Comedian Mary Mack! May Fan Of the Month!

Here’s stage hypnotist Rusty Z with his friend and brilliant stand-up comedienne, storyteller and polka band leader Mary Mack posing in front of Pete Contos’ photo at Pete’s University Park Cafe’ in Denver, Colorado. If Mary Mack ever comes to your town to do her comedy show, go see her! And if you’re in Denver, stop by Pete’s for some great grub. “Plates are hot. Have a nice time."

The Pirate's Hook by John LeBlanc

Normally I write my own articles. This time I didn’t. Posted with permission from its author John LeBlanc. If I posted this without permission, I’d be stealing.

People do things for one of two reasons: to gain pleasure or to avoid pain. Another golden nugget is this: you get more of the behavior you reward—the carrot part of “stick and carrot.” When that doesn’t work, revert to pain—the stick part of “carrot and stick.”

On the Interstate highway between Houston, TX and New Orleans, LA the speed limit is, for the most part, 70 MPH. I drive like a grandpa and go 70 MPH. I do this for two reasons: at speeds 70 and under, my car—which is a 6-cylinder sports car—gets a remarkable 35-36 MPG going down the highway. That’s the “gain pleasure” part. The second reason is I have a perfect driving record and want to avoid getting a ticket—the “avoid pain” part.

Most people around me drive much faster than that, even though the law states the limit is 70. Why? Their perception is that driving faster will gain them something good, and there’s little chance of receiving any pain because unless you’re driving 80 MPH or higher—or driving like an idiot, which, to my mind is redundant—you are unlikely to get pulled over and issued a speeding ticket. As long as they drive in a pack, behaving like everyone else going 80, there are no interruptions, no fears, and no penalties.

P2P (peer-to-peer) software has evolved just as fast as computer power and Internet connectivity has, and faster than technological deterrents have progressed. Bit torrent is remarkably good “ecologically sound” technology for the Internet world. Rather than one guy having a large file he hosts for multiple people to download—which limits the number of people who can gain access at any one time—Bit torrents provide a mechanism for a file to be downloaded in pieces to multiple computers and, as more people join to download the file, bits and pieces are assembled from everyone who has a piece. It is distributed distribution. And it is used for many, many good reasons.

It is also dead simple to use. Add that to powerful computers, nearly ubiquitous broadband access, and aggregate sites that act as Google search engines for bit torrent files, and piracy of intellectual property is not only virtually guaranteed, it would be more than abnormal if piracy did not persist.

It takes two to tango and in piracy that means someone has to offer digital goods up for distribution, and people have to seek out and take delivery of those digital goods. The offerers say they do so for a variety of reasons, and those reasons include pseudo-anarchy, sticking it to “the man,” “knowledge wants to be free,” leveling the playing field for people who can’t afford to acquire digital goods through normally accepted channels, etc. One top reason—and this has been true since the early 90s and the days of USENET and cracks—is acknowledgment, ego stroking.

Those who download say they do so for many of the same reasons that pirates offer goods. They also add a few rationalizations to the mix that includes “I can’t afford it anyway” and “no one is hurt, so what’s the problem?”

One of the contributing factors that bring us to where we are today in digital piracy is the fact that people who sell digital goods have done a great job at selling but a poor job of establishing the value of the contributor. I’d be willing to wager that a very high percentage of people who will get this far into this post—you who are reading these words—would never dream of unlawfully or unethically obtaining any of Richard Osterlind’s eBooks. Why? Well, even to those who are on the fence with respect to downloading stuff will consider the fact that they have something of a relationship with Richard. He’s a good guy who helps anyone who asks, he offers his stuff at very reasonable prices, and a “gut check” says it would be just plain wrong to screw him that way. On the other hand, the millions of people downloading DVDs and eBooks neither know the authors or care to know them. That detachment greases the path to rationalizing away illegal behavior.

Another contributing factor is that people, in general, have not been educated to the value of intellectual property. Walking in to a store and walking out with a $100 MP3 player would never cross the minds of most people, but downloading a three-DVD set from the Internet, somehow, is “different” and, somehow, rationalized in part because nothing tangible has been taken. They mistake tangibility with value, and that’s just plain wrong headed. It’s also pretty stupid and disingenuous since, if there were no value attached to the thing, why would they be downloading it in the first place?

The solution? Unfortunately, as a general rule, pain is a greater deterrent for most people than gaining pleasure (except, perhaps, in a bar late at night after several beers.) At least in the USA, federal law is swiftly heading to a tipping point when it comes to clearly defining and meting out punishment for IP theft. One reason this country is not feeling the real impact of what some are calling a recession as we did in the 1920s (which led to the Great Depression) is that we are no longer an industrialized nation. The USA deals quite a bit in intellectual property; this nation creates a great deal of salable value just by thinking it up, not by turning raw materials into tradable goods. And that needs to be protected.

Human nature being what it is, it’s going to take a few public “executions” to drive home the point that IP theft is a big deal. It’s the same reason that pack of I-10 drivers going 80 MPH immediately slow down to 60 MPH when they see a state trooper pulling someone over. It’s a reminder that, “there but by the grace of God go I...”

James Clark’s efforts at shutting down that website trading in magic DVDs is one example of how to turn the tide for our little corner of the world. While some idiots argue that stemming the tide is a useless endeavor, I argue that it can get done, even if it is one infractor at a time. Give no quarter, prosecute to the fullest extent possible, and take out full page ads touting the results.

John

How To Not Have A Crappy Company Party - Part 4 - Your Host & Emcee

I’ve been involved with several company party planning committees when I had a “real” job and since then when I’ve helped companies with their banquet/party planning challenges. I’ve noticed that getting volunteers to help plan the party, decorate and choose the menu is usually a fairly easy task. The Martha Stewarts of the world LOVE to do this stuff.

But when it comes to enlisting someone to host the affair and keep the festivities moving, finding a willing warm body is like pulling teeth. Your own teeth. Without anesthetic. In the snow. Uphill both ways. Why? I suppose one reason is that a lot of people are afraid to speak in front of crowds even if that crowd is made up of people they see individually at work every day. Another reason; the MC has to work! That’s right. When everyone else is having fun and maybe imbibing a little too much, the Master of Ceremonies has to be the sober, on-top-of-things party host.

If you do find a volunteer who has the public speaking skills and wants to MC and host the event, you’re lucky! I’ve found that usually this person is the CEO or (if you can find one willing to give up alcohol for the evening) the sales manager. Both are used to getting up in front of people and taking charge, and I’ve seen them do a very good job.

If you have such a gem of a person at your company, email me for a copy of my ebook, Be The Emcee for tips on how to successfully host your party.

But what if you can’t find such a person? A lot of Disc Jockeys to a great job of hosting the party. Heck, they’re there anyway, they’re not drinking, so slip them some extra scratch and most will be happy to host the affair.

Another idea that may not have crossed your mind? How about hiring a clean, professional stand-up comedian to emcee? Sure, you’ve probably considered a comedian as headline entertainment, but did you know that most professional comedians got their first paid gig as emcees at comedy clubs? Yep, even Jay Leno and David Letterman started that way. Call your local comedy club and book a great MC for your party. Stand up comics are witty, most can roll with the punches, and foremost, they’ve been trained as professional hosts through the school of hard knocks. A couple of tips for hiring a good one; 1. Ask to see a demo video. 2. Ask if they own a business suit. If so, they’ll probably do a professional and businesslike job.

Like a game show or late night talk show on television, the host can make or break the event. Choose carefully and make sure they’re up for the responsibility. You’ll be well on your way to a great banquet!