It’s been a busier than normal week with several work-related commitments in and out of the station.  A sampling of that and other things I my mind:

Last night’s News-2 Extra profiling the Nashville Medical Trade Center could be useful for anyone living and/or working in downtown Nashville.  The series will be posted on wkrn.com later today.  Just go to the top left tab labeled “news” and there’s a drop down label “video news.”  The News-2 Extras are posted there.  If things go as planned, the NMTC will arguably have a bigger effect on downtown Nashville’s economy than any other building. 
Mark my words.

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ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser is being scolded by the mother ship for comments made about ESPN anchor Hannah Storm.  Click HERE for details.  You can find more on this all over the Internet.  I may weigh in on this later in greater length but let me say this;  with certain people you know what you get.  Either you pay an opinionated-driven personality for their opinion and let him go nuts or you fire the guy.  To me there’s no middle ground.  What do you think?

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I attended a Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee event at a board member’s home last night.  I’ve said it in this forum several times in many different ways but I’ll say it again;  there are many wonderful causes out there but I’m so proud to be a part of a mission that has such a powerful impact.  A couple wish families were there last night and told their stories.  Great, great stuff.

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Earlier this week at the Nashville Sports Council’s Dinner of Champions, I had the honor of once again escorting Kaia Jergenson to the stage to present the Kaia Jergenson courage award.  It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10-years since Kaia was diagnosed with meningitis.  She now has a cool husband Doug and a little girl Elora.  She has a great attitude and has clearly moved on in her life.  While I’m not a sportscaster anymore, it’s kind that the NSC still includes me in this event.

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My best friend from Indianapolis is in town attending several Country Music Radio Seminar events.  He bids on packages online to meet and greet country stars.  I mean he’s a real freak about it.  Sure, there are some exceptions but most country acts are so darn grateful to have “made it”  that they are super cool to hang around.  Jeff always has some fun stories to share.  I’m hoping to meet him for coffee before I head to the downtown Y.

Have a great and safe weekend.

Do some of your recall cramming for finals in college?  I would go to the local Denny’s, sit and drink coffee all night while gabbing and then announce in the morning that I stayed up all night studying (without opening a book.  How did I get out in four years?  It’s a mystery).

Anyway, while it’s not an all-nighter, I was at work late last night and in early this morning working on tonight’s News-2 Extra on the Nashville Medical Trade Center.

So allow me to finish up today and I’ll be back to being a blogging fiend.

Good morning…

I’m crunching on a project that airs tomorrow night so I’m going to fall back on the “Best of…”  I like to call these “Dwyer Double Takes”  (or that could be known as entries that aren’t extremely dated!)  I think this one from back in August is timeless.  Lemmee know what you think.

Going “Old School”
August 26th, 2009

A good friend of mine and fellow Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee board member authored the article below that was published in the Nashville Chamber of Commerce newsletter.  I thought it was such a good reminder that I asked Ben if I “steal” it for DwyerWire.com.  After he finally called me back after repeated messages, put me on hold as he was answering his other cell phone and then told me an off color joke, he said “no prob.” (Now Ben, you didn’t expect me to give a straight-faced intro to this, did you?)

‘Old‐School’ Business Etiquette
By Ben Hanback, President, The Hanback Group
On a client call recently, I had to take an elevator up to the top of a building for my scheduled appointment. While lurching up floor by floor, a few things happened in that small space that really made me reflect on how etiquette has virtually vanished in today’s business world. First, two of the people on the elevator proceeded to discuss a co‐worker’s personal problems. Second, when the elevator door opened up on the third floor, two people stormed in without letting the three people out that were getting off. And then, at the same time, the men getting out didn’t hold the door and let the woman out first.

Now before you roll your eyes and call me “old school,” think about this ‐ when was the last time you were in a meeting or presentation and at least one cell phone or beeper didn’t go off? Or when was your inbox not full of chain emails?

I was at a conference a few years ago on workplace stress and the speaker asked everyone in the room (there were probably 200 attendees) to turn their cell phones and pagers up to the “loud” position. You can imagine what happened ‐ over the next five to 10 minutes, the room was full of ringers, songs and beepers. His point was how stressful today’s work environment is, and he easily proved the importance of turning off cell phones during a business meeting. So what’s happened to business etiquette in today’s business‐casual – email –text‐messaging world? Here are some rules of thumb to keep in mind in as you conduct your business and run your company:

Business Dress
My college coach always used to say: “You’ve got to look good getting off the bus.” This is still true, and it’s especially true with first impressions. People want to work with sharp, professional individuals. Even if you’re in a more casual industry such as IT or the music business, you can still present yourself well.

• Stay away from artificial flavors ‐ no heavy cologne or perfume.
• Avoid flashy jewelry or sports watches with business dress.
• If you are ever in doubt, remember, it’s better to be overdressed.
• Update your wardrobe periodically to stay current with changing styles or trends.
• For men, short sleeves are always casual. Rolled‐up sleeves say, “I’m here to repair something!”
• For women, skirts shouldn’t be above the knee and make‐up should stay moderate.

Phone and Fax
I love my cell phone/Blackberry and probably do more business on it than the land line, but everyone has to be reminded of some simple rules:

• Return phone calls by the end of the day – no excuses.
• ALWAYS ask before you put someone on hold and never put someone on hold if you initiated the phone call.
• Make sure to include a fax cover page and call ahead before you send a fax over six pages.
• Don’t even think about taking your cell phone into important meetings. This leaves no room for error – if you have to have it, set it to silent.
• Never leave a voice message much longer than two minutes, and always leave your callback number at the beginning and end of the message.
• If putting someone on speakerphone, always announce who’s in the room before the conversation starts.

Email
Recently, in dealing with a client, I went back and forth on email about attending a Titans game. This happened for almost two days until I realized that the client’s assistant had been checking the emails and responding to me. What if I had typed something inappropriate or off‐color? You never know who is reading or checking a client’s emails. Email is not formal, like a written letter, and it doesn’t disappear when it’s deleted. Email can make you feel like there’s a bond when there isn’t, and should never be used for sensitive messages.

• Respond to all emails within 24 hours. If you anticipate it is going to take longer for you toreply, make sure you have your out‐of‐office messenger turned on.
• Ask permission before including someone on a distribution list. If you are sending an email to a large list, blind‐copy the recipients.
• Always check your address list before hitting send and never forward an off‐color or inappropriate email.
• Don’t use an email to vent. If you are upset, call the person or save the email and re‐read it the next day. Never use all capitals – that’s practically screaming in print.
• We all know if you don’t forward your silly limerick to 20 friends, you will have bad luck the rest of your life, but we don’t care. Never send chain emails to clients, customers or prospects.

Meetings and General Etiquette
A few years ago, I was traveling with one of my sales reps and we were discussing our presentation in the elevator on the way up to our meeting, only to find out that the human resources director to whom we were presenting was riding up with us. Never discuss a client, prospect or meeting until you are back at your office. This includes restrooms!

• For men, always let women off an elevator first and hold the door open when entering a building.
• For both men and women, don’t get on an elevator until all people have exited, and never hold a personal conversation in a public arena.
• If planning a meeting, make sure all attendees know the time, subject and other participants, and send the agenda prior to the meeting.
• If sitting, always stand when introduced and shake hands firmly and look the person directly in the eye.

To increase your etiquette knowledge, many colleges and business schools offer actual etiquette classes, and there are great articles and books on the topic. So shine those shoes, save that cologne for Saturday night, set that cell phone to silent, and get ready to impress your clients.

On the run today from morning, noon and night but here’s a few things to ponder…

Several hockey folks in our building were cheesed that the USA-Canada men’s game was shifted to MSNBC Sunday.  These are the same folks that know better than most how ratings works.  More eyeballs, more money.  More than 8-million people watched the hockey.  More than 23-million watched the ice dancing and other events on NBC.  Did NBC brass make the right decision?  Seems so.

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Nashville Predators play-by-play guy Pete Weber is one of the greatest guys you’ll ever meet.  He’s an encyclopedia of sports history.  I mean, nobody knows more.  Being on his email list is a real treat because he will send obscure, often funny items.  Yesterday I received one more mainstream but if you are old enough to remember the “Miracle On Ice” from 30-years ago, you’ll get a kick out of it.  Click HERE to read.

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Finally, our super duper weathercaster Lisa Patton will occasionally send out a funny email that’s been passed to her.  She sent this one on.  I don’t think I’m blowing any confidence by passing it on in this forum.  None of these will change our world but you might get a kick.  Enjoy.

QUESTIONS THAT
 PUZZLE ME!

   Can you cry under water? 

 How important does a person have to be before they
 are considered assassinated instead of just
 murdered? 

Why do you have to ‘put your two cents in’…
 but it’s only a ‘penny for your thoughts’?
  Where’s that extra penny going to?

 Why does a round pizza come in a square
 box? 

What disease did cured ham actually have? 

 How is it that we put man on the moon before we
 figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on
 luggage? 

Why is it that people say they ’slept
like a baby’ when babies wake up like every two
 hours?

 Why are you IN a movie, but you’re ON
 TV? 

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then
 put money in binoculars to look at things on the
 ground? 

 Why do doctors leave the room while you’re changing?
They’re going to see you naked
 anyway. 

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the
toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being
would eat? 

 If the professor on Gilligan’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut,
 why can’t he fix a hole in a boat?

 Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all
 fours? 
They’re both dogs! 

 If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that
 ACME gear, why didn’t he just buy dinner? 

 Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
 have the same tune? 

 Why did you just try singing the two songs above? 

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s
 face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car
 ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Why do we  press harder on a remote control when we know
the batteries are getting dead? 

 Why do banks charge a fee on ‘insufficient funds’ when they
 know there is not enough money?

 Why doesn’t Tarzan have a
 beard?

 Why does
 Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you
 throw a revolver at him?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their
 vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it,
 then put it down to give the vacuum one more
 chance?

We had a great weekend with Lynley and my parents in town.  Good friends of ours threw a fantastic engagement party.

Herb, Ann, Lynley, me, Jerry, Dorene. Five years in the making.

The weekend weather was a wonderful boost.  Great to finally feel sunshine on the ole’ face.

The Tiger speech feels like weeks ago.  I may weigh in later this week but what hasn’t already been said?  Click HERE for one perspective.  Give yourself some time.  Bill Simmons always writes a book instead of a column.

I have another special report that airs Thursday so my blogging this week will be brief.  Thanks for your patience.

Ann, Lynley and Herb Miles

I’m going to make this short because I have the future in-laws in town for a gathering tomorrow night.  They are extremely low maintenance.  I score because Ann is making homemade meatloaf tonight, one of my all time favs, and Herb can fix just about anything.  We had a printer that wasn’t receiving a signal from the computer.  It sat there collecting dust and then Herb walks in and gets it to work in about five minutes.  Show off.

Later today it’s “take your future father-in-law to work day”.  He’s never seen how TV news is made.  I told him not to eat too much before we head to the station!

Perhaps Monday we’ll dissect the Tiger saga, or maybe we’ll be fatigued by it all by then.

Have a great and safe weekend.

Tiger has a chance to come clean. Instead, it's expected to be a rehearsed media event.

“Come one, Come all.  Let’s gather and I’m open game.  I’m going to make a statement, then fire away.  Just know that today is the first and last day that I’m going to address this.  After today, I’m only going to answer golf questions, and if you try the “end around” by asking if my personal life led to my 76, I’m telling you today it’s not going to work.  So gimmee your best shot.  I’ll stay until the last question.  Let’s get it all out on the table and then let’s move on.”

That’s how I think Tiger Woods should handle his media event Friday.  Play offense in front of hundreds of reporters and millions watching on TV.  Instead, we’re going to get THIS tightly orchestrated show.

Save it Tiger. 
Sure, I’ll watch out of curiosity.  Millions will.  You have a shot at coming off sincere and contrite.  Human, with flaws.   Bare your soul and the healing process has a chance with most of your fans (and sponsors).  Remember, you’re the one who wanted to be more than a golfer.  You wanted to build an image, a brand.  Well now you have the mother of all damage control on your hands.  An extraordinary fall from grace should be countered with an extraordinary exposure to the media elements.   Instead, it’s shaping up to be just another well controlled media event.  I guess tigers really never do change their stripes. 

I hope I eat my words with Tabasco on them.

UPDATE:  Click HERE for an interesting take on the whole thing.

UPDATE UPDATE:  Click HERE for another take on the whole thing.

 For all you politicos out there, CLICK HERE for a good loooooooong read.  Throw out party affiliation and just read it for what it’s worth.  It’s the new Governor of New Jersey laying it on the line.  Whether you agree with his politics, you gotta like direct approach.  he’s been in office 23 days, looked at the numbers and they just don’t jive.  Something has to give.  Regardless of the party affiliation, I like a politician that runs a city or state like we have to run our households. 

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Okay, this is purely hypothetical.  Don’t think for a moment that I have a rented movie wedged in between the seat of my car.  Here’s the theoretical question for you:  What do you do if you rented a movie and you go to return it (maybe a week or two late) and the Blockbuster you rented it from is out of business?  Furthermore, EVERY Blockbuster you have ever rented from in the city of Nashville has gone under?  Is possession nine tenths of the law?  Or will I try to buy a car in a few years and have this DVD torpedo my credit report?  Just askin’.

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I’m not digging on the Olympics yet but every time I look up from my work computer and see the snowboarding races, I watch.

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Funny... without having to be dirty. What a concept!

With the cold weather, I’ve taken my marathon training inside on the treadmill.  I have burned through my ipod music so I”ve taken to watching TV.  I have rediscovered Spin City.  I actually laugh out loud while running, no doubt irritating people around me.  The writing and timing on the show, is amazing.  As for Michael J. Fox, he may be among the most likable guys ever to grace the little screen.  His autobiography, “Lucky Man” is a humbling read.  Anyway, what’s your guilty pleasure on the tube?

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Last night News-2 Extra profiling the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville wasn’t a ratings grabber.  I did receive a few emails, including one from the man courageous enough to allow us to tell his story (we was sexually assaulted 35 years ago and only now coming to terms with it).  I have to remind myself that in this business, it’s all about ratings… but then there’s a night or two that may have a bigger impact on a smaller audience.  Let’s hope so.

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Perhaps the least favorite thing for anyone to do is to go to wakes and funerals.  Marty’s (calling him a handy man is an insult to all those that think they can fix and/or build anything.  Marty was the real McCoy.  More than that he was a genuine good guy) wake is tonight in Lawrenceburg.  So I guess it’s the man upsides that’s going to have the cool garage edition (one of the many “dream” projects I discussed with Marty through the years)  instead of me.  I can just see it,  the two will be shooting the breeze while Marty designs and builds the best garage ever.

Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

1 in 6 women- & 1 in 33 men will be sexual assaulted in their lifetime.

60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

 Those statistics are the basis for tonight’s News-2 Extra at 10:15.  I profile the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville.  The staff there was great, finding courageous victims to open up about their challenges in getting their lives back.

In TV news a long story is considered 90-seconds.  These “extras” that we air during ratings allows the reporter, producer and photographer to go much deeper into a subject.  I tend to think of them as  “poor man’s 60 Minutes” pieces.  99-percent of local TV stations around the country don’t do long form stories anymore.

Last week Bob Mueller did one on the water main breaks downtown.  Not the most stimulating cocktail party conversation but it was actually extremely interesting to learn the history of a century old system and how they are correcting it.  Anyone that lives and/or works downtown now has a better sense of all the work that’s going to be going on for the next few months.  It’s a story that’s hard to tell in a 10-second soundbite.

Anyway, if you are up and a viewer of other channels, I invite you to flip to Channel 2 at 10pm and then hang with us for the Sexual Assault Center segment at 10:15pm.
It may make a difference for someone you know.

Kudos to photographer/editor Jeff Davidson for working his magic on this segment.

See ya later on News-2 at 4.

Received a call this morning from Marty’s brother that my friend Marty passed away this morning.  I”ve blogged about him recently.  Had stage 4 cancer and then suffered a stroke.  Life is definitely not fair.  Marty was truly one of the good ones.

I’m crunching to put together a special report that will air tomorrow night at 10:15.  I’ll blog about it tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience.

Oh, one more thing.  I’m done with the snow.