The Struggle Continues...

Earlier this week, my wife and I returned from our cruise to Alaska. Although we did not see as much of Alaska's beautiful wildlife on this trip as we did two years, almost any wildlife that you see there is amazing.

We did get to see several whales and a couple of otters. Boy, are they characters! However, seeing the whales reminded me of a valuable lesson. Just a couple of decades ago, several species of our beautiful whales were close to extinction. It was such a critical time that even the 4th "Star Trek" motion picture used the theme of the disappearing humpback whales as the key aspect of the main story! Yet, through education and negotiation, most of the nations where these whales swam in their waters, agreed to a whale hunting ban. Back then, there were approximately 5,000-6,000 whales. Today, nearly 20 years later, there is an estimated population of 60,000! So what does this have to do with our efforts?

The whales were spread out all over the world. Yet, through proper education and negotiation, those countries were convinced to make a change. And while many of us support a plethora of wildlife causes, our singular cause here, is to protect the humans and animals at just one, wonderful location, Chimp Eden at the Jane Goodall Institute.

As I remarked in the previous posting, I brought our cause to Facebook and as of this morning, we have 55 members there. Additionally, I have been in touch with Sue Slotar, the Executive Director of the Institute, to see if our story and/or blog, could be included in the "JGI News & Headlines" section of the new web site. And if you haven't visited the new website, you really owe it to yourself to do so! (www.janegoodall.org)

At Facebook, we currently have 55 members who have joined our cause there. And this morning, I charged them with their individual responsibility to recruit just two more members, each. By tonight, that would be approximately 165 members. And if each of them recruit two members...well you see what the algorithm could do.

Now imagine that at my meeting in September, I am able to show the manufacturer that there are thousands of people from around the world, who want to voice their feelings that the people and chimps at Chimp Eden in particular and the Jane Goodall Institute, as a whole. And I can prove those numbers through Facebook and the comments on this blog.

The only problem with this, is that while we're gaining numbers on Facebook (yet nowhere near the numbers we truly need), there are only a couple of comments registered on this blog. Yet I know through the site managing software, that there are plenty more visitors who stop by, yet for whatever reason, fail to leave a comment, even if it's just, "Well said," or "I agree."

I am not asking you to write a complete blog article, just a simple comment will suffice. Of course, if you do come here, you are obligated, just as the Facebook members are, to recruit at least two additional visitors and explain to them, that it is, in turn, each of their responsibility, to recruit two visitors, etc.

If you all do this, imagine the numbers we will reach! Imagine if I am able to demonstrate to the manufacturer that I have hundreds, no thousands or tens-of-thousands of supporters, who read this blog and believe in our mission. It gives me goose bumps just to think of it.

So please, if you stop my here, just leave a comment. Short or long, it doesn't matter. Just say something! Thank you!

Till next time...

Mixed Messages

I must admit that I am less sure about this effort, or at least, anyone else's effort, than ever before. Now it
may well be my own fault for dropping the ball last summer. I worked up a frenzy
for this cause and then, for lack of a better phrase, walked away from it. With
that in mind, I've tried to re-energize the campaign and made a new commitment, publicly, to make a
stronger effort and hopefully, see it through its success.

So why am I
down? Because for whatever reason, the message is falling, for the most part, on
deaf ears. There are but a couple of comments on this blog. I've become more
involved with Facebook, not only
by posting our information in my own profile, but by creating a Facebook "cause," of the same title as
this blog. No, I still refuse to ask for donations. All I do ask for is pubic
support. That support can be in the form of emails to me directly, comments on
the blog or on the "cause" wall and people who are recruited and "join" the
cause.

Beyond that, all I ask is to talk it up with your own friends, be
they on Facebook, MySpace, or even on a poster on the wall
of the Post Office. But understand, without the ability to demonstrate to a
manufacturer, massive public and fan support for the issue, they'll will simply
say, "No thanks, Steve," and we're dead in the water. Why should they care, if
the public doesn't?

Add to the new commitment mentioned above is the fact that
this September, I have learned that I will have the definite opportunity to meet with one of the U.S.'s
premier fire apparatus manufacturers. But what good will if do if the interest
and support isn't there?

As computer-familiar as I am, able to build one
from scratch, update, memory, processor chips, install or remove components, and
use almost any software off the shelf, I know little of marketing a "cause" to
the public, especially to a very narrowly focused target audience. Thus if you
are more experienced, please feel free to assist and provide me with directions,
instructions, and advice.

We also need to reach the viewers and fans of
Animal Planet's "Escape to Chimp Eden." So if any of you have connections there
or are well versed in posting to the fan boards and/or discussions, again, I'll
bow to your prowess. Feel free to get our message out there, where I believe, it
will do the most good.

Let's be frank, without "all 'youse' guys," this effort will be a
flop. And as a former firefighter, I'm having a tough time accepting that
Johann's passing will have been in vain.

Thank you.

Till next
time...