A blog that actually means something

In this April 13, 2011 photo, Jessica Rees, 12, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. shows "Joy Jars" she delevoped. Buyers get a t-shirt inside a jar and then fill the jars with "Joy" and pass them on to someone else. The proceeds go to pediatric cancer research. Rees, 12, who started a blog and a Facebook page to raise awareness about child cancer has died of brain tumors. Her family says Jessica died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 after a 10-month battle with cancer.

One reason I have a tough time coming up with a couple posts a week for this blog is because of the randomness of the subject matter. I'm sure you've noticed the posts here seem to wander aimlessly from topic to topic. They lack focus. Just like their author.

This wasn't a problem 12-year old Jessica Rees had with her blog. From beginning to the sad end, it was about her brave fight with brain cancer.

The words she lived by - never ever give up - were the inspiration for the NEGU Foundation which builds awareness and support for kids with cancer.

I'm in awe of children with cancer. I've seen the TV specials with afflicted kids, some with hair but many without because of the chemo, and marvel through my tears at how positive and brave they all are. I realize you never know what you can handle until you get there, but I think the safe bet is I'd be something considerably less than a positive example of how to deal with a terminal illness.

People who know me, feel free to double down on that bet.

When I think about accomplishments, I think about the tacos, cars, packaged goods, electronics and other items I've helped sell during my career. And I think about what impact or meaning it has on anyone's life. It's a thought you shouldn't let cross your mind if you work in advertising - there's no percentage in it.

Jessica Rees accomplished more that matters in her brief 12 years than I have or will in a lifetime.

She knew it wasn't necessary to be a hero to inspire people. And she knew you could become one just by being brave and wanting to do good in the world.

I'm going to try to remember that.

So many blogs, including this one, are often so self centered. I suppose it's the nature of a blog. But it's also why it's so startling to see one so selfless.

It's not possible to know how many lives will be positively affected by her having been here. But when I read about her, and I least expected it, mine was.

Rest in peace Jessica.

Apparently child killers have feelings too

The first thing I have to say is I feel sorry for the dog.

If you can stomach watching the first installment of child-killer Casey Anthony's video diary, you'll be interested to know that she adopted a dog. She says she loves the dog as much as any family she's ever had. Which of course means we're only days away from finding out Rags is missing, only to be later discovered in a ditch with a band-aid on his forehead and duct tape around his snout.

Let's all take a moment to say a big goodbye to the dog.

She also mentions at one point that she doesn't like having her picture taken. I think it's good that she brought it up, because if you looked at these pictures of her partying while her daughter Caylee was missing, you might get the mistaken idea that she's just an attention-whore-party-girl.

Which she's not. She says as much in the video.

What she never mentions is Caylee, her murdered daughter. Probably best not to bring that up. It'll only remind people that, like OJ, despite all the evidence beating a path straight to her door, she was acquitted. Doesn't matter. There's not a person alive who doesn't know she did it.

I don't know what makes me hate her more (aside from the obvious): that she was out partying while law enforcement officials and concerned citizens were out combing every inch of the countryside around the clock for her missing daughter, or the fact she completely threw the only person who still liked her - her father - under the bus at trial.

If there's any silver lining here, it's that she's so universally hated I don't think she can even pull off a reality show at this point. Or at least a reality show that isn't produced by her for YouTube.

While Casey makes all of this about her, let's take a moment to remember the reason she's even a topic of discussion: her beautiful, too soon departed daughter Caylee. If there's a YouTube in heaven - and there should be or else it wouldn't be called heaven - I'm sure Caylee is watching the video and thinking three things:

1. I can't believe I drew the short straw and got her for a mother.

2. I think I'll stop watching YouTube.

3. At least I know I won't be running into her here.

My friend Rich just started a series on his blog called People We Need To Kill.

I'd like to nominate Casey Anthony.

Bacon makes everything better

Sometimes answers to the most complicated problems are sitting (sizzling) right in front of you.

Since my annual vacation to the Hotel Del in August and snowballing right through the just-ended holiday season, it's been nothing but a non-stop food fest. And along with my scale, I have to say I've been a willing participant in all of it.

To paraphrase Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds, "We're in the business of eating. And business is booming."

While it may seem like it, all that holiday food isn't free. The price of it all is the stress of the season, the family jousts before, during and after dinner, the shopping conundrums that never seem to end and the overall deja vu-iness of the whole thing.

But you know what makes it all better? Bacon.

I know what you're thinking. Well here's the answer: I don't care. In the fight between Judaism and bacon, in this house bacon wins. And I don't even feel bad about it. You know why?

Because bacon makes everything better.

In fact, there's an entire website - jews4bacon.com - devoted to the whole "why not?" argument.

Well, it's actually less a website than a link to a store (go figure) with funny jews4bacon merchandise.

Crispy or greasy, dry or fatty (the bacon, not me), on a plate or a paper towel - it's all awesome.

The other thing is the nutritional value: it doesn't have any. So it goes with virtually every diet (that almost sounded like it made sense).

No matter how often I wave the bacon flag, the argument persists as it has for ages: can the concept of bacon be taken too far?

Hell, I was just jokin' with you. Of course it can't. Bacon toothpaste? Bring it. And if you bring it on a plate on top of a paper towel, even better.

Now, I don't want to seem insensitive to my vegetarian, vegan and PETA-sympathizing friends. I understand your point of view. I saw the movie Babe. But I didn't invent the food chain, and I can't help it if we're at the top of it. Besides, I think Babe and friends would be happy knowing how much pleasure their sacrifice is bringing to the human race.

Like it says on the poster, "A little pig goes a long way."

The best words I heard this season weren't Merry Christmas. They were, "The house smells like bacon."

And even though you can see it coming down 7th Avenue, there's only one way I can possibly end this post.

That's all folks.

Batman used to be a LLLUUVV Broker

Long before Christian Bale was making a sport out of tearing his director of photography a new one, the role of playboy-billionaire-crime fighter Bruce Wayne/Batman was played by a guy who didn't take himself nearly so seriously.

Michael Keaton had been a stand-up comedian, and a go-to guest star on sitcoms where he always stole whatever scene he was in. I know nobody remembers The Tony Randall Show where he played a judge, but Keaton had a recurring role where he'd always show up in Randall's courtroom. It was always great watching the old pro and the newcomer riff off each other.

But Keaton eventually reached the point that a lot of comedians do - the point where being funny just isn't enough (I feel their pain). They like to explore their darker side.

Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society, One Hour Photo and Insomnia. Jim Carrey in The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and 23. Bill Murray in The Razor's Edge and Lost In Translation. Steve Martin in Shopgirl and The Spanish Prisoner. Dane Cook in...oh, wait, I was talking about comedians.

Sometimes it works for them. Sometimes it doesn't. In Keaton's case it did. To this day, many people believe - myself included - that not only was he the first truly dark Batman on the big screen, he was the best.

Where Keaton made it big was his electric, manic performance as Billy Blazejowski in Ron Howard's Night Shift. If you don't know the story, take a look at this trailer (sorry for the poor quality) - it'll pretty much tell you everything you need to know. You'll also get a good idea of why Keaton was the breakout star of the film.

Keaton made something like $60 million dollars from the two Batman films he did, so now he can afford to pick and choose his projects. He's in the enviable position of only working when he wants to.

Which isn't nearly often enough for me.

Riding into the new year

As all of us at Rotation and Balance World Headquarters get ready to close shop until next year (I know, many of you thought we closed shop a long time ago), we want to wish you the very best in the coming new year.

It's going to be a year of possibilities, and the only thing that's going to limit you is how much gas you have to get there and how hard you want to ride the pedal.

Sorry. Had a box of metaphors lying around and wanted to use them before we close.

So forget about what the Mayan calendar says. The only ones that have gone away are the Mayans. Like it or not, you're here for the long haul.

Gas up now - 2012 is going to be a spectacular year.

Those three little words

Nothing says Merry Christmas like the subject of poop.

Ever since my daughter was a little girl, we've had our own father/daughter jokes between us. They often send us into hysterics, while innocent bystanders wonder what time we'll be taking our medicine. Some of them are quite funny and tasteful, perfectly acceptable for telling at the Christmas dinner with family gathered all around.

Some not so much.

There's really no way to explain this gift she got me for Christmas without getting into way more detail than I'm sure any of you want or need to know. Suffice it to say I laughed harder than I have in months when I unwrapped this little gem.

It's an awesome gift, based on a particular joke - one of our less savory ones - that goes way back. Maybe right there is a good place to leave it (figuratively speaking). Except to say that the three little words referred to in the title aren't the ones on the mug.

They're "neat and clean." Enough said.

Deadlines and other fairy tales

Funny thing happened on the way to writing an assignment for a company I do work for.

We had a conference call last Friday afternoon - late afternoon - where several of their people went over the new products they wanted me to write about. Turns out it's going to be a lot more work than I expected (or wanted to do over the holidays), but of course by now you all know my motto: the checks clear.

I wasn't worried about it, because when we all got off the call, the understanding was that the work wasn't due until the first week of January.

At least that was my understanding.

So imagine my surprise when I got an email on Monday asking the status of the work and when I'd have it to them.

I wrote back, and decided truth was going to be my first tactic. I told them not only had I not started working on it, but the agreement was first week of January. Oh, and by the way, they hadn't approved my estimate.

About that estimate. Don't get me wrong - I'm nothing but grateful that this particular client keeps coming back to me with more work. But the holidays are the holidays. So when they asked for an estimate, I gave them one with my holiday rates.

The ones that make it worth my while to be working over the holidays instead of going to movies, spending time with my kids, eating like Oprah at the buffet for two weeks and sleeping off the egg nog and bourbon.

Just kidding. I haven't liked egg nog or bourbon since I got wrecked on several glasses of the mix in high school.

I'm still not sure the room has stopped spinning.

Anyway, the client came back to me just sorry as hell for the misunderstanding. They very politely asked if I could have a portion of the assignment done next week - if it didn't interfere too much in my holiday plans - and the remainder of it in January.

I said sure.

They also told me they'd approved my estimate, which frankly gave me just what I was looking for to start the job.