Saucy Fun: Plan Your July 4th in Kansas City!

Tired of the same old, same old July 4th? Then you owe it to yourself to pack up the friends and family and come out to KCRiverFest!

Presented by KCTV/myKSMO TV, the annual KCRiverFest at Richard Berkley Riverfront Park is recognized as the place in Downtown Kansas City to celebrate July 3-4!

Astounding bands (including Julia Othmer, Dan Coyle, The Air Force Shades of Blue Band and many many more,) fantastic food, family activities and breathtaking fireworks make KCRiverFest the natural choice for Independence Day fun.

Sponsored by Friends of the River—Kansas City, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, enhancement and protection of the Riverfront, KCRiverFest has drawn international recognition as a finalist for Best Fair/Festival by Special Events Magazine.

KCRiverFest hours are Friday July 3: 3-11 p.m.; Saturday July 4: 1-11 p.m. Ticket Info: $6 for adults, Children 5 and under FREE. Advance discount tickets are available online--click here!

KCRiverFest is a celebration of our culture, heritage, nation and all the elements that combine to make America great. Visit www.KCRiverFest.com for details.

Click here for a quick video of last year's festival.

Come on out and join us in KC--July 4 done right!

Three Day Weekend (BBQ) Sauce

Okay, I just have to ask: how can CNN write about America's best barbecue without even mentioning Kansas City? Come on--no mention of Arthur Bryant's legendary ribs? The renowned Gates BBQ--or the sublime Oklahoma Joe's?

Now, I'm a transplant to Kansas City and I grew up in a decent but far-from-legendary BBQ state (though the best BBQ sandwich I ever had is the Smokestack from Oklahoma City's own Earl's BBQ.); I've had Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and even British BBQ (don't ask)--and I know you just cannot argue with KC BBQ.

So boo to CNN's lack of foresight on this issue. They deserve any ribbing they get.

Many say the secret is in the sauce. I agree. So, licking my fingers and wishing you a great weekend...see you next week.

Tell Your Friends--The Facebook Deathwatch Has Begun

Mark Lazen thinks Facebook is on its way out.

excerpt:

There are a number of reasons to believe that FB is bound for a mind-blowingly profitable death. And the interface is a symptom, not a cause.

The reason it's impossible to figure out where to go and what to do with that interface is because FB is trying to be all things to all people. It's a photo gallery. It's a meeting place. It's an email system. It's a game arcade. It's a shopping mall and gift exchange.

Aside: If one more person gives me a "gift" of any kind on FB, I will flip out. It's not a gift. It's a picture of a gift. Or not even. And what you've actually done is steal a minute of my precious time, the time it took to log on and realize FB is crying wolf again.

And what is it with you and your gifts anyway? Do you not have enough to do?

But onward: Scoble seems to think that becoming all things to all people will represent the company's culminating "Phase 7": World domination.

I am of a more cynical mindset. I believe that when you're everything, you are actually nothing.

FB's impossible challenge--one they've unconsciously embraced--is to compete to be the best at everything. Yes, people love to post pictures at FB. But can FB compete with Flickr, a company focused only on providing that one service? Can FB compete with dedicated gaming companies? And while FB is busy trying to secure its far flung borders, it faces a threat to its core "status update" business from a tunnel-visioned competitor called Twitter.

The Sauce

He has a point. Facebook has so much going on--it's like a costume party at your high school reuniuon held in a busy casino.

Your thoughts? Be a friend and let me know what you think. The comment section is open.

AIG Effect Still Hampering Meetings Industry

According to this article, the dreaded "AIG Effect" is still with us...

excerpt:

AIG’s spending spree at a St. Regis resort last September, just days after receiving federal bailout money, continues to send aftershocks throughout the resort and luxury segments of the industry. The opening session of the virtual Resort Conference—a webinar titled “The Voice of Customers”—gave resort owners and operators a chance to hear from meeting planners (corporate, incentive, etc.) earlier this week.

Moderator and HSMAI President and CEO Bob Gilbert called the current landscape “dismal” and talked about the media firestorm and the “collateral damage” still being felt after AIG’s junket. Some of the damage: $1 billion in U.S. company cancelled bookings in the first quarter because of outrage over AIG; 56 percent of corporate planners reported canceling at least one meeting or incentive trip; 40 percent less group business at Starwood during the first quarter; a $50 million estimated statewide loss for Hawaii. A bit of irony: The Resort Conference went online because of lack of attendance due to travel costs and cutbacks.

Read the rest here.

Béarnaise Sauce Update

John Short of EventPros figures we could all use some simplicity these days, so why not offer an easier, no-hassle Béarnaise Sauce recipe? Thanks John!

Okay, who has time these days to throw together such a challenging sauce? (It’s just a sauce – you still have to prepare something to put it on!) For those of you with lives to live (or hopefully not searching for new or better employment), here is an easier, simpler, and every bit as gratifying way to produce this classic enhancement to many recipes.

Ingredients:
½ cup sliced shallots (as thinly as possible)
1 Tbls. DRY white wine
1 Tbls. white wine vinegar
Juice from ½ fresh squeezed lemon
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 cup sour cream (no light or fat free substitutes)
Salt, Pepper, Cayenne (cayenne optional) to taste

Directions:
Combine the shallots, wine, vinegar, lemon, tarragon, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if desired) in a small heavy saucepan. Slowly cook to a simmer – do not allow to boil. Add sour cream and heat for approximately two minutes over low heat stirring frequently. Serve (great on asparagus, oven roasted potatoes, and even pork or chicken).

MoveOn's Healthcare Ad Misses Mark with Misspelling

MoveOn.org sent out a funding appeal for this somewhat clever spot, asking supporters to pony up so the spot can air in response to the "right wing" which has "just launched a million-dollar attack on President Obama's health care plan."

Your humble editor doesn't talk politics on this blog, (and certainly has no problem with reforming healthcare) but I do like to talk about ads and their effectiveness. So, politics aside, I say MoveOn might want to hire a good proofreader before running this spot--unless they really do want you to support one candy bar over another.



Just sayin'.

Millennials: Spoiled Brats or Unfairly Maligned?

CW has a fair take on the much maligned (and they say misunderstood) creature known as the Millennial. Your humble editor has worked with both incredibly good and incredibly bad examples of this generation and feels that like any generation, they have their good and not-so-good attributes.

Excerpt:

The complaints about the younger generation are cliché and include concerns about their alleged unwillingness to work hard and pay their dues, along with their unrealistic expectations about career progression, work environment and work-life balance. These are the same universal complaints that every generation of elders shares about the up-and-coming crop of young workers. Given time, the concerns fade for a few years until the generations shift once again.

The news reports certainly feed the stereotypes of the younger generation, with scenes of office partying, endless texting, and interviews with young workers expressing their expectations of running departments, divisions and companies sooner rather than later.

While there are elements of truth in some descriptions of the behaviors and expectations of the Millennials, concentrating on these points will blind leaders to their true potential.

Consider these three major advantages that this generation has over others:

1. This is a technologically savvy generation, in an era when technology is the tool of competition and technological drivers are constantly reshaping how and where we do just about everything.
2. The Millennial generation grew up with texting and instant messaging, and ubiquitous use of the Web at a point in time when businesses are just discovering and beginning to harness the power of social networks.
3. Those of us who came of age while the world was truly becoming a global marketplace still relate to a style of conducting and running businesses that will never return. This new generation grew up and developed socialization and communication skills with tools and technologies that the more experienced among us still find remarkable and even a bit frightening.

Read the rest here.

The comments section is open.