"If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever" St Thomas Aquinas

Three web site launches, final draft of our white paper on broadband deployment in the EU (still needs work - as I read it), zero draft of my narrative, powerpoint and related notes for presentation of our annual econometric models - US and EU ad spend forecasts (2006), and one speech - all in the past week and each an example of great creative collaboration. No time for blogging.

The speech was given before the 30th annual Conclave, the longest running radio programming conference in the world. Great show Tom & Danno - thanks for the invite. The 90 minute talk was an overview of one of our new six-hour leadership in media seminars - A Great Program Director. I am very grateful to the gifted Kipper McGee who served as my editor (in a photo finish performance) cutting slides and making my presentation better in the process. Kipper, you're the best - thank you coach.

The Conclave's highest honor, The Rockwell Award, was presented to Dave Sholin. Dave's career has been one of leading by example, he's bright, he's passionate about radio and music, he cares about people. Gracious, charming, affable and beyond his many talents, which are considerable, Dave Sholin is a mensch. Congrats Dave on an honor well deserved. Those that know him will understand when I say - stay tuned, Dave Sholin's contributions are far from over, his finest hour yet to come, and we are all blessed by his good work.

It was great catching up with and learning from each of these rock stars - while breaking bread. Don Kelly, Mark Masters, Kipper McGee, Jim Watkins, Greg Doyle, Larry Bentson, Mark Niblick, Kurt Johnson, Brian Kelly and Ed Salamon. Please allow me to add - I will never again visit Minneapolis without making certain we dine at both JP's American Bistro- 2937 Lyndale Ave South and J.D. Hoyts - 301 Washington Ave. N. - each getting my highest recommendation; Pat Montague, my friend and the owner of J.D. Hoyts is a gem in the F&B trade ( his "buddy bowl" alone gets him into my food hall of fame). More on Conclave later this week. But first , thanks to these very cool folk...Debbie & Dave Sholin and family plus...Aundrae Russell, Greg Johnson, Neill Dixon, Tom Oakes, Paige Nienaber, George "Geo" Cook, Donna Halper, Joel Denver, Chris Shebel, Liz Laud, Wendy Paulson, Lee Abrams, Andy Bloom, Tom Kay, Alan Handelman, J. Pat Miller, Chris Krok, Loyd Gary Ford, Marc Kalman, Mark Bolke, Brad Savage, Tony Garcia, Denise Lutz, Rick Thomas, Marc Ratner, Alexander Court, Jonathan Little, Mancow, Art Vuolo, and the always exceptional Jane Dyson. Special appreciation to the good Doctor - living legend Jerry Boulding - his kind words of introduction made my summer.

My favorite rich person, Bobby Rich, gives voice to my fellow Bill Gavin Quarter Century Honor Roll recipient, and a gentleman I have great respect for, Pat O'Day...one simply amazing person...you need to read this...

JACK, and the host of imitators that will quickly follow, (not knowing why, they always just follow) will fail. It may create a bit of a buzz initially as they are finally abandoning short playlists, but it will eventually fail because:

1. It isn't how many songs you play. It's how you play them. An art gallery can have a million paintings but if there is no theme, no clustering of impressions, no planned surprises as you walk around a corner or down the hall, you just have a gallery full of paintings. Nothing more, nothing less!Programmers who devised this are oblivious to the fundamental truth that art forms must be presented with emotion or they stand alone -- naked, cold and impersonal!

2. JACK will fail because...Read all of Pat's comments here