Doing Good Along The Less Traveled Road

People that I admire and look up to are those that can't be categorized.

Paul Newman was a great actor. The news covering his death talked much more about the other areas of his life. A close friend of his gave the following speaking of Paul Newman: "His craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends."

Tim Russert was a great TV journalist. The news covering his death talked much more about how deep his faith was, how much he loved his family and what a great friend he was. He was a good gut to the point that those who he was a fan (The Buffalo Bills & Bruce Springsteen) honored him in his death.

When you compare their journey with that of their peers, you see that they were on a less traveled road.

mike casts an eagle eye on Fireproof

We went to 2 movies this weekend that are as far apart as the earth from the sun. "Eagle Eye" the number 1 movies this weekend is pure Hollywood. It is high impact, action, car chase, down to the second, save the world using an unsuspecting regular guy as hero. Just like real life! It is a good popcorn movie in the vane of Indiana Jones. If you don't need plausible stories this one will work. **stars

The second movie was "Fireproof" made by a Baptist church in Georgia, USA. The beginning was weak and I thought I was in for a high school made film and then 5 minutes in it grabbed me and became a good, plausible story from real life. No check that it was a disarming look at real married life, it's pitfalls and ways to achieve happiness in a crazy world. No car chases, but since it was about firemen, there was action. It had one element not found in any Hollywood films: Christianity.

If you are married, you WILL pay attention. Half way through the film you will be taking inventory. Two thirds thru you will be plotting life changes. And by the end you will be glad you saw that it was about someone else, but glad you watched. Think not? Take the dare?
****star for substance.

You can live without an "Eagle Eye" but you and I need to become "Fireproof."

P.S. If you have seen the movie, you may be surprised to know that the 40 day dare book did not really exist. When the movie was screened so many people asked for a copy that the fictional book is being written for spring release!

Cool Hand Paul

It was sad to hear that Paul Newman died. If you look at my list of favorite movies "Absence of Malice" and "The Verdict" would both be in my Top 10. Recently, when the Muskogee newspaper published an untrue story about me. I confronted the publisher and his editors. During the discussion I asked them if they were familiar with the movie "Absence of Malice". They nodded yes and got real quite. I said, "I had always thought it to be a work of fiction UNTIL today!" They printed a retraction two days later.

If you ever feel confronted by the untrue, watch "Absence of Malice".
If you are ever challenged by those who do not believe in you (sometimes that's you), watch "The Verdict".
If you ever wish for payback, instead watch "The Sting."

Paul Newman also appealed to the race fan in me as well. As you may know he was a 4 time national champion sports car racer and co-owned an indy car team for several years. The only time that I saw him in person was here in Oklahoma. He came to the Hallet Sports car track between Tulsa and Stillwater to race his Nissan 280Z. My son, Nate, was about 10 and we went out there for the day.

I was a fan for several reasons. He was independent. I chose to live in New England and not Hollywood. His friends were regular people not stars. When he decided to start a company "Newman's Own" to sell salad dressings that he made for his family, he gave all the money to charity, using some of it to build a series of youth camps for children with critical illnesses. He was married for 50 years. He was also Doc Hudson" in Cars and He was just COOL!

Scary Shows part 2

Tonight I saw President Bush's Wednesday speech on a split screen played next to the speech he gave in the same room of the White House just before the Iraq war. The scary thing was that both speeches were structured identically! A few words changed from Sadam & Iraq to Wall Street, but it was essentially the same speech! It is scary weird! 5 years ago we were about to be attacked by WMDs and now the depression!

There is no punch line.

I wasn't Bourne yesterday

Since I read a lot of books and go to a lot of movies, it constantly happens that I see many movies made from books I have read. Many times the outcome is good. (Harry Potter and Kite Runner) Most times bad. Sometimes, too close to call.

I am a fan of Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne Novels. The Bourne books are great and fun reads. The movies are always exciting, fast and well made. I have read all the books and seen all the Bourne movies. Matt Damon is tops.

I am currently reading the new Bourne book, "The Bourne Sanction". Eric Von Lustbader now writes the series since Mr.Ludlum died and does a good job.

Here is the problem:

Characters that were killed in the books are still alive in the movies. The books have many characters that are not in the movies including his family and his alter ego! The movies use some of the characters, the title of the book, the general premise and then change everything else. You can not go from Bourne book to Bourne movie and back without confusion.

It would be similar to reading Harry Potter and then going to the movie where Hogwarts school was not mentioned!

The craziest book/movie experience happened to me about 25 years ago. I was reading a lot of Stephen King and when the Movie of "Cujo" (about a rabid Saint Bernard) hit the theaters, I slipped out of the office and went to an afternoon movie. The large movie palace had just me and two other slackers in the whole place. I settled in with a large drink, probably Junior Mints, and a large tub of popcorn. From the start, the movie was identical to the book (scene for scene). It was tense, but I knew what came next. I was deeply involved and had not eaten much of the popcorn. At the end of the book the main character had vanquished the mad dog and went into the house to get a drink. At that point in the movie, I relaxed and grabbed my popcorn, just as the Dog crashed through the kitchen window! (NOT I say NOT in the Book!) I threw the tub of popcorn about 4 rows and jumped enough to spill the drink and exclaim something bad!

I, of course, scared the other patrons who also screamed more because of me than the movie.

I left mumbling to myself.

mike gets a surprise!

I have been writing this blog for little over 2 months. My Daughter-in-Law, Lori, showed me one day how to log in to Google Analytics to track visitors. Each day I get a report on how many visit this blog. I don't know who visits, but it tells me what country they are from and if they are first time visitors, etc. When I post something new, I usually have about 10 people read it. The most ever was 17 in a day. UNTIL YESTERDAY!

For some weird reason there were 74 hits! and from 27 countries!

I was shocked! If I had known people from Sweden or Romania or Iran or Brazil was reading, I would have been more careful. Too late for that!

Welcome to a less traveled road.

mike sells trucks

I stopped at a convenience store to get a diet coke today, and a man came in and asked, "Is your truck the one that has a trunk in the bed?" I said yes, and as I was leaving I ask him if he wanted to see the trunk. He followed me out and was impressed with the trunk. He asked about the mileage (19 all the time), the engine (V6), the all-wheel drive (on demand), the back seat (folds up for storage), etc. When finished he said, "You ought to be a car salesman."

I said: "Then you wouldn't know if it was the truth!"

Honda owes me a commission on that sale!

Depression 2008

So far as I can tell, the three people partly responsible for all the economical problems (Obama, Biden, and McCain are wanting to run the country. I get my information, of course, from their commercials and speeches.

Palin can't be blamed because she was hunting moose at the time.

I have a hunch that the country would turn around quicker by getting rid of CNN and Fox.

People ask me if the bad economy is hurting my business? No, not at the moment, Things in Oklahoma are great! We are the last to feel the pain. Remember 1980 thru 1983, things were great in Oklahoma while they sucked everywhere else. In 1985 in bottom fell out with the oil bust and we were slammed. Not this time!

We have what everyone needs: natural gas, coal, wind, water, and friendly people.

I remain an optimist. Of course I get all my news from John Stewart and the Colbert Report!

For fun, go to You-Tube: John Stewart The Daily Show & watch the Sara Palin video!

Car Show

Walking down the street viewing the various show cars was this car setting among the rest. I don't know if they couldn't get it moved or not, but as you can see by the close up sign, they did award it. I am guessing but I think P.O.S. stands for "piece of ___"!

Mike's Memories: 55 Ford Crown Vic

We went to a car show in downtown Fort Worth this weekend , and to my delight a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria was on display. My first car was one of these (see picture). This one is worth about $40,000. I gave $450 for mine in 1963.

I kept it 15 years and sold it for $1,000.00. I needed the money! Mine was originally red and white, but I painted it Corvette Metallic Milano Maroon, added leather "tuck and roll" interior, and mag wheels. Along the way I also added another engine, four transmissions, two axles, numerous door glass, tires, etc.

The man that owned the car on display told me it's story. The car was his wife's car and she died last march of Cancer. His restored car was parked beside it, a 1959 Ford "Retractable Hardtop". It was one of those moments that you sense that he had a need to share her story, and we were happy to oblige. He was delighted the we knew the car so well.

Looking at the car brought good memories, but not good enough to own one!

The First Billion is the Hardest

Just finished Boone Pickens' new book of the title above. It is a good read. He tells is life story and explains his energy plan for the country. It makes so much sense that even I understand it and agree! The book also tells of the money he gave to OSU, and he finally admits that if OSU did not hire Mike Holder as Athletic Director, No money from Boone. Nice to have friends like that.

I need a wind mill and a hybrid truck that runs on natural gas!

Quotes of George W

"America better beware of a candidate who is willing to stretch reality in order to win points."

Aboard the 2000 campaign plane, September 2000


from my desk calendar

(You can't make this stuff up!)

Mike goes to a Ghost Town!

Ok, Let me say it right up front. "Ghost Town" is my kind of movie. It is one of those movies that I wish every one was required to attend. It has great humor. It has food for thought. It will make a thinking person cry or at least choke up. It is a smart movie. I enjoyed it as much as any this year. The hospital scene that sets up the movie is priceless. (****stars out of five).
(Guy alert! It looks like a romantic comedy but it is much more than that!)

I also like to read about the movies before I see them. Why was the movie made? Why were the actors chosen? Why this Movie?

We were in Fort Worth this weekend and the Star-Telegram had a story about the movie's star, Ricky Gervais, who plays a insensitive jerk of a dentist who has a "life-changing" experience and as another movie once said, "He sees Dead people." Ricky Gervais is the star of the British TV version of "The Office" that was copied by U.S. TV. He has turned down every movie role offered him in the last five years until "Ghost Town". He was offered the same roles taken by Seth Rogen, Jack Black, and such. He says that of the 100 movies that he has turned down 70 should not have been made. He said the idea of his agent saying, "We need to get you noticed!" He says, "No, we don't need to get me noticed. We need to get me some pasta!" They asked him if he was "holding Hollywood at arms length?" He stated, "I know there's going to be a point in my career where I'll stand at a crossroads and I'll tell myself I've got to walk away. That's the good thing about integrity. You can plan it."

I like this guy. I liked this movie! It is about a jerk that finally understands what is wrong with his life. All jerks should see it! The trouble is that most of us jerks would not know that it is about us!

Firing a Client!

I have always heard about the idea of "firing bad clients". There have been many times that I have wanted to, but I have always took the side that says, "a job is a job". Until today. We have a non-profit client that is a local location of a three county system. The local client tells us to design one way. The District says, "No do it our way." Neither side gets along. So they both give us a hard time. If we continue we will not please anyone and the compromise will not be good. We also are miserable. I will let you know how this ends. Probably Tuesday.

To take it a little out of context: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other."

mike goes to the movies: Righteous Kill

We went to see "Righteous Kill" even though all newspaper movie reviewers have stated that it is a bad movie even though it stars Pacino and Deniro. The reviews have given the movie about *star out of 5. All I can say is "Righteous Kill"! *star

Quotes of George W

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."

Trenton, New Jersey
September, 2002

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves."

Washington D.C.
September, 2003

and a personal favorite:

"It is clear our nation is reliant upon big foreign oil. More and more of our imports come from overseas." (My bold!)

Beaverton, Oregon
September, 2000

from my desk calendar

It is a matter of context!

This morning I met with the spiritual leaders of a small church in eastern Oklahoma to consult with them about the church building they hoped to build. They did not want my firm to design it. The design was already finished and engineered by another architect. They just could not understand why the architect had drawn what he did. There were things on the drawings that they did not want, but he added them anyway! It was a communication problem.

I listened to their story and was at first appalled that the architect would not explain his actions to them. Then, as the story unfolded, other facts came to play. 1. He did all the design and engineering for free! (about $15,000 worth of fees). The architect paid for the Fire Marshall review! (about $400.00). But he did not explain the changes he made to the drawings!

I reviewed the drawings and was surprised to see that it was a complete set of construction drawings!

While there were some things that should have been explained, most items were code issues.
When I explained why the various things were done, the comments were: "None of the other churches in our town meet code! They get away with it! How can the Fire Marshall tell us how to build our buildings. Is this a free country or what?" These are almost direct quotes.

You know how after a meeting you say to yourself I wished I had said "XXXX" Well I thought of what I wanted to say as they were saying it! I just couldn't say it.

I was thinking: Change the subject and they might understand. "Everybody I know cheats. They get away with it! No one should tell me how to live! Is this a free country or what?" Everybody I know takes drugs! Everybody I know beats his wife! Everybody I know breaks the law!

Spiritual advice is not just for sinners! Sometimes to is for church leaders.

Performances & Creativity

By now those few who read my stuff have probably developed some opinions. You probably think that I have way too much time to waste or that I am a sedentary person who just watches the world go by instead of being active like playing golf, hunting, fishing, building something, etc. Why do I spend so much time going to movies, concerts, NASCAR, Disney, Las Vegas, etc.? Why?

I have already admitted to be a fan and a watcher, but there is more to it than that.

The facts are these 3 ideas.

1. I learned something about myself about 40 years ago. I get my most creative ideas during movies and concerts. I have become a student of performances first. By the time a concert starts I usually know how many stage hands are visible. How many spots. How large is the sound board? Is there someone at a computer how effects? How many are in the band? How many are involved in "the Show". The planning. The first rock concert I intended I realized that only half the performers are "on stage".

When the concert starts and the performers bring to me the intended performance, my mind goes crazy! I have designed elements of a current project during a Rock Concert, and I have gotten marketing ideas from Willie Nelson. I can't explain it. I just expect it. Concerts are adrenalin rushes (a drug if you will). I do enjoy the music and the entertainment. The rush is always a serendipity, but something I look forward to. So Don Henley or Jimmy Buffett or Brad Paisley give me creativity on display. I designed the Garnett Church building at a concert. I got ideas for the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame at Disney World.

At movies the visuals or the dialogue gives me ideas for Sunday school classes, for how to deal with clients and as character studies that I file for future reference.

In my mind these trips should be business expenses as going to a seminar! As a matter of fact a trip to Orlando or Vegas is like taking an advanced course in how to manipulate the senses. These places are where every visible item is being focused to move the visitor to a response whether for fun or for gain. You might see these environments as plastic throw away items and moments. I see a giant performance!


2. Watching performers work at their best, inspires me to do my best. My occupation (and probably yours) is about performing. This past week I interviewed for a school project and I made four intense presentations to a church client. These were mixed like this: Eagles concert: Saturday; School interview: Wednesday; Kenny Chesney: Wednesday after the interview! Church presentation: Thursday; Styx concert: Thursday after the presentation; American Idol concert: Saturday; Three presentations to a church client: Sunday. By my count there were 9 performances listed. The unusual part of the week is that I got to alternate watching with doing. We perform. We don't task. That is why as I watch someone fake playing guitar, my brain goes: Ok, Mike don't try to fake out a client! If I can see it with Miranda, my clients will see it in me if I try to "air guitar' an answer to a client's question. However, when I see Joe Walsh of the Eagles play his guitar like it is his last show ever, I realize that my interview with a client, may be my last "show" as well. I try to finish with no regrets. Not always possible but always intended. In my show business, the encore is to be asked to work again for the same audience.

This is also I am bad at creating discussion when I do a class at church. I think creation and performance. Getting off course when discussion goes to unplanned points, freaks me out!
It is like sound problems in a concert or someone talking in a movie! The performance needs a challenging beginning, a compelling middle, and a grand finale! Getting off subject in a class or meeting is like heckling!

3. Movies are crafted the same way buildings are. The Director is the project manager. The actors are the design team. The special effects are the CAD techs. The audience is the client. as so on! I study Disney, Spielberg, Coen Brothers, Ron Howard and George Lucas just as much as my favorite Architect, Robert Stern.

The idea that "The whole world is a stage." is not lost on my little brain.



Imagine Create Inspire

mike goes to Burn After Reading

If you have seen the previews of the movie "Burn After Reading", the new Coen Brothers movie, you think of their movie, "O Brother". We saw it this afternoon. Think: "Fargo". It is a good movie, but it will surprise you in many, many ways. It is not exactly laugh-a-minute, but you smile all the way through. It is weirdly fun. The Coen Brothers directed it afterall. I give it ***1/2 stars out of five.

Concert Week

So far this week we have seen 3 concerts in 6 days. Eagles: Saturday; Kenny Chesney: Wednesday and Styx tonight! We are taking Friday off for football and then American Idols, Saturday Night! 4 in eight days. This will not be a habit! We ony have 2 in October and One in November.

It's a rough job, but I have been called to duty.

Air Guitars and Air Heads

Last night we went to the Kenny Chesney Concert and spectacle in Tulsa. When we walked into the BOK Center there was a sign stating that the opening act, LeAnn Rhimes, would not perform due to illness. In her place would be Miranda Lambert. Miranda is best known for her country hit: "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend". In her 40 minute set she went out of her way to portray just that. She acted like every drunk red-neck girl that ever attended a music show. To say it was not my kind of music would be understated, but I did witness something never seen in all my concert experiences.

When she finished singing her previously mentioned hit, one of the stage crew brought her a pink electric guitar, and she launched into another song and playing with the band. I was watching with binoculars and at first thought I was not seeing correctly. She was strumming the guitar, but most of the time her hand did not get within three inches of the strings! As she got into the song, she actually strummed lower than the strings for a bit. THEN, when that song ended the roadie exchanged her pink electric guitar with an acoustic one. She can play air guitar with either! Later in the show she had the moment when the spot light was only on her and her guitar setting on a stool. She faked that too! I noticed that one of the guitar players in the band always played whatever type of guitar she pretended to play. In her solo I could see him playing out of the spot light. At one time in her "solo" she actually quit moving her arm as she was in the moment, but the guitar kept playing!

In her defense, later in the show she actually strummed the guitar! Whether it was amped or not is a guess! She acted like an air head to match her guitar prow less!

p.s. Her fans seemed to love it!

LeAnn Rhimes would have been so much better! She has talent.

Sway

I'm reading a new book titled: SWAY, The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori and Rom Brafman. I am into the book to the point that I don't want to put it aside. For a quick comparison think "Tipping Point or Blink". The following is from the book jacket: Sway reveals the many dynamic forces that influence our personal and business lives, including Loss Aversion (our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the Diagnosis Bias (our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis of a person or situation), and the Chameleon Effect (our tendency to take the characteristics that have been arbitrarily assigned to us). So far I have learned why people keep bad stocks too long, why we will more likely attend concerts that cost a lot rather than use free tickets, and why you will make the wrong first judgement of a person based not on their personality but that of someone that looks like them! This has been extremely interesting to me as well as explain some events of my experiences.

I'll tell more later. It is already worth it.


Question: Have you been swayed?

My Eclectic Weekend

Webster says eclectic is "selecting what appears to be the best in various doctrines, methods, or styles or composed of elements drawn from various sources."

That would be my weekend. Well, not necessarily the best , but certainly varied.

My weekend started Friday morning. Carol and I went to the Tulsa Town Hall series and heard a speech from John Stossel at the PAC. Stossel is the ABC 20/20 journalist known for "Give me a break!" "Give me a Break" was the title of his first book and his new book is "Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity." His lecture title was equally provocative, "Pandering to Fear: The Media's Crisis Mentality". Sounds like a good Republican speech? Surprise! John is a reformed liberal. He is a Libertarian! Libertarians cause us problems, because they make a lot of sense and then you go, "Nah!" It was a thought provoking hour. The speech dealt with how the government tries to protect us from ourselves in many areas from consumer safety to food & drug laws. His examples were great. He (like all libertarians) believes in legalizing most drugs, pointing out that the DEA can't even prevent drugs in our prisons much less society. He also talked about how the FDA makes new drugs that combat disease from getting to the market by taking 12 to 15 years for approval. He mentioned that the latest life saving drug is said to save 14,000 lives a year. He asks, "What about the 14,000 that died each year from the time it was discovered to the year released!" Interesting stuff!

After that Carol had to go to a seminar concerning her work with "Weight Watchers" and I went to a movie that was light years form John Stossel or any other reality.

I saw "House Bunny". In my defense it was on near the location of her meeting and it fit the two hour window. It was one of those Animal House type movies, an ok rental, no cussing except the one f-word necessary to get a PG13 rating and mostly mindless comedy. I was in a mindless mode, Stossel filled my brain too full! **stars

We topped off the day going to a High School Football game ! C-o-o-l. I actually saw two football games! Owasso won the first half 16-0! Muskogee won the second half 17-0. When given the choice score one more point!

Saturday, the family (Carol and I, Nate and Lori, Lindsey and Jeremy) went to the Eagles (THE EAGLES) concert in the New BOK Center. This was by far the Best of the various styles. When we got there we found that there was a problem with our tickets and they moved us to much better seats (mid -arena) and gave us $60 in concession vouchers! C-o-o-o-l.

The concert was as good as I have ever seen. I have been to 3 Don Henley concerts and thought that he was about the best. With all the Eagles it was great! Paul McCartney great! If you can go to the November 11 second show. Do it even if you have to pay big!

We got there early an toured the new building. It has gotten so much pub as an architectural wonder I had to put it to the Mike test. My take: The shell of the building is Class A architecture. The Lobby is Class A architecture. The Concourse and arena are just OK. As good as the FORD Center but not close to the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The concessions and toilets are almost as good as most high school gyms in the state that are at least 10 years old. I know where the money ran out!

So in 36 hours, I made a lecture, a movie, a football game, and a concert! (Popcorn at all but Stossel, c-o-o-o-l)

It gets me ready for the coming week. This week I have 2 more concerts (a maybe 3!) and one football game!

To summarize: My wife is a "Weight Watcher" (She works for them.) I am just a "Watcher"!

We have a Credit problem!

We are in the political season. We talk about who can "reach across the aisle" which seems to be important because the Republicans don't like the Democrats, Democrats don't like Republicans.
Conservatives are against liberals, etc. etc. etc. When you look around , cities like Tulsa fall behind Oklahoma City, Muskogee goes from the third largest city to the 19th largest, and schools can't pass bond issues. The reason? Here is an example: An area school has tried unsuccessfully to pass a bond for desperately needed school repairs and additions 3 times in the past two years. The school superintendent might get credit for it! The patrons would rather have bad schools than to have them improved on his watch! Tulsa can't decide which roads to repair because of bickering. The nation can't solve problems that have been uncovered years ago!

How far could we advance if we didn't care who got the credit!

That's why social security, energy independence,schools and cities do not improve. We are ALL too partisan.

If Joe Blow gets the credit, I can't advance my cause! That cause is ME!

Sadly, I have witnessed this in the church was well. I recently created a once-a-month class to promote "moving out of self and working for others." After the first class I was dressed down for one hour by a "brother" who had a better idea to accomplish the same. He could not support this class. Of course, he had no plans for his ideas. He just didn't want something else to work! Here is the irony: One of the themes discussed was "Working in the community so that God would be glorified and not ourselves."

mike goes to the woody movie

We went to see "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Woody Allen's new movie. Let me first say that Woody Allen's movies are acquired tastes. If you like his movies you will like this one. If you think that his movies are off the wall then stay home. Woody's movies are first: well crafted, second: well acted. A-List actors sign up to work for him and he gives them rope to act freely- to the point that it seems that you are spying on them. This crop of actors is no exception.

In high school ,when we did book reports, we had to select a theme from a list of 7 possible themes. This theme is life at a given time and a given place. It is the story of two women who spend the summer in Barcelona. It is a story, a weird love story, a quirky love story. It is not a chick flick though. It is a comedy that is about dialogue and decisions. It is about affairs but not about sex. If you saw "No Country For Old Men" the guy that plays the cold blooded killer plays in this movie is the artist that all the women fall for. (A big change)

I liked this movie, but because of the subject matter, I would say it is an acquired taste. I give it *** stars for the movie story (**** for the acting and directing).

Movies like this challenge my brain. On one hand I feel guilty watching people talk about cheating at love, making bad decisions, and well sinning! On the other hand it is so well acted and watching things unfold gives insight to how people think. weirdly think.

Before you judge me and say: Mike how can you like a movie about such things? Well. I ask the same thing when people tell me they haven't been to the movies since John Wayne died. Old John upheld great values with killing, and drinking, and visiting dance hall girls. (The good old days.)

But I just like movies and good stories. Even different ones.

Quotes of George W.

In honor of George W. speaking at the convention tonight:

"Security is the essential roadblock to achieving the road map to peace."
Pittsburgh, July 2003

and my personal favorite:

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women across the country."
Popular Bluff, Missouri, September 2004

from my desk calendar