Jamestown Entrepreneur on Living Dayton, June 7

DAYTON, OH – Jamestown, Ohio writer, entrepreneur Gery L. Deer of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing will be the guest expert on the business segment of WDTN-TV, Channel 2, daytime show Living Dayton, beginning at Noon, on Thursday June 7.

Hosted by Nathalie Basha and Zuri Hall, Living Dayton is a live, one-hour lifestyle talk show featuring a variety of news and entertainment information from around the Miami Valley. The show premiered in February of 2012, replacing the noon-hour news program on Channel 2.

Best known locally for his work as a freelance columnist and author of the weekly opinion/editorial series, Deer In Headlines, Deer’s entrepreneurial career started in 1993 when he established one of the area’s first on-site, computer support companies – Deer Computer Consulting.

“This month on Living Dayton we’ll be talking about branding your small business,” Deer says. “Every business needs to build a brand and identity. Often, small business owners do this in a makeshift fashion and rarely get to a cohesive, marketable brand identity that will attract customers and keep their company sustainable.”

Deer’s firm, GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing provides concierge (on-demand) freelance business writing, public relations and marketing consulting services. In addition to working with small business, the company also provides marketing and publicity assistance to independent, self-published authors. The small business segment featuring Deer as guest expert will air on the first Thursday of each month. For more information go online to www.gerydeer.com or visit the Living Dayton page atWDTN.com.

Greene County Safe Communities Promotion Emphasizes Motorcycle Safety

Motorcyclist Fatalities Have Increased After Decline in 2009

XENIA - Motorcyclist fatalities increased slightly in 2010 to 4,502, accounting for 14% of total fatalities for the year. This increase in motorcycle fatalities for the year resumes the unfortunate overall increasing trend over the last 13 years, an upward trend that saw only a single one-year decline in 2009, when 4,462 motorcyclists were killed. However, the greatest decrease in the estimated number of injured people is among motorcyclists, with an 8.9% decrease.

In response to this increase, Greene County Safe Communities announced today that it is joining with other federal, state and local highway safety, law enforcement, and motorcycle organizations in proclaiming May as “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.”  During this time – and during the rest of the year – motorists and other road users are reminded to safely “share the road” with motorcycles, and to be extra alert to help keep motorcyclists safe.  Changing the driving habits of motorists and motorcyclists alike will help decrease the numbers of motorcyclist killed and injured in crashes.  Motorcyclists are reminded to make sure that they are visible to motorists, and that they follow the rules of the road.  All road users are reminded to never drive, ride, walk or bicycle while distracted.

“As the weather improves, more and more motorcyclists are hitting the roads,” said Laurie Fox, Safe Communities Coordinator.  “And with that in mind, pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers of all vehicles, including SUVs, passenger cars and trucks, need to be extra attentive and make sure they ‘share the road.’  A motorcycle is one of the smallest vehicles on our roads, often hidden in a car or truck’s blind spot.  Every driver needs to aggressively look for them before changing lanes or merging with traffic.”

Motorists and bicyclists should perform visual checks for motorcyclists by checking mirrors and blind spots before they enter or exit a lane of traffic, and at intersections.  Pedestrians should also get into the habit of scanning for motorcyclists who might be hidden by other traffic.

Ms. Fox reminds all road users that, “Motorcyclists have responsibilities, too.  They should obey traffic rules, be alert to other drivers, never ride while impaired or distracted, and always wear a Department of Transportation-compliant helmet and other protective gear.”

Ms. Fox said that a motorcyclist is much more vulnerable than a passenger vehicle occupant in the event of a crash.  She said that research from DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are about 39 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in traffic crashes.

Ms. Fox offered tips for drivers to help keep motorcyclists safe on our roadways.

• ·         Remember, a motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any other motor vehicle.
• ·         Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane width—never try to share a lane.
• ·         Perform a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or exiting a lane of traffic, and at intersections.
• ·         Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.
• ·         Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a mo­torcycle – motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.
• ·         Allow more following distance – three or four sec­onds – when behind a motorcycle so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emer­gency.
• ·         Never tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.
• ·         Never drive while distracted. 

Ms. Fox also said motorcyclists can increase their safety by:

• ·         Avoiding riding in poor weather conditions;
• ·         Wearing brightly colored protective gear and a DOT-compliant helmet;
• ·         Using turn signals for every turn or lane change, even if the rider thinks no one will see it;
• ·         Combining hand signals and turn signals to draw more attention to themselves;
• ·         Using reflective tape and stickers to increase conspicuity;
• ·         Positioning themselves in the lane where they will be most visible to other drivers; and
• ·         Never driving while impaired. 

Our message to all drivers and motorcyclists is: Help to share in the responsibility of keeping all road users safe, and do your part by safely “sharing the road.”

For more information on motorcycle safety, please visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Motorcycles.  For information on Greene County Safe Communities, please call 937-374-5669 or email lfox@gcchd.org.

“Pull for the Kids” Truck & Tractor Pull June 23rd

XENIA – The Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) is holding its annual “Pull for the Kids” Truck and Tractor Pull on Saturday, June 23^rd at the Greene County Fairgrounds.  This event is a fundraiser for the Greene Community Health Foundation.  The philanthropic arm of GCCHD, the Greene Community Health Foundation raises and manages gifts on behalf of the Health District.  The generosity of our donors allows GCCHD to continue the commitment to offer quality healthcare toGreeneCounty residents in need regardless of their ability to pay.

An antique tractor pull will begin at 10 a.m., a kiddie tractor pull at 3 p.m., and the big modified tractors and trucks begin at 5 p.m.  For those interested in entering a truck or tractor, entry fees range from $1 to $20, depending on the entry.  Cash prizes will be awarded for the winners in each division.  General admission is only $5.00 per adult and children ages 10 and younger are free.  Lots of family fun, food and drinks are on tap for all ages.

This event is sponsored in part by the Old Timers Club, Greene County FFA Alumni, Barker’s Towing, Greene County Dailies, Farm Bureau of Greene County, NAPA Auto Parts and Trophy Sports.  For more information, please contact Carol Sue Knox, Development Assistant at 937-374-5658 or by email at cknox@gcchd.org.

Not Enough To LIKE About Facebook’s IPO

Photo Courtesy Associated Press

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

Unless you live in a cave someplace, you probably heard that the Internet social media leviathan Facebook hit Wall Street with their initial public stock offering (IPO) on Friday, hoodies and all. Amidst the rock-concert type excitement over the event, the stock’s dismal performance seemed to leave everyone scratching their heads – except me.

No, I’m not some kind of Wall Street clairvoyant, nor do I consider myself any sort of expert on the subject. I do know tech companies, though, and I suggested a few weeks ago in another article that the Facebook public stock release would be a lot of buildup with no substance. Facebook might be the flavor of the month, but just around the corner there’s always another Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook’s founder, or thief, depending on which story you believe).

Not much happened after Zuckerberg rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Trading of Facebook stock was delayed until just after 11:30 in the morning and then watching the Facebook stock ticker was a bit like looking at the slow motion replay of a horse race. You know they’re supposed to go faster, but they just poke along.

The company issued 421.2 shares of stock at an initial price of $38 and never really got much past that. With an intentional sense of irony, just a few minutes into trading, I used Facebook to publicly record my prediction that the stock would not exceed $45 a share – and it never did.

The second day of trading was actually worse. When the market closed on Monday, Facebook stock had fallen nearly 11 percent finally ending at $34.03. To say it was disappointing to Facebook followers is an understatement.

I’m not a financial expert, but I have done my fair share of day trading and information was always the best tool for choosing a stock. I honestly believe many people don’t understand how Facebook, and other businesses like it, actually earn money, thus giving them value. They bought in to be part of the fad, and now they’re paying the price.

I also think one of the biggest mistakes made by the financial pundits was to constantly compare Facebook to Apple – literally apples to oranges (pun intended). While Apple does offer some web-based services, at its core (another pun intended) the company sells a product, in fact it sells many different products – physical, usable, manufactured products with an understood perceived value – iPhones, iPads, software and computers.

Facebook, on the other hand, is like a free newspaper or magazine in that makes a great deal of its money from selling advertising space. Add to that the fact that Facebook has yet to establish a solid, profit-generating business model for the long term and you get a company that’s far too volatile to be compared to the likes of Apple.

Hype worked for Apple, in fact, for many years, it seems that most of the computer giant’s marketing plan consisted of Steve Jobs, a black turtleneck and a big empty stage. Facebook tries, and fails, to emulate that kind of drama and we saw a great example of that during Friday’s IPO. As of now, everyone who bought in has officially lost money.

Social media sites like Facebook make their money through advertising and licensing of patented or copyrighted applications (custom programming based on the website content). But if too many major advertisers bail, the company loses steam. Just before Zuckerberg rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday morning, General Motors announced it was pulling all of its advertising from Facebook.

The exodus of the auto giant was bad news for the company’s bottom line, and shook its viability on the stock exchange. Losing GM cost the Internet behemoth much needed credibility and might have had an effect on the early underperformance of the stock.

In my humble opinion, the Facebook IPO was a publicity failure, but not necessarily a business failure. Still, Facebook will always be forced to outdo itself. But where do you go from up? We’ll have to watch and see. Oh yes, and don’t forget to LIKE me on Facebook!
Columnist Gery L. Deer is an independent journalist and business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at www.geryldeer.com

Does Everyone Suffer From Freud’s Alleged Death Wish?

Sigmund Freud, by Max Halberstadt, 1921

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

Sigmund Freud said that most people have a death wish, a desire, often deeply repressed, for self-destruction, often accompanied by feelings of depression, hopelessness, and self-reproach. Arguably, Freud’s theories have been the subject of considerable controversy and debate over the years but his impact on psychology, therapy, and culture is undeniable.

Debunked or not, psychology’s most famous figure may have hit this proverbial nail right on the head. At least that’s how it seems taking into account how many things people do while fully aware of potentially lethal consequences; for example, smoking, alcohol, recreational drug use, skydiving, auto racing, base jumping and other high-risk behavior.

It could be argued that some of these activities are no more dangerous than getting in the car in the morning and driving to work. Considering the safety measures involved in the case of something like skydiving, a quick spin in a Chevy would most likely be far more dangerous.

Of course, once someone starts taking drugs or abusing alcohol, a chemical addiction takes over and impedes their ability to stop. But they’re not the only ones.

Some experts suggest that so-called adrenaline junkies are not all that different from their AA-going counterparts. Similar addictive reactions occur in the bloodstreams of extreme athletes and even serial criminals, not for drugs but adrenaline. The high brought on by the endorphin rush can be overwhelming and highly addictive.

If the experts are right, treatment may be in order to help quell the desire for such extreme behavior. But, that doesn’t answer the main question – how do they start in the first place?

Could there actually be an inborn drive that blinds some people to the relative, even inescapable dangers, associated with risky behavior? Is it possible that some people are genuinely motivated by an involuntary drive akin to Freud’s death wish?

Blaming television and other entertainment media for romanticizing risky behavior is always an option, but only to a point. While these influences do affect modern society, they can hardly be blamed for anything prior to about 75 years ago.

Before the mass media evolved into what it is today, habitually addictive activities like smoking and alcohol use were predominantly passed on through families or influenced by social circles. Plus, the detrimental effects of these substances was not yet widely known or accepted.

It could be that people are just examining these issues far too closely. Maybe, to use another Freudian colloquialism, a cigar is just a cigar. Isn’t it at least possible that people simply do dumb things sometimes without deep, psychological forces at work? Of course it’s possible.

Psychoanalyzing risky behavior may rack up tons of cash for shrinks, but it’s entirely possible that some people just enjoy these activities for their own sake. Unfortunately, some of them become addicted to the rush, the drug, the adrenaline, or whatever it is that hooks them, and some even die as a result.

Life is dangerous – even if it’s unintentional. No matter the lifestyle, no one escapes Freud’s alleged death wish. Whether it’s a compulsion for that first cup of morning coffee or an obsession with shoe shopping, extreme behavior hits everyone in one way or another.

Sometimes the things a person appears to enjoy in life the most are exactly what may be killing them, or may eventually. Lifestyle changes or even therapy may be necessary, but the individual is the only one who can change the behavior.

 

 

 

 

Live Bullwhip Show To Open Indy Jones Film at Murphy Theatre

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first of 4 Indiana Jones movies. It will play at 7PM on May 12 at The Murphy Theatre in Wilmington, Ohio.

WILMINGTON, OH – Award-winning bullwhip artist and writer, Gery L. Deer of Jamestown, will perform at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington on Saturday evening, May 12th in conjunction with the showing of the blockbuster film, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Working in the traditional “Indy” costume, Deer will entertain for a short time outside the theater beginning around 6:30 p.m., and then move to the Murphy’s historic stage for full performance before the movie begins at 7 o’clock. Tickets are just $5, sold at the door.

A successful entrepreneur and columnist, Deer, 44, is internationally recognized as an expert whip artist and instructor. He is the founder of the Society of American Whip Artistry and holds multiple titles in whip speed and accuracy. In 2007, he was selected Wild West Performer of the Year by the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame.

In addition to working on stage from Ohioto Las Vegasover the last two decades, Deer develops custom whip holstering equipment for feature films, including the 2003 movie, The Rundown. He appears regularly on national television programs like NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” and local broadcasts including WRGT-TV’s Fox 45 in the Morning and WDTN-TV/Channel 2’s Living Dayton.

“The Indiana Jones movies gave rise to a worldwide interest in the whip and the momentum has kept up over the years,” said Deer, who is also a professional freelance writer and marketing consultant. “It’s always better with a live audience and I’m looking forward to giving movie goers at the Murphy something they will always remember.”

In early 2010, Deer’s work was featured in a segment of the ThinkTV/CH16 program, Our Ohio, in a feature story about The Whip Artistry Studio, his whip performance and educational facility based inJamestown. The exclusive whip school is the only one of its kind in theUnited States and provides certified, professional instruction in the use of the bullwhip as a sport and performance art.

The Murphy Theatre is located at50 West Main Streetin downtownWilmington,Ohio. For directions or more information go online to www.themurphytheatre.org and click on the Events link, or call, toll-free, (877) 274-3848. To learn about The Whip Artistry Studio visit www.thewhipstudio.com.

Jamestown Entrepreneur Featured Expert on Monthly TV Segment

(From Left) Nathalie Basha, Gery L. Deer and Zuri Hall on the set of Living Dayton.

JAMESTOWN, OH – Beginning at noon on Thursday, May 3^rd, writer, entrepreneur Gery L. Deer, managing director of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing in Jamestown, will be the guest expert on the first in a series of monthly small business segments on the WDTN-TV, Channel 2, show Living Dayton. Each interview will cover one of a wide variety of topics from creative marketing techniques to time management.

Best known locally for his work as a freelance columnist and author of the weekly opinion/editorial series, Deer In Headlines, Deer’s entrepreneurial career started in 1993 when he established one of the area’s first on-site, computer support companies – Deer Computer Consulting.

In 1998, with the computer firm well-established, he opened an entertainment and media promotions company but changed its focus several years later. Today, GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing is an award-nominated business writing and marketing practice based in Jamestown, Ohio.

The firm provides concierge (on-demand) freelance business writing, public relations and marketing consulting services. In addition to working with small business, the company also provides marketing and publicity assistance to independent, self-published authors.

“My goal each month on the Living Dayton segment is to offer Dayton area small business owners useful insight and suggestions that they can put into practice immediately,” Deer says. “There’s only so much you can talk about in a few minutes on the air, but if someone can take that information and better their situation then we’ve done what we set out to do.”

Hosted by Nathalie Basha and Zuri Hall, Living Dayton is a live, one-hour lifestyle talk show featuring a variety of news and entertainment information from around the Miami Valley. The show premiered in February of 2012, replacing the noon-hour news program on Channel 2.

In addition to his commercial endeavors, Gery L. Deer also serves as the volunteer public relations coordinator on the board of advisors for the Fairborn Community Center and director of the Western Ohio Writers Association, which offers educational, critique and networking opportunities for writers in southwest Ohio. The small business segment featuring Deer as guest expert will air on the first Thursday of each month. For more information go online to www.gerydeer.com or visit the Living Dayton page at WDTN.com.

But Wait, There’s More, on a Smartphone Near You

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

According to a recent survey by CBS News, there are more than 4.6 billion cell phones in the world and the potential for perspective mobile marketing is virtually unlimited. Experts believe that soon mobile marketing will likely become the most influential advertising medium of all time, surpassing even television.

Mobile marketing utilizes the data capabilities of smart phones, tablets and other portable devices as advertising media. The concept originated around 1999 with subscription-based text messaging services that were free to the customer but paid for by sponsors.

Since then, mobile ads have blossomed from short text message blasts to detailed ads, complete with video and sound, sent directly to the smart phones and tablets of buyers when they are closest to shelling out their cash. Sometimes the ads reach potential customers while they are standing in front of the product display in the store. Many ads encourage the viewer to scan the 2-D, block barcode in order to take advantage of special offers.

Sometimes, it can take decades for a new process like this to catch on, often failing on the drawing board. But, with the feverish demand for more and better mobile technology, the field has advanced from in novelty to practical application in only a few short years. Improvements on quality, signal, delivery and service by wireless integrators has only served to increase the response by the consumer to buy more and better smartphones and tablets.

The more devices there are in the hands of the users, the more advertising opportunities exist for business. Some estimates suggest by 2015, more than $163 billion of worldwide sales will come as a result of mobile advertising, in part because of the potential pinpoint accuracy of customer targeting.

It may seem as if advertisers are the only beneficiaries of mobile marketing, but that’s not the case. Consumers are in a unique position today to save money on products and services that they are likely to buy anyway. Often mobile advertising offers on-the-spot, and in some cases exclusive, savings directly through a smart phones – the modern equivalent of an in-store coupon.

Mail order online shopping may also be irrevocably changed by the mobile revolution. Consumers can get an ad for an item on their smart phone, touch the screen a few times, and the product is on its way to their home; quick, easy, and effortless.

For retailers, the advantage is being able to reach a more direct market, giving them more for the dollars spent. But that doesn’t mean it is cheap.

Continuous innovations in technology will require sellers to spend millions more every year just to keep up with the competition. As each company strives to outdo the others, those innovations will grow exponentially to meet the demand and the consumer will be hit broadside with an onslaught of ads on everything from cell phones to blue tooth headsets.

Avoiding such a barrage of mobile ads may be near to impossible but the best way seems to be by opting out of every possible source of marketing. For example, free applications (aps) for cell phones and tablets often require the user to be subjected to advertising – that’s how the providers pay for the free ap. Users need to carefully read each screen as the product is installed and used for the first time. Often additional options for the receipt of special offers can be declined only at that time. Once a marketing ap has entrenched itself in your mobile device, there may be no way to remove it.

As an ever increasing number of ads light up the screens of smartphones and tablets, at some point the buying public will begin tuning them out and, indeed, insisting they stop. At present, though, advertisers have their feet firmly planted in the trenches of mobile marketing and they’re not likely to change their tactics anytime soon.

Winners Announced in DNT TXT ‘N DRV PSA Video Contest

Students from 46 High Schools in 6 Counties Competed for Prizes

Featured (from left) John Zeller of Farmers Insurance, Anna Knippling, David Butcher and Olivia Ramage, all of Yellow Springs High School, and Laurie Fox, Greene County Safe Communities Coordinator. Students from Yellow Springs High School were awarded prizes for entries submitted in the DNT TXT N DRV PSA video contest.

Xenia  - The Greene County Safe Communities Coalition and the Drug-Free Healthy Communities Coalition in Greene County recently teamed up to tackle the issue of Texting While Driving with a 30-second video contest aimed at high school students.

The contest was developed to encourage teens to create a thirty-second public service announcement that could be used by the local media to show the dangers of texting while driving and encourage drivers to refrain from this very dangerous behavior.  Forty-six high schools in six counties – Champaign, Clark, Fayette, Greene, Madison and Miami – were invited to participate.  There were two divisions: 9^th/10^th grade and 11^th/12^th grade.  Prizes for 1^st – 3^rd place in each division were secured through the generosity of Farmers Insurance and Walmart that included a Kindle Fire for 1^st place, a Kindle and a $25 Amazon gift card for 2^nd place and a $100 Visa gift card for 3^rd place.  Judges for the contest included members from both coalitions, students from Xenia High School and staff from WDTN TV.  Winners were announced at Ohio SADD’s Prevention Convention in Sharonville on March 8^th.

In the 9^th/10^th grade division, 1^st place was awarded to Olivia Ramage, a 10^th grader at Yellow Springs High School, 2^nd place was awarded to Anna Knippling, a 9^th grader at Yellow Springs High School, and 3^rd place was awarded to Benjamin Lusk, a 10^th grader at Xenia Christian High School.  In the 11^th/12^th grade division, 1^st place was awarded to Cody Walborn, an 11^th grader at Springfield High School, 2^nd place was awarded to Holly Black, a 12^th grader at Piqua High School and 3^rd place was awarded to Kendrick Link, also a 12^th grader at Piqua High School.

The coalitions are working with WDTN TV in hopes of having the 1^st place videos aired this fall when the station runs their WAIT2TXT campaign.  Both coalitions are planning to work together again in 2013 to hold a similar contest focusing on teen driver safety.

For more information about the contest or the coalitions and how you can get involved, please contact Laurie Fox, Safe Communities Coordinator, at 937-374-5669 or by email at lfox@gcchd.org.  For more information on texting and driving, visit www.distraction.gov.

Revising the Book of Romney

Mitt Romney will have to work hard to earn the 'regular guy' vote in November. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

Presidential GOP front runner Mitt Romney has been repeatedly criticized as being elitist, out of touch, self-aggrandizing and focused only on his capitalist endeavors for gaining wealth. Critics say that he has absolutely no idea what the average American has to go through just to make ends meet in today’s economy, and, unfortunately, his own words have reinforced that image.

During a speech on theMichigan campaign trail, Romney commented that his wife had two Cadillacs. He was attempting to show people that his family owned American-built cars, trying to relate to theDetroit audience. Instead, he left the impression that he thinks that every stay-at-home mom can afford to own two luxury vehicles. Out of touch, or just bad speech preparation?

During the run of the GOP primaries, Romney has often presented himself as snobby, elitist and completely misunderstanding of the challenges faced by today’s worker. His multi-million-dollar income affords him at least two homes, vacations all over the world and much more. But while people are criticizing that kind of success, it’s important to remember that President Obama has also spent a great deal of his adult life in the lap of luxury.

As he finished his first year in office the president reported more than $5 million in personal income; not bad for a junior senator fromIllinois. Like Romney, his fortunes have accumulated because of good financial decisions and investments in the capitalist system – a fact Democrats like to downplay whenever possible.

The truth is, neither man can truly grasp what it’s like to have to scrape together enough money to feed a family or worry that his paycheck won’t be enough to keep the electricity on for another month. But some are working to help change Romney’s image.

Author Jeff Benedict has just released an updated edition of his 2007 book, The Mormon Way of Doing Business, featuring a new chapter about Republican front runner Mitt Romney. Benedict touts a lifetime of the formerMassachusetts governor’s selfless good deeds; from his church-going youth to his big-business adulthood.

No doubt the author added the chapter to use Romney’s fame as a way to refresh book sales, but whatever the motive he does reveal a softer side to the Mormon candidate. In one story Romney grabbed a shovel to assist a family friend after a wildfire nearly destroyed their home. In another, he mobilized a city to search for a missing girl.

In 1996, when the 14-year-old daughter of a business partner disappeared, Romney mobilized the business community and local authorities, creating a command post at his office and utilizing his position to leverage assistance wherever possible. Thankfully, the girl was found, but relatively few know of Romney’s involvement in the incident.

While these stories are emotionally compelling and help to humanize a man who is often seen as cold and without compassion, the timing of their release is precarious. At this point, trying to throw out selfless tales of heroism and personal generosity will likely be reflected by critics as grandstanding from the Romney camp in an effort to win over a few bleeding hearts.

Romney’s business savvy is without question, but can the same be said for his integrity and commitment to working on behalf of a country shackled by an ever-increasing deficit and floundering economy? It’s hard to imagine that a few kind anecdotes will be enough to change his harsh, all-business image enough to sway voters to unseat the president in November.

Given the number of delegates he’s earned in the primaries, the former governor certainly seems a shoe-in for the GOP nomination. If he is chosen to run on the Republican ticket, the challenge will be to convince the majority of the country to give up Obama-ism and follow the book of Romney. It’s too bad the Prophet Moroni didn’t leave behind another golden book to guide his way like the one Joseph Smith found. Romney will simply have to rely on opinion polls and CNN, just like everyone else.