In Good Company

I recently signed an option agreement with a production company that plans to produce a low budget movie based on my novel “The Bridge.”  And I’m now thrilled to learn that I’m in good company. A low budget production of Ayn Rand’s book “Atlas Shrugged” is being released this month. It’s no coincidence that the movie version of her book is being released on tax day.

I’m not sure what constitutes a low budget modifier, but I’m thrilled that there’s any budget for my book. Poor Ayn passed away long ago, so the movie deal is of no consequence to her. The fact that both of our books are being made into a movie is where the similarity ends. Ayn was a world-class writer, whereas writing is something I do instead of playing golf. My books are fun to read, and Ayn’s books are scary.

For several years after publication of “Atlas Shrugged”, and as recently as 1991, a Library of Congress survey of The Book of the Month Club found that readers rated “Atlas” as the second most influential book in their lives, behind only the Bible. I doubt surveys will ever produce similar results for any of my books.

The notions put forth in “Atlas” were prescient. Keep in mind the book was published over fifty years ago. The central theme of the book deals with how politicians generally cause economic crises and then address the crises with programs that in turn cause more problems and the cascade goes on and on until the productive members of society become exasperated. The financially successful are saddled with regulation, and their success is re-distributed to the less successful.  In essence, failure is heralded, and success is penalized.

While reading the book, I was mindful of the banking fiasco caused ‘primarily’ by the community re-investment act. If you know a banker, ask them about the C.R.A. and the burden it places on banks. You’ll gain a new perspective on the financial debacle we’re presently digging out from under. And the list goes on.

“Atlas Shrugged.” Read the book before you see the movie. Oh, by the way, the movie is a trilogy. Once you see the book you’ll understand.

The Elusive Antecedent and the Noun Verb

They say that surveys show that customers respond to companies whose executives blog. Armed with this critical piece of information (from their perspective) the social networking team at CDC/BME approached me about blogging. This blog is evidence that I succumbed to pressure and blogged, but not before convincing the gel haired, tattered jeans crowd to let me choose the topics. Hooboy, was the general consensus. The conversation went like this.

“Is blog one of those nouns that have now become a verb?” I asked them. Shoulders shrugged. I explained. A blog is a web log, hence the name. I’d done my homework (googled it). And when an individual posts a blog, it’s called blogging. There, a noun and a verb all wrapped into one work. English is a very dynamic language. They signed and rolled their eyes simultaneously, as if connected by a common nerve center.

And then I dropped the bomb. “Define the antecedent.” Eyes bugged, it was as if they’d all suffered a severe onset of Graves Disease. I let them off the hook, “You know,” I said, trying to speak their language. “Who is ‘they’ in the survey?”

“People,” the one wearing a T-Shirt with chainsaws and skulls replied. Of course that cleared everything up for me. After all, the survey could have been done on heffalumps and woozles. And so it goes.

“How about I blog (write) about the decline in public courage and how our society is driven by laws rather than a Biblical moral code for my first blog?” I asked, half serious. Watching their frowning faces was like watching a time lapse. It was as if they’d aged decades in only a few seconds. “Just kidding,” I said. They started breathing again.

“How about Heirs and Innovators?” They heard errors and innovators and looked perplexed. I explained the concept of how we’re all heir to the achievements of those before us but simultaneously responsible for making a contribution for the benefit of the next generation. Being of the millennial generation, this was a new concept for them, but they thought it had merit and approved.

And so a Blog is born. And each week I’ll endeavor to concoct some stream of thought to post on our company Facebook. The goal, as I’m told, is to give our dealers a more personal glimpse of CDC/BME. Honestly, I think the millennials are fearful of what they’ve requested. I see them whispering to each other now.

I’m not sure what I’ll write about first, they (millenials) said to jot down what’s on my mind. Maybe I’ll delve into the phenomena of how financial gurus can’t seem to tie a symmetrical knot on their neck-tie, or maybe the inverse relation between show price and sole thickness. They said to check with them first, but I’m not gonna do it. I’m the boss!