I apologize for continuing to neglect you – lately I’ve been feeling rather guilty about it. Since we last spoke I’ve been quite busy. We had another baby in September (a girl this time – her name is Emma) – she looks a lot like me and I’ve been telling people that she’s proof that I actually have DNA. Work’s been busy and while I know you’re slightly upset that I’ve been spending all this time with Twitter and Facebook.
You’ll be happy to know I just updated your version to 2.9.2 and even finally installed my WordPress API key to actually activate Akismet so you’ll find those 1,129 spam comments are now categorized as “spam” and out of the cue.

Best,
Bill

The Synthesis Weekly now has 15 years of content. Mix that with our content license from BAM Magazine (which was California’s largest music magazine) and we have content dating back to 1976. Two years ago everyone was convinced that advertising would more than fund any content based venture but 2009 is a new world. Inventory is high and prices are lower than ever. Regardless of this lack of decent revenue for content we’re in this game for the long haul and even though Synthesis.net has a ton of content the Synthesis Weekly features quite a bit of locally focused content on a regular basis that hasn’t really had a home since 1998 when we shifted gears to focus our online efforts nationally rather than locally.

Lucky for me I have Karen, Jake and Rene who have taken the reigns of all of the regionally focused business which has left me the ability to fully focus on the out of market ventures that we’re currently pursuing. Since they’re driving that boat they made the decision that making a home for this local content is long overdue.

I’m excited that we’re launching Chico.Synthesis.net very shortly as the home for all the Chico / Northern California focused content – it’ll be great to begin that long process of getting this content organized and online.

We love Austin and since Paula and the boys are portable they generally travel with me (plus – Austin has a ton of great things for kids to do). On the way back to Sacramento we ended up sharing the airplane with a bunch of people we knew from Chico (Big Ben and the Pyrx crew had just played a few shows at SXSW – I think it was their first year there) and everyone was completely worn out. It was a great ride home since those guys mixed with the Synthesis crew made it more fun that your average plane ride.

This video shot and edited by my friend Big Ben features some choice moments with my boys:

Yes, the days of 20 kids to 1 teacher are gone in Chico. My 5 year old won’t be able to get his Kindergarten year of school back – it’s a one shot deal.

There are other options – people just need to think outside the box and be creative. Paradise did it – K-1st grade in Paradise are going to be 25-1, same with Oroville. The Chico Unified School District School Board has a litany of problems but they’d rather convince us that while we’re losing out of 20 to 1 the other districts don’t even realize they have a cash flow problem (“look – over here – something shiny”). I find that hard to believe that neighboring districts don’t balance their books.

Administration should be forced to take a pay cut. It won’t be popular and ideally it’s temporary. Apparently the Superintendent and her co-superintendents volunteered to take a 3% pay cut. I read recently that the Superintendent make $180k a year and the three co-superintendents make about $130k each. They’ll surely be hurting by losing that 3% – no question about it. Regardless there should be more efforts made to keep the 20 to 1 program that’s been in place since 1996.

Things have been mismanaged – that’s obvious. I’ve done a little research, talked to a few people, uncovered a few rocks and I’m already disturbed at what I’ve found.

It’s air apparent that the district has had issues for AT LEAST the last 4 or 5 years. A lot of people feel that the bond money hasn’t been spent appropriately. They think the answer is a parcel tax, the idea of further taxing the citizens of Chico is just foolish and unrealistic. It won’t pass – don’t waste the money. Then again, maybe you do think it will pass since according to the meeting last Wednesday when the projected budget was being discussed it was mentioned that the “current numbers factored in all of the Propisitions passing”. This floored me. Are you completely clueless? All of those (minus the one that froze pay for legislators) we’re dead right out of gate. Even Swartznager knew the propositions didn’t have a snowballs chance in hell.

The thing about that meeting that was the most offensive was the overall attitude of Reed, Kaiser and Rees. People know when you don’t really want to hear their opinion – I was shocked at just how condescending they were with the majority of the meeting’s participants.

They say “kids first” but it feels more like it’s “administrators and Board Members first”.

It’s my thought that an independent citizens review committee be established to audit every penny that the district has spent in the last 3 years as well as have a careful look at the intended spend for the next school year to analyze where the money has gone and where it’s going. This will also allow us to establish if there truly has been foolish spending and enable the public and the media to hold the individuals accountable for any misdeeds if any are actually found. At the least maybe it would spark some type of creativity in coming up with other options.

Maybe I’m off base but there seems to be a level of ineptitude here when dealing with spending the citizens money in a responsible manner.

It’s so rampant that there’s muttering of the CDE coming in to take over the district like they did in Vallejo and Oakland.

Maybe they’d do a better job.

Thankfully this news broke out and went viral last week. Just before the pitchfork and torch bearing posse was formed to round up the guilty Obama’s office actually called them and apparently said something like “you really need to cancel that order”. I think the quote was “fix it”. I was thrilled to read that Obama got into the mix shortly after being initially outraged and disgusted over the brash and despicable nature of them actually thinking it would be OK to take a portion of that money and buy a brand new jet.

I really have to say that I don’t think there’s been a year that I’ve wanted over more in my life. The stigma of 2008 will stick with me for the rest of my life. It was by no means “all bad”, in fact all in all it was a mix of good, bad, exhaustion, challenge, change and more change. There have been countless bright spots both personally (family, good friends), professionally (new clients, new directions) and I’m thankful we’ve uncovered new opportunities.

Change is the best way I’d describe it. Without question that has been the most challenging year I’ve even had business wise. It’s no secret that media is being hit hard by the economic downturn that has now “officially” been declared a recession that allegedly started last December (which really – if you break it down sort of seems more like the last 18-24 months).

I knew the year was going to be difficult right after I witnessed half of the tree we share with our neighbor fall on both of their cars and part of their house during that wicked storm that hit back in the first few days of January, 2008.

That was quickly followed up by the sudden death of longtime friend Matt Hogan which saddened everyone who knew him. I had known Matt for going on 13 years at that point  and I’m still shocked and saddened by the loss. He was a good person, a friend and easily one of the most memorable people I’ve met in my entire life. I miss him.

Regionally business has been tough. I joked with a friend back in I think June about how every time I left the house I would see another “for rent” sign on a building and ever other one of those buildings previously housed a business that actually still owes me money. The collections end of the media game is my least favorite piece of the puzzle. Business is now more than ever a game of pure cash flow – no ticket, no laundry – we’ve now entered a world where cash is literally king again.

My boys are now a year older and they’ve changed in a million ways. It’s amazing and I’m thankful in every way imaginable to be around both Noah, Gavin and my wife on a daily basis.

In a lot of ways the entire year was a blur. Mixed with waiting for the “word” that we either won the business we were pitching or not and then mixed with more waiting and working than I’ve dealt with in the past.

Change could be good, it’s sometimes uncomfortable but necessary. Change or die, evolve or die etc. That’s been the mantra for the year. Company’s that survive stuff like what’s happening now thrive when times get better again. Ideally that comes sooner than later.

2008 was both my worst year ever and my best year ever. We suffered, we struggled and we came up with new ideas and executed them. 2009 will be our best year yet.

2008 – I hate you and I love you. Is that really possible? I think so. Ok, time for a drink. Happy New Year.