"Sports Shorts & Thing Shots" Podcast, Episode 3 and "Tacos and Bowling" by Bill Wood

• Click the following links to access the "Sports Shorts & Thing Shots" podcast and Episode 3,"Bowling: Strike!."
• Activate the Sonific SongSpots player (below) to hear Bill Wood's. folk song, "Tacos and Bowling" [Strange Road album].
• Click the Amazon.com product image (below) to purchase the album.

Obsessive-compulsive house flipper, Jeff Lewis, and his staff: classic brutal boss and prey? Part I

"I’m selling a lifestyle. You either live like me or you want to live like me."
-Jeff Lewis, Flipping Out (Episode 1, Bravo TV)

IMAGE CREDITS:

Amazon.com, Bravo TV-Flipping Out (Season 1, Episode 1), and Gold Rush-Wikipedia

Obsessive-compulsive, and sometimes abusive, house flipper Jeff Lewis is the queen B. of Flipping Out, and Bravo TV's newest reality star. B in his case, stands for Biyotch, Bully and Browbeater as much as for Brutal and Boss.

View the premier episode via video to "Meet Jeff and his staff and the business that validates and celebrates his disorders." Then you'll likely agree: the show's "Drama For Sale"tag line and "My Flipping Boss" blog title both hit the nail on the head. So do my comparisons of Jeff and his staff to situations described by Harvey A. Hornstein, Ph.D. in books ike Brutal Bosses and Their Prey and by Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster in Working With You is Killing Me! (which I referenced last year).

As BostonHerald.com - "Buyers beware: Bravo’s house-flipping series needs renovations" describes, Jeff has found, in house flipping and in staffers who stay, ideal outlets through which to channel his dysfunctional quirks, narcissistic tendencies and occasional tyranny. His projects (buying, renovating and reselling real estate in Southern California), with help from his team (which he seesaws between praising and disparaging in the course of the episode, and between hiring and firing, in the course of their relationships), have made him millions. But there's a flip side; Jeff's management style is unnecessarily costly both relationship- and resource-wise.

Jeff recognizes both phenomena. For example, he wonders, on camera, if anyone would ever live with him whom he didn't pay. Hmm. And he confides, but seems incredulous, that his "credit scores are" lower than those of some people who don't own property." Potential creditors “don’t care what [he's] worth." All they care about, he observed, "is my debt.”

Despite those concerns, and self-improvement efforts with a therapist and psychics, Jeff's bad boss and business behavior seem uncurbed. For example, when asked by Executive Assistant Jenni-Pulos Elwood, "Do you feel you can be stern without being degrading?" Lewis quickly answered, "No." Jeff doesn't think twice about assigning unreasonable, unproductive tasks, either, such as requiring assistants to face all labels in his 'fridge forward, or about demanding employees to submit formal, written mea culpas when they behave insubordinately.

Lewis' quirkiness, occupation, and even villainy are not unique in unscripted TV-land. But Jeff distinguishes himself from the speculators featured on A&E's Flip This House and TLC's Flip That House by more brazenly indulging, even flaunting, his disorders. He also brags about investing more money in his projects, and about being more "painstakingly meticulous" than his counterparts.

Jeff believes leveraging himself to the rafters and taking time to add substantial value (that may or may not pay off) is superior to typical house-flipping practices, which involve investing "a few thousand dollars" and reselling within weeks. However, some critics, such as the author of "A Los Angeles Speculator Sold on Himself ," disagree.

Bankers are not keen on Jeff's situation either. Lewis confided having difficulty getting financing, seemingly incredulous that his "credit scores are lower than those of some people who don't own property," and that potential creditors “don’t care what [he's] worth. All they care about," he observed, "is my debt.”

Forget about those obstacles and the roller-coaster nature of Jeff's cash flow. (He can begin a month with a million dollars in the bank, and within weeks "there will be days where he has $1500 left in all his accounts combined, with no savings"). Forget documentation that the Southern California real estate market is well past its peak, and the law of diminishing returns and that the Pareto Principle (a.ka. 80/20 Rule) dictate limiting the level of investment in each project.

Jeff is obsessively, compulsively committed to mining more gold from them thar California hills, and to doing so in the same vein he always has. [Pun intended.] He will maintain his flimsy financial footing by accelerating the sale of a residence he renovated and currently lives in.

Jeff's determination, desite the real risks of bellying-up, channels two iconic American images. CONTINUED.

SHAMELESS COMMERCE: The Amazon.com banners below link to pages containing reviews and purchase options for the TV shows and books referenced above.

SimpsonizeMe.com and podcamp: you don't come out the way you went in

Lynn, Lynn,
city of sin.
You never come out
the way you went in.

- Popular rhyme about Lynn, MA.

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It's common knowledge: Lynn (MA), Ivy League universities, boot camp, and my courses are places from which you don't come out the way you went in. Two others are SimpsonizeMe.com and podcamp.

• First case in point: SimpsonizeMe.com. D'oh! [Full the full Simpsons experience, check out the eSnips.com playlist above.]

The before and after images (above), which I collectively call "Lisa-Lisa Simpson(ized)," speak for themselves. Bruce C. (Podcamp City Online Co-Organizer) Simpsonsized me (and the other Podcamp City Online speakers) during last night's Let's Not All Podcast At Once!! session.

• Second case in point: Podcamp

Having attended Podcamp NYC and lectured at PodCamp City Online, I just want to testify: all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't undo the benefits associated with podcamp participation. And who'd want them to? It's a pod, pod, pod, pod world!

I "went to" PodCamp City Online and I all got was...

This badge is only one of several goodies guests got by participating in PodCamp City Online.

Ya know those souvenirs that read: "I went to... and all I got was this lousy..."? Well, I went, er telecommuted, to PodCamp City Online on Saturday and all the not-so-lousy benefits I got included:

• An opportunity to help make history: In all the BarCamps, in all the unconferences, in all the world, PodCamp City Online 2007 was the first-ever virtual podcamp.
• A day filled with "four-eyed" sessions: that informed, instructed, intrigued and inspired.
• Lots of "two-eyed" content: most sessions were interactive and delightfully infectious (read: viral).
• An outstanding networking experience: With some people whom I met at PodCamp NYC (hey, Ava B., Bruce C. and Tammy-the-original Army Wife and NewMediaDiva!), some of whom I know outside of the podosphere (hey, Steve Plaushin and Patricia Burgess!), and many others whose acquaintance I was glad to make (pleased to meetcha, online podcampers!)
• Lisa-Lisa Simpson(ized). Bruce C. Simpsonized me and all the other PodCamp City Online speakers after my session. Why not Simpsonize yo-self?

If you missed the summer (pod)camp online, don't have a cow, dude. PodCamp City Online's organizers say, "Recordings of presentations are currently being processed and we will have them ready for download within the week." Moreover, they "plan on having the next Podcamp City Online in 6 to 8 months."

Today's podcast at Sports Shorts & Thing Shots

Today's podcast episode at Sports Shorts & Thing Shots is Bowling: Strike!

Tennis anyone? Comparative posts for PodCamp City Online

For the purpose of discussion, I created a super-basic, tennis-themed, episode entitled: "Tennis-themed image and audio to accompany Lisa Tolliver On Air and Online >> S'more about my podcamp session." The episode, or feeds thereto, are posted at three sites (Podomatic, MyPodcast.com, and Talkshoe.com), all linked and critiqued (briefly) below.



1. PODOMATIC - see the widget below, or follow this link:




Click here to get your own player.


1. PODOMATIC - see the widget below, or follow this link:

The Good about Podomatic:

• Free hosting.


• Reasonable charges for bandwidth plans.


• Easy to use.


• Episodes and badges can be embedded elsewhere online.

The Bad about Podomatic:

• Each post accommodates only one image and one audio track.


• Videos are not accommodated.

The Biggest Turnoffs of Podomatic:

• Exceeding free bandwidth limits can be costly.

2. MYPODCAST.COM: [Visit this link: Tennis-themed image and audio to accompany Lisa Tolliver On Air and Online >> S'more about my podcamp session.]

The Good about MyPodcast.com:

• Free hosting and bandwidth. (Good site for storing audio.)


• Offers earning opportunities from advertisements placed in the post at points designated by the podcaster. [By default, ads are inserted at the front of each episode.]


• Easy to use.

The Bad about MyPodcast.com:

• Each post accommodates only one image and one audio track.


• Audio tracks limited to MP3 format.


• Accepting ads into 'casts is not optional.


• Videos are not accommodated.

The Biggest Turnoff(s) about MyPodcast.com:

• The site does not provide widgets or code for embedding podcasts elsewhere.

3. TALKSHOE: [Visit this link: Tennis-themed image and audio to accompany Lisa Tolliver On Air and Online >> S'more about my podcamp session.]

The Good about TalkShoe:

• Free hosting and bandwidth. (Good site for storing audio.)


• Offers revenue-sharing opportunities.


• Easy to use.


• Can host interactive chats, conference calls.


• The Bad about Talkshoe:


• Each post accommodates only one image and one audio track.
  Audio tracks limited to MP3 format.
  Accepting ads into 'casts is not optional.
  Videos are not accommodated.
  The Biggest Turnoff(s) about MyPodcast.com:
  The site does not provide widgets or code for embedding podcasts elsewhere.

Didja catch my guest spot on "The 3-G Experience" on WHCR 90.3 FM?

"The 3-G Experience" (Gift, Grace and Glory) is a gospel show that airs every Thursday at 6:00-10:00 AM, Eastern Time on New York Radio WHCR FM ("The Voice of Harlem"). Today's guests are Major Ouida Harding and I.

The show is hosted by velvety-voiced "Brother Bill" DeFossett. The former New York City policeman has been cited in books, movies, and other media. Books and movies that cite him are illustrated below. ###

ON AIR: Atten Hut! Join Music Minister, Major Ouida Harding, and me at 1200 hours, Eastern Time on the 'Lisa Tolliver Show'

"Is there a doctor in the house?" is usually the call when one needs healing. And retired Army Major Ouida Waltryce Harding (affectionately known as "Major") made sure someone answered that call - sometimes answering it herself - throughout a 26-year career in the United States Army and Army Reserve.

"Is there music in your life?" is another call Major has long answered. As a musician (piano, organ), Chaplain Musician in the Army, church minister, clinician, musical director, support guest musician, prodigy, pioneer, and instructor, she has ministered to the spirits, souls and senses of diverse civilian and military audiences, off-air and worldwide. These are just three of the doctoral candidate's current roles:

• Minister of Music at Walker Memorial Baptist Church in the Bronx,
  
• Dean of Seminars and Training for the National Baptist Convention, and
  
• Founder of The Worship Arts Theological Training and Resource Center, Inc., which, her bio says "will serve as a conduit with a training mission to assist persons who serve in Music and Worship Leadership, but have not had the benefit of dedicated training to support their assigned task; serve as pastoral consultant; and "grow" bona fide church musicians, especially back home in the Harlem community where for her it all began."

There's so much more. But I'll wait for the show to sing like a canary. Come and witness this glorious guest!

Today, Major will minister to the Lisa Tolliver Show audience on air and online. Join us at 1200 hours, Eastern Time. Tune to New York Radio WVOX 1460 AM, listen live at WVOX.com, or hear and share via phone at (01) 914 636 0110.

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Contributions and sponsorships to my creative and cultural works are tax-deductible. And with matching funds, you can double, even triple your money! Learn more, contribute here.### ###




BELOW: Dorothy Norwood and Cissy Houston are but two of the gospel artists Major has worked with. The ads below access some of their music.

ON AIR July 25, 2007: The Lisa Toliver Show features Minister of Music, Major Ouida W. Harding

Oyez! Hear ye! Lend me your ears! Tomorrow's Lisa Tolliver Show should get you shouting, clapping, and tapping your feet. You may even lift up your voice and sing.

My guest will be Minister of Music, Major Ouida Waltryce Harding (affectionately known as "Major"). If you've never heard OF her, you've likely HEARD her beautiful, award-winning music. That's likely, as she sometimes performs with well-known gospel artists, such as Dorothy Norwood and Cissy Houston.

For example, Major was Musical Director for Face to Face, for which Ms. Houston captured the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. [Hear excerpts.] And the gospel singing group, 'The Reflections of Faith', which Major says she organized "with the intent to do more than sound good, but to also connect and encourage persons from all walks of life," won three consecutive NYC Gospel Grammy Awards for the Best Non-Recording Female Group. Amen!

The show will air at high noon (ET) on Wednesday, July 25. To hear and share, tune to New York Radio WVOX 1460 AM, listen live online at WVOX.com, or phone the call-in line: (01) 914.636.0110.

I've been trying for a year to interview the globetrotting musician (piano, organ), minister and retired military officer, and we're all blessed she's booked this broadcast. Hallelujah!

Major Harding and her gifts are in great demand, worldwide, to uplift audiences as personal as wedding ceremonies and as public as the National Baptist Convention (for which she is the Dean of Seminars and Training. Major also participates in and heads workshops (like this one) and international missions (like this one in Ecuador, and an upcoming one she recruited me for).

Experiencing Major in action at her house of worship, Walker Memorial Baptist Church (WMBC), and sharing her stage during the World AIDS Day 2006 event: "A Time For Healing", has revealed some secrets to her success and popularity. For example, her extraordinary musical talents, leadership, and Army officer experience are clearly manifested when Major leads her musical troops in Sunday services and special events.

Some facts about this superb musician (organ, pianist) and minister are detailed in her bio at Yahoo! Groups: WMBC Mass Choir. [I've copied it below, and inserted links and bracketed text.]

[Minister of Music and Sacred Arts, Ms. Ouida W. Harding] is a graduate of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta Georgia [Morehouse School of Religion, 2003], with a Master of Arts in Church Music degree. She is a native New Yorker (Harlem) and [has] been appointed to the position of Dean of Seminars [and Training for the Music Auxiliary] for the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.

A member of the St. Luke Baptist Church (Harlem) for over thirty five years, under the leadership of her father Reverend Walter L. Harding who served as pastor for over 53 years, Ouida comes to us with a thorough understanding of her ministry not as a job or a hobby, but as a Calling.

Ouida's credits her Mother as her first music teacher at the age of 4, and is using opportunities given to her to effectively contribute towards the resurrection of trained musicians especially for our local Baptist community.

And that's not the half of it. Tune in and witness the rest for yourself.

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Contributions and sponsorships to my creative and cultural works are tax-deductible. And with matching funds, you can double, even triple your money! Learn more, contribute here.###

Today's podcast at Sports Shorts & Thing Shots

Today's podcast episode at Sports Shorts & Thing Shots is Cowboy: Roundup!