We are going red this week – as in Go Red for Women. To raise awareness for heart disease our office is participating in the Red Dress Doll Tour. We have the Red Dress Doll in our office all week and are participating in free health screenings. Heart disease is the number one cause of death among women and men, so I’m hoping our screenings will raise awareness and encourage everyone to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Amy
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Mark and Bob at the Victore Perrone Saint Xavier High School golf scramble

The New York Times has a major piece today titled, “Is Jon Stewart the Most Trusted Man in America?” While the headline may appear to mock, a 2007 Pew poll found Jon Stewart to be tied with Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams as the 4th most admired journalist in America. Judge it how you will, but the impact on national politics is unmistakable.

Gary
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Peritus summer interns Elizabeth Pulliam and Kristen Edelen at 21c Museum Hotel’s rooftop garden for a photo shoot.

Danielle
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I recently came across this blog posting from Steve Rubel - Edelman PR’s SVP and Director of Insights for their digital division and has over 15 years experience in the business. As a PR professional he is keenly aware of the countless off-base pitches that take place every day. He states:

“Every day I am deluged with hundreds of PR pitches. They come from everywhere: startups, big companies, competing PR firms and, occasionally, from people inside Edelman where I work. I read all the emails but delete 99.99% of them.

To read Steve Rubel’s complete blog posting click here.

Danielle
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There was an understanding in journalism back when I was a reporter that if both sides in a story were mad at you, then you probably had done your job right. Today we learn that the Russians are complaining of media bias. First, I say to the Russians, get in line. You could swing a dead lemur (who died of strictly natural causes from an organic diet in a protected, zero carbon, nature preserve) around any newsroom in America and not hit a Republican voter. Second, you invaded Georgia on opening night of the Olympics with a clearly pre-planned, pre-staged effort. Despite what the facts are, the complaining is evidence of an increased awareness and competence on the part of the Russians at managing their image.

Gary
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During the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce event on Monday Katie and I had the opportunity to met with U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander.

Lauren & Katie
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In their 1972 hit, Immigrant Song, Led Zeppelin triumphantly said, “Valhalla, I am coming!”

Well, so did I this past Saturday, but there was nothing triumphant about it.

I have officially been humbled. My golf ego bruised and beaten into submission. My clubs sent to the trunk in shame. But oh what a great experience it was playing Valhalla Golf Club this past Saturday—barely a month before the 2008 Ryder Cup heads that way.

I’m comfortable saying I know my way around a golf course. I’m currently a 9 handicap but have been as low as a 2. I’ve played on high school state championship teams and was once state player of the year. So when I stepped onto the first tee at Valhalla I did so with my head held high. My confidence soared as I blasted a drive nearly 300 yards down the right hand side of the first fairway—oh wait; did it slip into the rough, no big deal…right?

Wrong. I found my “good” drive mired a few feet into Valhalla’s devastatingly thick four-inch deep rough—a place I would come to know well throughout the day. A back-breaking wedge shot left me sitting on the fringe about 50 feet away. A short chip, a lip-out for par and I’m in the hole with a bogey-five. Unfortunately that’s about as close as I would get to a par all day.

Things are really humming along as Valhalla gets ready to host the world’s best next month. The grounds crew is diligently at work readying the course for golf’s battle between the continents. The sound of hammers and saws fills the air as corporate tent land takes shape. You can tell something big is on the horizon.

For the 2008 Ryder Cup, Valhalla will play as a monstrous 7,496 yard Par 71. I’ve never before experienced a course that demands such a combination of accuracy and length off the tee. The greens are receptive enough but have more levels than the Empire State Building. Let’s just say it’s best to be on the same level as the pin. The greens, while fast, were not as glass-like as I expected. Not to worry though, a member told me they’re keeping them cut a bit high so as not to cause undue stress before the big event. “Rest assured”, he said. “They’ll be quick.”

My conclusion: the pros can have their tee boxes because it’s not somewhere I belong. 500 yard par fours do not fit my game. But hey, at least I proved Tiger Woods wrong. He recently said a 10-handicapper couldn’t break 100 at a Major Championship course. I didn’t do it by much, but at least I got that going for me.

Steve
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Yes sir. Step right up ladies and gentleman and children of all ages. Put down the New York Times. Turn off your MSNBC, CNN and FOX News. The Wall Street Journal has failed us.

No need for the internet, satellite radio or any other current news periodical. All you are ever going to need to ever READ again is the National Enquirer. That’s right I said it. The National Enquirer. The source of the greatest news headlines for decades. ELVIS LIVES. Liberace fathers Martian love child.

True life stories of many of our fellow citizens’ intergalactic travels. Yet these so frequently have been dismissed by the intelligentsia and pseudo-intelligentsia. Even when Hollywood gave us a documentary of proportions at least equal to An Inconvenient Truth in the still unrecognized classic Men In Black which made the case plain and simple that secret agencies of our government rely on the truth that is set forth in the pages of the National Enquirer to protect all that is good.

And now when our country needs to hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, who brings it to you? No, don’t even dare say Katie, Brian, Cooper or Matthews. No folks. The truth on one of the most important stories in the last few minutes is brought to us by the National Enquirer. A brave team of reporters/paparazzi stalkers were embedded deep within the night housekeeping team at the Beverly Hilton and braved a direct frontal assault on the men’s restroom to expose, almost literally, the man who would have been the first President to spend more on haircuts than the Pentagon will spend on the design and production of a new generation fighter jet.

Yes. Oh no. Ohhhh the humanity of it all. Former candidate and current has been politico John Edwards joins the list that has no end. Politicians who are not perfect. Wow this story is just so vastly irrelevant to anything or to anyone except the unfortunate humans caught up in it. The former Senator had no political future with a President Obama Administration. None. Zero. He brought nothing to the 2008 Democratic Primary. He brought nothing to the John Kerry campaign in 2004. This meaningless story for American politics does however bring a big smile to my face for it is always nice to see the so called mainstream media outlets bested by new social media outlets, by the Jon Stewart, Bill Mahrer and Stephen Colbert.

But here we see all of our powerhouse media outlets, both new and old, trumped by that which they revile and ridicule over and over. The National Enquirer. The John Edwards Cheats story is right up their alley. It’s like throwing a 45 mile an hour pitch to Barry Bonds. Bang. Zoom. Home run. That the rest of our most respected media outlets would then dedicate so much coverage to this nothingness is actually what I find the most hypocritical. They would mock openly ever staging a raid in a hotel or men’s room to find such a story. Yet they are no different than our friends at the National Enquirer. Just not as good at getting to the really seamy imbecilic crap as the Enquirer. So to all the overblown political pundits who spend hour upon hour repeating nothingness each and every day here’s hoping to see some future headline grabbers from each of you and your fine networks.

Elvis owns Krispy Kreme franchise in Oklahoma City. Sources say he is on McCain’s short list for VP’s.

Bill Clinton suggests debate between Presidential spouses. Says Mrs. McCain reminds him of his beloved mother.

Tim
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