Maybe a Shift is Occurring Anyway

For two years, I’ve climbed my soap box and hollered from the rooftops that if the entire American financial sector wasn’t overhauled, it would crash hard. The massive hits our economy has taken simply cannot include a Band Aid and hope for a better day as the cure. It’s like getting flood damage in your home – just because your ceiling doesn’t get wet doesn’t mean it’s not ruined. It all has to be replaced, right?

Now, though, there’s an interesting new platform that just might shift the scales ever so slightly. This is one of those things that if it does well, it will soar to the heavens. If it fails, though, it’s going to crash hard.

Many people don’t know, but 80% of Americans don’t have access to the stock market for one reason or another. Usually, it’s just too intimidating. Most have no idea where to find the answers and there are those who feel the stock market is just too big a gamble. But – what if you could buy stock from a company via its Facebook Fan Page? That’s exactly what’s happening right now.

It’s really very interesting. Loyal3, the company that’s making this possible, is now allowing any business to sell its stocks to any of its Facebook fans under a new model, “Customer Stock Ownership Plan” or CSOP. And you don’t have to know all the frustrating ins and outs of stock trading. There are no fees to do this, either – which is good since broker fees can be as high as 60% of what’s being bought through a trader. All you have to do is find a company you want to invest in and with three clicks, you’re now a part owner of that company. You can invest as little as $10, too. Buy one share or a million shares. Actually, I wouldn’t suggest buying a million shares of anything off of Facebook, but I’m telling you, this could be the start of something quite impressive. Imagine the little entrepreneurs we could raise if we could get young folks to spend just five minutes of their time on Facebook looking for stocks to buy.

Loyal3′s CSOP is in its infancy and currently only has one company on board, but September promises to bring many new companies and all signs indicate this is a sure thing. Since I’m having to stay on top of this for a client, I’ll post anything new I come across, but in the meantime, go see for yourself – y’all know I’m all about due diligence when it comes to money. Visit the Loyal3 website here. And in the meantime, just because I’m not listed with the Dow doesn’t mean you can’t like my Facebook page. So go like it!

 

I Have the Answers – They’re Just Not Politically Correct

Ever have one of those weeks when you just know you’re the one with the answers, but no one’s listening? Yeah, me too. There’s so much – I don’t even know where to start.

First up – if you haven’t seen our president’s latest fundraising efforts, fair warning – it’s a doozy. Take a look -

That’s right – he wants all our birthday bling. And apparantly he’s willing to take on Bridezilla too because he’s more than happy to raid bridal showers across the nation. Here’s the kicker though – earlier this month, he’d made two stops in two days – one in Chicago and the other in Minneapolis. The trips were fundraising efforts for his campign. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is also Obama’s former chief of staff, introduced him to close to four hundred people who gained entry by shelling over at least $2,500 per person. From there, he attended two more events where folks forked over $35,000 each to be in his presence. Yes – that figure is right – $35,000 and here’s the link. It’s estimated he brought in a whopping $5 million between Chicago and his quick layover in Minneapolis. And he wants my birthday present too? Not in this lifetime.

Now, in all fairness, by the time I saw the latest on his blog, I’d already had a bellyful of his antics this week. Take a look at a few of his tweets. It seems like every time he finds himself in front of a camera or in front his computer, he’s telling us what we need to do. I mean, seriously, Obama wants us to tell Congress this or that? Why? Congress isn’t listening to us (as in the American voter) no more than Obama’s listening to us.

 

So then, today, I’m plundering around Facebook and saw this picture that a friend had tagged. Those photos are tough to see. But the very next picture on my newsfeed is what had my blood boiling.

Am I the only one who gets the irony? Romney is as unplugged as Obama is. I am absolutely confident that if folks took that $5 Romney wants and gave it to the veteran to either reclaim his house or find another one, it would be money well-invested.

Moodys downgraded fifteen banks around the world yesterday – and the top five are based in the United States. Here’s where it gets good though. Immediately – as in within hours – the whining began. The banks were bellyaching that the passage of the Dodd-Frank reform is why they’re struggling. Uhm…if I remember correctly, it was the irresponsible actions, greed and non-compliance with the laws that were already in place that led to Dodd-Frank to start with. Had the accounting scandals, mortgage inconsistencies and downright illegal behaviors of some bank executives not been discovered, these folks would still be moving forward, playing by their own rules. They got caught, then got hit with the repercussions – and now they have the audacity to blame it on new regulations?

Alright – Eric Holder and the Fast & Furious scandal. This is just one more thing that’s had my interest all week. OK, so I know this isn’t even realistic – but it should be: charge Holder with manslaughter or accessory after the fact or something besides contempt. He – and the Obama Administration – are once again writing the rules as they go. And don’t even get me started on the Dream Act and Obama’s sudden announcement last week.

All of these current events – and it seems like the only folks who have no say in how any of it plays out are the American taxpayers. Yes, I know we go to the polls in November, but I’ve said it before – I would be surprised if there wasn’t a record set for low voter turnout. Frankly, I don’t think either of the candidates are capable of running this country.

Finally, and speaking of having no say in something – my son announced – on Facebook, no less – that he’s ready to start skydiving lessons. Just when my nerves settle down after he earns his diving certs, he announces he’s now ready for something even more dangerous. Where he got the idea that once he hit 21 he could play by his own rules is beyond me.

 

The Hokey OpGlobalBlackout

Doesn’t this whole Anonymous drive seem sort of…George Orwell-ish? If you’re not familiar with Anonymous, this is the group that’s taking matters into its own hands – however many hands that might be. It’s a group that, unlike the Occupy movement, isn’t walking up to the line, pointing it out and saying, “Keep on…I’ll cross it. I swear I will”, but instead, isn’t even bothering with the fair warnings; not really. It’s chosen the internet as its vehicle and its threats are being backed up with action. The crazy thing is most folks are egging it on.

Last week, a new message was delivered, courtesy of its typical vehicle of choice, YouTube. The video is titled “Anonymous Message to Congress” and in it, the group warns U.S. Congress that it shouldn’t have shutdown MegaUpload, the controversial file sharing site. As a result, Anonymous’ largest coordinated attack was put into place. 5,000 people took down more than ten federal and and other industry sites last week. And isn’t it interesting this hasn’t hit mainstream media?

Here’s the thing. Anonymous agreed that much of the content on the MegaUpload site is copyrighted, but says the government’s decision had nothing to do with copyrighted material. It’s now demanding the site be reinstated. Immediately. Or else.

Anonymous insists it has penetrated servers of some impressive organizations, including the United Nations, US Bank, Capital One, Twitter and Facebook (and others). If the site isn’t reinstated, it says it’ll take these – and other – servers down.

So now what? Is this what’s it’s come down to? The government, the group and the information highway? Yes, indeed. And with the support Anonymous is gaining, the smart money’s on the group. Check out the video below. By the way – how inadequate are we all going to feel if Anonymous is a group of 12 year olds somewhere in Minnesota whose collective IQs hover around 180?

 

 

Change is a’Comin’…Just Embrace it

Did you know you can go ahead and get your profile “live” before Facebook unleashes the new changes? You can – and it’s easy to do. While it doesn’t take but a few minutes to get those changes made, I sort of got lost in it all and completely went overboard – but it was so worth it. I can’t wait for the new profiles to hit. Here’s a screen shot and after the jump, I’ll give you the details on all of it.

See the nifty little music player? Facebook and Spotify have teamed to make it incredibly easy to share all our favorite songs. You can get all that set up right now too. Hit spotify.com and your account, if you’re still logged into Facebook, will be automatic. No need for a lot of information – in fact, I don’t think I added anything other than what Facebook linked for me. From there, download the player and your music not only shows up on your profile, but your friends can hit “play” and hear the music too – IF they’ve downloaded the app, too. Seriously – it takes just a few minutes and it’s all free. No bulky downloads or installs – it’s really straight forward. I think – though I need to double check – but I think you’ll need to have your Spotify window running for anyone else to listen to what you’re listening to. Maybe not, though…I just haven’t delved that far into it. Here’s the kicker though – you know all that cheesy music you love but only listen to when you’re alone? Well, that hits the profile too – unless you delete it from your page (click the X) before anyone sees it. Yeah – the Bee Gees and Andy Gibb music I love? Y’all won’t be seeing that.

Now, see the photo of Jacob with his bow and arrow? That’s the new cover picture. You can combine photos if you have the software or one big one, like the one I have showing.

Also, there are tons of new apps you can include. One I found was the Nike app. Let’s be clear: I don’t run. I can’t even walk straight without tripping, but if I did, I would definitely love this one because you can post how many miles you run each day along with other things, but again, I didn’t pay that too much attention since I know it’s not one I’ll be downloading in this lifetime.

If you want to go ahead and get your new profile ready, follow this link. It’s 8 steps, easy-breezy. It will be “live” for you to see, but I don’t think Facebook is cutting them loose until one day next week. That said, usually, the dates they announce changes often come days early, so it could be sooner than what Facebook is announcing. If you want to get a player set up or even any of the TV apps (yes, you’ll be able to watch TV from your profile page), you can do a search for all them too. You can get Spotify here and I know Hulu has teamed with Facebook, but I haven’t added anything like that – yet! The Hulu app is here. Have fun with it – this is definitely a good thing!

 

The Week the World Flipped (Sort of)

As Shepard Smith has said all week, “We have to keep an eye out for that school bus that’s expected to fall out of the sky on Friday”.  While he’s referring to the decommissioned satellite that’s hurling towards earth and expected to hit the planet somewhere and sometime on Friday, it’s a pretty good analogy of the week in its entirety: a big yellow school bus barreling smack-dab towards us.

First, we’ve watched, in the past two days, the Dow lose more than 500 points and nearly 4% of its gains. You know, much as I love to watch that ticker every day, I am a little surprised that everyone else is so surprised. There’s nothing good coming down the pipe in terms of the economy from a national or a global level. We’re all as broke as the Ten Commandments these days, right? I’ve said it before, and often caught a lot of grief for it, but I believe the structure in its entirety needs to collapse. It’s the only way this country will be able to rebuild any kind of level playing field. Think about it: throughout history, the tough economic outlooks were deemed “fixed” whenever things improved at the top, regardless of whether or not the average American had recovered. Look at it this way – did Moody’s decision to downgrade the heavy-hitters in the banking industry affect your everyday life? If the jobs reports began to improve and all the other numbers analysts use to determine good from bad in various markets were suddenly quite promising, it’s going to do nothing in terms of your neighbor who’s lost his job and facing foreclosure. It’s not going to mean lower prices on groceries or gas for your car. It’s not going to magically fix your co-worker’s finances so that he won’t have to file bankruptcy before the year’s up. No, it just means the government is doing its little self-congratulatory dance and declaring the world fine and good once again. Meanwhile, millions of Americans can’t cover the $1,000 drug bill for medicines that shouldn’t cost that much, whether it’s life-saving prescriptions for heart disease or an antibiotic that would clear up a sinus infection.

The other highlight of the week was a little-known conference, the f8, which was held in San Francisco this week. I’d sure hate to be Mark Zuckerberg these past few days. Before anyone really gave the Facebook changes a fighting chance (after all, humans are creatures of habit), there was a certain irony that everyone was complaining about Facebook….on Facebook. Then, I noticed all these statuses making the rounds for “fixes” to “revert” it back. Oh, those poor, misled folks. I’m sure there are people sitting up right now trying to figure out what they missed in their cousin’s boyfriend’s mom’s detailed and step-by-step status update that was supposed to bypass the Facebook coding and suddenly become that familiar blend we all know and love. The fact is, those changes that have ruined mankind in one fell swoop? The people at Facebook actually incorporated all those suggestions you, me and your cousin’s boyfriend’s mom have been begging for.

What I find most funny about all of this is the “threats” of leaving Facebook for Google+. That still makes me laugh. There’s a reason Google+ opened its platform for all those poor souls who never received an invitation. They strategically delayed opening their network of circles until the f8 seminar in hopes that everyone would be focused on building their social presence under the big G and disregard Facebook’s updates. I did a review on Google + not long ago and I stand by what I said then. Don’t hold your breath on G+ becoming the next “can’t live without” phenomenon – at least, not in this lifetime.

Busy week, yes? And now we’re about to cap off the work week with our eyes to sky looking for Shep’s big yellow school bus. You’re bound to get a crick in your neck, so go on and get the BC’s and Diet Cokes ready.

 

Impressive, But Still…

The past several days have been all about Google’s new social networking site. Those in the know say both Twitter and Facebook are shaking in their social networking boots. Make no mistake: the features are very impressive, but really, aren’t we getting tired of clamoring to every new site where the cool kids are hanging out? Didn’t we outgrow that in high school? Frankly, I’m thinking a lot of us are just too tired to build yet one more digital social presence. Facebook took a little getting used to several years ago, but now, there’s a tab open 24/7 around here (and if you don’t believe me – ask my son who calls me a Facebook stalker). Then, I was told if I was going to really grow my business, Twitter would simply have to become as important as brushing my teeth. That was an even bigger learning curve, but once that was behind me, I absolutely agree it’s a crucial networking dynamic.

Now, though Google + is telling us that not only should we run with its latest offering, but we have to create circles – and that’s after we convince all of our friends to make the switch. Designated circles sounds fine, but that could become rather awkward – what happens when your best friend ends up in your “acquaintances” circle? That could be an interesting conversation. It reminds me of all of those really cool organizational apps – it looks good and the thought of being able to organize every single moment of your day on some calendar app is something most of dream of, but once you get into it, you quickly become overwhelmed with an overkill of organization. Most of us abandon them because they’re too time consuming, which, of course, defeats the purpose. Believe me, I’ve uninstalled more of these apps than I care to own up to.

It looks as though Google + just might be what gives Mark Zuckerberg a run for his money. And, too, if it becomes as big or bigger than Facebook, we’ll either have to make the transition or risk clinging to a sinking ship – much the way MySpace devotees did.

 

The First Newsletter of 2011

Hi all – my first newsletter for 2011 is posted.  Click the icon to the right or visit this link.   Let me know what you think, too. Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook and of course, you can always visit my website or email me.  Happy New Year to all!

 

BP and Toyota – Two PR Nightmares and Two Very Different Outcomes

Toyota CEO Jim Lentz

Toyota, as we all know by now, has recalled millions of its automobiles due to the faulty accelerator pedals.  It was – and still is – a public relations nightmare.  Lives have been devastated and families shattered.  These design flaws have affected folks around the country and around the world.

BP has had its own nightmare to deal with.  The Deepwater Horizon explosion in late April took the lives of eleven workers and destroyed their families.  It turned into an ecological disaster as millions of barrels of crude oil spilled for weeks into the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.  The company has worked, in all fairness, diligently in its efforts to permanently plug the leak.

Two companies, both foreign, that have been responsible for two proverbial kicks in the teeth to the collective American people.  Why is one company hated while one remains in our good graces?  I have a few ideas.

It all comes down to the attitudes and efforts of both companies; while some mirrored the other, there are those efforts one company made that did nothing but add to the misery of the American people.  Let’s take a look.

Toyota has always taken advantage of the latest in technology – it’s always maintained an active Twitter presence as well as a Facebook page that’s updated constantly.  It was prepared to kick into a proactive stance, versus a reactive scramble the way BP did.  Further, Toyota wasted no time in getting its CEO front and center.  Jim Lentz quickly became the face of the crisis, much the way BP’s Tony Hayward did.  Here’s the difference: Hayward went on the record with some of the most insensitive comments we’ve heard.  Everything from whining about getting his life back to making an across the board statement that he was not overly concerned with the amount of oil spilling into the Gulf, “I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest…”  Even now, it makes this writer’s blood boil.

The fact is, his comment of getting his life back would not have made any of us cringe so much had eleven men not just lost their own lives while working for him.

Placing blame is not the way to go in situations such as these.  There’s a huge difference in laying blame and taking

Former BP CEO Tony Hayward

responsibility.  Frankly, at that point, anyone could care less about whether it was Transocean’s neglect or BP’s.  We, as Americans and me personally, having grown up on the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast, wanted someone to simply take responsibility, pick up the ball and run with it.  Period.  BP lost in more ways than one.  Then again, I suppose it thought “the little people” wouldn’t have a voice in the long run.  Newsflash for Mr. Hayward: you were wrong, sir.

Toyota had already begun its efforts of picking up the pieces from the very beginning.  While it wasted no time in getting its social media networks moving into overdrive, the company stepped up its efforts and kept the American public aware, at all times, of every decision it was making and how it would benefit those affected by these recalls.   As mentioned, Toyota’s CEO Jim Lentz began taking interviews, including one with Digg, which it promoted heavily.  While major media outlets played a role in getting Toyota’s message front and center, the fact it moved forward with the networking sites, including Digg, only reiterated its commitment.  The transparency, the public approach and the willingness to answer questions during these live interviews as they came in showed a level of commitment we’ve yet to see from BP.

The fact is, information comes at us in rapid fire.  The choices companies now have is to hide in the boardrooms and deal with any crises in private, or, they can attempt to dedicate at least a part of their efforts in a more transparent and highly visible arena.  Toyota made the call to go public and fast.  It hid nothing, it blamed no one and it took responsibility.

Here’s another newsflash: the traditional pressers?  They’re a thing of the past, folks.  Today’s public relations efforts are as fast as breaking news.   Society wants accountability and it doesn’t want to be held back.  Today, we see efforts of laying low as efforts of hiding details and planning an escape.

Both BP and Toyota are model lessons for those future companies that find themselves in deep water.  One’s example you want to follow and the other’s methods should be part of every company’s manual of what not to do when a company is facing a disaster.

 

Busy News Day

There are days when breaking news emails fly into my inbox faster than any Nigerian prince can send a blast of a million or more spam emails.  Today’s one of those days.  Before I get into it and before I forget – I am finally – FINALLY – on Twitter!  So be sure to follow me (is “follow” the right word?  Bear with me…it’s a slow dance).

But on to all the breaking news.  Living on the Gulf Coast, we watch the tropics for six months out of the year.  Right now, all signs point to a tropical storm putting my neck of the woods in its crosshairs.  It’s not been named yet, but from what I’ve seen, it looks like we may have Tropical Storm Danielle before long.

Looks as though Florida’s following Arizona into the immigration ring, ready to do battle.  Don your boxing gloves, folks – this is going to be a ten rounder!  Florida’s State Attorney Bill McCollum says he’s confident this new bill will survive a court challenge.

And what’s going on with the Dow?  Wow!  Right now, it’s down 240 points; then again, I was having difficulties understanding how it was maintaining a pretty consistent pattern with all the bad economic news coming out of D.C.  I don’t even pretend to be a financial whiz – I can balance my checkbook, but beyond that?  Yeah, I’m not the one you’d want to call for help with some impressive mathematical formula.

Oh…and before I forget.  Linda McMahon?  Really?  Let’s just say I hope this Republican powerhouse brings some of her WWE friends to Capitol Hill.  Now THAT’S a pay-per-view I’d buy!  Could you imagine one of those big wrestlers body slamming some of our less than ethical political leaders?  That ranks right up there with the day Blue Bell ice cream loses all its calories,  my book hits the New York Times Bestseller List and Judge Judy has someone in front of her that she’s actually nice to.

Don’t forget to stop by Twitter!  Click the link or my i.d. is cat_5_cane. Of course, I’m still diggin’ Facebook, even if I am learning the Twitter dynamics.  Visit/Friend me on Facebook if you haven’t already done so.  Also, I’m going to be putting together a newsletter in the very near future.  If you’re interested, click on the link to the right and let me know!  I’ll add you to my mailing list.  And I promise – no one else gets access to it and I’ll use it only to send out the newsletter.  I’m sure I’ll make it available on the website, but I also like the idea of incorporating email, too.  Have any good ideas for the newsletter or something you’d like to see included?  First one who emails me with a story idea or suggestion for any aspect of the newsletter receives a complimentary 350 word article or blog – your choice of topics (but please…be kind, folks…I blush easily, so let’s keep it clean)!  Email me at donna@donnamcgill.com.

 

Be Good to People

In a world where words and phrases such as “recession”, “record job losses” and “trillion dollar deficits” seem to overtake the evening news, any time I hear of something good, something that reaffirms my faith in people, I’m all for shouting it from the rooftops.  Are you listening, because I’m making my way to my roof!  I have found a website that is all about doing good – whether it’s doing good for others around us or doing good for our environment, Be Good To People.™ is working for the greater “good”. 

I love this site partly because of the cool merchandise it offers – and especially the tees, but I also love it because of the efforts this group of folks make on a daily basis.  Part of their business plan is to take a percentage of their profits in an effort to “spread the good”. 

From what I’ve been able to discern, the company president, along with a small group of others, make all the decisions on how these funds are spent.  Of course, it’s always important to acknowledge the larger charitable foundations – I’m always in awe of the power of these groups; but the BGTP team seems to have an excellent formula for getting funds to folks who might be struggling with everyday problems.  They’re eliminating much of the red tape associated with the act of giving.  This, of course, ensures there are no delays in making these contributions count the most.  I can’t imagine a better foundation from which to build one’s faith from. 

If you get a chance, head over to the BGTP site and see for yourself and while you’re at it, they have a Facebook page too.  There are some inspirational stories to be found if we’re willing to see them.  I’m going to take my recently recharged faith and see how I can become a Good Doer today.