While Brad Pitt’s mom has created a firestorm, in-law to be Jon Voight has her back

Jon Voight and Jane Pitt: joined at the hip?

The recent flack aimed at the mother of Brad Pitt has garnered support from his future father-in-law. According to The Huffington Post, Publicity hungry Oscar winner Jon Voight has come forward in support of the letter Jane Pitt sent to the editorial staff of the Springfield News in Missouri. In the letter, Mrs. Pitt denounced President Barack Obama, and made her disdain for gay rights and abortion rights very clear.

“Any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name is casting a vote for Romney’s opponent, Barack Hussein Obama — a man who sat in Jeremiah Wright’s church for years, did not hold a public ceremony to mark the National Day of Prayer, and is a liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage.”

In an attempt to remain relevant, the father of Brad Pitt’s intended, Angelina Jolie, offered his support of Mrs. Pitt’s opinions by offering the comment “Good for her” to the FOX News online column PopTarts. However, Voight’s opinions have been countered by death threats again Mrs. Pitt from a growing number of individuals. Comments from some of the users of social media site Twitter posted messages such as “Brad Pitt’s mom die,” “Brad Pitt’s mom wrote an anti-gay pro-Romney editorial. Kill the B—-,” “F— you, brad pitt’s mom, the gay community made your kid a star, you whacko.”

Pitt and Jolie have not offered a response to Mrs’ Pitt’s letter publicly. Pitt’s brother Doug did break his silence and offered support for his mother, and acknowledges that discord in families is not uncommon; even with celebrities.

“Moms and dads and kids agree to disagree all over the world, so why would our family be any different?” Doug  told “Today” host Matt Lauer during his recent appearance on NBC’s morning program “Today.” “There can be healthy discussion when people disagree with you, and I think there should be. The bad thing is when it turns into venom and negativity and we don’t have that in our family.”

What are your thoughts on Mrs. Pitt’s letter? Weigh in in our comments section.

Simplicity: not just a pattern for clothing design

Simplicity is the key in more than clothing design

As any marketing professional can tell you, the toughest part of the job is building your clients brand loyalty. In years past, the most effective approach was to hammer the message home to consumers, and hope upon hope that the message got through, and would resonate in the form of revenue for your client. But in recent years, that process has been thrown out of the window by the ever-growing popularity and versatility of that two-worded juggernaut; social media. But is hitching your wagon to the net the wisest choice for your marketing efforts?

A recent study showed that while 60%-65% of business owners feel social media is their brand-saving superhero, only 25%-30% of consumers agree. In fact, a majority of consumers follow brands via social media in the hopes of receiving some sort of discounted offer; not the best approach for a brands bottom line. Still, social media can and is still a very effective medium for getting the message across about your business. The key is to not beat your target market into submission, rather, to pelt them gently till they acquiesce to your message. Sometimes less is more in many aspects of business, and your marketing message is no exception.

Our friends at Forbes.com have written an excellent overview of how a simpler approach can be the most effective when it comes to getting your message across to your target market. Read more, and let us know what you think.

Not a great week for LGBT community in the news…

It was a whirlwind week for the LGBT community this week. A shooting of two teenage lesbian women in Texas, the banning of a children’s book discussing same-sex relationships, and NY Knick player Amar’s Stoudemire firing back at a critic with a gay slur. Chuck Norris is roundhouse kicking the BSA for gays in the scouts, and One Million Moms is taking aim and Oreo- cookies for support of gay pride. Just when you thought it was a good week after the Supreme Court upholding President Barack Obama’s healthcare bill, right?

Courtesy of Huffington Post, here are those stories, and a few more, from the 13 worst anti-LGBT stories of the past week. We won’t say enjoy them, because they shouldn’t be enjoyable; if you find them as such, then find another blog to read. Consider them…a cautionary tale.

Ann Curry OUT at “Today”

Thanks for warming up the chair for me Ann…now GET OUT!!

As we mentioned earlier in this week, Ann Curry, the popular put-upon of NBC’s “Today” show is out as co-anchor. In a short statement at the end of her portion of the neverending 4-hour gabfest Curry, with her regular grace and dignity, announced her departure.

“For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I’m sorry I couldn’t carry the ball over the finish line but, man, I did try,” she said, breaking down.

Ratings dips, and a thrashing by ABC’s “Good Morning America” were placed squarely at the feet of Curry. Add to that a clear lack of “chemistry” between Curry and her co-anchor, Matt Lauer. Lauer has alledgedly been lobbying behind the scenes for Curry’s ouster.

Curry has said that she will remain with the “Today” show family, with a “fancy new title.” As was speculated, Savannah Guthrie is expected to take over the anchor chair next to Svengali  Lauer.

Pay no attention to the man in the picture. The Topic? Keywords darn it!!

What were we talking about? Keywords…that’s right!

If you’ve ever had to create content for your, or anyone else’s web site, you know what a pain the phrase “key word” can be in your content creation. Just as a reminder, A keyword is a word or phrase that a customer enters into a search engine like Google or a social media site like Facebook. But coming up with unique keywords that grab the attention of the world wide web can be a challenge.

Thanks to Thompson Data, we offer you their 5 techniques for creating unique and effective key words. Follow this link, and learn how to create more dynamic and web-worth content for your web site TODAY!!

Iconic screenwriter Nora Ephron dead at 71

The woman behind such blockbuster films as “When Harry Met Sally,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and Academy Award nominated “Silkwood” has died. Nora Ephron, one of the most prolific writers in the business died of complications from myelodysplasia, a blood disorder she was diagnosed with six years ago. Ephron was also at one time married to crusading journalist Carl Bernstein, one half of the infamous “Woodward and Bernstein:” duo of the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon. The couple was considered the “Bennifer” of their day, garnering a great deal of press attention in their time.

Read more about the life and career of Nora Ephron here.

Will NBC’s Curry last long enough to file workers compensation claim?

NBC “Today” Show anchor Ann Curry

As if the indignity of possibly being fired, NBC “Today” show anchor Ann Curry was struck in the face by a camera during the broadcast Tuesday morning. Adding insult to injury, Curry’s co-anchor, Matt Lauer, made light of the accident by referring to her as a character from the 70’s film classic “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “Old Flat-Nosed Curry.” Professionalism at its best.

Curry’s future on the morning news juggernaut has been cause for much speculation since she took the reins last June. Since the departure of her predecessor, Meredith Vieira, the typical ratings leader was de-throned  from the top spot by ABC’s “Good Morning America” for the first time in 16 years. That coupled with compatriot Matt Lauer thinly veiled displeasure with his co-anchors performance, and the writing appears to be on the wall. The question at hand; who would the NBC brass call from the bench to replace Curry, who has served valiantly for numerous years at the peacock network. Would it be current news correspondent and fan favorite Natalie Morales, or will Lauer flex his highly paid muscle at get Savannah Guthrie to occupy the chair next to his? Whomever the network powers choose Curry’s successor to be, there is a possibility it could come even before the London Olympic games, helmed by the networks of NBC next month.

What do you think of the handling of Curry at NBC? Share your thoughts in our comments.

Is your gadget drawer getting a little full?

This is a message to all you technophiles out there. You know who you are; you are the one waiting on line the morning of the next best release of some techno gadget or another. And then you are stuck with 3 or 4 different devices that replaced the newer device previously. Sounding familiar?

There are a number of different retail outlets that would love to take those old devices off your hands, but which ones are the best for you? Thanks to Fast Company, here is a resource guide to help you select the right buyback program for you. What do you do with your used electronics and hand-held devices? Share your suggestions with us in our comments section.

Facebook COO breaks glass ceiling, joining company’s board of directors

According to Fast Company magazine, Sheryl Sandberg has been appointed to the board of directors of Facebook. Sandberg, currently the company’s COO, is the first woman to join the board. Read more here…

0 Will 2012 be another “Summer of Violence?”

The summer of 2012 is shaping up to be not only a hot one by temperature, but by body count. The recent shooting of a Denver police officer during a jazz concert in Denver’s City Park, seems to be setting the tone for what could potentially be a summer of violence. Now, news that a teenage lesbian couple were shot in a public park in Texas, further sets the stage for a long, hot, violent summer.

We will be adding an additional post on this topic later in the week.

Summer has just begun….is this the tone we can expect for the entire season? Let us know, share your comments.

UPDATE: Today’s attendance of the Jazz in the Park series in Denver’s City Park is expected to set a record. A tribute is planned for fallen DPD Officer Celena Hollis, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock among others are expected to attend as well.