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Media, Politics, Rick March 16, 2011

Department of Disgust

Anybody else disgusted with . . . seeing government money wasted and abused? Today’s front page of the C-J reveals that the Neighborhoods Department fiasco of last year was actually much worse than anyone expected, with thousands of taxpayer dollars wasted on event production for activities that shouldn’t be even undertaken by the city. I don’t know what aspect of the story is more disgusting. Maybe it was the fact that former Neighborhoods Director and Jerry Abramson pal Melissa Mershon hired her nephew’s New York company to produce a logo for $16K. Maybe it was that the just-released police investigation…

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Green, Weddings March 16, 2011

How to deal with wedding-related stress.

I’ve read multiple books on weddings over the past few months, and that’s not just to ensure I meet my 2011 GoodReads challenge, although it’s helping with that goal tremendously. There are thousands of books about weddings. We’ve thumbed through coffee-table books by famous wedding planners. We’ve read countless books about the planning process, each of which tells us how far behind we are. Mostly, however, I’ve been focusing on books about eco-friendly weddings and budget weddings. As you know, it’s not easy to combine the two, but if we had to describe our wedding in two words, those would…

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Business, LoUnique, Rick March 16, 2011

Flash Mob News: Joe Reagan Dances

The good folks at GLI were a little worried yesterday when I posted news that a flash mob was being organized for a big Louisville event. They wanted to keep things secret, and my post could have tipped off some folks that the big event was the GLI annual meeting at the KFC Yum! Center.  But by the looks of people in the crowd in this video, I think there was plenty of shock value. Emily Carroll, who organized the whole thing, told me yesterday that about 175 people were involved, but did not tip me off that GLI boss…

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LoUnique, Media, Rick March 15, 2011

How to Market Anything in Okolona

  Those folks sure like their guns in Okolona. And businesses know that being associated with guns is a surefire way to increase traffic. Of course, you remember two summers ago, when Louisville became the focus of national media attention after a pastor encouraged his flock to bring guns to church. Taking the gun promotion idea to a new level, this barber shop in Okolona is promoting that you can enroll in a concealed carry gun permit class right there while you’re getting hour hair cut.

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Events, LoUnique, Non-Profits March 15, 2011

Bacon, Bourbon and Beer

Coming from the world of fundraising, not many events catch my eye. I’ve been on the rubber chicken circuit enough to know that many of these events: 1) are not necessarily big fundraisers despite the amount of money put into them (we’re talking net dollars, folks) 2) are not all much fun and 3) are the same people go to the same events and pose for the same society pictures. Often, if you really want to help a charity, just write a check without expecting to be wined and dined. That being said, events are a great way to learn…

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Education, Media, Rick March 15, 2011

Manual Teacher Story Provides Media Lessons

What in the name of Mary Kay Letourneau is going on around here? There’s no doubt the juiciest story in the news yesterday was that 38-year-old biology teacher Carrie Shafer of Manual High School was caught drinking and probably having sex with a 17-year-old Manual student in a public park.  If I’m a news director, it’s a no-brainer that it’s the lead story on the late news. But I’m not a news director. Still, here’s a clue as to why WLKY-TV leads the late news ratings. WLKY reporter Erin Haynes was live outside the Courthouse (where nothing at all was…

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Culture, Events, Rick March 15, 2011

Surprise: Flash Mob is Coming Real Soon

The thing about Flash Mobs is that you really don’t know when or where they’re going to happen. But I can tell you that one will happen in Louisville today. I just can’t tell you when or where, because if I did, someone would kill me. Just kidding. Sort of.  Emily Carroll, a media buyer at Leapfrog Interactive, says she came up with the idea of organizing a flash mob after watching an episode of the TV show Modern Family. Emily is just 25, but said it was “bucket list” thing for her to organize and execute one. Officially a…

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Culture, Food and Dining, Health, Rick March 15, 2011

Our Man in Japan

It so happens that Albrecht Stahmer, a UK grad who has been working with J. Bruce Miller on drumming up excitement about bringing the NBA to Louisville, lives in Tokyo. And many of his associates here are concerned about him. And they want to be sure he makes it to the YPAL event March 31 — “Why Not Louisville — The NBA and Louisville” at Patrick O’Shea’s downtown March 31. I’m hoping Albrecht doesn’t mind, but I thought it would be good to share his report on the current situation over there with you. I like the way he inserts…

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Culture, Rick March 14, 2011

Edith Can Shoot Things is on Target

“Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them” is an odd title for the New American Play that premiered Sunday at Actors Theatre.  A. Rey Pamatmat’s drama is about a 12-year-old girl (Edith, played brilliantly by Teresa Avia Lim) who does shoot something and hit it, but the play’s real intrigue revolves around her 16-year-old brother and his boyfriend. And no matter how accepting we are of gay relationships in today’s world, the audience at the Bingham Theatre seemed to gasp each time Kenny (Jon Norman Schneider) and Benji (Cory Michael Smith) kissed smack on the lips.  And as they  explored…