Good Riddance II

H.A.P.P.Y...N.E.W...Y.E.A.R...2.0.1.0 !

Let's hope it's better than 2009.

Thanks to all of you for your support !

Mad Stork Sports

New Year Reading

Joe,

Happy New Year! Thanks for the great book recommendations. I too have a few books to recommend.

All good Talent Anarchists are on a journey of personal development and discovery. So, as we enter 2010, I thought I'd recommend some of the best books for developing yourself personally and professionally.

1. Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott.

For my money, this is the best and most complete book of professional development you can buy. Susan Scott tackles everything from leadership to communication. It's a book that is very engaging to read but also leaves you with hands on exercises to complete for those are really serious about their own development. I've read this book three times and I learn new things each time.

2. Boom! 7 Choices for Blowing the Doors off Business as Usual by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg.

The Friebergs offer up some important issues for us to think about in regards to our career and how we approach our work. I was skeptical when i originally picked up this book, but found that it provided me with a lot to think about. Among my favorite ideas in this book is their definition of congruence as it relates to our careers.

3. What Color is Your Parachute? 2010: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles

Last but not least is this classic book by Richard Bolles. I have recommended this book to dozens of people throughout my career. Besides being a good resource for those who are job hunting, it's the perfect handbook for those who find themselves stuck in a career that isn't lighting their fire. Year's ago, when I was at a transition point in my career, the process outlined in this book helped me find clarity in terms of what I wanted to do with my career. It is, hands down, the best career book on the market. If it's time for you or someone you know to make a change in their career, buy this book.

With that, I wish you a very Happy New Year and an awesome 2010.

Talk to you next year.

Jason

Good Riddance

It seems that Mike Leach has just the
perfect surname if you ask me. I find it
beyond despicable that he was trying to
take Texas Tech to court to overturn his
suspension by the school to keep him from
coaching their bowl game. I hope the next
school he coach's at, a player he suspends,
takes him to court as well, and believe me
he will get another job real soon, but for
day he got exactly what he deserved.

What an absolute useless display of making
an off season move just for the sake of
making making a move, but then again I expect
nothing less from my bungling NY Mets.
Just for the record: the Jason Bay signing
for this amount of money is a BIG MISTAKE.

Splatter

Even though I am completely against
what Tracy McGrady has done over the
his career, and the fact that his playoff
numbers are completely worthless, I will
say this. He is an offensive weapon that
can easily make a bad team better, even
if he wont make a good team a champion,
and since the NY Knicks are far from a
championship caliber team at this time, I
would not be against to the Knicks making a
trade for the guards services. Keep in mind
that he is in the last year of his contract,
so it wont hurt the LeBron quest, and he fits
in perfect with a Mike D'Antoni high powered
offense, little defense type team. Gone are
the days at MSG where, the chants of DEFENSE
actually meant something. LET'S GO KNICKS !

Pic of the week

A Little Loose Talk

In lieu of talking to you, I thought
the more personal touch of writing to
you would be a nice touch during this
festive holiday season. Enjoy

For starters, it doesn't look like the
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
aren in much of the holiday spirit.
As a matter of fact it seems to be
turning into a bit of a pissing contest
if you know what I mean.

With this scandal on the horizon, it's
fair to say that other colleges will soon
be knocking down Mike Leach's door to
offer him quite the contract any day now.

And Then there were NONE !

You would think that a guy that has won
two national championships at a major
educational institution would know how
to choose his words more carefully, or
perhaps think before he speaks, but hey
what do I know. I guess being a good
football coach doesn't really make you
smart for real, now does it?
Or is that an Urban myth?

Sexy Stevens

Nearly ten years ago, in May 2000, FHM picked up the phone and asked S Club 7’s publicist for access to Rachel Stevens. Permission granted, we put her on the front cover of the magazine. In a leather bra. A decade later, Rachel’s returning to our cover - for what is a record seventh appearance – to usher in the next ten years (video below). The January issue of FHM - on shelves now – which celebrates the best and the worst of the ‘noughties’, also comes with a free giant calendar, featuring Kara Tointon, Abbey Clancy, Pixie Lott, Victoria Pendelton, Eliza Dushku and Amber Heard. What's not to love?

Last 2009 Sports Round Table Replay

Have A Happy New Year Everyone !

My Stone Cold NFL Picks

Last week I went 2-1 when an unexpected
Tampa road win put a monkey wrench in the
perfection I was seeking. The record stands
at a very strong 22-5, but far from perfect/
This week I try, try, again. Feel free to
play along at home with adult supervision/

Cincinnati

San Francisco

Arizona

Stay Tuned !

Cheryl Rocks!

pictures of Cheryl's new Q Magazine shoot.

A Sheen Christmas

Charlie Sheen was arrested Friday at 11:20 a.m. on domestic violence charges.

The Two and a Half Men star was booked for second-degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief, according to a spokesperson for the Pitkin County Sheriff's Department in Aspen, Colo.

"Carlos Irwin Estevez, also known as the actor Charles I. Sheen, was brought to the Pitkin County Colorado Jail for booking and incarceration following his arrest by the Aspen Police Department,” Pitkin County Sheriffs Office patrol director Jeff Lumsden said in a statement.

The actor's rep, Stan Rosenfield, tells PEOPLE, "Do not be mislead by appearance. Appearance and reality can be as different as night and day. It would benefit everyone not to jump to any conclusion."

Sheen, 44, spent Christmas in jail after an alleged scuffle with his wife, Brooke Mueller. He is being held with no bond, and he will remain in jail until his court appearance due to Colorado law which mandates a protection order between those arrested for domestic violence and their victims.

Sports Round Table Replay

Here's hoping the starts of the
Christmas weekend just right for you.
Enjoy the show, and the holiday !

GaGa's Battle cry

Lady Gaga reacts to the announcement that she has sold 8 million records of The Fame

Eliza's Tribute

Eliza Dushku: Ocean Drive Magazine, January 2010

Here's what Eliza Dushku had to say about Brittany Murphy's death:
"My heart aches having just learned of Brittany Murphy's death. We were friends time-to-time thru the yrs. I always admired her pure spirit

Sexy View

A Christame Greeting To You !

Michael Jordan may seem like a Grinch
in his latest lawsuit, but look closer
and see that you might do the same.

Bobby Knight takes a shot......and
IT'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOD !

News & Notes

I was really happy to see that Ndamukong Suh, the
DT from Nebraska was voted AP Player of the Year.
I just hope that his future isn't as bleak as some
of the others that have won that award. You can
certainly the case that only one winner on this
listhas seen true success in the NFL up to this point.

Chris Henry was laid to rest in New Orleans
today, and though on any other occasion it would be
easy to poke fun at the sight of seeing Commissioner
Goodell embrace Chad Ocho Cinco, today we'll
refrain from such cheeseball antics, and pay our
respects to Chris, his family, and the Bengals.
May He Rest In Peace.

Interesting Giants Raiders stat that should be
disturbing if you're a NY Giants fan. Though
the Giants beat the raiders in their only
meeting this year, by a score of 44-7, a 37
point difference. The Giants(8-6) have
allowed 7 more points that the Raiders(5-9)
have on the season. So if you removed that
blowout, that means that they have allowed
44 points points than Oakland. Which brings
to mind 3 things. 1) How much do the G-Men
miss Steve Spagnuolo? 2) How confident can
they truly feel heading into the playoffs?
3) Antonio Pierce should be careful what kind
of Karma he brings upon himself, and his
teammates, when he make statements like he
made after thrashing the Raiders back in October.

In case you interested Jordan Rodgers, the younger
brother of the Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron
Rodgers has signed a letter of intent to play for
for Vanderbilt in college. That is, just in case
you're interested.

Recommended Reading

A little light reading for the talent anarchist...



As we approach the end of another year, a lot of people are producing lists, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. If you are looking for some good reading for the holidays or some books to keep in mind for your 2010 reading list, this list is for you. These are not books that came out this past year, but I think they are all very relevant and timely. I highly recommend each of these books.



The HALO Effect…and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers, by Phil Rosenzweig

If I had a must read list for anyone in management or Human Resource this book would definetly be on it and it might be at the very top. Rosenzweig does a great job of reality checking the consultants, speakers, authors and thought-leaders that run around claiming to have answers, solutions and facts. Don’t believe the hype. Read this book and share it with the people that you work with…it will increase your immunity to the consulting fad of the month.

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't, by Robert Sutton

I love Bob Sutton, and recommend that you visit his blog as well. This book is an easy and even an entertaining read, but also packed full of good info and research. I don’t know about you, but I have worked in an organization that went out of its way to protect assholes simply because they were high performing…this book shows what a reckless and costly practice that is.

Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management, by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton

Another book that disproves much of what we think we know about organizations, people and performance. From the Amazon review:

The best organizations have the best talent. . . Financial incentives drive company performance. . . Firms must change or die. Popular axioms like these drive business decisions every day. Yet too much common management "wisdom" isn’t wise at all—but, instead, flawed knowledge based on "best practices" that are actually poor, incomplete, or outright obsolete. Worse, legions of managers use this dubious knowledge to make decisions that are hazardous to organizational health.

Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton show how companies can bolster performance and trump the competition through evidence-based management, an approach to decision-making and action that is driven by hard facts rather than half-truths or hype. This book guides managers in using this approach to dismantle six widely held—but ultimately flawed—management beliefs in core areas including leadership, strategy, change, talent, financial incentives, and work-life balance. The authors show managers how to find and apply the best practices for their companies, rather than blindly copy what seems to have worked elsewhere.

Jason, any recommendations you would like to add here? Happy Holidays!

-joe

The New School of Human Resources

Jason-

Just in time for the holidays! We now have (based on what we believe the future holds for business and the organization) a framework to inform next practices for the Human Resource function. I have compiled, compressed and summarized a bit, but these are the big pieces that jump out at me:

• HR as the Source of People and Relationship Science: Functions like marketing and design seem to have left HR in the dust regarding understanding why and how people do what they do. This includes understanding of community and culture, which are both increasingly critical for business. HR seems resistant to challenging old assumptions and ideologies about people and performance and relationships. There is a tremendous amount of new research available regarding human behavior, that for some reason is not showing up in the HR domain (or business in general). The HR function should aggressively work to integrate knowledge and research (and people?) from the disciplines of social psychology, social cognition, design, sociology, anthropology, ethnography, communication studies, cultural studies, etc. I would say that the people who designed Twitter know more about human behavior than the vast majority of HR professionals and while that is good for Twitter, it is a glaring deficiency for the HR practice, and this is a big part of what makes HR susceptible to the latest fad and to solutions in search of problems.
  
• HR as the Source of People and Relationship Solutions: Human resources needs to fall madly in love with ideas and experiments and the pursuit of new solutions...not just in the implementation of "HR stuff", but also at the intersection of people and work outside of HR. HR needs to spend more time doing and playing and getting more comfortable with question asking, ideation, experimentation, and prototyping, social media, social networking and social network analysis. Mind mapping, decision acceleration, murder-boarding, open space technology and crowdsourcing all need to become standards in the HR toolbox. If a team or department in your organization has a performance problem a culture or collaboration problem or a poor relationship with customers or vendors can you solve it? Do you have an approach and the right tools to solve problems?
• HR as the Keeper of the Flame: If HR is to play a significant role in the organization it will be because it knows (better than anyone else) the people and the culture. If it knows the people and the culture then it should be the keeper of the brand, the legacy and the organizational story. This work is either not done or it is being done by others right now, but I think that HR, which potentially sits at the center of everything could be more ideally suited to to play this role...and this is the role that has the potential to change how we do business. This is really about whether we are who we say we are as an organization and that is something that buisness is desperately in need of right now.

So.

The New School approach to Human Resources...knowing people, delivering solutions involving people and sharing the story with people. Not necessarily easy, but simple and powerful. Also, these are all actionable today. We can do better at these things starting today.

A final comment on this topic...maybe this is not "HR"...I do not care what we call it...it can be called / housed / titled any kind of way, but these are things that business needs and they do represent a large opportunity for HR to become a transformational player.

We all have choices to make.

"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
-W. Edwards Deming

The Future of H.R. - part 4

Joe,

I've chewed on your list and I think that all of these are important areas for the HR department of the future (and probably of today as well). However, I think that one important thing was left off the list. When you look at this list, you might forget that HR is in the business of people. To that end, I think that HR teams need to become like Tom Cruise's character in "The Color of Money" and become a "student of human behavior."

This isn't anything new, but HR should be the internal expert on why people do what they do. We should be curious and constantly studying the behavior of individuals and teams. Perhaps this isn't unique to the future, but as people continually evolve and change, so must the organization's understanding of what's important to them. Recently, I've heard a lot of talk about how the drivers of employee engagement has shifted during the recession. If HR isn't sniffing around to figure this out, who will be?

You ball. Where to next?

Jason

RIP :(

Paul Oakenfold - New Music - More Music Videos

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her breakthrough role in “Clueless” and dozens of other films, mysteriously died yesterday after collapsing in her Los Angeles home, investigators confirmed.

An autopsy could be performed as early as today to determine how the 32-year-old starlet died. Preliminary reports indicated she went into cardiac arrest at the home she shared with her husband, burly British screenwriter Simon Monjack.

L.A. firefighters responded to a 911 call from the home at about 8 a.m. yesterday. It was Murphy’s mother, Sharon, who discovered her unconscious in the shower, according to TMZ.com, which first reported the celebrity death shocker.


LAPD Officer Cleon Joseph would only say: “There is a death investigation that involves Brittany Murphy. The detectives are at the scene right now.”

Paramedics quickly determined Murphy to be in full cardiac arrest and continued to furiously perform CPR en route to the hospital - but she was never revived - TMZ reported.

She was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shortly after 10 a.m., a hospital spokeswoman confirmed. TMZ reported that Murphy’s husband didn’t want an autopsy performed on her. The Web site also said some prescription drugs were found in her house and foul play is not suspected in her death. Her mom reportedly told authorities Murphy had a history of diabetes.

Murphy starred in such films as “8 mile,” “Don’t Say a Word” and “Uptown Girl.” Her first big break came in the 1995 comedy “Clueless,” in which she played Tai, an outsider befriended by a cooler clique of girls.

In 2004, Murphy made a cameo in the Hub, where she filmed scenes for the flick “Little Black Book” outside the South End’s Metropolis restaurant. The film also starred Vineyard songbird Carly Simon.

Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, told The Associated Press he learned of her death from his son, the actress’ brother.

“She was just an absolute doll since she was born,” Bertolotti said from his Branford, Fla., home. “Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her - people that made movies with her, people on a cruise - they all loved her. She was just a regular gal.”

However, Murphy’s career seemed to nosedive in recent months. She was reportedly fired from one recent film, “The Caller,” for being “problematic on the set,” according to TMZ. She had three films in post-production, according to the New York Daily News.

The actress dabbled in music, releasing the dance club single “Faster Kill Pussycat” in 2006.

But physically, she appeared to be withering away, becoming painfully underweight in recent months.

In October, Murphy’s neighbors reported to cops that she was frantically screaming about gunshots on her balcony, according to the Daily News. The noise turned out to be a nearby generator.

Former beau Ashton Kutcher, who in 2003 starred with Murphy in “Just Married,” posted on his Twitter: “See you on the other side kid ... 2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon.”



As news spread of the death of Edison-raised Brittany Murphy early Sunday, celebrities tweeted their reactions in full force offering prayers and well-wishes to the 32 year-old's family.

Lindsay Lohan: “My deepest condonlences (sic) go out to all of Brittany Murphy’s loved ones& may she rest in peace… She was a great talent w/a beautiful soul xo.”

Jessica Simpson: “Brittany Murphy was an incredible ray of Light to so many people. Her smile was contagious. My prayers are with her family and loved ones.”

Former boyfriend Ashton Kutcher also tweeted his response. They starred in the 2003 romantic comedy, “Just Married.” He said: “2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon. See you on the other side kid.”

Taraji P. Henson: “hey ya’ll. Life is so precious. RIP Brittany Murphy.”

“Dancing With the Stars” performer Cheryl Burke: “Wow I am shocked about the news! RIP Brittany Murphy. My heart goes out to you and your family.”

Tom Green: “RIP Brittany Murphy - She was always very nice to me, my friends, and family. Nicer than most. And a real funny gal.”

Frankie Muniz: "An old friend, Brittany Murphy has died this morning. RIP.. What a year…”

Stone Cold Locks Week 15

I was a little late with the picks last week,
so this week I made sure to avoid that.
The record is up to 20-4 with a 3-0 week last
week. This week is bound to be more of the
same. Here you go, Enjoy

Arizona

Houston

Seattle

Feel free to play along at home.

My Thoughts On This

I hate to beat this to death but the
addition of Roy Halladay who hasn't
proven a thing in the post season for
Cliff Lee, who looked like Cool Hand
Luke vs. the Yankees in the World Series
just seems like a risky and sort of
dumb move. Especially when you know
what you got in Lee, and he wants to end
his career with you, not to mention the
fact that he might be a tad cheaper to
sign to a long term deal. Don't get it !

I find it both interesting and puzzling
how quick Bill Belichick and Tom Brady
are to defend Randy Moss, when you
consider that with Randy they don't have a
single Super Bowl Victory and without
him they have THREE. And stop F*%king
telling me that he is a first ballot Hall
of Famer, when he often decides which plays
to take off, and when to play hard. He has
yet to garnish any hardware representing a
Super Bowl victory, so stop F*%king blaming
the Raiders & Vikings for him not having one.
If he was truly a leader and good example
he would have made it a priority to lead
and forced his will on it, instead of trying
to jump om the success of a good team and call
it his !

3 of Exposure's Extraordinary Actresses Featured front page of the KC Star today for their acting roles In George Clooney's "UP IN THE AIR"

Archies Xmas

David Archuleta sang his rendition of "Ave Maria" from his new Christmas album Christmas From The Heart at a school in Harlem for the Univision holiday special Nuestra Navidad. Amazing! Of course!

Check out Dr. Shoshana Bennett's PPD Video Series on EmpowHer

I have another video to share of a remarkable woman who has made tremendous strides in spreading awareness of PPD while treating and helping women who have it. Dr. Shoshana Bennett is the past president of Postpartum Support International as well as founder of Postpartum Assistance for Mothers. Also a renowned author and speaker in the realm of postpartum depression, Shoshana has devoted much of her adult life to educating new moms on the symptoms of PPD and how to be empowered to overcome them. In fact, she is a survivor of two life-threatening, undiagnosed instances of postpartum depression herself, which makes her a total expert in my book, even with her amazing credentials.

To view a video series of Shoshana discussing various aspects of PPD in short clips, click here. You can also see her work on her wonderful and informative web site.

Happy Holidays to all from the gang at Exposure!

GaGa and TEA

Lady GaGa on the Royal Variety Performance 2009. Filmed on the 7/12/09, aired on the 16/12/09. BRAVO BRAVO GAGA A NIGHTINGALE!

Third times a charm

Jennifer Lopez “Louboutins”

2009 So You Think You Can Dance Season Finale Live Performance

Fully Loaded Week In Sports

Chris Henry reported injured yesterday,
dies of his injuries today.

Will the real Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson
please grow up?

Staying home all day watching cartoons
sounds good to me, but not if you were
once a Tiger

Sports Round Table Replay

Here are hours one and two and three.
Tune in Saturdays between 8 and 11 AM
to catch us live. Call us at 508-384-TALK
ENJOY !

Baseball Hot Stove & Such

Jeff Passan thinks this Cliff Lee
Roy Halladay block buster is a head
scratcher and so do I.

Does Tiger need more trouble?, well whether
he wants it or not this sneaker says yes, and
this other corp says no, more than once.