In the course of 7 days, 150 years of goodwill and good standing in Penn State University were obliterated at the expense of protecting the legacy of a gentleman who batted an eye while children were being repeatedly raped – One of the most epic PR disasters in the history of America. The only thing Penn State could have done worse was harbor terrorists.

Penn State can actually recover from this and here’s a simple plan how.

1. Fire every single remaining person involved in the child sex abuse scandal and fire their relatives who may be working for the university. There can’t be any remaining trace of the consciousness that harbored these atrocities anywhere near the campus.
2. Penn State Board of Trustees should immediately send a letter of apology to all students, staff, and alumni for the despicable actions of all involved in their Child Rape Scandal. This letter should also lay out a detailed plan on how they’re cooperating with law enforcement and how they’ll begin to make amends for the darkest chapter in their history.
3. Penn State should immediately create the world’s largest and most technologically advanced center for protecting children against domestic and sexual abuse and they should build it using Joe Paterno’s salary and the salaries of all disgraced staff members. This center should also be the world’s beacon of education on child abuse and should also be a means where millions of dollars can be funneled to non-profits dedicated towards ending child abuse.
4. After the horrible way Penn State handled this scandal, they should immediately disband their School of Public Relations and offer all students in the major a full refund on their tuition. The cutting edge of insanity is to allow these students to rack up debt while learning the WRONG way of doing things. The School of Public Relations can also be transformed into another center designed to protect abused children.
5. Donate 40% of all Penn State merchandise sales toward the victims & their families of the Child Rape Scandal. This money can also be given to non-profits that help abused children.
6. Penn State should bring in three busloads of Priests, Rabbi’s and other respected spiritual authorities to campus do a mass exorcism and cleansing of the negative energy created by the Child Rape Scandal. Students should be encouraged to walk through campus burning sage (most religions use it for purification). In addition Penn State should designate a full hour where everyone prays for the abused children, for Joe Paterno and yes, even the grotesquely sadistic Jerry Sandusky.
7. Hire Florida State University legendary coach Bobby Bowdon as the head consultant in Penn State’s football program. Bowdon is one of the most beloved & respected coaches & individuals in the history of collegiate sports. If anyone can help put Penn State back on the right path it’s Bowdon.

Goldman McCormick has already presented this plan on the following shows:

KCOL Fort Collins, CO 1
KFAB Omaha, NE
KIDO Boise, ID
KION Salinas, CA
KMJ Fresno, CA
KOA Denver, CO
WNRP Pensacola, FL
WOAI San Antonio, TX
WRNO New Orleans, LA

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Technorati Tags: Joe Paterno, Penn State, public relations, sex abuse

Cain was very smart to invoke the “democratic smear machine” while not naming names – it had nothing to do with whether he really believed there was a machine at work but, to give cover to any of the other GOP candidates who might have actually been behind the harassment story. It was a very smart and calculating move and it played into the Republican theology (well both parties always think the other has a “smear machine”).

Cain was also wise not to attack any of his accusers personally. By doing that it cast more doubt on the notion that he could sexually harass someone (this on purely surface level – we ourselves don’t know the real truth).

What is the future of Cain from here? I think he’s still going to be a viable, strong candidate although he probably lost some support from people who believe the harassment accusations regardless if they are true or false.

Will we see an increase in attacks from Cain from the Left if he survives this storm? We don’t think we’ll begin to see true attacks from the Left until he’s secured the GOP nomination. If Cain was a GOP Candidate who wore his faith based values on his sleeve and was the most popular with social conservatives, it would probably be a different story. Cain is more prone to attacks within his own party for now.

From a PR perspective, Cain did well but, if you really analyze what he said word for word you might come to a different conclusion.

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Technorati Tags: harassment, Herman Cain, press conference

See Video here:

This is a Freddy Kruger PR nightmare of epic proportions for Adams.

Whatever public outrage there is now about Judge Williams’s actions, it’s an appetizer as the worst is yet to come. People are just starting to learn about this story and once mainstream media begins to repeatedly show the abusive clip, Adam’s is going to be obliterated by tsunami’s of public anger reserved only for the most callous of citizens.

Adam’s PR strategy? He should immediately make a tearful public apology to his daughter and then resign and then check into a mental health clinic. There is absolutely no chance he’s going to get re-elected even if his opponent drops out of the race and gets replaced by Casey Anthony.

As disturbing as the daughter-abuse video is, a lot of good will come out of it. There likely will be websites created where kids can submit videos of their abusive parents – that get reviewed by law enforcement. Abusive parents will likely think twice before assaulting their kids not knowing if there’s a hidden camera present. As of right now, the entire nation is united (a rare occasion!) against the horrors of child abuse and every parent in the world is questioning how they discipline their children. Judge Williams’ daughter Hillary about attain an abundance of wealth through her upcoming media appearances and she will likely form a foundation that helps other abused children.

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Technorati Tags: abuse, assault, beating, Freddy Kruger, Hillary, Judge William Adams

During Sheen’s public meltdown in March, the world of entertainment came to a complete standstill and even Hollywood A-listers had their ego strokings put on an abrupt hold. Sheen’s headlines also toppled one of the largest awards ceremony’s in the world. Flash forward to last night, Sheen (not Two & A Half Men or Comedy Central) was the focal point of America’s attention.

During the Emmy’s, Sheen physically looked healthy and seemed very as ease as if he wasn’t carrying a planet sized boulder on his back anymore. He was both coherent and classy wishing his former co-workers the best of luck. Also, Modern Family may have taken home the awards but, Sheen’s surprise appearance took the first three headlines the next day.

At Comedy Central’s Roast last night, Sheen was torn to shreds but, he took his knocks like Mel Gibson in the climax of “Brave Heart.” Sheen’s speech at the end of the roast was commanding and hysterical. With all due respect to dynamite Roasters Jeffrey Ross, Seth McFarlane, and Patrice O’Neal – Sheen’s (appearing 100% sober and sharp) comedic talent and timing outshined them all. He walked away again a winner and Sheen will keep winning as reports of Two & A Half Men ratings plummet.

Ashton Loses

Despite a record number of viewers for the premiere of last night’s new season of Two & A Half Men, Ashton Kutcher will soon earn the infamous nickname of “Mr. Jump The Shark.” Half of Goldman McCormick believes this will happen and that the ratings will be in the basement come time for the Super Bowl. Kutcher does not have the same rapport of respect from his fans the way that Sheen does and last night’s show proved the regardless of how brilliant Jon Cryer is, Two & A Half Men is Sheen’s staple mark.

From a PR perspective, the insanity in choosing Kutcher (who’s never had a critically acclaimed or commercial successful film – Sheen’s had 10) to replace Sheen was the real moment Two & A Half Men ended.  FYI Kutcher is listed at the top of the list of “Actors Who Hate Movies”

Comedy Central…..

From a PR perspective, Comedy Central dropped he ball with Charlie Sheen Roast by having a majority of unknown participants roast an internationally known star. Sheen deserved the likes of Tom Berringer, Heather Locklear, Jeffrey Gurian, and Dave Attell on stage not…..Amy Schumer (really? Is getting grandfathered in CC’s new policy?).  Schumer took a “demonic” swipe at Steve-O – passionately praising the sudden death of his best friend & fellow Jackass star Ryan Dunn and saying what a shame it was that Steve-O wasn’t dead instead. To make matters worse Sheen’s pre-roast party was hosted by three unknown guys who were about as funny a root canal. Comedy Central could have raised the profile of the network substantially if they had put a better effort into the Roast and not promoting their pet projects. However, to give Comedy Central credit where credit is due – they are still churning out original and quality programming.

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Technorati Tags: Ashton Kutcher, Charlie Sheen, Comedy Central, Roast

1. In an absolutely political brilliant move, President Obama should get his wife pregnant and decide not to run for re-election in 2012. Pending on when he pulls of the move, it would literally knock the wind out of the GOP who’ve been rallying their base around defeating Obama in 2012. From a PR perspective, Obama would easily be able to regain his political footing and popularity in a mere four years by taking Bill Clinton’s lead in becoming in an advocate for worthy global causes.
2. It would be a very smart move for the Democrats to bring Hillary Clinton in as the 2012 nominee in the wake of Obama’s surprise decision. Clinton absolutely strikes fear in the hearts of Mitt Romney and Rick Perry especially because she’ll run an intensely disciplined campaign and she’s exceptionally smart (even Karl Rove recognizes this). Also, Clinton won’t be able to be attacked over Obama’s record as she was serving as Secretary of State – that will be absolutely huge for her.
3. The GOP will not be able to win over Independent voters with a social values candidate in 2012. Independents voted for Obama were seeking a positive change and they also had expectations that the economy would improve and that troops would return from Afghanistan. Being that the economy is the first priority on most Independent’s minds, the last thing they will do is commit to a candidate who wants to ban gay marriage or abortion. Granted these issues resonate strongly with the GOP base, they are an absolute turn off to Independents and that exactly who the GOP needs to court in order to win in 2012.
4. Bachman, Paul VS Perry-Romney – The GOP base has been in a heated battle for it’s soul for a long time as the winner will be determined within in 6 months. They’re going to have to decide how bad they want to beat Obama versus how bad they want to maintain the integrity of their social / religious values.  It’s Libertarian Wing VS Social Conservative Wing. If you look at the Independents that the GOP needs to court in order to win in 2012, they tend to lean more Libertarian and less Social Conservative.

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Technorati Tags: 2012 Election

1. Never send your resume & cover letter to the HR department. In this economy, HR is already inundated with more resumes that they can handle and even if you are qualified, you can still get easily passed over. Send your resume and a personalized cover letter directly to the CEO instead. The CEO is the most important person in the company and the only person whom you need to have on your side. If you impress the CEO, they’ll forward your resume to HR – immediately making you stand out and changing how the HR department will view you during the interview. Granted the CEO will likely listen to the HR Department’s insight, if they really have a good feeling about you – you’re hired!
2. Stop sending Word Resumes as a file attachment – sometimes they get caught in email spam filters. You’re better off pasting your resume in the base of the email so it can be read from a BlackBerry.
3. Cover letters should be brief (two short paragraphs at most) and personalized. Tell the company you’re seeking to work for specifically what you’d like to do for them and what exactly you’d bring to the table. Present your big ideas! The more detailed you are, the better and the more you’ll stand out. If takes you more time to crank out letters, so be it. Generic cover letters than land on our desk always find the garbage.
4. Create a web resume through WordPress. It’s free and it’ll make you stand out from thousands of other job seekers. Your web resume should have these tabs: Home, Resume, Testimonials, Contact. As far as testimonials go, ask people you’ve previously worked for a paragraph endorsement. If a CEO or HR person goes to our web resume and sees 4-6 solid letters of endorsement, you’ll impress them and will have already saved them a HUGE step in checking out your references! A web resume is also fantastic because you can easily paste the link in a brief cover letter. We can’t underscore how much of an impact this can have on your job efforts.
5. Write a hand written thank you card after the interview – it’s a real nice touch.
6. Don’t take it personally that a company doesn’t hire you. Businesses fail all the time and chances are if they aren’t smart enough to realize that hiring you is the most brilliant decision they could ever make – they’re probably one step away from filing Chapter 11.
7. If you’ve gone through public schooling, it’s not 100% your fault for struggling economically. Public school teaches you that being passive, uncompetitive, and a follower of others will lead to prosperity – in this economy it will not. Public school’s religion is the church of mediocrity – in this economy the free market’s religion is individually generated prosperity. Public school also teaches you that you are “entitled to a job” – in this economy, you will never get in the door with that attitude. Our point is that if you can turn off the chorus of everyone telling you what they think is best for you and turn on the lone voice of your gut feelings, you’re going to be in a much better position fast.
8. Can’t find a job but, know you have amazing skills and the ability to provide excellent service? Go into business for yourself. It’ll be one of the scariest and most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have and while we may not know you personally, we feel there’s an 80% chance you’ll be more successful than you ever thought possible. You can’t definitely do this – we believe in you. We would love to be competing against your business in the future.

We wish you all well in your searches. Good luck and be relentless.

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Technorati Tags: Advice, HR, interview, job, resume, seeking

Article I: Under no circumstances will Goldman McCormick work on a behalf of a client that is emotionally erratic, vindictive, or unstable – no matter how great the compensation.

We feel that individuals that have these mentioned characteristics can substantially slow down the productivity of your efforts (and ultimately cost your company thousands of dollars). Also, these individuals can poison your positive energy which in turn will affect your other clients. You and I have a responsibility to provide exceptional service but, we don’t have a responsibility to be the sponge or a person’s inner turmoil.

When we implemented our Drama Free Workplace policy, we saw a brief drop in revenue but, then a surge of growth. Plus, we’ve had more time available to service our other clients (all of whom are amazing – they’re all 24-7 workacholics!) and spend time with our families.  Things are peaceful and we’re happy about that for everyone.

Article II: Under no circumstances will Goldman McCormick’s offices be a breeding ground for gossip and growth for inner emotional turmoil.

Of course we will not hesitate to listen to or be supportive of an employee’s personal life tribulations however, chronic drama which destroys productivity is not permitted. It’s a challenge enough to utilize every second of the day to provide excellent service to clients who depend on you and unnecessary employee drama can do nothing but, contradict those efforts. At Goldman McCormick, our Drama Free Workplace policy has kept morale high as everyone collectively focuses on success. Our employees know that if they need a personal day they can take it.

Article III: Under no circumstances will Goldman McCormick originate nor provide fuel for drama related circumstances that bring forth stress to any Producer or Editor.

In our industry, relationships with the media are very delicate and must be protected, positively fostered, and be defended at all costs even if it means ending a client working relationship (thankfully this hasn’t happened!). Media Professionals are as stressed as it is however, a client that is not thoroughly prepared or a client with the potential to cause anguish is nothing more than a relationship killer. We’re proud to provide these individuals Drama Free PR.

Conclusion about Drama Free Workplace:

We believe that drama is an obstructive force that doesn’t need to exist. We believe that perpetual love & optimism always win the day in ALL aspects of what we do. We can’t tell you how to run your own business but, we can say with total certainty that this policy has been a win-win-win for all those whom we work with.

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Technorati Tags: challenges, drama, employees, employment, Goldman McCormick, gossip, hiring, jobs, public relations, workplace

At Goldman McCormick, we had a Casey Anthony Expert Bureau since day one that not only had strong attorneys but, a forensic psychiatrist and Florida-based radio host. Our team had every possible angle to the story covered and as a result, our clients did over 15 National TV appearances and over 100 radio appearances talking on the cast alone!

For attorney’s seeking to raise their public profile, not only should they be well versed on the all the top court cases but, should also be PASSIONATE. At Goldman McCormick, we’ve been blessed with attorney’s who have both and the latter ultimately keep them on a producer’s speed dial.

Florida attorney’s Lawrence Walters & David Seltzer believed Casey Anthony was going to be found not guilty since DAY ONE and they took a lot of heat from public and the media. Walters & Seltzer presented concrete, legal arguments and never wavered and when the verdict came down these two gentlemen were immediately called by the press.

Any time a huge national court trial like Casey Anthony or OJ Simpson breaks, it is a golden opportunity for legal professional to be seen and be heard. Goldman McCormick is a means to make that happen.

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Technorati Tags: attorney, Casey Anthony, CNN, Fox News, legal, NBC, PR

Today as millions mourn Ryan Dunn, Co-Start of MTV’s “Jackass” many ponder if the show is a leap towards a global idiocracy and de-evolution. We feel that “Jackass” can actually be viewed as positive PR not only for America but, for human beings. Here’s why:

Respect for Animals: According to Farm Animal Rights Movement, approximately 58 billion land animals are killed every year for food in the world. Drug companies test chemicals on cute furry bunnies, some creatures of nature are slaughtered merely for their skin, and some people cruelly abuse their pets. Several global religions and philosophies teach their followers to respect nature and all its creatures. The cast & crew of “Jackass” have never harmed an animal in their movies or TV Show. They’ve always shown a tremendous respect for wildlife and have taught millions how NOT to interact with them (ex being chased by a bull while painted fully red).

Laughing 101: “Jackass” proves that you don’t need millions of dollars, video games, or even comedy clubs to experience gut-busting laughter – you just need your friends. When recalling your fondest funniest memories, what percentage of them is with your pals?

Shows Human Potential: Human beings throughout history have defied the odds by climbing un-scalable mountains, surviving nature’s a-game assault, and even marrying Liza Millelli. While the odds that “Jackass” trumps (yes you can snort 3 lines of wasabi & live, yes you can laugh fireworks from all parts of the human body, yes you can escape serious injury after being shot repeatedly with a paintball gun) can make the average person’s stomach turn, they none the less prove that the impossible is possible.

Promotes Fearlessness: Mark Twain once said “Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” The cast of “Jackass” regularly stares fear down with the intensity of 80’s Mike Tyson. “Jackass” proves than human beings can conquer whatever scares them and that they can they also laugh as their fears.

Life Without Drama: “Jackass” could be viewed as timeless example of what it means to not take life seriously – what it means not to take yourself seriously (and be overly self conscious). The films and show are based on a group of friends (who have no shame) who prank each other and themselves just to get a laugh. Many people in the world chronically deal with workplace drama, marriage drama, fear of death drama, Julia Roberts movies – from a PR perspective, “Jackass” proves that the global community can indeed experience life at amusement park pace and also be successful. Last time we checked, more people have fun on the Ferris wheel than the Xerox machine.

Pending on how you view life and what your ideal word looks like – if it’s one without fear, without drama, and filled with laughter; chances are “Jackass” is it’s Publicist.

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Technorati Tags: Bam Margera, insane, Jackass, Johnny Knoxvile, movie, PR, Ryan Dunn, stunts, TV

1. Determine your own inner Elasticity of Truth. If the image you present of yourself to the world is a complete contradiction of who you really are inside, you’re chances of getting lied to or falling for BS will be substantially high. On the scientific level, it’s simply likeminded energy gravitating towards other likeminded energy. The more honest you are with yourself the easier you’ll be able to notice when people are being untruthful with you.
2. People tend to emotionally overreact when you fail to respond to their manipulations. Gauge how people react to your reactions to what they are saying. When someone is caught in a lie, they usually act like trapped rat and lash at you – it’s a battle of wills and the person with the lower self esteem usually loses or accepts the lie. When you become more aware of how read BS, you can actually take total control of the situation and turn the tables on the teller of tall tales.
3. Go with your gut feeling. If you sense something isn’t truthful, chances are you’re probably right. We’ve actually walked away from a few meetings with high profile CEO’s because our guts were telling us they were completely full of BS – turns out our guts were right!
4. Language of Distraction: People who are full of BS rarely answer a question directly. They NEED to throw as many other conversational distractions at you as possible in order for your mind to not be fully focused on what they are saying. A good anti-BS exercise is to watch political debates & the Oscars – after a while you’ll start to spray aerosol around your TV & open the windows when one is on.
5. Observe Body Language: In our experience, we find that people who are perpetual BS artists can’t sit still and often fidget when lying to your face. It’s like their body is screaming at you “don’t listen to him/her!” and it’s a clear indication of a disconnected Elasticity of Truth.
6. Leash your ego. A common tactic of a perpetual BS artist is to load the victim with compliments to inflate their ego. People with lower self esteem often immediately fall for this. Everyone wants to feel good and when you feel bad and someone makes you feel good, the tendency is to want more of it. The victim is more inclined to go along with the lie because their self esteem is getting boosted – that’s why some people who are knowingly lied to just go along with it. The best defense against this is simply accepting the fact you’re a cool person (faults, skeletons, everything).
7. Be aware of the sociopath (http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html) – they are the most skilled BS artists that ever existed. Some times they can even bypass your gut feeling because they are 100% convinced that their lies are truthful. However, the link above will teach you to immediately identify who a sociopath is.
8. We strongly recommend reading, buying, memorizing the book “Never Be Lied To Again” by Dr. David Lieberman – http://www.amazon.com/Never-Lied-Again-Conversation-Situation/dp/0312186347 – it is amazing.
9. Truth rarely comes in a Tiffany’s box with a side of fresh flowers. Those who present the “truth” this way are most likely to be full of BS. Truth is often uneventful and simple – you’ll understand what this means in a few hours from now.

In closing, you are 100% in control of how much BS you’re willing to accept or reject. If you choose to not be a victim of perpetual lies, here are some immediate benefits.

1. Increased personal happiness
2. Increased time for yourself & others
3. Greater awareness of your life and the world in which you live in. BS is like a thick fog on the windshield of your five senses.
4. Stronger working relationships. They say that the cream rises to the top but, you’ll never be able to be the cream if BS is shackling your ankles and dragging you down.
5. More energy – preaching BS and accepting BS as truth a tremendous energy drain on a person’s physical & mental well being.
6. Decreased likelihood of being deceived

At Goldman McCormick, we are 100% committed to a Non-BS work environment and a Non-BS relationship with our clients, trusted friends in the media, and our families

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Technorati Tags: BS, CEO, liars, lies, truth