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Posts Tagged ‘Gery Deer’

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Confronting your greatest fear

In Children and Family, Health, Local News, Opinion, psychology, Uncategorized on April 26, 2016 at 4:59 pm

Deer In Headlines
By Gery L. Deer

In the aftermath of the 1974 Xenia tornado, people in surrounding communities did what they could to help with the cleanup. Although my father was a teacher at the vocational school at the time, he also had heavy trucks so we went to help as well.

Everywhere you looked was devastation. Stunned families cried or stared blankly as broken water mains sprayed the splintered remains of unrecognizable homes. It was horrific. Even as a first-grader, what I saw that first day among the shattered remains of Xenia was inexorably seared into my memory and cultivated a fear of storms that’s hard for me to, even now, put into words.

During my first couple of years of college, I was fortunate enough to live at home and commute. One after class I went home and settled in to watch a movie and scarf down some drive thru before hitting the books. It was a dark, rainy day and the sky had that “look” about it.

Ever since that day in 1974, I’ve been keenly aware of unstable weather, as if I had some kind of built in, biological barometer in my head and this was one of those days when that sense was at its peak.

As I plowed through my burger and onion rings in front of the TV, the power flickered several times, but I did my best to ignore it. I was home alone, and as the wind and rain picked up, the trees in the valley surrounding our small farm it sounded like wild animals roaring in the distance.

At one point, I ventured out the back door and stood behind the house, watching the clouds off to the southwest. The wind became still. The rain stopped. It was dead quiet. I walked to the other side of the house for a better view on the far side of our barn. And there it was. About a hundred yards away, spinning down from the sky to the pasture in front of me – a tornado. It was small, gray, kicking up debris and dancing its way across the field in front of me as if with some kind of purpose in mind.

The 1974 Xenia Tornado was one of hundreds in a massive storm outbreak on April 3.

The 1974 Xenia Tornado was one of hundreds in a massive storm outbreak on April 3. This is probably the most famous photo taken of the giant twister from Greene Memorial Hospital by Fred Stewart.

I was frozen; not with fear, but with fascination. There it was, right in front of me, the thing I feared most; no, more than that. It was the only thing I’d ever been afraid of. Any normal person would have bolted to the nearest cellar. But I didn’t. I stood there, motionless.

A moment later, the funnel met the ancient wooden sideboards of one of my dad’s old farm trucks and they exploded into splinters with a sound like the cracking of a dozen brittle bones. I still didn’t move. I wasn’t afraid at all.

It seemed like it took an eternity for it to cross the 10-acre spread of pasture field, but it was probably more like 30 seconds. It bounced across the road a quarter mile away, circumvented one neighbor’s home completely but then crashed into an adjacent barn, destroying it in the blink of an eye and scattered bits of wood, sheet metal and hay for miles. I stood there, still motionless, taking it all in.

And as quickly as it came, it was gone. After it wrecked the barn across the road, it dissolved into nothing. A moment later, I realized I was being soaked by rain but still staring off across the field. It left a path of small debris along the way and mashed down the high grass as if some kids had tromped a trail through the field. But it was over. And any fear I once felt of these storms was gone.

As I got older, I studied everything I could about tornadoes, even going on a few local storm chases back in school. Over the years, I faced with two more of the swirling monsters but no longer fear any kind of storm. Today I am respectful of their power and unpredictability and still have a sixth sense when things aren’t right in the wind. The best thing any of us can do during Ohio’s tornado seasons is to be alert and prepared.

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business writer. Deer In Headlines is distributed by GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. More at gerydeer.com.

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Western Arts Showcase offers historic entertainment at Annie Oakley Festival

In Dayton Ohio News, Entertainment, history, Holiday, Local News, Media, Theatre on July 13, 2015 at 12:23 pm

AOF_3_GLD Greenville, OH – Jamestown Whip Artist Gery L. Deer and Xenia Thrown Weapons Expert, Kirk Bass, will lead a full troupe of whip artists, trick ropers, knife throwers and other Wild West arts experts during the 2015 Annie Oakley Western Arts Showcase during Annie Oakley Festival at York Woods, 6129 Reed Road, Ansonia, OH 45303. The event is free and open to the public.

Presented in the spirit of the stage-style Wild West shows of the late 19th Century, each production will include some detailed history about how these arts came to be and who still practices them today. Champion knife thrower Kirk Bass, of Xenia, Ohio, and his daring wife Melodee are among the performers to take the open-air stage for two shows on Saturday, July 26 beginning at 1 p.m. with a series of western arts perform the suspenseful Bass Blades impalement show, and much more.

Whip marksmanship competitions headline the afternoon show beginning with the National Whip Speed and Accuracy Exhibition Competition, the world’s only Bullwhip Fast Draw contest. Plus, there is a brand new contest taken straight from the big screen.

In 1981, a fedora-wearing, leather-clad archaeologist threw the crack heard round the world when he “whipped” a pistol from the hand of a jungle guide. At the beginning of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Indiana Jones demonstrated his skills with the holstered fast-draw of a 10-foot bullwhip, all while having to spin around to take aim first.

In the spirit of Dr. Jones’ proficiency, this year’s Showcase competition will include a special “blind fast draw,” where whip artists must mimic the move used in the film to turn, draw their holstered whip and shoot at a target with speed and accuracy. The first contest of its kind, the feat has never been attempted in a public event like this, even by the showcase’s producer, whip performer Gery L. Deer.

“With the popularity of Indiana Jones among western performers, particularly whip artists, it’s odd this hasn’t been done before,” says Deer, who holds multiple, national whip speed and accuracy titles and is the director of The Whip Artistry Studio, the only permanent whip training facility in America. Contests begin at 1 p.m., followed immediately by a matinee performance at 2:30.

At 5:00p.m., visitors to the festival will see the Grand Wild West Showcase hosted by the music and comedy of Greene AOF_6_GLDCounty’s own, The Brothers & Co. Variety Show. “We pull out all the stops on Saturday evening,” says Deer. “The Brothers & Co. Variety Show is a one-of-a-kind musical variety show from a by-gone era, full of comedy, magic, and some of the best four-part music on stage today. There will be nothing else like this anywhere at the festival!”

“Last year breathed new life into this long-running event,” Deer says. “Our goal is to provide a featured event for Saturday that will help draw more people on what is typically the busiest day of the festival.” For more information or to participate in the whip contests, contact the production office of GLD Enterprises at (937) 902-4857 or email, gdeer@gldenterprises.net.

“We have some of the best Wild West arts entertainment anywhere in the Midwest with real practitioners of each skill,” says Deer, who started the event in Jamestown, Ohio, back in 2002 as a Midwestern convention of Wild West arts practitioners. “These are talented performers with genuine ability, no fakery, no tricks. Everything you see in our show is real Plus all of our shows are in 3-D and high definition!”

The event is sponsored by GLD Enterprises Communications, The Brothers & Co. Variety Show, and the Annie Oakley Festival Committee. All performances are family friendly and presented on the grounds of the Annie Oakley Festival. For links to the festival and sneak previews of the performers plus more information go online to www.ohiowesternarts.org.

 

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Jamestown IT specialist says cyber security begins with user

In Dayton Ohio News, Technology, Uncategorized on March 27, 2015 at 2:41 pm
Photo_041109_003_GLD

Password protection is your first, best defense against cyber attack.

Jamestown, OH – According to Gery L. Deer of GLD Enterprises Communications in Jamestown, individual users must be more proactive to better protect personal, financial and business information from prying eyes, identity theft and asset loss. Apart from expensive security software, Deer suggested that the most effective defense may be, quite simply, better password management.

People of all ages now manage everything online from personal photos to bank records and, with all of that convenience, comes a certain level of risk. Statistics compiled by the Identity Theft Resource Center indicate there have been approximately 174 major data breaches in the first quarter of 2015, exposing more than 99 million records. (Report – http://www.idtheftcenter.org/images/breach/ITRCBreachStatsReport2015.pdf)

“It might come as a surprise to most cyber surfers that the individual user may actually hold the most powerful weapon in the war against hackers,” said Deer, who has worked in data management and IT since the mid-1990s.

“No matter what you’re doing on your computer or mobile devices, setting a secure password and changing it regularly will help keep things locked down,” Deer said. “Best of all, this single, most important preventative measure costs nothing.” He offers these beginning tips to help create highly secure passwords.

“First, consider the length of the password. Most websites and applications require an 8-character password with a maximum length of 16,” Deer suggests. “Password length is generally restricted to 8 or 16 characters, but the longer the password, the more secure it is.”

“We generally recommend that passwords contain at least 2 capital letters, 2 numbers and 1 non-alphanumeric characters or symbol (: #,+,(,*, etc.),” continued Deer. “Some programs and websites may not allow certain symbols, but most do, so it’s worth a try. For example, a password like, ‘Johns House’ could look like, Gon2+Hwz, and it would be very secure and tough to break.”

One of the most common mistakes is to use a password that creates a complete word, name, anagram or acronym. “No matter how innocuous it may seem,” Deer said, “passwords containing complete words, even spelled backwards, can be hacked by even the most basic password breaker.

In addition, Deer insists that passwords should be changed regularly, at a minimum of six month intervals, but the more often the better. “New passwords should never be too similar to the previous ones and it’s important never to use the same password for every account.”

As always, Deer recommended using caution when opening email from unknown sources and always sign out of accounts and turn the computer off when not in use, particularly when traveling with a laptop.

“When in doubt, disconnect the connection to the Internet,” Deer said. “Turn off the modem, router or wireless link. When the computer is off, there is no way of accessing the hard drive or connected networks.” For more information on securing personal accounts, contact GLD Enterprises Communications, online at gldenterprises.net or call 937-902-4857.

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You can avoid a visit from creditors.

In Economy, Local News, Opinion, Uncategorized on February 19, 2014 at 1:56 pm

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

knockRecently, the credit card company, Capital One, came under attack for contract language that would allow them to show up a customer’s workplace or home, without warning and at any time. The creditor’s contractual fine print came was the topic of an LA Times article on February 18, that ignited a firestorm of consumer anger. According to the column, the contract states that customers can be contacted by mail, phone, email, or by “personal visit” at home or their place of employment.

A statement released by Capital One insists the language exists mainly to permit recovery of large items like boats, jet skis, and so on, through repossession. Without inclusion of the proper wording they would have little legal ground to stand on should the debtor renege on the agreement, adding that they are reviewing the language following consumer feedback.

CCOddly, this is not a new method for creditors. Most mortgage loan servicing companies already send local contractors out to knock on the door of customers who are behind in their payments. Generally showing up in personal vehicles and loitering around the neighborhood until just the right moment, these paid agents ambush the homeowner demanding a payment or insisting they contact the company immediately, or else.

Unfortunately, there is little that can be done about these practices because, somewhere in the miles of paperwork, the borrower signed an agreement allowing this to happen. Whether it’s a home, a car, a boat or a hunting cabin, virtually every large purchase contract has some kind of repossession language included. But with unsecured debt, like credit cards, consumers have a false sense of security and an unrealistic expectation of the consequences.

In an effort to force credit companies to behave more fairly towards customers and help control consumer debt, the Obama administration passed the Credit Card Act of 2009. Among its many fee and rate hike regulations, it also states that the creditor must provide a clear disclosure of terms before a customer opens an account. While the language was made simpler, there was still a ton of information and what the bill couldn’t do was to force people to actually read the documentation provided by the credit card company.

For consumers, the best way to avoid these kinds of problems is to simply steer clear of using credit cards in the first place. But if you’re already in over your head, it might be time to speak to someone about debt management options. Consumer credit counseling agencies can assist in reducing payments and interest and most are non-profit. Appointments are tough to get, however, and require as much documentation as possible regarding your creditors and income information.

If credit counseling is not an option, your next step may well be a personal bankruptcy. Jeremiah B. Webb is a bankruptcy attorney at the Xenia, Ohio firm of Wead, Anderson, Phipps and Aultman, LLC. He said people are often scared of their creditors and generally don’t understand the debt relief process.

“There are many myths surrounding bankruptcy,” Webb said, “beginning with a feeling of failure and that they’ll lose everything they have. Some people believe they can’t afford to file, but if you stop paying those minimum payments and put that money towards a reasonable attorney fee, you can hopefully wipe out that debt and relieve the stress.”

Although creditors publicly state that the door knocking method is a last resort, it leaves their debtors feeling frightened and constantly anxious. Usually, the inability to pay is out of the individual’s control and completely unintentional. Still, there is an underlying responsibility on the part of the consumer to do their best to avoid this kind of debt in the first place.

Credit card companies are ruthless and have no interest in excuses for non-payment. Their job is to make as much money as possible from you for as long as they can. But don’t be afraid. If you’re drowning in debt get help now, don’t give these people a reason to knock on your door. The only failure is to do nothing.

Gery L. Deer is editor of The Jamestown Comet.com, a self-syndicated columnist and business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s Living Dayton program.

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Evolve or die: More occupations are becoming extinct.

In Economy, history, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Technology, Uncategorized on November 6, 2013 at 5:45 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

What would you do if, not just your particular job, but your entire occupation was no longer needed – ever again? There are on dozens of job categories that are either slowly becoming unnecessary or have already suffered the fate of mechanized extinction.

operatorsAlready gone are the ice and milk delivery man (they were just men back in the day), the telephone operator, record player repairman, elevator operators, professional typists, and a host of others. Those occupational positions feeling the Grim Reaper nipping at their heels may include the gas station attendant, the postal delivery worker, video store clerk, department store sales person, newspaper delivery workers (the paper boy), travel agents and the old-fashioned barber.

Oddly enough even newspaper columnists, like yours truly, are fading away. Modern publishers can use syndicated filler columns or hire “bloggers” who often possess little or no journalistic experience – and pay pennies for the material if anything. Most of my freelancing colleagues have adapted to commercial writing or do as I have, by taking on a wider variety of work to earn a living.

Printing press operator jobs, once abundant in the Dayton, Ohio region are now all but gone. The more publications move toward fully electronic versions, the fewer press jobs there will be and the skill will be in higher demand with those companies still rolling out ink and paper.

As time passes, some of these occupations will have to either evolve into other forms or go the way of the door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. Librarians, for example, may have been headed towards obscurity but now manage a variety of media, both on the shelf and online. But others may not be able to adapt to serve alternative functions and will simply die out, like the salaeratus maker (that’s someone from the 1800s who made baking soda). See what you can learn from Deer In Headlines?

So what is to be learned from all of this professional progression? Clearly, more education is going to be necessary and the market will adapt to the need. New types of jobs will be created as others fade away.

But are there any jobs unlikely to be replaced by technological breakthrough? Oddly, anyone who is required to create, build and repair that technology has a goldmine ahead of them. Let’s face it, the nerds rule the world and they’re not going anywhere! There are whole television shows about them now.

Incidentally, it isn’t merely technology that causes occupational evolution, but the economy and changes across a business sector, particularly where several types of industries overlap. Consolidation of responsibilities combined with changes in technology can result in the need for more highly-trained workers, but requiring fewer to do the same jobs.

Doctors and nurses will probably always be required, even though patients will pay more to see them less. Hospitals are in a constant state of change as well. Budget cuts and lack of necessity have long-since done away with the helpful but redundant “orderly” position. Today, nursing and medical assistants have taken the place of orderlies, having more education and medical training that can serve a larger need than merely as a gurney driver.

On-air radio professionals, once called “disc jockeys,” have had to evolve as well. Digital media and station automation have made these jobs scarce, but those who are surviving are evolving through other types of media like Internet-based entertainment and even creating their own online listenership.

Whatever the job, workers should make an effort to stay ahead of the game through personal enrichment, continued education and, above all, keep an open mind. Those people who are very resistant, even defiant, toward technology will have a much harder time adapting.

The bottom line here is that occupational evolution is a necessity of any economy. As technology changes and America continues its slow but steady recovery from recession, more workers will be needed while some jobs disappear because they’re just obsolete. *

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s “Living Dayton” program. Learn more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

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I pledge allegiance, on Flag Day

In Education, history, National News, Opinion, Politics, sociology on June 13, 2013 at 12:11 pm

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“I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This is how the Pledge of Allegiance is worded today. When it was originally penned in 1892, however, the author of the oath, socialist minister Francis Bellamy, included no references to America or God.

ros123Bellamy’s hope was that the pledge could be used by any citizen around the world to honor their own country’s flag. Later, it was adopted as a pledge to the American flag and the words, “under God,” were added in 1923.

To some Americans, there is no more powerful a symbol of liberty and freedom. To others, the flag is a symbol to be used in protest of government tyranny. Whatever the semiotics involved, the American flag has profound meaning around the world.

Legend has it that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress who made flags for the navy, was commissioned by George Washington to create the first flag for the colonies. As charming a story as that may be, however, there is no verifiable information to support the tale.

What is known, historically, is that the first unofficial national flag, called the Grand Union Flag or the Continental Colours, was raised near George Washington’s headquarters outside Boston on January 1, 1776. It had 13 alternating red and white horizontal stripes and the complete British Union Flag in the canton (the upper corner, where the blue field and stars are located today). Another early flag included a rattlesnake and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me,” emblazoned on it; a design popular today with the conservative Tea Party movement.

The design of the Grand Union flag was altered about a year later to include the better known blue field in the canton with a circular pattern of stars representing each of the original 13 colonies. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted this version as the flag of the United States. More than two centuries later, the date is still honored throughout the country as a holiday called, Flag Day.

Since its creation, the “Stars and Stripes” has been one of the single most recognized symbols in the world. Sadly, some people in America today believe that honoring the flag is no longer relevant, that it’s distasteful to fly or display the flag, or even offensive.

There is no question that our country is not perfect, and our leaders have made their share of mistakes. But the ideals of peace, justice and freedom are worth honoring, regardless of your political views, and that’s what Old Glory represents.

Today, children are no longer encouraged, sometimes even prohibited, to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. The Pledge is seen by some as indoctrination to an ideology or worship of a false idol or some other such nonsense.

The truth is, indoctrination is everywhere and is usually voluntarily accepted without question. It’s in our social organizations, our schools, our businesses and especially in our political parties, churches, synagogues and mosques.

Each of these doctrines tend to divide us as a people, but getting behind a common symbol, the one that is intended to represent the best in us, the honor and sacrifice of those who came before, that is an indoctrination that can unite us in a way not found anywhere else on earth. It’s not forced, commanded or required – it’s our choice, each and every one of us.

Our flag has been burned, spat upon, dragged in the dirt, destroyed in battle, and shredded in conflict. It has withstood civil war, social unrest and political mudslinging. Far too many times, it has also covered the remains of those who died to defend it.

It may only be a red, white and blue piece of cloth, but it represents blood and sacrifice and signifies your right to find it distasteful, continuing to be a symbol of those rights whether or not you appreciate it. So happy Flag Day and may God (whoever your god happens to be) bless the United States of America.

Deer In Headlines is distributed by GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing. More information at http://www.gerydeer.com.

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Local Columnist To Guest Judge TV Cook-Off

In Entertainment, Food, Local News, Media, television, Uncategorized on February 8, 2013 at 9:50 am
Deer In Headlines author and Living Dayton business contributor, Gery L. Deer in the "Stafford Jewelers Diamond Room" at WDTN.

Deer In Headlines author and Living Dayton business contributor, Gery L. Deer in the “Stafford Jewelers Diamond Room” at WDTN.

DAYTON – From Monday, February 11 through Friday, February 15, local columnist and business writer Gery L. Deer, will appear as a guest judge for a television cook-off on the WDTN-TV2 daytime show, Living Dayton, co-hosted by Sallie Taylor.

Deer, author of the weekly editorial series, Deer In Headlines,will join BellyFire Cafe chef Jeff Blumer to judge specialty meals prepared by area firefighters with the winners being announced on the show Friday. The show airs live, Monday through Friday at noon on WDTN, Channel 2 in Dayton. Check your provider listings for specific times and channel. The show also streams live from WDTN.com, click on the Living Dayton link.
Deer is the author of several business-related e-books and the resident small business expert contributor to Living Dayton. He appears regularly on the daytime talk show offering tips and advice to local business owners for operating and marketing their companies. Deer is the owner and creative director of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing, a commercial copywriting, public relations and media consulting firm. For more information visit www.gerydeer.com.

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There Is Life After Bullying

In Children and Family, Education, Health, National News, Opinion, psychology, sociology, Uncategorized on October 19, 2010 at 10:12 am

dih-logo-SEA recent survey indicated that 77 percent of elementary and middle school students reported that they had been the victims of a bully at some time. The information also revealed that more than half of bullying incidents go unreported.

The recent suicides of several teens that had been tortured by bullies because of their sexuality have prompted a flood of media attention to the problem. I am concerned, however, that the public and the media are forgetting about other groups who have always been the targets of bullying including those with physical and mental disabilities, the impoverished and various ethnicities. I can relate to these issues – I know how they feel.

I was born with a serious congenital birth defect that had me in and out of the hospital for the first 20 years of my life. A multitude of medical issues combined with just being physically smaller than other kids my age made me the perfect target for bullies.

Rustin-Kluge-Anti-Bullying

Rustin-Kluge-Anti-Bullying

Oddly, none of my health problems were openly visible to anyone around me. Virtually everything people knew about me was total conjecture and inaccurate rumors with no factual basis. Unfortunately, facts and reason rarely work with people who are terrified of anyone who is different – whether the differences are obvious or not.

As if I didn’t have enough to contend with at the hospital, at school I was pushed, called names, kicked, hit, had my book bags ransacked, my lockers vandalized and my musical instruments thrown around on the school bus – all to the complete oblivion of school officials. In fact, some stood right there while it all happened, literally choosing to ignore it.

While the majority of the adults around me were supportive and helpful, there were a few who were downright cruel. Teachers, coaches and bus drivers are in a unique position to bully under the guise of maintaining order and discipline. *Despite what the party line might be, each teacher or administrator has his or her favorites – athletes, star students, and so on – who will always get preferential treatment. After all, these adults want (and desperately need due to a horribly low level of self esteem) to be liked by the students as much as the other kids.

A perfect example of this kind of ignorance came in my sixth grade year. I was out of school with a simple case of chicken pox. Noting my absence during roll call, the teacher told the rest of the class they shouldn’t get too attached to me because I had a serious disease and wouldn’t live to see my 15th birthday. With that thoroughly incorrect announcement, the rumors went viral.

So why don’t parents get more involved? Most of the time, parents have no idea what is going on. I never talked about it much. I doubt my parents ever knew how bad it really was.

In the end, I won. Eventually, I realized that it wasn’t my fault that people couldn’t deal with me. At the ripe old age of 43, my health is good, I’m a successful writer and entrepreneur and, despite my sixth grade teacher’s prediction, I am still here.

I carry no anger or malice towards the kids who spent so much of their time trying to better themselves by humiliating me. Oddly enough, a couple of them have already preceded me in death. As for those who are still with us, I actually feel sorry for them and genuinely hope they grew up to succeed in life. The adults, on the other hand, were the true villains.

It was nearly impossible to keep my personal issues private in a tiny farm town where everyone gossiped about things they didn’t even understand. I can’t imagine what kids today are going through as every detail of their lives are posted online for all to see – especially those struggling with personal identity issues.

Sadly, bullies are not just in school and, as I pointed out, adults can be just as bad as kids. A bully can be someone who abuses or oversteps her authority as a supervisor at work, a civic official or a teacher who ignores the academic struggles of a student in class because he or she is not one of the star athletes. Bullies are everywhere but you don’t have to take their abuse.

If you have been the victim of a bully, try to forgive them. They are small, sad and hopeless people who have nothing but pain inside. Forget trying to reason with them, it never works.

Whatever you do, don’t lower yourself to their level. Walk away. Turn off the computer. Seek out help and surround yourself with people who care and who will support you. None of these pathetically insecure people is worth your dignity … or your life.

 

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