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.

“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.

Don’t Believe Everything You Read. Seriously, don’t.

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

For reasons I still can’t totally understand, many people insist on believing whatever they read on a printed (or digital) page, regardless of how inane or baseless the material may seem. Generally the topic or tone falls in line with the reader’s interests or personal opinions and if it strikes them just the right way they fall for it, bait, hook and headline.

For example, while I appreciate the loyalty of my readers, I always encourage them to explore for themselves whatever topics I present and not simply take my word for it. An op-ed (opinion-editorial) column like mine offers one or two viewpoints about a particular topic but always has a ‘slant’ to it. For the author, the column can serve several purposes.

Some op-ed columnists are simply trying to put a voice to a particular viewpoint and provide food for thought to the reader. Others are doing everything they can to sway public opinion, by whatever means available to them, even by misrepresenting the facts.

Talk radio personalities and television news commentators offer the broadcast version of a written editorial column, usually with a much wider reach and, thus, a larger audience. Broadcast celebrity opinionists (my word for them) have one goal which is to please the advertisers by increasing ratings.

Banging on the desk and yelling, playing sound bites out of context and using as much spin as possible, these over paid blowhards ply the mushy brains of audiences with a lot of self-appointed authority. That authority is false but accepted by the masses, leaving them unable to tell the difference between fact and sensationalism.

Eventually, the Internet provided yet another outlet as audiences took to the computer screen for their news and information. So much pseudo-journalism has flooded the web that many now question the legitimacy and accuracy, not to mention the political slant, of modern news agencies. Take blogs for example.

The word blog is a shortened form of web log. Blogging started out simply enough as the ramblings of disgruntled workers or bored housewives who found an audience for their personal diatribes in the vast wasteland of the information superhighway. Over time, the number of blog followers has begun to surpass broadcast news and print journalism.

Depending on the content, a blog can attract millions of readers worldwide. According to the website InitialTraffic.com, the official blog of The Huffington Post was the most visited blog website of 2011 citing millions of hits for the publication. Other blogs have become mainstream resources, having transformed from op-ed material to news and video content.

Competition for subscribers and high-volume audiences is fierce between media outlets and some will do whatever it takes to keep advertising and subscription revenue coming in. It’s important that readers know the difference between opinion, editorial, news and sensationalist content. But how do you tell the difference?

An article or broadcast story that can be considered ‘news’ will provide the reader with the who, what, why, when and how of a topic, giving you the information without commentary or speculation. An opinion or editorial piece will include conjecture or literally offer the writer’s views in an attempt to slant the story or alter public perception of the topic.

In my columns, I generally cite the facts of a current event, a quote by a politician (in its entirety, so the context is clear), express the concerns of fellow citizens or I will base the work on a historical reference of some kind. The idea is to provide the solid, factual basis for whatever argument I wish to make.

For all of the chatter online, on television and on the radio, your local newspaper, in my opinion, is still your best bet for accurate news coverage regarding events immediately affecting you and your family. Online or in print, it offers a ground-level look at the day-to-day happenings without the ‘noise.’ Whatever your choice for news and commentary, be an informed reader.

 

DEER IN HEADLINES SPONSORED BY:

GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing

Here On Gilligan’s Island: TV’s Sociological Snapshot

Gilligan's Island served as a humorous microcosm of American society.

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

In 1963 television writer, producer Sherwood Schwartz created a short-lived situation comedy that, unbeknownst to audiences, provided a peak through a unique magnifying glass into the human condition. Panned by critics and adored by viewers, Gilligan’s Island became one of the most re-run shows of all time and earned a unique place in the annals of American pop culture.

Between 1964 and 1967, 98 original episodes of the show aired when it was suddenly cancelled before a fourth season could be filmed. Surprisingly, the show ran aground, not because of faltering ratings (it was always in the top 20) but instead because the president of CBS wanted to revive his wife’s favorite program, Gunsmoke, which had already drifted into the sunset.

Often taken too seriously by critics and sometimes misunderstood even by its fans, the premise of Gilligan’s was simple. Seven people set out on a scenic, three-hour cruise around theHawaiian Islands aboard the S.S. Minnow when an unexpected storm tossed their tiny ship and left it wrecked on the shore of an uncharted island.

Marooned more than 300 miles from their original course and left with only a transistor radio, a tool chest, four blankets and the clothes on their backs (which never seemed to wear out) the castaways had little hope of rescue. As if that wasn’t enough, each opportunity for escape from their tropical island nest was agonizingly thwarted – usually thanks to the ineptitude of the boat’s lovable, yet bungling first mate, (Willie) Gilligan.

Regardless of what people thought of the show, however, even today, the durability of Gilligan’s Island still leaves entertainment experts scratching their heads. It’s possible, though, that most people simply missed the point.

Gilligan’s offered us more than just 23 minutes of slapstick escapism. Along with campy, cartoon-like comedy, the program granted viewers a humorous and remarkably detailed glimpse of themselves.

Seven people, each of whom represented different social positions, were required to work together in order to survive in their shared predicament. The Skipper and Gilligan, for example, represented average, working class guys; a small business owner and his employee, if you will.

The Professor was a school teacher; the pragmatic scientist focused on getting everyone safely off the island. He also found ways to help make them all more comfortable while maintaining a discrete distance from the obvious distractions – Mary Ann and Ginger.

Sweet, kind, Mary Ann was a wholesome farm girl fromMiddle America. Television psychologists (yes, there are such people) often refer to her as the ‘linchpin’ of the story. Noticeably absent for a good part of an episode, Mary Ann would walk in at just the right moment bringing with her at least part of the solution to an impending problem, though sometimes inadvertently.

Movie starlet, Ginger, was Mary Ann’s voluptuous, big city opposite. Her Marilyn Monroe-esque sensuality was continually implied but never fully executed. Even though she was a film star, on the island she was relegated to a traditional ‘female’ role of the 1960’s, cooking and doing laundry.

Lastly, the millionaire Thurston Howell III and his socialite wife, aptly named, Lovey are obvious stand-ins for the high-brow elite. Carrying enough cash to support a small nation, the lazy yet likable couple solved problems back home with money – something that has no value on the island. Still, Howell’s business savvy and ruthless determination to return to civilization offers both foil and ally to the others.

And there you have it, seven snapshots of modern society dropped into a difficult situation where they are forced to get along for the common good. Of course a sitcom isn’t real life, but it shows us that we all have the same basic needs no matter where we are in the pecking order of society. In the end, we all require food, clothing, shelter, some level of happiness and a margin of personal satisfaction.

No one ever really finds everything they’re looking for in life, but peel away our political, religious and social trappings and we’re all the same. Just people trying to get along, regardless of whether we live on the streets of anywhere U.S.A., or here on Gilligan’s Island.

Jamestown Variety Show Finishes With Standing Ovation

The Brothers & Co. Variety Show (l to r) Gery Deer, Jim Karns, Ed Jones and Gary Deer Jr.

JAMESTOWN– The Jamestown Opera House came alive with laughter and standing ovations Saturday evening, March 10^th, during The Brothers & Co. Variety Show. The “Boys In Black,” as the group is known to fans, took the stage for a two hour, music and variety performance to help raise money towards the continued renovation of the 123-year-old facility.

After a brief introduction and prayer by historical society representative, and formerJamestownmayor, Mark Ferrell, the western-clad quartet of country crooners opened with “Daddy Sang Bass.” Music continued through the show with covers by Ricky Nelson, John Denver, The Statler Brothers and a special version of George Jones’ hit, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

Acoustic artist Ed Jones received two, house-shaking rounds of applause for his guitar picking talents during the group’s rendition of “Rocky Top,” and singer, drummer Gary Deer Jr., ofJamestown, delivered a stirring version of the country hit, “Jukebox in My Mind.”

Inspiring four-part harmonies were not the only entertainment on the program, however. Singer, bass player Jim Karns, ofFairborn,Ohio, is also the variety troupe’s comic magician. “The Professor,” as he is known in the group, worked his magic on a number of laugh-loaded feats of prestidigitation including a hilarious magical mystery involving a hapless white pigeon, an innocent Coke bottle, and a lot of feathers.

Not to be out done, the band’s pianist and tenor singer, Gery Deer, ofJamestown, made some magic of his own with a Wild West-styled comedy bullwhip routine. From a crisp newspaper cut to supersonic candle snuffing, the crowd was treated to a type of entertainment almost lost on theatrical stages today.

Following their energetic finale performance of “Blue Moon,” they received a standing ovation, cheers and whistles from the entire crowd. Organizers have asked them to return toJamestown’s stage next year. This is was the second performance by The Brothers & Co., sponsored by Culligan of Dayton, The Portrait Gallery inJamestown, Computer Troubleshooters inBeavercreek, 91.3 WYSO Radio, Yellow Springs and the Jamestown Area Historical Society.

The Brothers & Co. Variety Show will be appearing at The Murphy Theatre, Saturday June 16, 2012. Watch their website for schedule details – www.thebrothersandcompany.com or look them up on Facebook and YouTube.

 

Grand Ole Opry-Styled Variety Show at Jamestown Opera House March 10

The Brothers & Co. Variety Show on stage at the Jamestown Opera House March 10

The Brothers & Co. Entertainers take the stage in a 2-hour, music and comedy show for the whole family.

JAMESTOWN, OH – The nostalgic music and side-splitting comedy of The Brothers & Co. Entertainers Variety Show returns to the historic stage of the Jamestown Opera House beginning at 7:00PM, Saturday March 10. Tickets are $10 per person and proceeds benefit the Jamestown Opera House renovation effort.

Reminiscent of the Grand Ole Opry, Hee Haw and other stage and television variety shows of the 1970’s, the two-hour performance features classic country and oldies performed in a unique, four-part style and perfectly blended with family-oriented, interactive variety and comedy routines for all ages.

Nicknamed, “The Boys in Black,” by their fans, The Brothers & Co. performers, pianist Gery L. Deer and percussionist Gary Deer, Jr., both of Jamestown, acoustic guitarist Cousin Ed Jones, of Cincinnati, and bass guitarist Jim Karns, of Fairborn, have been a favorite at corporate events and music festivals all around the Midwest since 1996.

Dressed in formal western costuming as a tribute to their family’s century-long musical heritage, the group’s repertoire includes cover songs by country legends The Statler Brothers, John Denver and George Jones, as well as many original arrangements. In addition, the guys will perform award-winning classic comedy magic and precision bullwhip routines in a combination seen only in this show.

“Our show is unique and has something for all ages and tastes,” said The Brothers & Co. Entertainers director and co-writer Gery L. Deer. “We have put a modern spin on an old style of entertainment.”

The regional popularity of The Brothers & Co. Entertainers and tales of travel aboard their tour bus, “Noah’s Ark,” has even inspired a series of stories called The Adventures of The Brothers & Co. available to read free at the group’s website, www.thebrothersandcompany.com. Podcasts, videos and music samples are also available online.

To help promote the show, the group will perform on WRGT-TV’s Fox 45 in the Morning at 8:45AM, Tuesday, March 6. Check local listings for cable and broadcast channel. For more information visit the website or call (937) 902-4857.