I grew up playing baseball on Gilligans Island with the brady bunch. So this weeks piece is really all about me…

So yes. I went to school like all kids. But as soon as I got home, I ditched my backpack and then turned on the TV. I don’t recall my mother setting boundaries with the TV just as long as I did my homework. But being the youngest of four kids basically meant that I was on my own.

So of course I watched Gilligan, (great write up about the cast here: http://www.webweaverdesign.ca/portfolio/gilligan/cast.html) always getting into trouble and messing up the castaways chances of rescue. Ah, what a fantasy. And of course with Ginger and MaryAnn on the island, what is a young boy to do.

And then there was the Brady Bunch. Cindy was just a kid but Marcia and Jan were HUBBA HUBBA. So I watched and related to sibling rivalry. Fun. Antics. Getting into trouble. Melding 2 families into one blah blah blah.

The point is that this dude Sherwood Shwartz happened to have been the creator of these shows and he died this week. So here’s to you Sherwood. Thanks for the memories and the hours and hours of mindless and passive fun.

Betty Ford also passed away this week at the ripe old age of 93. She was the first lady of the USA from 1974-1977 when I was watching Gilligan, Ginger and the Brady bunch. She liked to drink and party, danced and modeled and was an all around fun person until her parents conned her into coming back to Grand Rapids MI where she met an alcoholic husband. He died and then she married Gerald Ford who was a lawyer. So who was the smarter person? The lawyer bagging the hot showgirl or the showgirl bagging the lawyer. Apparently the union worked and they had 3 kids and were married for 58 years. Betty Ford was one of the greats who turned lemons into lemonade. Just imagine any showgirl or dancer becoming a feminist first lady. Unthinkable these days as most first ladies go to Smith or Harvard or Yale of Princeton (Do I have to name all of the Ivies?) She was known for her initiatives and of course the Betty Ford clinic. Here is Jane Curtain from Saturday Night Live doing her impression of Betty Ford even though the main focus is on Gerald Ford: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xasepe_saturday-night-live-kissinger-visit_fun.

And finally, Derek Jeter finally hit his 3000 and wouldn’t you know it. Some guy catches the ball and gives it back. After a few days of this story going around, it is clear that the guy is a complete nincompoop. He should have kept the ball and sold it for a quarter of a million dollars. Instead, he got some box seats for the rest of the season and got a picture and some signed autographs. Sure that stuff will go for thousands of dollars but nothing will compare to the actual ball. Here is the swing and the hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on-JGz-fan8

Here is Christian Lopez giving back the ball and getting to meet Derek Jeter: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/07/12/2011-07-12_christian_lopez_fan_who_handed_over_derek_jeters_historic_3000thhit_ball_will_ow.html

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, someone actually fell from the stands and died this week. On the other hand, this guy Keith Carmickle, owes his life to the people that saved him: http://abcnews.go.com/US/baseball-fan-saved-death-fall-admits-bad-judgment/story?id=14060488

Moral of this week for your business… 1) Betty ford started out drinking and dancing but then cleaned up her act and made it to the White House. So yes its a bad economy but we can get out of this rut… 2) TV might not be good for your education, but it is fun. But if you can’t advertise your business on TV, then you should DEFINITELY advertise on the Internet. Though Television is nothing like it used to be, Internet marketing beats out TV all the time for efficiency and cost effectiveness. 3) DON’T kill yourself trying to get a ball during a baseball game. DO sell Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit ball for hundreds of thousands of dollrs. Lesson: Don’t be stupid. Be smart about your business and maximize the amount of money you can make. I am not telling you to be greedy. I am telling you to be smart about your marketing, (Internet marketing and SEO), operations, costs and management. Want to know more about my baseball and softball expoits? Want to know more about making more money from your website? Call Raphi Salem at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com for more info.