Happy Halloween

Give My Regards To Broadway

While I'd dearly love to be in New York City this weekend for PhotoPlus Expo, sadly I'm still here in Chicago supervising the wind storms. We are looking forward to milder weather for the weekend but it doesn't matter, my heart is in New York City.

I'm represented well though. I still get to say that I have the largest image on display at the Javits Center. It's behind the concierge's desks on both levels, the image of the Brooklyn Bridge and World Trade Center with the orange sky. Look for me, I'm there in spirit.

For all my friends with whom I'd planned to share round food, come visit Chicago... we have some great hot dogs here!

It's All About The Chase?

Wayne Carini of F40 Motorsports remarks, at the opening of his popular television show Chasing Classic Cars, "win or lose, it's all about the chase."Of course he's referring to the excitement of finding rare, classic automobiles... wherever he has to go, whatever he has to do... and bringing them back to life and to market, or to a particular client. But it's not really all about the chase, it's really all about service.

I feel the same way and at ADT Custom Home Services we really are all about service.Sometimes that means going to extraordinary lengths to provide my clients with the solutions they need and in the manner in which they prefer. This can be a little idiosyncratic sometimes, but it's never boring. Can it be all about the chase?Absolutely!One of my favorite recent episodes was all about the chase. My client preferred, for whatever reason, to conduct the initial phase of his research via text message. It's not the usual medium I employ, and certainly not my medium of choice when interacting with a client but... as I've said many times, I've been doing this a long time and I'm not bored yet. And like Wayne, "I'll go anywhere, do anything,"... and though he's talking about chasing down cars for his clients and I'm designing security programs for mine, I'll do whatever it takes to satisfy my clients, even if that means conducting business by text message. It's not really all about the chase, it's really all about service.

The Camera Never Lies... It's The Politicians

I've had to turn-off cable news recently, with the exception of the miraculous rescue of the Chilean miners, because of all the dissection of minutia of the political campaigns and the lies... it makes me absolutely nuts. Just before I did, however, I caught a Jon Stewart/The Daily Show parody of two ads from two different Tea Baggers who used the same image of a group of "illegal aliens" in their mudslinging. Turns out that the ads both infringed the photographer's copyright and the guys in the picture aren't illegal at all. Yes, they're Mexicans, but they were photographed in Mexico where... surprise, surprise... it's legal to be Mexican!

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Does anybody really care? This is the most bizarre timepiece I've ever seen... but I still want one! I've got a birthday coming up you know.

Friday, Oct 1, 2010 - 5:11 PM

I love people who strategically time their phone calls. Had one yesterday from a guy who's a marketing executive at a nearby corporate office. He wanted information but he really didn't want to talk to me so he called just after the close of business yesterday. Unfortunately, for him, I was still in my office.

Phone: Ring, ring.
Me: Hello, this is Joe.
Him: Oh, hi, how do you pronounce your last name?
Po - ber - es - kin
Yeah. Sorry, I was hoping to get your voicemail, I just wanted to hear your name pronounced correctly.
And you are?
My name's Greg Sherwood.
And you just wanted to hear my voicemail pronounce my name?
Yeah. I was looking at your web site.
(He wants to hang-up but I'm having too much fun, so I keep talking...)
Were you just site-seeing or is there something specific? Where are you from?
Oh, I'm from Deerfield but I work in Lincolnshire.
Really? I'm in Deerfield too. What do you do in Lincolnshire?
I'm a marketing executive at XYZ Products.
No kidding? I know your company, it's just a mile up Milwaukee Avenue on the left.
Exactly.
Cool. Do you ever commission photographers?
Yeah, we do.
Great. When do we start?