Coco Wows Eugene

The notice went viral early on March 11; by noon, it was sold out. Conan O'Brien would open his 30-city tour right here in River City!

A testament to the power of social media, the mere announcement that "Coco" would debut his road show in Eugene ignited an unprecidented ticket feeding frenzy.

We were lucky, mostly due to the fact that Gina was a member of O'Brien's Facebook fan page, nearly a million strong. When notice of his appearance in Eugene went viral, she pounced on the opportunity.

Gina conducted the research and I provided the credit card and, as a result, we both attended the opening performance of Conan O'Brien's "The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour" at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, April 12.

Heir apparent to Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show," Conan was unceremoniously dumped by NBC in deference to Leno, who longed to return to his old time-slot. However, O'Brien would have -- as Mark Knopfler might sing -- "the last laugh going down."

Dubbed "Coco" by actor Tom Hanks on the second episode of "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien," he not only negotiated a $32.5 million buyout with NBC while taking his show on the road, the red-headed comedian also signed a five-year deal with TBS just hours before his Eugene appearance. The agreement will put him back on late-night television later this year.

The show itself was high energy and can only be described as a "love-fest" with the audience of more than 2,500 adoring fans. Considering it was his opening show, the players, skits and videos were very polished, and Triumph the Comic Insult Dog had me in tears (check him out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugk37TvIR8E if you want a few laughs).

In turn, the crowd went "cuckoo for Coco."

Calling Elvis, Anybody Home?

The whole family -- including Gina and Jory -- attended a brilliant concert by seminal songwriter and guitar maestro Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame and his band of talented musicians at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene on Sunday, April 11.

Arrived early to peruse the "merchandise" such as shirts and posters, though things were off to a rocky start: a shirt vendor tried to stiff me for an additional $5 when returning my change. Dude was a dead ringer for "Del Preston," the veteran roadie with the thick Liverpudlian brogue and overdeveloped sense of self in "Wayne's World 2."

After giving him four Andrew Jacksons for two $35 MK shirts, he deftly gave me a fiver back instead of the $10 I was due. Rebecca interceded and -- feeling pressed -- I insisted on correct change. He indignantly, but immediately, complied with my request. I wonder how many other unsuspecting consumers he scammed that night.

For longtime MK and Dire Straits aficionados like myself, who have seen Mark in concert numerous times, the set list was superlative. He must have played nearly a dozen tunes I have never heard performed live in concert, so I was one happy camper.

Rites of Spring

Took advantage of the opportunity to get the heck out of Dodge (or, in my case, Eugene) during spring break. My destination? Lake Havasu? Puerto Vallarta? Palm Springs?

None of the above: try a road trip to Owl Farm and beautiful Lake Wenatchee in the Miata (above). On Monday, March 22, the weather was predicted to break midweek in the Northwest, so I packed the little green sports car down with some supplies and hit the road.

Always the first flowering signs of spring in the mountains, yellow skunk cabbage (left) sprouts new life among decaying leaves near Crescent Beach on Lake Wenatchee. The name refers to the skunk-like odor of the sap (once used as a treatment for ringworm) and flowers, which draw flies as pollinators.

Baked, the short, fleshy underground stem supplemented the diets of local Native Americans.

On Tuesday, friend and neighbor Steve Steinke and son Thomas came over to Owl Farm to work on a faulty beam on the snow shed covering the travel trailer. The boys spent nearly four hours completing the job. Later in the day, I spent some quiet time down at the beach at the junction of the Chiwawa and Wenatchee Rivers.

On Wednesday, I drove down valley to East Wenatchee to purchase a new port-a-potty for the coming season. The old one, as they say, had seen better days.

A Kaleidescope of Gonzomania

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 23, 2010

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Helmut Vallindaklopf, Regional Commissar

GonzoPR World Headquarters

Eugene, Oregon and Plain, Washington

GonzoKaleidescope Breaks New Wind Over Changing Landscape of American Journalism

GonzoPublicRelations executive honcho Mack Trucks has announced a new feature in that wildly popular blog known as "gonzopr."

The column is entitled GonzoKaleidescope and will feature "a potpourri" of nonsense and whimsey from gonzopr's extensive archive dating back to when the earth cooled and the dinosaurs died.

"As you might expect, we have unearthed quite a collection of correspondence and memorabilia," says Trucks. "That Gonzo saved everything, I swear. His attic looked like something out of a William Faulkner novel."

Gonzo, in a portrait of the artist as a young man (above), was a crack baseball player in his day. Playing for A-1 Jewelers in the local little league, Gonzo retired 27 straight batters while fanning 14 in a no-hit, no-run game at Montavilla Park in East Portland in summer, 1963.

"You won't believe the sheer volume of data and graphic material that we uncovered," notes Trucks. "It's the motherload."

Contact Helmut Vallidaklopf by tweets, Facebook, Skype, phone (cell or landline), texts, carrier pigeon or smoke signals for more information.

Wrestling A Pig Named Echo

To the editor:

As a longtime subscriber to The Leavenworth Echo and part-time resident of Plain, I appreciate the weekly news and information I receive about Leavenworth and the Upper Wenatchee Valley. For that, as well as the public service announcements provided for local non-profits and businesses to publicize their endeavors, I am grateful.

In the past, I have occasionally commented in your op-ed pages, but lately I have been reticent because of the obvious right-wing bias in your editorials, and in letters to the editor from readers like Bill Cowles. Don’t take this personally, but to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, you never want to wrestle with a pig because you’ll get dirty and the pig likes it.

Having said that, and despite having to weather the neo-conservative rhetoric for the news and information I seek, I believe it is fully within your rights as publisher to express whatever viewpoint you see fit. Providing a regular forum for prolific letter writers is also within your rights and privileges as publisher. Believe it or not, we have people like Bill Cowles in Eugene, too; only there are more of ‘em.

However, my issue is this: in the January 13, 2010 issue of The Echo, Mark Lindstrom of Lake Wenatchee provides a thoughtful response to an editorial in a previous issue of the paper and is lambasted in a “publisher’s response” immediately following his letter.

I have commented on this approach in these pages before, and my opinion has not changed: the practice is inherently biased and unfair, and is an anomaly in American newspapers. Perhaps you didn’t know that, and I should give you the benefit of the doubt, as your background is apparently in accounting and not journalism.

I am concerned about the future viability of The Echo in this age of “The Death of the Great American Newspaper.” I know you have lost readership and advertisers over the years, not just because of your ultra-conservative bias, but also because of your propensity to comment on letters to the editor.

Be careful with your ”bully pulpit,” Bill. You might just be writing yourself right out of business. I’d hate to lose The Echo as my “best source for Upper Valley news.”

John Mitchell

The Editor of The Leavenworth Echo responds:

"John, thanks for your letter, and the warning. FYI, Echo circulation has remained stable over the nine years I have owned the paper despite continuing declines in our local daily (The Wenatchee World). Ad revenues are down this year for the first time in ten years by three percent, almost entirely related to real estate."

"But more significantly, you should have noticed my previous practice (of commenting on letters to the editor) has been curtailed substantially. Thanks for your subscription."

Bill

My response to his response:

Bill:

Thanks for your response, and the information you provided concerning circulation and advertising revenues for The Echo. You would certainly have a better handle on those subjects than I; my information is strictly anecdotal (i.e. hearsay).

Good to hear you have substantially curtailed your previous practice of commenting on letters, and that The Echo is healthy. You should take the next step and eliminate the practice completely. The proper place to editorialize is in your editorials.

John

His response to my response:

John:

"I actually appreciate your input though we would probably disagree on some issues. I realize that my 'responses' are not traditional and that normally editors would use their opinion column for addressing difference of opinion."

"What is clear is that the industry and its traditions have been radically altered by the Internet, talk radio and cable television. The trick here is to try and find a new way to make newspapers interesting and relevant. That is particularly difficult when we only publish weekly."

"So I don't disagree that my approach has been revolutionary. The real question is: what do we need to do to continue to survive and maintain the interest of our audience? I came up with the immediate response idea while watching Bill O'Reilly. Not that he is necessarily a perfect representative of what is the right thing to do, but since I came up with that 'innovation,' my editorial pages have become much more lively."

"Yes, my initial approach was much too confrontational. I have attempted to modify that tone, but probably have some work to do on that score. The problem is that our society is is increasingly becoming one that wants instant feedback. So I am trying to negotiate that changing tide."

"Innovation is usually painful and often fraught with mistakes. I don't know that it is as simple as you suggest. I have no problem with writing my opinion column. What is hard is getting others to contribute their opinions."

Bill

"P.S. It is interesting that when I stop responding, letters drop off. When I 'push the envelope,' I get buried with letters."

My response to his response:

Bill:

Thanks for the note.

I agree that the newspaper industry is changing due to the Internet, talk radio and cable television, although I'm not sure if that is necessarily a good thing.

The contentious nature of the Internet and talk radio (i.e. "hate radio) has -- in my humble opinion -- led to a general loss of civility and decorum in public debate and contributed to increasing intolerance at all levels of society, from Washington, D.C. to Plain, Washington. Even legitimate newspapers are joining the fray by posting their articles online. The articles themselves are fine; it's the anonymous comments posted at the end of the articles that are contributing to this growing intolerance, along with talk radio and cable television programs like that of Mr. O'Reilly.

Having said that, my hat's off to you for providing such an open forum on your editorial page for letters to the editor, though I sometimes wonder how much someone like Bill Cowles is contributing to the collective knowledge base as much as he's just stirring the pot of intolerance.

Your ultimate challenge will be to find new ways to be relevant -- and yes, maintain the interest of your audience -- while keeping your respectability intact.

John

Home For The Hollandaise

The holidays began with a bang on Thursday, December 3 as the University of Oregon Ducks met the Oregon State University Beavers in the 113th Civil War -- the "War for the Roses" -- to determine which team would represent the Pac-10 Conference in the Rose Bowl.

After a tightly contested game through four quarters, the Ducks prevailed in the end, 37-33, precipitating pandemonium in Autzen Stadium as the UO secured its first Rose Bowl berth since 1994. Son Jory (above, left), friend Randy Enders and I were among the nearly 60,000 fans who witnessed the most meaningful and significant football game ever in the State of Oregon.

An interesting sidebar this season was the wildly popular video created by three students in the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication that went viral on YouTube. Check out http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/6441801/16703204 for the whole nine yards of "I Love My Ducks (I Smell Roses)."

Once we knew that the Ducks were in the Rose Bowl, it was time to secure our tickets, so I put in our bid. After hearing from the UO Athletic Department that we had indeed qualified for four tickets, we learned that the alumni travel packages had sold out. We spent about two weeks agonizing about how we were going to make it down to Pasadena.

Ultimately, we sold our tickets for a tidy sum and enjoyed a nice quiet holiday season at home with our Golden Retriever, Carmen (below). It's been a busy year with numerous travels, so it was good to rest up in preparation for another year of far-flung adventures in 2010. We had a low-key gift exchange at home, dabbled with cooking up a few recipes and even went out for breakfast for Eggs Benedict with -- you guessed it -- hollandaise sauce.

Although the Ducks lost a tough contest with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl by a score of 26-17, Rebecca, Jory and I witnessed a number of great victories this season, including wins over Cal, Washington, USC and Oregon State. The team returns 18 of its 22 starters on both sides of the ball, so the future looks bright.

Needless to say, we still love our Ducks! Tip of the hat to my buddy Jeff Foreman for the headline.

Let Bylaws Be Bylaws

Returned last Wednesday from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference in San Diego from November 7-11 at the Marriott Hotel and Marina (above and below, left), where there was a variety of things to see and do. Some of it even had to do with the conference. Generally, I was there -- with apologies to L. Frank Baum, author of "The Wizard of Oz -- "to confer, converse and otherwise hobnob" with my fellow public relations practitioners.

Actually, however, a lot of it involved work as an assembly delegate representing the Greater Oregon Chapter of PRSA and the North Pacific District of PRSA, where I have served as chair for the last two years. The Greater Oregon Chapter of PRSA is my local chapter based in Eugene-Springfield, but includes members from as far away as Corvallis, Bend and Ashland. The North Pacific District has 16 chapters in eight states ranging from Alaska to Utah, and (as ZZ Top would sing) "all points in between."

The assembly itself is a cadre of PRSA leaders from the national board to chapter assembly delegates who collectively govern the society: a congress of leadership, if you will. And, as in the U.S. Congress, debate can be widely divergent and -- at times -- quite lively.

Even in down years, the assembly will provide great theatre and contentious debate among delegates.

At times, the PRSA assembly reminds me of a scene from the John Ford classic "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," starring John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin: the nominating convention sequence in the Shinbone Saloon.

You know, wild and wooly.

Assembly is always a long day ranging in length from 8-10 hours depending on what's on the menu that particular year.

The year's assembly featured a complete rewrite of the society's bylaws, which were sorely outdated. From the start I expected trouble: the rabble rousers were out in force.

Before the conference, I received a long, rambling voicemail from Jack O'Dwyer, editor of a newsletter that focuses on public relations and marketing communications. O'Dwyer, a longtime thorn in the side of PRSA, described himself as a "reporter" who is "covering PRSA." "I want to help your cause, " he pleaded, noting that he is attempting to "stop the juggernaut."

"We're not going to hurt you" he added, which for some reason didn't sound very reassuring. Needless to say, I didn't return his call. Take a gander of the interview of Jack at the conference at http://www.propenmic.org/video/dna13-interviews-jack-odwyer.

A keynote speaker, Todd Buchholz (former White House director of economic policy) later referred to the "vigilante" concept in popular culture -- i.e. "Batman" and "Spiderman" -- when conventional leadership (cops) loses credibility with its constituents (citizens). O'Dwyer is a vigilante without a clue, and certainly no constituency.

But despite the potential for a verbal donnybrook at assembly, PRSA Chair Michael Cherinson and the national board -- with the help of a quality parliamentarian -- did a good job of keeping the discussion focused as we weathered a litany of amendments.

Surprisingly, the process was expeditious and -- though it was challenging for me to keep track of the UO-Stanford game on ESPN Gametracker with my iPhone -- we could have wrapped things up by 5 p.m. if it weren't for a few long-winded blow-hards and malcontents at the end. As it was, we adjourned at 6 p.m.

After assembly, I had dinner with a number of my colleagues from the North Pacific District PRSA at Roy's, a Hawaiian-themed restaurant.

The rest of the conference focused on keynote speakers (this year's conference included Arianna Huffington of "The Huffington Post," one of the most successful news and opinion websites, and Buchholz), professional development seminars, vendor exhibition (where I enjoyed the lively strains of a delightful mariachi band, above), social activities and, of course, more meetings.

The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) annually holds its conference in conjunction with the PRSA confab, so as professional advisor for the University of Oregon chapter, I hung out with five e-board members of that group, all former or current students of mine. We dined together on Saturday night at de'Medici's, an Italian restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter of old San Diego.

On Sunday, it was more meetings and sessions, followed by an extravaganza on the USS Midway, the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. The ship is a floating museum, complete with flight simulators and other interactive displays and exhibits.

At the dinner/social held on the flight deck of the massive ship, I reconnected with two former students now gainfully employed as public relations professionals.

On Monday, it was more professional development sessions, including a discussion of social media and how it applies to public relations. I believe that social media sites like My Space, Facebook and Twitter have true business applications, but it's still in the "wild west" stage of development, with more to come. It does have drawbacks. I like to say: "Welcome to My Face, where the seemingly significant can be significantly inane."

My last two days in San Diego were low key: I saw my niece, Nicole Mitchell (oldest daughter of my brother, Richard), a graduate student in speech therapy at San Diego State University, and generally enjoyed the sunshine while grading papers near the pool (below).