers are "very concerned" about contracting the virus.
If I was "very concerned," I'd stay home. But yeah...I'm not Gen Z.
Ahh, to be young again.
It was a year ago this week that the ramifications of the 'VID finally came home for yours truly. I was still on the road, completing an assignment with an Ohio DMO. People were still shaking hands and our Strategic Planning workshop was pretty typical in its physical set-up...except that, at the last minute, it was decided to put an extra chair between each participant. Those that gathered experienced physical distancing for the first time.
And then, the word came down. The NCAA was cancelling its Basketball Championships. And then, it was clear. None of us were getting anything close to a straight story from our government. The NCAA was.
As we closed our workshop, I received a text from Delta informing me that I probably wouldn't make my connection through DTW. They wanted to route me instead through ATL which, if something went wrong there, would put me even further from home. I thanked them for their offer...but I realized then and there that it was going to be a while before I boarded another plane.
And then, I drove home.
The last member of the ground-breaking group The Wailers has departed terra firma...but what a life Bunny Wailer led. We could only have been as blessed.
Hanging out on the streets of Nine Mile, childhood friends Bunny, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh created the Wailing Wailers and achieved international success. All three ultimately went on to sensational solo careers, with Bunny winning three Grammys in the '90s. He was still churning out music videos in 2017 and, even after a stroke laid him low, participated in a Playing for Change video of "Soul Rebel."
We say farewell with one of my faves, "Roots, Radics, Rockers and Reggae."
Thanks for all the smiles, Bunny. For, no one could ever have the blues when listening to you.
Over the weekend, I found myself reflecting on one of the better webinars I've seen this year. Part of Connect Travel's "See Tomorrow" series, last week's episode focused on resident sentiment with Colorado's Cathy Ritter, Park City's Jennifer Wesselhoff, Hawaii's Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā and Longwoods International's Amir Eylon, moderated by TripAdvisor's Steve Paganelli. If you didn't catch it live...make time to catch up with the recording in the next week or so.
Why sooner than later? If the pace of vaccinations continues on its forward trajectory and the fourth spike sputters, Destination Marketing Organizations will be returning to the marketplace with invitations for consumers to visit. The "when you're ready" message will increasingly be replaced by "we're ready for you." But, is your community really ready?
As Amir reminded viewers, 4 out of 10 residents remain wary of their community unfurling the welcome mat...and that's too close to 50-50 for me.
Despite the pressure to get back into the game, the question must be asked, will residents be happy to see visitors again? And, have they come to enjoy the relative quiet of the past year in many of our communities?
A lot of residents of Big Sur are kinda diggin' that Highway One collapsed, cutting off outside access to the community. In a recent story, one resident said she is "celebrating the tranquility."
How many of your residents feel the same way?
Some recording artists are WYSIWYG; they establish themselves in a lane and rarely venture far afield. Then, there's Rod Stewart...who went from blues to balladeer to rock to disco to soft rock to standards over his 58 year career since joining the R&B group The Dimensions in 1963.
The early '70s was a particularly productive period as he was churning out both solo and group albums at a furious pace. Indeed, 50 years ago this year, he released three albums, including two of his best works, "Every Picture Tells a Story" and (one of the best album titles of all time) "A Nod is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse" with The Faces.
On this Music Friday, we offer a track from each to kick off your weekend. There's this version of "Every Picture" with Bryan Adams from the 1996 VH1 Honors show. And, this BBC clip of "Stay with Me" from 1972.
And while I love it live...neither holds a candle to the sonic electricity of the studio tracks, here and here.
To think that it's been 50 years...
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