To paraphrase John Merrick in The Elephant Man ~ I am not a lead! I am a human being! or “Only you can validate a lead, so GTS”

What is GTS? It is an acronym for a tried and true lead validation system, that even the least tech savvy, like the person that called me yesterday, can use. GTS – Google That Shit.

If the Rep had entered any two variables about me into any search engine, I am sure she could have found me on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. If she had done that, she would have known where I lived and worked, but more importantly, she would have learned many things about me that might have helped her on the call and maybe in a future sale. Now, because she did not do her research, I doubt that I will trust the company in the future.

So the next time before you pick up the phone or draft an email to a stranger about business, validate the lead with GTS.

Google That Shit!

In what I hope is a trend, Digital Dandelion just won a second award for its corporate logo. The logo, designed by Digital Dandelion’s Chief Gardener and President, Jeremiah Cohick, won an Award of Distinction from the 16th Annual Communicator Awards.

The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for Communications Professionals. Founded by communication professionals over a decade ago, The Communicator Awards receives over 9,000 entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world.

Kudos to Jeremiah and the rest of the Digital Dandelion team.

I have really enjoyed Lala.com during the last several years. it gave me such a unique way to listen to and enjoy music. It also gave me a chance to hear what my friends were listening to on a daily basis. It helped my expand my musical horizons.

Apple purchased Lala a few months ago, and tonight they are shutting it down. I will miss it. I will let Tom Waites say the rest.

I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You
by Tom Waites

Well I hope that I don’t fall in love with you
‘Cause falling in love just makes me blue,
Well the music plays and you display
your heart for me to see,
I had a beer and now I hear
you calling out for me
And I hope that I don’t fall in love with you.

Well the room is crowded, there’s people everywhere
And I wonder, should I offer you a chair?
Well if you sit down with this old clown,
take that frown and break it,
Before the evening’s gone away,
I think that we could make it,
And I hope that I don’t fall in love with you.

Now the night does funny things inside a man
These old tomcat feelings you don’t understand
I turn around and look at you, you light a cigarette
Wish I had the guts to bum one, but we’ve never met
And I hope that I don’t fall in love with you

I can see that you are lonesome just like me,
and it being late, you’d like some some company,
Well I’ve had two, I look at you,
and you look back at me,
The guy you’re with has up and split,
the chair next to you’s free,
And I hope that you don’t fall in love with me.
And I hope that you don’t fall in love with me.

Now it’s closing time, the music’s fading out
Last call for drinks, I’ll have another stout.
Turn around to look at you,
you’re nowhere to be found,
I search the place for your lost face,
guess I’ll have another round
And I think that I just fell in love with you.

The best food is presented well

And that I may never have a better friend than Arthur Nicholls.

For Joy from Mark Fish on Vimeo.

Below is a letter I sent to support her nomination into the Hall of Fame.

To: Nomination Committee of the Fayette County Teachers Hall of Fame

From: Mark Fish

The last time I saw Judy Caldwell Flannigan, was in May, 2004, when I dropped by her house on one of my rare visits to Connersville. As I entered her house I could see it contained the familiar eclectic collection of magazines, drawings, sketches, ceramics, paintings and objet d’arte. I knew the stories behind many of the objects there and I understood that each new item, that had been added since my last visit, probably had an equally interesting anecdote to go along with it.

We talked for a while, caught up on the last few years, showed each other pictures of friends and children. It was not long before she mentioned a name I did not recognize. Of course she was sure I knew this person. I knew before I left her house, I would almost know him. As she passionately told me the story about this former student’s success, she reached for a scrapbook on her coffee table. The book was well over six inches thick; it was bulging and overflowing on every edge and corner. I was not even sure she could lift it. She thumbed through the book for a few minutes, stopping on a few pages, pointing out some people I did know, giggled at some old photos, gasping at others and then she finally found the page dedicated to her former pupil. The page contained a clipping from the Indianapolis Star that told the story of the former Connersville native’s business success. She read me a few quotes from the story and mentioned that the last time he was in town he had stopped by to see her.

Judy did not try to take credit for his success. She knew that what she taught him in art class did not directly contribute to his business accomplishments. What she did know, is that he thought it did, and that made her glow. She was so proud of him.

The reason I tell this story in such detail is because I think it is a great reflection on how Judy felt about teaching, her students and Fayette County. Like the former student from the clipping, I think Judy changed my life. Although she only formally taught me for two semesters in the 9th grade, she was a teacher to me before and long after that. Of course in the classroom she taught me about fine art, graphic design, art history and appreciation, but she taught me so much more.

Judy loved the terrain and people of Fayette County and she was an active participant in the life and culture of her hometown. She always encouraged me to be a participant too. Her actions inspired me to be a good student and to be involved in extracurricular activities at school.  Outside of school, with her help I was a very active member of the Whitewater Valley Art Association and the John Conner Players. By being involved in the community, I gained so much knowledge. I learned people and human nature and my confidence grew. All of these things would help me greatly in the future.

I have been lucky to have had an interesting career in the arts and business. While I was an editor in New York, I worked with Robert Altman, Woody Allen and Bill Moyers.  I got to work on great projects with some great artists and thinkers of our time. When I was working with these people I would always remember something that Judy taught me and put it to use.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about her. Whether I am choosing a typeface for a webpage, trying to find a metaphor to describe an idea to a potential client or to negotiate a difficult contract with an vendor, Judy is here with me. She was an amazing teacher.

Before I left her house on that May day, Judy showed me a few pages in the scrapbook with clippings about me. Some were very old, but some were recent. I was very touched that she had saved so many items about me. I felt honored to be surrounded by all of those Fayette County celebrities and to be in her hall of fame

.I cannot imagine a better candidate for the Fayette County Teachers Hall of Fame than Judy Caldwell Flanigan.

Very sincerely,
Mark Fish

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

The Kent State Shooting on Wikipedia

Digital Dandelion is a bronze winner in the 2010 Summit Creative Award competition for its logo design.

“Our company name, Digital Dandelion, originated from the idea of creating products that people immediately wanted to interact with and share with friends,” commented Jeremiah Cohick, President and Chief Gardener of Digital Dandelion. “We needed a logo to capture that as well. It’s a quite literal take on the form of a dandelion, comprised of asterisks and tilde.”

The Summit Creative Awards recognizes and celebrates the creative accomplishments of small and medium sized advertising agencies and other creative groups with annual billings of $30 million or less. Over the fifteen years, the competition has established itself as the premier arbiter of creative excellence for firms of this size.

Read the full story.