Birth Certificate Release: An Important First Step

So, Donald Trump (and others) have effectively forced President Obama to release his "long form" birth certificate.
Now, maybe the President will release his complete medical records instead of a one-page summary.
During the 2008 campaign, candidate Obama released a mere summary of his medical history while John McCain opened more than a thousand pages of his medical records to media access.
In 2010, Obama's doctor released a 275-word updated summary of his medical report.
Also, maybe Obama will release his academic records. Barack Obama has not released transcripts for his grades from Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He has also not released his SAT and LSAT scores. No explanation has been offered for not releasing them.
If there is no cause for concern in any of the records, why not release them?
If there is cause for concern, why not release them and get the matter over with.
Secrecy naturally breeds suspicion.
An old PR rule: If you keep hiding something, people will think you have something to hide.

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Mardi Gras: What's It Really All About?

In French, Mardi Gras lierally means "Fat Tuesday."
The name comes from the slaughtering of and feasting on the fatted calf.
It marks the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the last day before the beginning of Lent. The Lenten ritual of sacrifice and remembrance of Christ's anguish embraces the 40 days leading up to Holy Week (including Holy Thursday and Good Friday). Holy Week marks the culmination of Lent. Then, Easter marks the beginning of a new year in the Church calendar.
In America Mardi Gras is mostclosely associated with the festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.Most people are not aware of the fact that these he annual festivities start on January 6, the Twelfth Night Feast of the Epiphany, when the three kings are supposed to have visited the Christ child
The events build to a climax on Fat Tuesday. The parties and parades will continue until Lent begins at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.
The tradition and celebration are so huge that Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in New Orleans. It is scheduled to occur 46 days before Easter. Since the actual date Easter occurs on changes yearly, Mardi Gras can happen on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9.
This year, Mardi Gras and Easter occur on their latest possible date.
For more than two centuries Mardi Gras has been an annual event in New Orleans, except during the two World Wars.
By some accounts, Mardi Gras came to the New World in 1699, when a French explorer arrived at the Mississippi River, somewhat south of present day New Orleans. He named the spot Point du Mardi Gras because he knew the holiday was being celebrated in his native country that day.

Eventually the French in New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras with masked balls and parties, until the Spanish government took over in the mid-1700s and banned the celebrations. The ban continued even after the U.S. government acquired the land but the celebrations resumed in 1827. 

The official colors of Mardi Gras, with their roots in Catholicism, were chosen 10 years later: purple, a symbol of justice; green, representing faith; and gold, to signify power.

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Remembering Anthony P. (Tony) Zecca

Tony Zecca was an absolute trailblazer.
In fact, in Philadelphia he was a public relations pioneer. 
Zecca was one of the first public relations practitioners to direct PR for a major municipal entity. The year was 1953. The Mayor was legendary Philadelphia reformer Richardson Dilworth. When Dilworth decided that he needed a Public Relations director, he turned to Zecca, a former wire service reporter who had the distinction of covering three political conventions in the city in 1948.
Zecca was the right man for the job -- and not just because he scored the highest of numerous applicants on the civil service exam. Zecca was quick. He was street-smart. He was loyal, yes. But he was also a total pro. He had good judgment and was an adept multi-tasker long before anyone even knew what the term meant.
Over the course of 23 years in city government Zecca worked for several Philadelphia mayors but he is best remembered as the spokesman, wordsmith and ever-president confidante to Mayor Frank Rizzo, one of the most colorful characters in Philadelphia's rich history.
As Deputy Mayor to Rizzo, Zecca was the guy who who worked his butt off to try to make sure that the rough-hewn Rizzo looked, talked and acted like a mayor. But he was also the guy who had to repair the damage when the Big Bambino didn't live up to the expectations of his most trusted loyalists. Along the way, once in awhile Zecca doubtless had to learn to simply "let Rizzo be Rizzo."
In the end it Zecca who was with Rizzo on the day he died in July 1991. Rizzo was seeking a dramatic return to the mayor's office when Zecca found the former Police Commissioner dead on the floor in the bathroom of his campaign office. Rizzo suffered a massive heart attack.
That day brought to an end a significant portion of Tony Zecca's career. And Zecca always maintained that an important part of Philadelphia died as well when Frank Rizzo passed on.
Today, we mourn the passing of  Anthony P. Zecca, a fellow member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame who died Sunday.
Tony Zecca was born in Philadelphia to Italian immigrants Giacomo Zecca, who built boats and planes at the Naval Shipyard, and Nevicella Zecca.
He grew up at 18th and Mifflin streets and graduated from South Philadelphia High School. He went on to Temple University, where he became editor of the Temple News.
He went to work for the old International News Service, and covered the 1948 Democratic, Republican and Progressive Party political conventions, all held in Philadelphia.
We extend our condolences to his son Mark, his daughter Adrienne and the entire family.
Those of us who follow in the footsteps of Tony Zecca are honored to do so.

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Remembering Shelley Picker

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Shelley Picker -- a friend, colleague and one of the kindest, most talented, most gracious people we've ever met.
A member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, Shelley served as President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association and spent a large part of her professional life as a successful and highly-respected PR practitioner in the Philadelphia region. She represented an impressive number of  corporations and non-profits and gained a reputation as a savvy businesswoman, a generous and helpful colleague and an accomplished wordsmith. It's no secret that the PR practice can be rough and hugely competitive. But Shelley managed to succeed without the sort of pugnacity that characterizes so many others in the business. She competed with the best of them (and often bested them) with an a smile and a warmth that made her widely admired not just by her colleague but by all who knew her.
Shelley Picker was always interested in art. Indeed, she drew and painted all her life.
After receiving her training in oils and acrylics at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, she expanded her work to include fabric wall hangings. During this time, she was a studio artist, taught art and showed her work extensively throughout the country in galleries and museums.
She served as the President of Artist Equity and was an advocate for the rights of artists regarding safety issues and gallery relationships. She also served on the Board of Collab, (the design section of the Philadelphia Art Museum) and worked as a consultant for the Museum. And she served on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, and was a Signature Member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society and the Baltimore Watercolor Society.
In the 1990's, Shelley began to focus her energies on watercolors. Her floral and garden paintings proved to be remarkably captivating. And, her career as an artist flourished.
She exhibited her work extensively  in galleries and museums, (both juried and group shows) and her work was acquired by corporate and private collections.
Here's what Shelley had to say about this:

I touch the paper with color and sometimes magic happens.
Water and paint – mixing, floating, moving, blending, sparkling, creating shapes and images. Each color is special; each reacting in its own way, some transparent or staining, others opaque or granulated, that's what makes the watercolor medium come alive for me.
Sometimes I work very close to a painting for many hours only to raise my head and feel like only minutes have passed. I back away and am surprised to see a new and different painting.
Whenever I work outside, direct from nature, I revel in it. The sky is always a wonder to me. The sparkling sun filters through the trees, always creating wonderful rich darks – deep and mysterious. The light shines through the petals of my favorite flowers creating lights and mid-tones, shifting the shapes and changing the petal structure. The environment speaks to me and always makes me smile.
Watercolor has turned out to be a perfect match - a love match.

Shelley never acknowledged it, but the "magic" that she said merely "happens" didn't just happen.
It came from her.
And she shared it with her wonderful family, her colleagues and all us who were fortunate enough to know her. While she saw the light shining through in nature, we saw the light shining through in her. And we were inspired and strengthened by it.
She will be greatly missed. But we are greatly comforted by the example of her life and her rich artistic legacy.
Our deepest sympathies are extended to her husband Ben, her children and her entire family.
Funeral services are set for tomorrow, Friday, at 1 p.m. at Levine’s at 7112 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia.

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Can They REALLY Chuck The Legalease?

I haven't spoken to a large group of lawyers for quite some time.
But I did spend years talking to and for lawyers. And I did write my share of letters, memos, speeches, columns and related matter for them.
Over the years, I've always tried to get them to chuck the jargon and speak and write simply and clearly.
In a little while I'll be giving them a message here at the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Conference of County Bar Leaders on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pa.
Here's part of what I want to tell them:
1) As much as possible, try to rid your language of qualifiers. Qualifying adverbs, adjectives and other words and phrases muddy the meaning of what you're trying to say.
2) Be specific. Wherever and whenever you can, replace words like "often" and "sometimes" and "maybe" with more specific words.
3) Get rid of prepositional phrases. These phrases (like "in order to") bog down your language.
4) Use active verbs. Ditch the passive voice and avoid the verb to be. Remember: Something that's happening now is always more interesting than something that happened yesterday.
5) Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Short words. Short sentences. Short paragraphs.

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Perhaps The Greatest Speech Ever!

Gettysburg Address

delivered 19 November 1863

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

On this, the birthday of our 16th President, it's fitting to reprint and to read one again what many people consider to be the greatest speech ever delivered. 

Why is it still remembered?

It's remembered for its logic, for the profundity of its ideas, for its simplicity, for its brevity and for the fact that the its words continue to resonate and inspire us today. It's timeless. It remains remarkably meaningful.

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You Can Now E-Mail Speaker Boehner Directly

Anyone in the country can now e-mail House Speaker John Boehner.
It's simple, easy and direct.
After former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) passed the gavel to the Ohio Republican, his office launched SpeakerBoehner@mail.house.gov for voters to easily contact him.
It's all part of a new effort by the Speaker to keep the lines of communication open with and to all of his constituents throughout the United States.
Typically, members of Congress accept e-mails but only through a structured form system that often denies access to those who do not live in the member's district.
Under Boehner's new system, anyone can e-mail the Speaker at any time.
The Speaker's staff will collect and monitor all e-mails and the Speaker will be apprised of the topics, concerns and issues that citizens are raising.
The e-mail a dress, again: SpeakerBoehner@mail.house.gov.

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Anne Klein Communications Group Gains Honors

Congratulations to all of our friends at Anne Klein Communications Group (AKCG) on winning FIVE Pepperpot Awards, the highest honor betowed by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Here's the secret of Anne Klein's success: tremendous creativity, dedicated professionalism and real people who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to their clients.
For evidence of all of this look no further than this video which was used to "accept" the Pepperpots at the awards banquet.
Bravo, AKCG!

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The Sayings Of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

Maybe you've wanted to say it to an unfaithful spouse. Perhaps you've longed to shout it out to a shiftless co-worker. Or tempted to telegraph it to a disagreeable neighbor. "Let me help you pack."
That's what N.J. Gov. Chris Christie said to an overpaid school superintendent who tried to front-load his contract so he wouldn't be subject to Christie's proposed salary cap. When Christie tagged the superintendent the "poster boy of greed and arrogance," the school chief noted that he didn't have to work in Jersey - he could go elsewhere.
And then Christie said what a lot of people were thinking.
Click here to read the rest of my column from today's Philadelphia Daily News.

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Shocking White House Botch: Michele!

"Michele and I are deeply saddened by the loss of life, injuries, and damage that have occurred as a result of the recent earthquake and tsunami in West Sumatra," reads a news release yesterday from the White House.
There's just one problem with this, one VERY BIG problem: The First Lady's name is misspelled.
It's M-i-c-h-e-L-L-e: with TWO L's. Michelle. Michelle Obama. Get it?
Yes, everyone makes mistakes now and then.
But the White House? With the First Lady's name?
Unbelievable!

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