Wendy Wells Rants

Returning after a Long Absence: Paying it Forward with Social Media

2011-03-25T14:31:00.002-04:00

Obviously, I've been quite neglectful of this particular blog. I haven't posted here in over a year. The only reason I even thought to stick my head behind this curtain is because someone commented on a post I'd written regarding whether or not social media can turn you into a victim. I'm sure the commenter (who, by the way, appreciated the post) was simply doing a basic search on social media and various topics and happened to stumble upon my post. Cool, that's how the how game is supposed to work, isn't it? A post from long ago can resurface and get comments today. I love these inter-webs. They just might catch on.

I'm posting an article, I wrote for a magazine late last year, regarding using social media in connection with charity work and giving to others. However, I need to preface it by saying that Elizabeth Fallon, the person about whom it is most heavily written, passed away in January 2011.

Paying it Forward with Social Media

I’ve been so busy talking about what Social Media can do for your business that I’ve bypassed an opportunity to talk about something even more important than money. Fortunately, the story of Elizabeth Fallon reminded me that when it comes to Social Media, giving to others, giving to our communities and just plain GIVING are easier than ever. All it takes is the click of a mouse or the tap of a mobile phone, and suddenly, you’re paying it forward.

Elizabeth Fallon is a breast cancer survivor from Wales in the UK. (She now lives just outside of Portsmouth.) This young lady has the brightest smile and friendliest voice I’ve ever heard in someone who has every right to not smile or sound happy. Naturally, she has an adorable British accent, a chipper personality, and she’s just filled with hopeful light.

I met Liz at a friend’s birthday party a few weeks ago. She was here in the US visiting a childhood friend of hers who lives in Virginia. She also was able to take advantage of the opportunity to finally meet in person, her friends from Facebook.

Liz had become friends on Facebook with a woman (also named Wendy) who saw a picture that Liz had taken of herself in a silly-but-cute magenta (some call it purple) colored wig. Apparently, Wendy had been searching for a friend with a similar name and she saw Liz then noticed that she was a cancer survivor…like herself. See, Wendy had battled and beat lung cancer, so she reached out to Liz and said hello, and a friendship was forged. From this friendship, Wendy’s son Scott friended Liz, then Mike Gibbons “the button guy” also became Liz’s friend. This is how Social Media works, it’s a web that connects people to one another, and that’s what happened here. When Mike read about Liz’s second fight with breast cancer, he was “saddened and inspired” by her story. So when Scott came up with the idea to cheer Liz up with some buttons of her face in that magenta wig, Mike was on board. Wendy helped get the Buttons of Hope to Liz and now, they’ve gone viral.

At first, Liz thought she would sell the buttons to family and friends and raise a couple of hundred pounds for the local cancer support center. Within months, she was astonished to find that she had raised over £2,500 (over $3,000), and her amazement didn’t stop there. The positive energy that she got from the people who kept passing along the buttons helped to lift her spirits, and the darkness that had returned with her second diagnosis of breast cancer slipped away. She recorded a thank you to Mike for the Buttons of Hope, and her short video has become a beacon reminding us all “how powerful small things can be.”

People started posting their pictures on Liz’s Facebook page with the buttons as they literally traveled across the globe. Celebrities have had their photographs taken with Liz’s button; billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, Olympian Triple Jumper Jonathan Edwards and Theresa May the Homeland Secretary of England, are just a few who have had their picture taken with the button. I have a package of buttons on their way to an auction for the Ronnie James Dio cancer fund to be worn by several rock bands from the ‘80’s and today. Buttons of Hope have made their way to Mount Kilimanjaro, Las Vegas, the Carolinas, Spain, Australia, and many more places. In fact, when Liz got on the plane to make her trip across the Atlantic, all of the flight crew and the 300+ passengers were wearing them! The buttons are still on the go!
When it comes to “paying it forward”, everyone who posts pictures with the buttons to Facebook is doing their part in passing along Liz’s story. Buttons of Hope offer more than decoration; the buttons have helped inspire cancer victims and their loved ones, because they point the way to Liz. Elizabeth Fallon is such a bright character and her energy is contagious; she truly lights the way for those who are in the darkness of their fight with cancer.

January 17, 2011 - I am deeply saddened to share the news that Elizabeth Fallon passed into the brightest of lights this past weekend. She is missed and remembered with the deepest of love by those had and had not met her.

Wendy D. Wells is President of WD Wells Writing and Editing, LLC
She is a Charlotte, NC based, Telecommuting Copywriter, Professional Blogger and Editor.
wwells@wendywellswrites.com
Follow her on Twitter! @WendyWells

Company Shame

2009-09-21T17:51:00.002-04:00

http://www.wendywellswrites.com/news-and-views.php

Aren't they ashamed of themselves? Yahoo plans to announce a $100M marketing campaign Tuesday morning. (September 22, 2009.) They just went through another huge round of layoffs in April and now they have this kind of money to spend on marketing?

In a time when most Americans are terrified of whether or not they'll be able to pay for the roof over their head for another month, put enough gas in their car to make it to a job interview, or afford their medications…Yahoo is shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars for what? To remind us that they exist? Have you forgotten to Yahoo lately? I haven't.

Maybe if we all give them a quick click, they'll realize we haven't overlooked them and they'll do something more remarkable, like announce they are hiring back their laid off workers. Honestly, Yahoo, you don't need to spend so much money on marketing…we know you're just a click away…

Right now, many Americans are on Yahoo and other search engines looking for jobs and cheaper housing. I know that I often waste hours of time on their virtually useless "Monster" career site where so many invitations are awaiting my investment to make me rich.

In fact, Yahoo…if you want to invest your money in a better marketing campaign for yourself, clean up your job search site. Get some legitimate businesses on their who are REALLY looking for workers. Sift through and get rid of all of the work-from-home scams that clutter the site and give those of us who are trying to find a job a fighting chance.

A $100M marketing campaign after all of the layoffs you had earlier this year? You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Where is Our Civility Going?

2009-09-17T16:40:00.002-04:00

Our nation needs its mouth washed out with soap, and certain individuals should be made to stand in the corner. Insolent, childish behavior has put us in the spotlight showcasing our lack of civility toward one another.

Recently, the worst breach of civil conduct came from James Wilson, the Senator from South Carolina. By shouting the words, "You lie!" at our President during his address, Senator Wilson disgraced his constituents, his family, his party, and his country. Anyone who is not ashamed, does not realize the magnitude of what he did. It was the mockery heard round the world. Even though a few people interviewed in South Carolina's capitol city, Columbia were supportive of his actions, Wilson's behavior has been seen as deplorable to every other country on the globe. The reaction of citizens of other nations are overwhelmingly against his behavior, and consider his outburst beyond disrespectful. Only children and those who suffer from turrets are excused from not being able to contain their explosive vocalizations. From what I can tell, Senator Wilson is neither.

Days later, at the MTV video awards show, Kanye West jumped on stage, took the microphone out of Taylor Swift's hands as she was making her acceptance speech for winning best female video. He completely ruined her moment in the spotlight as she was saying that she was a country singer, so she was grateful to win. Kanye practically said that she didn't deserve the award by saying that Beyonce's video was one of the best of all time. Taylor was frozen, microphone and Moonman award in hand, her chance to shine tarnished. The next night, Kanye went silent when Jay Leno asked what West's late mother would have thought of his behavior toward Swift. He never really did answer the question. Surely, Kanye knows where ever his mother is, she's frowning in disappointment, shaking her head, "this is not how I raised my boy."

Once again, our President was disrespected when his trust in journalists was broken as an off the record comment made its way to Twitter. Terry Moran of ABC posted President Obama's opinion of Kanye West's behavior, even though Mr. Obama specifically asked those within earshot to "cut the President some slack." In other words, keep the remark out of the public stream. Instead, Terry Moran childishly passed along a secret to make himself look like the big man on campus. Or was he being a tattle-tail? Regardless of whether or not the moment was one of, "look at me!" or, "ooh, I'm telling!", his actions were far below the standard of what a respected news organization, such as ABC, should hold its reporters up to.

Then, Serena Williams, who lost the U.S. Open semifinal threatened a line judge with bodily harm after the judge made a foot fault call on Williams. Now, Williams didn't say just one little, flippant threat; she described in colorful detail how she would use a tennis ball to kill the line judge. Serena acted like a typical playground bully, who wasn't getting her way. She took what used to be one of the most civilized, "gentlemen's games" and turned it into back alley brawl.

What we need is a good old fashioned dose of Ozzy and Harriett, Ward and June Cleaver, and Father Knows Best. Manners were taught at home because they were exhibited at home. Parents said, "good morning" to one another and their children. The word, "please" always accompanied the request of a favor, "thank you" was the immediate response when the favor was granted, and "you're welcome" was replied in return.

Yes, these were idyllic lives on TV, but when you watch these old shows, don't they seem to express a sense of good will toward one another that we are lacking today? These were the post-war years, our nation was prospering, and perhaps like in the days following 9/11, we were more aware of how fragile life truly is. Maybe after all of the death and destruction that World War II had caused, hurting someone's feelings was just as damaging as physically hurting them. It still is, yet somehow we've forgotten that.

We have so many tools for Social Media and ways of keeping each other connected, but we're standing further apart than ever before. Kanye West was right beside Taylor Swift the other night when he took the microphone from her hands, yet he was miles away – in his own world, where only he matters and he is King. However, it's got to be a very lonely place. His mother can't join him there, he is booed as he walks the streets, and still he doesn't understand the power of the words, "I'm sorry." He won't energize them and make them real…he says the words, then backs up his original actions as if he were right to do what he did. Tim McGraw used the Kanye West moment as a lesson for his daughters to learn how not to behave. How many other parents did that?

Senator Wilson says the President has accepted his "I'm sorry" over the phone, but refuses to publicly verbalize an apology to the House. There are more than just the President he insulted. How about apologizing to the American people? He has embarrassed us across the world and now, by his refusal to apologize publicly, he's only showing his lack of remorse. He is a petulant, stubborn child with his fingers tied behind his back as he makes an apology over the phone to a voice on the other end. Wilson says it's time to move on, yet he's still wasting our time by making us all wait for sincerity I sincerely doubt he has. Former President Carter is probably right, Senator Wilson thinks the matter is beneath him.

Then we have Serena Williams saying she won't change the way she is. She assures her fans that she will remain "passionate" and still plans to argue as she plays her game. Why can't she set a better example instead by saying she plans to act like a lady and give the word Diva a more refined nuance?

From what I can tell, Terry Moran is business as usual since ABC deleted, or had him delete his tweet about President Obama's Kanye West comment. I suppose ABC didn't see reason to reprimand the reporter too harshly for the breach of journalistic integrity. One almost might see that as an oxymoron in today's society. Are there any rules of journalistic integrity anymore? Do true ethics and integrity exist anywhere? If so, name the field. I'm curious.

How do we find our way back to civility and better will toward one another? Is there a way to return the shock value to words like, "bitch" and "whore"? Can purity and chastity back pedal to our teens and cover their midriffs and make them pull up their pants? Will it ever be cool for teens to destroy CDs that don't stand up to proper values? (Think back to when the Beatles' records were burned.) If we can't create a false idyllic time like the days of the post WWII TV shows, where is our civility headed?

Parents are the only ones who can truly impress upon their children the difference between good behavior and bad. As adults, we have to monitor one another. Letting Kanye West know we won't tolerate his infraction against Taylor Swift can take place simply by not buying his CDs, downloading his music, or attending his shows. Congress has already passed a resolution rebuking Joe Wilson's behavior and Serena Williams was fined a large amount of money. You can tell Terry Moran directly that you don't approve of what he did by reaching him on Twitter (@TerryMoran). In fact, speak out against all of these examples of bad behavior on blogs, twitter, etc. and state that you're against what they did.

We have to be the ones acting like adults with the bar of soap in hand and one finger pointing to a corner. Otherwise, we are losing our battle against bad manners. Our civility is being lost to rudeness, ill will toward one another, and an overwhelming sense of nihilism.

Manchester United News

2009-07-29T22:13:00.000-04:00

Checking in with our lads at Old Trafford today, Wayne Rooney has set a goal for his goals this season. He wants to beat his 20 nets from last season, especially since everyone is looking to him to earn the majority of them since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
Over the last two seasons, Ronaldo scored 68 goals for the team, which equals out to 30% of the team's overall total goals. That leaves a huge gap of goals to be made up. Between Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov, Federico Macheda, and others that have already been scoring in preseason, as long as they can keep up and step up their streaks…the team should be able to fill that gap.
Wayne told ManUtd.com, "There are a lot of great players in our team and we know if we all work together then we’re capable of achieving great things."
The team is on their way to Munich for the Audi cup where they will play Boca Juniors and Bayern Munich or AC Milan.
Rooney said, "You want more difficult games as pre-season progresses and I think the matches in Germany will be a really good test for the team. We're still a couple of games off peak performance and from a personal point of view there's still a bit of work to do."
Rooney might be referring to his missed attempts at finding the back of the net during the second half of the second Malaysia game. He was trying very hard to score but it just wasn't meant to be. Otherwise, on this Asian friendly tour, he's really been scoring very well…just like we know he can.
Rio Ferdinand had high praise for Jonny Evans as the defender stayed on at Old Trafford even after receiving offers from Sunderland, where he most likely would have had more guaranteed time on the pitch. Some advice from Ferdinand could have helped him stick to his guns and keep the red jersey on his back.
"He's a fantastic young player," Rio Ferdinand told the Press Association. "For centre-halves it's always difficult to see the best of them at early ages. There's always a chance of them making mistakes but Jonny keeps that to a minimum."
"I spoke to him in pre-season last year in South Africa," Rio said. "He was at a stage where he wanted to play every week. He'd been doing that the season before at Sunderland and he didn't want to come back and play for the Reserves again. He wanted to play first-team football.
"It's the same argument for any young player: Do you want to go and play for mid-table team or do you want to be in the squad of a team where you're going to get chances to play in a title-winning or European Cup-winning team?
"When you look at it like that it's a bit of a no-brainer. The manager didn't want to let him go anyway, but I think Jonny came round to thinking that it was better to be a part of the squad and play when the opportunities came."

He's Bringing Seven Back...

2009-07-29T11:24:00.000-04:00

So Michael Owen has been handed number seven. Ok, that's a surprise. I love Michael Owen. We all know I've been a huge supporter of his and I will continue to be so long as he doesn't let me down. But number seven? Wow…Sir Alex is either expecting greatness from him, or we're all placing too much importance on the jersey. I'm thinking it's probably both. I have faith Michael Owen is going to deliver AND I think we're placing too much importance on the number.
George Best wore number seven. We all know the saying, "Maradona good, Pele` better, George Best." 'Nuff said.
Eric Cantona wore the jersey. King Eric won back to back titles, player of the year, and who could ever forget that notorious kick?
David Beckham was number seven for a long time. Part of Manchester United's Treble, European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year. One of the most famous number seven's for Manchester United thanks to great publicity and fantastic management. If he retires from the game, he'll have modeling and cologne to fall back on.
Most recently, Cristiano Ronaldo wore the jersey. He had a record setting season in 07/08 with 42 goals. That's now ingrained in Old Trafford's history as legendary.
In between George Best and Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson wore the jersey. "Captain Marvel" was the longest reigning captain in Old Trafford's history. He's back at the club today as an ambassador. I can't help but think he must have had some sort of say in giving his blessing for Michael Owen to take the threads this time around. Would Sir Alex Ferguson has consulted Bryan Robson regarding the number? Some of us thought perhaps there would be a switch off similar to what Beckham did when Teddy Sheringham took the number ten and he took number seven. We were thinking that perhaps Rooney would give his number ten jersey to a new, incoming player and then be handed number seven.
What if we're all just making too big of a deal out of the jersey? Maybe we shouldn't be putting so much stock into the number or the shirt and just consider the man inside the clothes. What's important is how they play the game when they wear the colors no matter what number they are. Their behavior off the pitch is important, too. Representing the club with dignity and class will go a long way. Other number sevens have had trouble off the pitch with that. Think of what killed Best, his alcoholism. Cantona's temper wasn't even off the pitch when he kicked the fan and caused a commotion. Michael Owen is a solid family man and he has style. He'll be able to make Manchester United look good off the field and when he's on it, I firmly believe there are better days ahead for him.
I've said it before and I'm saying it again, I'm not writing this man off. He has had injuries but they all have. Some of his unfortunately, have come close together.
Maybe by giving Michael Owen number seven, Sir Alex is making a promise to the fans that he also knows this player has better days ahead. SAF has that ability to spot and cultivate talent, why shouldn't we believe he can do it in a man beyond his twenties?
Let's get over our initial shock at Owen's being handed the shirt and stop looking back at who's had it before him. Why don't we try looking ahead to what he can do for our team? Have faith in Sir Alex's decisions and give Michael Owen our support. He's part of our team now, he is Manchester United.

This post appears in one of the blogs for which I am paid to write.

Torchwood: Children of Earth ~ The Finale

2009-07-27T11:29:00.002-04:00

The miniseries wrap up of Torchwood: Children of Earth was certainly worth the wait! The four nights prior did a great job of building up suspense and sympathy for the characters. The storylines were shocking at times and the parallels to our own modern day dilemmas could not go unnoticed.
When the aliens were demanding that a tenth of the world's population of children be surrendered to them, or they would wipe out our entire species, the leaders involved in the negotiations had to make a choice as to how they could select which one tenth of the population would go. Then, they would have to come up with a story line that the public would believe. Supposedly, children would be collected for inoculations, when they would really be collected and handed over to the aliens. The brash eliteness of the situation came to a full head when one of the women in the leadership summit admitted that no one was going to send in the children who one day would become doctors and judges but instead, they needed to send in the kids that were already on the path to prison. She said that placement tests are exactly for that reason, aren't they? Take the lowest ten percent of the test scores and send them to the aliens. The admission of such elitism was so shocking and yet, so true. And in this case completely excusable because the situation is one of fantasy and science fiction.
The senselessness of having to sacrifice so many lives was beginning to wear on everyone, especially on John Frobrischer, the civil servant who had been working hardest at devising plans, negotiating with the aliens and taking all of the heat on behalf of the Prime Minister. Then, the Prime Minister tells Frobisher he has to go on TV and show his own daughters being turned over for "inoculation," as it would be good publicity. At first, Frobisher says, "but there is no inoculation…we're just giving them a fake inoculation, right?" The Prime Minister tells him that, no…Frobisher's daughters are to get the real inoculation…they're to be turned over to the aliens. We really hate the Prime Minister, even more than ever.
Frobisher goes to his secretary, Bridget Spears and tells her a code word, which stuns her and makes her robotically go to an evidence type room and sign out a box from a guard. Bridget turns it over to Frobisher, he kisses her on the cheek and he leaves. Bridget remains stunned. The next scenes were handled beautifully though they were completely shocking TV and not for the weak of stomach, so you might not want to read on if you can't handle the worst that a parent can do to his children in order to save them. Bridget goes to see Lois in jail and says that she wants to tell Lois that no matter what she hears about John Frobisher over the next coming days, Bridget wants Lois to know what a good man John Frobisher had always been. While Bridget speaks, the scene is of him going home and sending his wife and girls up stairs. There is an army outside ready to "inoculate" his two daughters. He opens the box his secretary had requisitioned for him and it has a gun inside. He goes up the stairs, into the girls' bedroom and shuts the door. We hear four shots. He has saved his daughters from being "inoculated." His wife will never know the pain of seeing her babies turned over to aliens and he will never live the rest of his life feeling like a failure because he didn't stand up to the Prime Minister to save his children.
Back at Thames House, one of the generals speaks with the alien in the tank and asks why they need the children, do they keep them alive? The alien says something like, "no. They release a chemical, it feels good. The chemicals feel good." The general then says, "it's like drugs? The children are drugs to you?" Suddenly, they realize – it's a drug war. One side is more powerful than the other. Unfortunately, it's the side that wants the drugs and is willing to kill everyone in their way to get the drugs.
When we compare it to our own lives and our own world today, it really is the "lower test scores" set of people that do the fighting and the dying in the drug wars. Chemicals that "feel good" create a demand with a price so high that people are willing to pay anything for them. Lives are lost because chemicals make someone that has more money or power feel good. Whether it's from the high of the chemical or the money and power it brings, on this planet now, there are people much like that alien in the tank demanding that a number of lives be sacrificed for their own pleasure. Russell T. Davies knew what he was doing when he wrote this script! What a commentary!
I haven't even gotten to how Captain Jack (John Barrowman) saves the day. He's finally released from his holding cell from the woman who put him there, Johnson. He figures out how to reverse the alien's signal by sending it back through the children just as they had been broadcasting through the children. In order to do so, they need one child to be the conductor but that child would "be fried" from all of the current going through him. The only child in the vicinity is Jack's own grandson, so it's a case of sacrificing one to save millions. He makes the decision, and they lock his daughter out of the hangar where they are working. They set up the boy to act as the conductor. Sure enough, the plan works and it blows up the alien in the tank and the aliens in the sky disappear. The boy is dead afterward and John Frobisher has killed his family and himself for nothing, but the alien threat is gone. The "alien drug war" is over.
The end of the show jumps ahead seven months when Gwen and Rhys are driving out to a field in the middle of nowhere to meet Jack. Gwen had been able to retrieve his arm band transmitter from the hub because it is indestructible. Jack tells her that he has traveled the world but the planet has suddenly become too small for him. He can't stay, he activates the arm band and a passing ship in the sky beams in aboard. Now, he's back out in the universe.

Corporate Blogging is Good for the Bottom Line

2009-07-14T22:11:00.005-04:00

This article appears in the July 2009 issue of Saathee Magazine

Many companies today are hiring corporate bloggers. Some are simply hiring them to talk about what it is they do with their product, others are hiring them to actually promote their products and services. This morning, I attended a breakfast for "Social Media Charlotte," and our guest speaker, touched on the topic, but not enough in my opinion. See, I write blogs for a few companies. I am a corporate blogger. Some people might think it's disingenuous to have professional writer blog for a company, and others think it's a great way to stay in touch with your core audience. In fact, in California, they passed a law saying that items containing a certain cancer causing ingredient had to have a sticker on it. Recently, someone wrote on a local community's blog that they couldn't believe a particular scissor company would make a cancer-causing scissors for children. One of the corporate bloggers on the East Coast caught the comment at 5AM West Coast time, explained the reason behind the sticker, and that the scissors did not cause cancer. Before the open of business on the West Coast, the person who wrote the original comment retracted her statement and the whole issue never blew up beyond that one exchange. What could have turned into an ugly, sales plunging catastrophe was averted, thanks to corporate blogging.
Some of you may be wondering what is corporate blogging and what does corporate blogging do? What can it do for your company? Corporate blogging is when a company hires someone to blog either daily or a few times a week. That's the most simple explanation. If you hire a blogger, they don't necessarily blog strictly about your product or services, but whatever their passion is that is performed with the product or from the service.
For instance, you're a restaurant owner, who hires a blogger. You wouldn't necessarily need the blogger to talk only about your type of food and your place of dining, instead, they would blog about their whole passion of eating and what food means to them. They would write about the sensations the aromas bring to them, the experiences they have with their family, what happens when they wash the dishes after dinner with their daughter, the bonding time they spend teaching her how to cook, memories of learning to cook when they were little….it's the genuine, human qualities of blogging that bring people back to reading over and over again.
Let's look at another example: an auto repair shop owner hires an older gentleman copywriter to blog. The man blogs about the road trips he took as a young man on the turnpikes and freeways when he was a kid, the roadside picnicking he and his family did, as the only restaurants back then were a few Howard Johnson's scattered throughout North America. He might blog about teaching his son to drive and the melancholy ache of watching him drive away to college. The blogger could share how it felt to lose his sharp vision as he aged, and what it was like to get his first traffic ticket because he was driving too slowly. If a corporate blogger is a genuine person and not a fake product pusher, their audience will grow. They have to be real.
Corporate blogging is about relating to people on their level and giving them a slice of another person's life. It's voyeuristic in a way that is allowed, legal and acceptable. Now, how does it benefit your company? Here and there throughout the blog, you would place hyperlinks that direct traffic to your webpage. Or at the bottom of the blog, there can be a statement or short paragraph about your shop or services, and how something like what they've written is made possible due to services like yours. This increases the traffic to your website, thus increasing your brand name's exposure. One of my blogs is for a huge satellite TV company. I usually end up blogging about European Football, Manchester United is my team, I'm obsessed. I have a following of people who want to know what is happening with the players, transfer speculations, who is injured, and what my general opinion is. Instead of trying to force a plug for the satellite TV company in my writing where it won't fit, I'll simply say at the end of the blog that maybe I had to DVR the game and watch it on my (name brand) HD digital, crystal clear picture satellite TV…I'll say how I get so many channels of sports and movies, and I'll put hyperlinks on certain words that pertain to the satellite TV.
As a corporate blogger, the benefits I offer are that the traffic to the company's website escalates at a rapid rate, there is constant exposure of their product, and an increase in their brand's recognition. The fact that I have a loyal readership, means that their name brand is always exposed to a growing number of people who read my blogs. Some of my articles are passed around via emails, Twitter and links that get posted throughout the sports world; which includes the UK, after all, Manchester United is from England. The team also has a huge fan base in the U.S., so their exposure is circulated in North America where they want to generate sales, thus increasing their revenue. That's what matters most, the bottom line – money. Whether or not these people are buying satellite TVs within the next 60 days or 12 months, the brand awareness is consistently increasing as the audience of my blog continue to become engaged in what I write. When the time comes that my readers want to buy a satellite TV, because I've been genuine, I'm their friend…they feel like they know me, so they trust me, and the satellite TV company I recommend is brand X. Bottom line: corporate blogging increases revenue.

Wendy D. Wells is President of WD Wells Writing and Editing, LLC
She is a Charlotte, NC based, Telecommuting Copywriter, Professional Blogger and Editor.
wwells@wendywellswrites.com

Twitter handle: @WendyWells

News of Michael Owen and David Beckham

2009-07-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

In the most surprising turn of events this summer, Michael Owen is at Old Trafford undergoing his physical to make a move to Manchester United. This is a move that I begged Sir Alex to do in a blog I'd written on December 22, 2008 when we won the World Cup. At the very bottom in the P.S., I asked Sir Alex to imagine the rhythm that he would have with the rest of our lads (at the time I was including Ronny) as they all played together. I knew then that he was going to be up for grabs at some point in time, and now…here he is! Coming to us! I couldn't be more pleased than if Ronaldo decided to stay.
This isn't the first time that SAF has given eye to Owen. Back when Michael was a young lad and he was training for the youth leagues, Ferguson was interested in his joining the Red Devils then but some stipulations from Daddy Owen (Footballer Terry Owen) couldn't be met at the time. Unfortunately, this led young Michael west to Liverpool. We aren't holding that against him now, and instead, are welcoming him with open arms, and an open wallet apparently. Sir Alex is looking at a £50k,weekly cheque to Owen and that's with the current record of injuries that he has at this point. Personally, I believe that Michael Owen's injury issues are going to be a thing of the past with the right team, training and physio behind him.
Look at it this way. He was on a team that was just relegated. How well could things have been going behind the scenes if they were going so poorly on the pitch? Also, Owen's place on the team has yet to be determined and most likely will not be one of a shining star but more like the one Tevez left behind and a place that Scholes and even Giggs currently hold. These are men that aren't always starters, they do not always go in every game, and are often used as substitutes in order to save the strength of the other players or they're used as ringers. We'll be getting to know Michael Own more and more as the weeks go by and as we hear of his interaction with the other lads. We'll see how he fits in. Once Rio features him in "5" and plays a few pranks on him, we'll know he's gelled off the pitch with the team, which will announce to the world that he's really become a Red Devil.

Now, for my BOLD prediction or suggestion that I'm going to make, just like the one I made on December 22 when I suggested Sir Alex being Michael Owen on; I think he should place a bid for John Terry. We need another great defender. Toward the end of the season, we started seeing some holes in our defense that never should have existed. Edwin Van der Sar was left exposed by Nemanja Vidic on more than one occasion, and was scored on when it never should have happened. I am usually one to always jump up and down for Vidic but the last few games of the season, the important qualifying games, and the Champions League were all disappointments. I'm not saying they were all Nemanja's fault but he wasn't always where he should have been. He can't always be everywhere he needs to be. That's why a little help from another friend might be a really good thing. So, there it is. Sir Alex Ferguson, please bring John Terry in from Chelsea! Our defense would be so strong and our striking force would be so great once again, we'll be saying, "Ronaldo WHO?"

Speaking of former Red Devils, David Beckham returns to the LA Galaxy as they down the New York Red Bulls on July 16th. Apparently, some fans are not thrilled with his return as they feel he never should have left in the first place. Is this a case of fans acting like children who are upset when Mummy and Daddy return but then warm up once they've been sufficiently "punished" for leaving in the first place? Probably. More likely than not, his fans that are glad to see him back will outweigh those that will be petulant.
My concern isn't fans who are the most peeved at Becks but his own teammate, Landon Donovan, who has been very outspoken in his disapproval of Beckham's overall performance as Captain and player. ESPN interviewed Donovan and he had plenty to say.
"When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing," Donovan said. "He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well.
"Somewhere along the way - and in my mind it coincides with Ruud being let go - he just flipped a switch and said, 'Uh-huh, I'm not doing it anymore'."
Donovan says Becks is a bad teammate because he lacks commitment.
"He's not shown (he's a good team-mate)," he said. "I can't think of another guy where I'd say he wasn't a good team-mate, he didn't give everything through all this, he didn't still care. But with (Beckham), I'd say no, he wasn't committed."
Ouch! Let's see, how do you define "bad teammate?" Is it someone who bashes a fellow teammate and doesn't stick by them, perhaps? Someone who doesn't always show a unified front no matter what their personal opinion is? Could be. See, these guys still have to play together. That's what I don't get. I'm sure Becks will gallantly stride up to Landon Donovan with an outstretched hand and a smile on his face with every intention of mending torn fences.
Donovan, on the other hand seems to be the type of teammate who would rather build a higher fence.

Twitter as Social Media

2009-06-17T13:30:00.002-04:00

This article appears in Saathee magazine's June 2009 issue.

Last month's edition of Saathee featured a terrific article introducing you to Twitter, by Gail Martin of DreamSpinner Communications. She explained the 140 character system conveying ideas called, "Tweets" and gave some great advice on using Twitter to increase your business's visibility.
Twitter can be a valuable tool to generate traffic to your business's website and raise the number of hits you receive on a regular basis. If you're a blogger, your subscription levels can go up markedly with a few well spoken tweets.
The popularity of Twitter has increased over the last couple of years, and savvy Tweeters have been using the service to generate income, build brands and even raise money for charities. Google has seen the value, and as recently as April 2009, was trying to negotiate their way into acquiring the upstart. Twitter holds the key to the best real time database and search engine on the Internet, one to which not even Google can compare.
Companies are listening to what consumers say about their customer service through tweets. In order to protect their brand, companies are respond in real time on Twitter. Complaints about a business can be answered immediately, because Twitter's search engine brings comments to the attention of public relations and marketing departments' the moment they are sent into cyberspace. All it takes is a "hashtag" ( pound sign) in front of any name or word, and a grouped conversation, appears when a search is completed. Whomever is talking about that subject in Twitter, will pop up.
Here's an example: I use a program called, "Tweet Deck" that allows me to have several columns of Twitter conversations at once. I have a column devoted to my @replies, which my personal conversations, I have other columns with my business interest of #copywriting and #editing, another column with my personal passion of #ManchesterUnited, and another column with a friend's name, which doesn't need the hashtag but their handle instead with an @ symbol. So, let's say I stay at Acme hotel one night and have a terrible experience. In my 140 character tweet, I might say, "Terrible guest service at #Acmehotel last night. Avoid it, I won't be back. Left with bedbug bites, too." Now, since I have the hashtag in front of Acme Hotel's name all in one word, and they most likely have a column with their name just like I have columns with my personal interests, they're going to see my tweet come up right away. If they are working hard to make a good name for themselves and manage their reputation, a representative will email me immediately or tweet me, and ask that I call them or inquire as to what they can do to make things right for me.
Companies that want to protect their brand and their revenue, are creating full-time positions by a range of titles such as, Social Media Marketing Coordinator, Online Media Marketing Manager, and Blogger. Earning income through Twitter is just as possible as it is through any other online media outlet. Personally, more than one third of my current clientele has come from Twitter. The columns I mentioned earlier, #copywriting and #editing, are what helped me to find a number of jobs and a couple of steady writing gigs. I literally answered the call of a few 140 character cries for help to the effect of, "Does anyone know a good copywriter to help with some SEO's?" and "Any editors out there that can work on a project, send me an email." I've started blogging professionally for a couple of marketing companies and I write SEO (search engine optimization) articles for them as well. The occasional plea to write a press release has been sent out, and whomever gets to the person in need first, or whomever's work samples and prices suit the client's needs best, are the ones who get the jobs.
Pleas for help of a different nature are also met on Twitter. This past February, Twestival (Twitter + festival) took place throughout 200+ cities, worldwide in a simultaneous online broadcast. The event was held in order to bring Twitter communities together and raise money for Charity:Water, an organization that builds wells to bring safe drinking water to developing nations. The entire Twestival raised more than $250,000 and Twestival Charlotte raised enough money build a well in Ethiopia. Asheville and Raleigh also participated. Other organizations, such as animal rescue groups have figured out the benefits to setting up Twitter accounts that link to FaceBook pages or other websites. Word has spread to make Tuesdays a day of charity giving and the reminder to give is "retweeted" throughout the Twitter community.
Recently, Twitter downsized the "neighborhood" we all hang out in by taking away the ability to see Tweets by anyone whom we do not follow (these are called the @replies). Many of us feel this defeats the whole purpose of Twitter. If someone says something clever in their 140 characters, we go to their Twitter page, click on their website, see what they're about and follow them. Without the option of seeing @replies of people we don't know, we have to go to the pages of each individual person we follow, or who follow us and click on who they're talking to. However, once you find clever people, stick with them and most likely, you'll find that the people they follow are worth following. Also, look for common personal or business interests, see if they have more than a few hundred followers, take the time to see what they've tweeted in the last few days. If they've said anything worthwhile, or you like their website, follow them. While you're at it, give me a try! @WendyWells

Wendy D. Wells is President of WD Wells Writing and Editing, LLC
She is a Charlotte, NC based, Telecommuting Copywriter, Professional Blogger and Editor.
wwells@wendywellswrites.com

How to Get Your Music on the Radio

2009-06-01T14:35:00.005-04:00

I used to work for a radio station, where I produced and sometimes hosted a show that highlighted new music from established artists and music from artists trying to break into the industry. They could be on independent labels or large labels, it didn't matter. The show was even called, The New Music and Indie Label Show. Not an overly creative title, but it got the point of what the show was about across well enough.
My job was to go through the hundreds of packages from bands and agencies that would come in each week, listen to the music, research a bit about each band and decide what would be played on the air. Yes, there was an element of power to this job. I was the gatekeeper to the musical airwaves of the market in which I worked. In order to get on the air and not get thrown back into the stack of "I'll get to them later," I had certain criteria that I needed to see. If I had to work too hard at finding this criteria, I gave up and the band got lost in the pile. I've had many people ask me what it took to get played on the radio. What exactly was I looking for in order to get their band to the top of the pile?
Here is the list of things I needed to see in order for a band to get played on the radio:

Send a professional looking package with a studio quality CD. Or, guide me to an active link with an MP3 or MP4 file for downloading. (Not all systems can do this. Smaller stations might ONLY take CD's. Check first!)

Sometimes gimmicks in a package would make me curious enough to wonder what was in the envelope to want to open it. I had a band that sent me cute little key chains that were airbrushed flip-flops. The envelope wasn't flat with just a CD, it obviously had something else in it, I had to know what, so I opened it first. I don't remember the name of the band, or whether or not I played their music. Was their money wisely spent? Probably not. Buttons and gimmicks with your band name should be the last thing you invest your money in. Wait until you're established. If you buy a box of cheap key chains, use a sharpie marker to write your name on them, that's money better spent. Get a nice, fabric back wall made made for your band to put behind the drummer at gigs. That's money really well spent. However, the gimmick worked in the fact that I opened the package, and for all I know, I might have played their CD. Also, always send two of something. There is usually a producer and a host, you don't want to slight anyone. Also, the host often uses extra schwag as giveaway prizes for listeners.

Type up a biography about yourself or the band and give me a FEW basics. Don't tell me how your entire band was conceived in your basement when you fell on top of a guitar. Some people might want all this, for me, it's too much to wade through. I only want to know what city you're from, if you've been touring or playing local gigs, and how long you've been together. Give me the name of each member and maybe a small bio on each person.

If you do not send me a bio, you better have a darn good Myspace page with ample information that I can cut and paste onto a prep sheet before I or the other host go in to broadcast or record the show. If I have to search for information about your band, I am taking too much time to work for you. Professional promotion agencies and record labels know to send a single bio page about the band or artist, which is why they are often the ones getting the most airplay. They're more prepared, and therefore, easier to grab and play.

I cannot stress how important it is to be professional in your package. If you send something hand written and I cannot read your writing, it goes in the trash. If you are too familiar with me, I might get insulted; if you flatter me too much, I will know you are not genuine. Be professional. This is the music business and people think about a certain lifestyle, but it is a business. Many of us are highly degreed professionals working our way to the top of the corporate food chain.

Tell me which song to play and make sure it is radio friendly. Don't try to make me listen to each and every song in order to find the song that fits my genre. If you think this will get me to think every song is great and you're so talented that I can't hear a single so I'll want to get behind your band and promote you…you're wrong. I won't take the time to listen to every song. I'll randomly pick one, which might not showcase your best skill, which in turn, might not make the audience want to hear you again. Or, I'll give a couple of songs a ten second listen and pick one that way. Again, not the best way to find your best work. Have the confidence in your music to tell me which one you think needs to be your breakout hit.

Follow up with me but don't bug me. Email me and ask if we played your song. Keep track of which cities are playing your music. Use an Excel spread sheet of how many times you are getting played. If you can get this information without bugging the DJ too much, you'll be able to email other DJ's (or jocks, as we call ourselves in the business), and tell them, "we've been going strong in Columbus, OH, where DJ Sally Strong on WWWE is playing us weekly on her New Music show." Or, "At WWWE, they've showcased us on their drive-time show, "take it or break it?" where the audience phoned in and voted to keep the record." Many stations have a playlist of what was played on line nowadays. The host surely has a playlist – often posted on their personality page.

If there is not a new music show to send your package in to, send it to the music director or the program director at the station. If they have one of each and you can afford to do it, send it to both. You can never really be sure who is listening to the music and deciding what gets played. The music director is supposedly the one who deals with the music reps and selects the music but some program directors like to keep the power and only let the music directors enter the new music into the music system, or do each day's log. It's the tedious work the program directors will often pass off onto their music directors.

That's about all I can offer without throwing in my cynicism of the music business and how so few artists make it. If you ask questions or leave comments about specific things, I'll do my best to respond based on my 10+ years in the radio business in addition to the years that I spent affiliated with the music business before radio.

Good luck!

The Kind of Fan I Am....

2009-05-29T16:47:00.002-04:00

A Nigerian man ran a bus into a crowd of Barcelona fans, killing four and injuring many others. Could he have been so mad or hurt our team lost that he was driven to such a thing? Obviously, some other illness had him long ago and the revelry of the Barca fans was the trigger that was finally pulled in his mind for him to fire off. This is the worst reaction in world that we've heard of, and I am hopeful, this is the only one of its kind.
Yesterday I wrote about losing with dignity and how Manchester United did that on Wednesday when they lost the UEFA Champions League to FC Barcelona. The lads on the team held their heads high, their shoulders back, and while their faces looked grim, they respectfully shook hands with the dignitaries on the platform as they accepted their medals. One of them was their own future King, His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales.
Manchester United are the Royalty of European Football, whether they win or lose, and they proved that in their behavior yesterday. I already went over this in my previous post (read it) but they were very gracious in their compliments of Barcelona's playing.
But how does one go about hurting with dignity? Losing and hurting are different. I know we lost, I handled myself in kind with the team, dignified, graciously. I congratulated people on Twitter who cheered for the other team. I admitted we'd been outplayed. I left it at that and then I wrote my blog, I purged.
But today, I still hurt. My heart aches for the players, Sir Alex, and myself. I'd been so excited to think we could be the first to retain the title, that I had not prepared myself at all for a loss. It came as a shocking blow. I think the news reporters who made predictions that Manchester United would come out on top were just as stunned. But do they hurt the way we fans do?
Last night, I went to see a friend's kids play soccer and when I first arrived, I was yelling at the players to "cover up the hole, Defense! Get in place! Guard your keeper! Get the ball back, drive it up the middle!" Twenty minutes into the game I looked out from under my umbrella and saw the parents' of the players' staring at me like I was insane. I'd forgotten this wasn't a pro game and I wasn't yelling at the TV, these were kids. I remembered I can't behave at a teenage soccer game they way I do at home, or at the pub.
I felt deflated all over again when I realized that what I was doing in my mind, was guiding Manchester United to a win. I was trying to re-orchestrate the game we'd lost, to a better outcome. As it happened, the kids won 2-0 and they made it to their playoffs. Ironic, huh? They turned out to be Barcelona and the other guys were Manchester United.
As happy as I was for them, I still felt the dull ache of a spoon in my heart. Our Red Devils lost and I've been in a depressed fog ever since. I have so many friends on Twitter across the world, literally everywhere on the globe that feel the same way. We're still stunned and hurting. I only hope that as we all hurt, we are all doing it with respect to the winners, and with the dignity our team showed when they lost. If we're going to be fans of the Royalty of Europe, perhaps conducting ourselves in their image would do us good. Hold our heads high, keep our shoulders back, compliment the other guys. Admit we were outplayed that one night. Next season, when we win, we'll be gracious winners and tell the losers, you tried hard, good luck in your next game. Because when we win, we have to do that with class and dignity, too.
The Nigerian man who drove a bus into a crowd killing four people is not the kind of fan we want to identify with and not the kind we want to claim as one of our own. He's not a member of our club, we'd never teach him the secret handshake.
Instead, we'll get over our hurt, slowly but dignified. Because that's the kind of fans we are. Classy. Just like the players, gracious. Royalty.
Glory, Glory Man United! We'll be here, waiting for you next season!

Losing With Grace and Dignity

2009-05-28T10:06:00.002-04:00

When a team loses a game and someone says, "winning isn't everything," the words offer no comfort. They aren't meant to. What they really mean is that winning isn't everything that makes up what a team or individual is made of. Being a winner is not always about getting the highest score and winning the game; being a winner is about knowing how to lose.
The UEFA Champions League Final was played between Manchester United and FC Barcelona. The result was a major blow and disappointment to Manchester United and their fans. The game began with such a wonderful start. United dominated the ball for the first ten minutes of the game and from out of nowhere, Barca grabbed the ball, found a hole and scored. Once Barca took possession of the ball, United had a hard time getting it back. When they would get it back, they were not able to do much with it. Cristiano Ronaldo had several chances to make a shot and just couldn't find the back of the net. Ryan Giggs came close a couple of times as did Wayne Rooney.
The end of the match, was heartbreaking. Barca was too good at keeping the ball away from United and even with added time, the game was over with a nil score on United's behalf. Nothing. If only one goal could have been made, the sting of defeat would have been lessened but that wasn't meant to be.
Manchester United lined up to receive their medals for having participated in the Champions League Final. His Royal Highness, Prince William was in attendance and shaking hands, which must have been a true honor for the lads. Their future King had been there to show his support and let them know how proud of them he was. Each of the Manchester United players shook the hand of each man in the procession (there were about 5-7 hands to shake), and they came off of the stage with their shoulders back and their heads high.
After the game, the players and Sir Alex Ferguson were all quoted in various interviews, but the message was nearly always the same. They praised the Barcelona players as having outplayed them. They admitted to not having played their best game and that Barcelona deserved to win. Wayne Rooney gave the most gracious quote of all, giving over the notion that "Andres Iniesta is the best player in the world, at the moment."
To lose with such grace and dignity makes a team with this kind of class a great winner indeed.

One Manchester United Fan's Pre-Game Jitters

2009-05-27T10:36:00.001-04:00

I keep looking at the clock. I know it makes the time go by slower to do so, but I can't help it. There are five hours until Manchester United square off against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Final. If Manchester United retain the trophy, they'll be the first team in history to ever do so. Like Sir Alex Ferguson recently said, this is a team that is good at firsts. They were the first and only team to ever win the Treble. They won all three European titles in the same season, the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Since they weren't able to make a ten year anniversary win of the Treble, being the first to retain the Champions League title will be good compensation.

Four and a half hours to go. I'm trying to stay busy by reading the game predictions and interviews from the teams, but it only it only gets me more excited. I should try and write one of my other blogs. My paid satellite internet and satellite TV blogs are going to be written after the game. Although, I could make them tomorrow's blogs if I go ahead and write something today.

Why do we get so worked up over our teams? I know psychologists have done studies about how the need to belong to a group is satisfied by being a fan of a sports team.. We live vicariously through the victories of our teams and we suffer with them when they fall. But how does it start, why do we choose our teams?

Often, the team is chosen for you. The city you live in might become the team you follow due to the sense of hometown loyalty, plus there is the ease of enjoying local games with others. We often love the team our family identifies with, alma maters, or birthplaces left behind. I'm a woman in Charlotte, NC who fell in love with "the beautiful game" of European Football (soccer), and the team, Manchester United. Both are far across the pond. How did it happen? It's almost embarrassing to admit but it started with a soap opera. I was into the show, Footballers Wives and realized I was interested in the game that they would talk about as an aside to the drama. I began watching the soccer channel, learned the various leagues and teams, then discovered Manchester United. Now, I've been told that loving this particular team is like being a Yankees fan, but what exactly does that mean? The Yankees baseball team aren't always on top, they have good marketing but they aren't cliché to follow. Nor is Manchester United. I've been with this team when they were in 17th place back in 2007 and they still managed to get up and win the Premier League title and the World Cup that season. What's not to love? I've seen this team place rookies and under 21's on the pitch because Sir Alex didn't have many other players due to an extensive injuries list. Owen Hargreaves has been gone so long, people have forgotten he's a member of the team. We just saw the return of Wes Brown after missing over half of the season. I'm grateful Rio Ferdinand is fit to return and will be protecting keeper Edwin Van der Sar in today's game. I know these guys, they get up and play when it hurts, and they climb back to the top when they drop low. That's why I love this team.
I've stuck by Manchester United not because they're the cliché "best of Europe" but because they simply are the best in Europe. Over the past few years as I watched the game and learned more about it, I have grown fond of a number of teams. I am a fan of Inter Milan and AC Milan from the Serie A League, I liked the Blackburn Rovers until they screwed Paul Ince. I enjoy watching other teams because they are good and have talented players. I can imagine a dream team of today's footballers and those of any decade mixed together.
I became a fan of the game first, and then I became an fanatic about the team, Manchester United. Today, regardless of the outcome, I will still be a fan of this team and I will continue to love the beautiful game.
Four hours to go.

Letting Go of My Hate for Michael Vick

2009-05-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

I'm hearing impaired and my dog is really helpful to me in alerting me to things I can't hear. The alarm clock beside my bed, someone at the door, the kitchen timer…she's a smart dog. Shasta learned to signal me with different whines and barks. On more than one occasion, she's even stopped me from crossing the street when I didn't hear a truck coming. I never trained her to be a hearing dog, she figure things out on her own. Shasta is really quite amazing.
I look at her and I try to imagine someone pulling out all of her teeth and hanging her upside down to let angry pit bulls attack her. Or tying her up, forcing mate, and deliver litters of puppies over and over again because she's a Chow Chow. That's what Michael Vick used to do to his dogs. That's what all dog fighters do to dogs. They do so much more, too. Gruesome things I block out of my mind because the image is too disgusting and nauseating.
I have to run and love on my Shasta, and I imagine the way I would harm or kill someone if they ever tried to hurt her. She loves me back and without any fear or trepidation, she exposes her belly and neck to me because she trusts me. She knows I would never hurt her. That's why this dog would die for me.
She has stood to fight and protect me when she thought she needed to. Out running one day, a group of five dogs came rushing at us, she stood her ground and started to fight, to keep them away from me. The moment was over quickly, and no one was hurt. The owner ran over, and I pulled her away from the dogs. I made it clear to the irresponsible dog owner, that he needed to know how to control his dogs. Mine was on a leash, she was doing her job, protecting me. I told him how my hand had been mauled the summer before because of dogs getting in a fight.
It was Shasta who got into a fight with a German Shepherd. I tried to break it up myself. My hand got in the way and the Shepherd clamped down on it as she went for my Shasta's face. The Shepherd shook my hand like it was a stuffed toy, but Shasta did something that got the dog to release my hand. Then, Shasta flipped the Shepherd over onto its back and went for the soft parts of its body. Finally, a neighbor helped me break up the fight. Both dogs were injured, my hand was mauled.
I still love dogs and even after that happened, I kept rescuing them every chance I could. But I had trouble with their growling for long time. Even in play, the sound of growling was a trigger that struck fear in me. Instead of giving in to that fear, I over came it because I love dogs so much. I can't stand the thought that anything about them would be fearful to me. I've always been such a whisperer with all animals.
My love of dogs, will help me overcome something else. I have to stop giving in to my hate of Michael Vick. This is hard. I've hated him so deeply since we first learned about his dog fighting. I changed my MySpace page to a sounding board and blog for very nasty things that should be done to him. Once he was put away, I also locked him away in my mind and almost forgot about him. Then, came a show about rehabilitating his dogs-- the few that were salvageable from the compound. Seeing the fear, mistreatment and physical abuse these dogs had been through bubbled all of my hatred of him to the surface again. So, I blogged and wrote more about what I hoped was happening to him in prison. Then, I locked him and the hatred away in my mind once more.
Now he's out and it's back. My hate is worse than ever because he's free. He has his freedom and he's sucking up to the Humane Society to prove the remorse that Roger Goodell says he needs to see from Vick before the felon can play ball in the NFL again. I'm finding it harder to breathe.
I read articles from sports writers and other news journalists discussing how Vick got to where he is now, and I see the skeletons of dogs buried around the dog fighting compound in my mind. The one Michael Vick put there. I see the bloody injuries of yelping dogs who don't understand why they are being forced to fight this way, when all they want to do is please their human.
I have to find a way to stop hating Michael Vick. It sickens me too much. This hatred gives my mind these images and I have to let them go.
I have finally reached a point where I don't imagine going up to him and hurting him, or doing awful things to him. I imagine walking up to him and sobbing. Just standing there, sobbing and crying in front of him. And he has to watch me. He's force to watch the pain I feel bend my body forward, and crumble me to my knees. His ears are sentenced to hearing the agony moan out of me as I cry for the dogs, and I let go of the hate. This is what I imagine, this therapy. I don't know how to make it a reality but it is what I think would help me and what I think would actually help him to feel true remorse.
If he has a heart, and he saw how much pain he caused a total stranger, who never met a single dog that touched his property; maybe he could multiply it by thousands and know how many more like me there are. So many others, like me trying to stop hating Michael Vick.

90210 Season Finale

2009-05-21T16:57:00.001-04:00

This week and last week have been a number of season finales. Tuesday night was the season finale for 90210. So, if you've DVR'd it to watch later, stop reading unless you want to know what's going to happen. This is what you call a *SPOILER ALERT!*
90210 ~ Well, my goodness…didn't Jen turn out to be Naomi's evil sister? Jen betrayed her sister for so little a thing as throwing a party and obviously, for throwing in her face the fact that Naomi is paying for everything. The way she lied to Liam and then used him to hurt Naomi is really going to have to come back and bite her somehow. If the writers and producers don't let that happen, their audience will never forgive them.
Rumors are that Ethan will not be returning next season, so some people are guessing that whatever Annie hit with her car will be Ethan. Or they think it will be Liam because he's getting sent off to military school and maybe he was able to run away. Anyway, there is a big question of who was in the older model Mercedes with the WBHS sticker on the back? Whomever it was will have witnessed Annie's hit and run, they'll either report it, or use it to blackmail her. Or another scenario is always the "guilt them into turning themselves in" where someone like Kelly Taylor maybe saw her (after dropping off her stoned parents), and it will turn out whatever was in the road had been there for hours and was either dead or needing help. Kelly (or whomever) will constantly drop hints and give looks directly into Annie's eyes that will eventually make her crack and admit what she'd done. That's just a guess.
Dixon and Silver are a big, wide yawning gap in the story line. The writers need to seal this off and move one. The audience has grown tired of the back and forth with the two of them and regardless of whether or not Dixon and Silver love each other, it's time to let it go. She should leave town with Ethan or something. Maybe that was him in the road, and because of his death, she'll realize she had feelings for him, and she'll be so confused that she will turn into a convent bound freak like the one at her Catholic school, who wanted to fast on her behalf.
If Kelly Taylor develops a crush on Harry and it causes a rift between him and Debby, it will be very obvious that it's merely a ploy to rock a boat on calm waters. Writers: Don't go there. Come up with something else. You've already done the "he has a kid with someone else, her job is too demanding, and your mother is driving me crazy" issues between them. Be more original. The audience of this show is geared more toward a teen demo, but they can handle something a bit deeper than a crush on Dad that gets Mom angry.
As for Navid and Adrianna, they're a sweet couple and she needs to be strong enough to move on from her decision to give up the baby. Strong enough to stay clean and stay with Navid. Just let them be the typical, happy high school couple for a little while. They can be the teen image of Debby and Harry. You can always mess them up later with what his father does for a living…perhaps Navid meets a woman that is too innocent for that business and falls for her. Maybe the sorority sister he met in the bar will have fallen into "the biz" and he'll get her out of it, thus causing a rift between him and Adrianna.
That's it for this season! That's the last of my ideas the writers' get for free, too!

This post was originally written for my work blog for DIRECTV.

Has Twitter Come Full Circle ~ Already?

2009-05-14T13:45:00.000-04:00

Mark Twain said, "If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed."
This was in an age where the only news was coming from the newspaper. Letters and gossip were the other sources of information, so where do you think he got his facts? Knowing Twain, he listened to what he heard, took in what he read and came to his own conclusions. Somewhere in the middle, there is always a truth. Somewhere on the edges, there is always a lie. Between the edges and the middle are the facts. This is why we're always beating around the bush, circling the facts, coming full circle, and in the middle of it.
So, which circle of information should we believe? Do we listen to the news, blogs, Twitter, or read it online? Like Twain probably did, coming to our own conclusions is the best way to go. This past week, Twitter gave us conflicting stories about its new method of operation and how it was going to give us its @ replies. First, it took away the ability to see the replies of people whom you don't follow. Many of us feel this defeats the whole purpose of Twitter. We like to see what other people say so that we can figure out whether or not we want to follow them. If they say something clever in their 140 characters, we'll go to their Twitter page, click on their website and see what they're all about. If they look like someone worth following, we'll follow them. Without the option of seeing @ replies of people we don't know, we have to go to the pages of each person individually we follow (or who follow us) and click on who they're talking to. It's time consuming and we often find more duds than dandies.
Twitter has given us bogus explanations and repealed some of the restrictions but other reports say that they aren't going to lift any @ reply restrictions at all. I'd rather be completely uninformed than so misinformed at this point.
So for now, I'm practically talking to myself and few select friends on Twitter (yawn!) and I'm growing stale in making new followers or finding new folks to follow. The social media aspect of it has diminished. What's next? Who's got the next best and biggest thing? I'm ready to move on. If the changes are going to remain, in my opinion, Twitter has come full circle…it's already too yesterday.

Grammar Issues 101

2009-05-08T10:59:00.005-04:00

There is a mistake among writers on the internet that I see all too often. When I come across the error, I stop reading, re-read the sentence, look for the author's name and credentials, go back to what I've been reading and often don't finish the article. This one little mistake has taken away enough credibility (in my eyes), that I no longer want to hear what the writer has to say. I'm not saying I never finish reading, I'm saying that sometimes I don't.
Here's an example of the mistake that I found online today, let's see if you spot it before I point it out to you:

They then begin counting hours—where prior they probably worked more then 40 hours and never gave it a thought—you can now plan on no extra discretionary effort.

I don't know how this sentence made it past their grammar check. When I copied it onto my Word document, a squiggly lavender line appeared under the error on my page. The word "then" before the number 40 is the error. The sentence should read "more than 40 hours…"
The rule is really quite simple. When doing a comparison of one against another use the conjunction, "than." When using any measure of time, use the adverb "then."

The new Star Trek looks better than the old Star Trek.
In the original TV show, the future back then is funny compared to the special effects of today.
Even the later TV show has less to offer than the new movie.
His nap was longer than hers.
He slept, then he woke up, and went back to sleep.

Which is correct, than I or than me?
Now, if you're wondering which pronouns to use after the word than, you're not alone. Many of us have to stop and think this one through. Even though this isn't part of the exact same grammatical issue, I'll go over this quickly, the solution is easier than it seems. Take I and me as examples, depending on the meaning of the sentence, either one can be correct.

Jason loves swimming more than I, means he loves to swim more than I do.
Jason loves swimming more than me, means he loves to swim more than he loves me.

See? Easier than pie! Now then, go forth and get it right!

How to Avoid Plagiarism

2009-04-23T16:38:00.000-04:00

Writing a paper involves reading. A great deal of reading. In fact, writing is all about reading. A writer that doesn't read is usually not a very good writer. By reading, we learn how to write better. We can appreciate the beauty of another author's words on the page as they describe the human condition. So often we writers are Empaths, soaking in the world's emotion. We reflect everything that everyone around us is feeling, by taking it to the page. When someone else writes a really great line, frequently, I'll think, "ah, that's gorgeous…why didn't I come up with it?" After all, I feel the same way…I just didn't get it on paper first. Now, it's too late. The line is theirs and I can't have it.

Although, we writers steal from one another all the time. It's true. We do. But when we do it in the right way, it's ok. For instance, it was through Stephen King that I learned the art of conveying inner emotion through inner dialogue with just a few words. He doesn't make a character have a complete conversation with themselves (not all the time), but he'll move the plot forward omnisciently and throw in a short thought or two so we stay connected to the character. He reminds us we are in the character's head but we also know we are outside of the character.

If, however, I were to steal lines from Cujo where the mailman is talking about "keeping the mail moving" as he's delivering the mail, that would be stealing from Stephen King in a bad way.

So, stealing technique to some degree, is ok. Many authors teach technique and structure in courses during downtime when they're between books. Many are professors are also authors. I've stolen an adjective from an author, but was it really his? I didn't use it in the exact same way he did, so was using the same word in a remotely similar context stealing?

Plagiarism is illegal and wrong. If you get caught plagiarizing a paper, you will fail and you might even be subject to expulsion. Taking the easy way out is not worth the difficulty of student trial, heartache and the soiled reputation that will follow you for the rest of your career. Plus you will have wasted money on tuition, books, boarding, and if it was your parent's money…I can't imagine what kind of trouble that will cost you.

Once a professor has completed their Ph.D or MFA, they have read so many papers, books and journals that you will have hard time coming across something in the way of theory or fact that they have not read. When a professor is suspicious of a student's paper, consulting with one or two colleagues is usually all it takes until someone knows where the plagiarized work came from. Most professors will know the exact article from which either the concept or verbiage has been stolen. Even if a work is only paraphrased, which means not quoted exactly, if the idea is taken and reworded and not credited, it is plagiarism.

In today's advanced and developing technology, we have not only fellow professors to rely on but the internet has made it easier than ever to find out if a student has cheated. Software recognition programs have been developed specifically for the detection of plagiarism. They are highly reliable.

So, now that you understand what plagiarism is, don't do it. Always cite your sources when you paraphrase or quote content from another author. When writing a paper, in order to lend it credibility, you're supposed to quote and use sources, just not for the whole content. Use your head, if it feels like you're copying from the book or not coming up with your own ideas, then you are not. You're plagiarizing and it's wrong. You will get caught.

Writing a Paper - Help for College and High School Students

2009-04-16T00:55:00.007-04:00

Starting the Process

With graduation so close, not only is it time for high school students to think about to which colleges they want to apply, but it's also time to wrap up the current school year! These next few posts will benefit both high school and college students. I'm going to discuss writing papers. (Up front, I'll let you know I am an Instructor of College Composition.)

Final exams are almost upon us but most likely, will have term papers to submit prior to taking exams. Writing is crucial to your success in and out of school, so learn to do it well. Communication is the key ingredient in everything from a well structured resume to a project proposal for a potential client.

To begin the process of creating your term paper for school, get a good handle on what is expected of you. Read your syllabus! My syllabi are very clear as to how the paper must be formatted, the length I expect and the way the Works Cited page must be structured. Before you start writing anything at all, if you have the option, ask yourself what type of paper you want to write. Make sure you're interested in the topic and in the way you will present the topic. Read over your notes, look over your information and review your sources.

An informative or expository paper teaches the reader something about a particular topic. You explain an idea or a theory within the body of your paper.
An argumentative paper makes a claim or takes a certain position on a subject, then justifies the claim with carefully detailed evidence. You must use research and documentation to support your position (as with all papers). The claim can be your opinion, but you'll need to back it up with solid evidence as to why your opinion is better than the counter opinion. You'll have to introduce both sides. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.
An analytical paper divides an event, issue or an idea into its component elements, examines each one individually, then presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience. Frequently, literary analysis is a popular topic for this type of paper. The theory behind a piece of work would be studied and interpreted for an audience. Or a moment in history, a way of life, a type of culture, just about anything can be broken down and analyzed.

Next, devise your thesis statement. It needs to be concise and interesting, and should cover only what you will discuss in your paper. On that same note, make sure you cover your thesis statement in your paper! As you write, your direction and focus may change, so be prepared to revise your thesis statement at the end of your paper. The body of your paper will also help you to determine what the introduction and conclusion paragraphs must say. Write the introduction last. (I'll get into that more in another post.)

The writing process can be broken it into several parts, prewriting, drafting and revising. These are the three basic stages of writing a paper, and I will explain them more over the next few days.

I rewrote this for my personal page because it was originally written for my paying gig for HughesNet satellite Internet.

Internet Killed the Newspaper Star

2009-03-31T14:55:00.002-04:00

As a writer and journalist, I would have thought the day the newspaper died, would personally, be painful. I was an idealistic kid and used to think I'd forever be a double or triple-column, half-page writer in some major newspaper…naturally, I'd also be writing the great American Novel, Oscar winning screenplays, and directing all of my own films.

Twenty years ago, most of us would not have thought that the majority of our news would be from an online source as opposed to the newspaper. We all thought that it would be television that would kill the newspaper…as it had done the radio star. Now, in a way it still is video doing the killing…except the broadcasting takes place online.

I'm so keen on writing this because recently, a local survey came out measuring the difference in the size of newspapers from 20 years ago in various cities. The amount of shrinkage is significant. We shouldn't blame ourselves over the demise of the newspapers. Nor, should we be made to feel guilty about it. Progress changes and moves everything forward. Some older folks at dinner one night implied that by not reading the tangible newspaper – our generation, and those that follow are missing out on some additional level of intelligence. One that only they would be privy to, because of their ink stained fingers.

I occasionally enjoy the Sunday morning phonebook-sized paper with the sale ads and coupons. Sometimes, certain sections are fun to read cover to cover…I just don't have time to read the whole thing, nor do I have the space to store it. Plus, it uses too much paper!

The tree-saving method of reading my news online at high-speeds is not the same experience as flipping through ink on paper, that I concede. I also love books. However, for my news I prefer to use the internet. I select which ads I will allow to interrupt my field of vision, I read whole pages at a time, without a "continued on page…"

The internet is always on and ready for me to engage. In one click, I am instantly updated on developments that took place just moments prior. I have access to satellites in space that will show me more than one publisher's point of view, in fact I can see the news from more than one nation's point of view…THAT is the amazing part of being tied to the global community. I am more informed minute by minute than my friends waiting in their driveway each morning, coffee in one hand, the other hand ready to be stained with ink.

With respect to my older friends at dinner that night, which part of these advantages of internet news gathering is deficient in, or empty of intelligence? I've yet to see where it is.

~ As Usual, Nathan Knows Best ~

2009-03-22T14:58:00.012-04:00

(Shh! Don't tell him I admitted it!)

Once again, world news has had an unusual correlation into my own life. Back in mid February, I posted a blog to one of my work sites about the movie, "Taken," starring Liam Neeson. I'd mentioned the kidnapping in the film as a good example of why home security is so important.

Now, I am mentioning Liam Neeson again in a completely different context. He has suffered a terrible loss in his personal life. His beautiful wife, Natasha Richardson has died from a head injury. On Monday, March 16, 2009 she fell a ski slope, hit her head, but seemed to be ok afterward. Since the fall seemed like a minor one, she didn't think she needed to go to the hospital. Unfortunately, if she had received medical care right away, the injury she suffered could have been treated. The type of blow to the head she sustained allows an artery to freely pump blood directly into the brain—it pools and creates pressure, which is not always fatal if it is quickly relieved. When this type of injury occurs, the victim can be lucid – walking and talking for a short period of time, which is why this syndrome is often called "Talk and Die." When the swelling and pressure between the brain and skull have nowhere to go, the victim will soon lose that cognizance and die without treatment.

In the first line of this blog, I said there was a correlation with my own life in this news. The Sunday before Natasha Richardson fell and hit her head on the Canadian ski slope, I hit my head on a metal bracket under a shelf in my home office. I was bent over a file cabinet and stood up too quickly before I'd cleared my way from under the shelves. At first, I was lucid and operated normally for a few moments, while complaining my head and neck hurt. Then, I started to say strange words like, "rainbow, bubblegum, and bologna," for no reason. When Nathan started asking if I was ok, I responded with nonsense statements. He asked me to recite the alphabet. I got stuck at E, F, G, H, and kept re-looping back to A.

He said someone, like the paramedics should come and take a look at me. I didn't want that, nor did I want to go to the hospital. My head wasn't working the way it should have though, and Nathan knew this. So, he made the call. He told the 911 operator the situation, and that he wasn't sure if I had to go to the hospital but he wanted someone to check me out. When the paramedics arrived, they asked him my normal range of intellect. He said, "this woman has two Master's degrees and right now, she can't say the alphabet." I remember hearing the alarm in his voice, which is I'm sure is accurate. However, my scrambled brain also distinctly remembers the two men discussing the topic of windsurfing, which never happened. The trip to the hospital and my time there was filled with more odd words like, "cocker spaniel, driftwood, tequila," and others I don't remember. I'm thankful they weren't embarrassing or swear words.

I've still got a pretty good sized lump on my head and a headache that seems to have taken up residence. The doctors said that just like any other part of the body, the brain can be bruised and it will take some time to heal. I have a mild concussion but no bleeding or swelling in my brain. My family and I are very grateful for that and for the fact that Nathan made the choice to call 911. If we'd have read about Natasha Richardson the day after my head injury without my having gone to the hospital, we'd probably be alarmed…freaking out is more like it.

Now, I can only say that my thoughts go out to Natasha Richardson's family. Liam Neeson has lost his wife, their children have lost their mother. Vanessa Redgrave has lost a daughter -- which every parent says is something that no parent should have to experience…children are supposed to go after the parents. Joely Richardson has lost her sister, and that's a pain I'll never know.

I'm so sorry Natasha Richardson didn't have her own Nathan with her the day she hit her head, to force her to get treatment. I'm sure if Liam had been with her…he would have. That's what our men do when we can't, or don't know how to do what is best for ourselves. Sometimes it turns out to be the right decision. If we've hit it lucky, he's the kind who steps in gently, then doesn't crow like a rooster from being right. I'm one of the lucky ones, because in my case, he's almost always spot on and he's never a cock about it.

Rest Without Pain
Natasha Richardson
1963 - 2009

Can Social Media Make You a Victim?

2009-03-18T17:11:00.001-04:00

Today's social media world has nurtured a landscape in which a level of camaraderie develops online that normally wouldn't be felt in person. Often, a person's identity and information is available because of their business and their desire to gain new clientele. But, when is too much information – too much? When you're writing about being in the airport on Twitter, the world suddenly knows you're not at home. If any of the "pals" you've made along the way know you're single, live alone, and run a business from your home – the fact that a house with office equipment is empty of its occupant has just been released to the world.

So, how can Twitter, or other social media go really bad? This past week, I've talked about stalking a few times. These new means of instant communication are an easy way for someone with ill intentions to gather enough information, to stalk a person and plan a physical attack, harass them, or vandalize their property.

Here's an easy one, the wealthy business person mentions taking the kids to soccer. A few days later mentions going on a trip overseas — have you seen the movie "Taken?" If not, just think kidnapping or some other harm to the partner left at home. Another scenario: men and women, who discuss their toys: jet skis, motorcycles, convertibles, and then Twitter about being away from the house on a trip, or simply at the kid's recital, soccer practice, baseball game, etc. Bye-bye toys. Finding out where someone lives is not hard to do, Polaris systems make looking up anyone's real estate property easier than looking up their phone number. Plus, with the telecommuting capabilities of today, many of us work from home and use our home and business address interchangeably. Again, it's easy for the wrong person with dark motives to find a victim.

Take a clue from some of the stalking prevention tips I gave out over the last few days. Use a post office box or a package and box rental service that will give you an actual physical address. Many of the newer UPS stores are doing this in lieu of PO Box numbers as they know packages are often undeliverable without a physical street address. Plus, a business looks more legitimate with a street address as opposed to a PO Box.

Most people using social media services and tools, have the right intentions and are using them for business networking purposes and to build a list of potential clients. However, for the small percentage of people with the wrong motivations, these tools also have the ability help build their list of potential victims.

Nemanja Vidic's Ban (Finally Learned What it is..>:(

2009-03-18T03:05:00.003-04:00

Well, last blog I'd mentioned that I didn't know yet what Vidic's ban was going to be after his red card and send off from the Liverpool game. Here it is, it's ugly and it actually sounds worse than it is but it's pretty bad when you get to the bottom of my blog. The Football Association's official statement on their website confirms that Vidic is "suspended from all football until the Club have completed 2 first team matches for a Sending Off in a match played on 14/03/2009." Basically, he'll miss one match for his offence against Liverpool - denying a goal scoring opportunity for the visitors' skipper Steven Gerrard - and another because he has now been sent off twice in domestic fixtures this season.
So, Vidic won't play the away game at Fulham this coming Saturday, 21 March and the home game against Aston Villa on Sunday 5 April. If United plays on Tuesday, 7 April in the Champions League, the AV game will be held back a day…either way, the Serbian defender will not be where we need him most DEFENDING our keeper!
He's been getting goals, which has been amazing and it's saved our games more than once. But we really need him on the pitch to defend, especially against Aston Villa. These guys beat Hull. Keep in mind, Hull have been doing amazingly well. They aren't the old Hull, it's as if they've been substituted with some parallel team that look like Hull. (I'm happy for their fans, I've seen interviews and they're proud of their team – it's been a while.)

As far as Vidic's send off goes, I really appreciated how classy Sir Alex Ferguson handled it. (He always is such a class act...thus, the Knighthood--well that's how I like to see it.) Sir Alex said that Vidic made a mistake as people do. The team and he understood why Vidic had to be red-carded. SAF said they would have expected the same response against the other team if we would have been fouled against in such a manner. Vidic's previous red card was also against Liverpool, (are we seeing a pattern here?) in the 2-1 league defeat at Anfield on 13 September. Vidic was suspended for one match at that time, which was United's 1-1 draw away at Stamford Bridge on the following Sunday. Knowing that the next game he wasn't in was a draw doesn't make me feel too good about his not being on the pitch against Aston Villa in a few weeks.

Now, I don't mean to down play what Fulham can do. We beat them 4-0 in a recent FA Cup final berth and before that, we took them 3-0 in a Barclay's. But these guys are so up and down--do they know if they should scratch their watch or wind their butt? Get this: They beat Tottenham once and drew a nil with them, they drew a deuce with Chelsea, and drew nil-nil with both Liverpool and Aston Villa. They have been even more sporadic in their performance than that! It gets worse--They won against the Wanderers but lost against the Rovers—and this was during the Rovers' "rough patch." I'm not worried about them and I can only imagine no one else in Red is either...do you thing Nemanja just wanted the day off? But to take a chance with Aston Villa....
His not being there against AV is really nasty as we haven't seen them since our draw in November when we went nil-nil. (It was a cold, stormy, gloomy morning that lasted all day long.) At least this time, we're having them over to our place at Old Trafford but that didn't make a whole lot of difference last weekend against Liverpool, now did it? The game against Aston Villa will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel, at 11:00AM EST Sunday, 5 April.

Footy Saturday 14th March, 2009

2009-03-14T14:41:00.001-04:00

(Just an FYI for you, if you're trying to calculate game times. Until the last Sunday in March, Britain is only four hours ahead of us in the Eastern Time Zone [EST]. On March 29, they go into their daylight savings time, when they'll be five hours ahead of us. It's boggy like this for this few weeks every year just in March. In October, when we switch again at different times, they're six hours ahead for a few weeks, then back to the usual five hours ahead.)

Despite Loss, Manchester United Still Tops the League

What a day...there's good news and bad news. The good news is we're still seven points ahead of Chelsea and four ahead of Liverpool. The bad news is...Liverpool took the match on a 4-1 win against us at Old Trafford today, Saturday 14th, March 2009.

It looked good up until an uncharacteristically, bold display at the back allowed Liverpool into the match; and the subsequent 4-1 defeat means the Reds’ lead at the top is chopped to four points, albeit with a game in hand.Cristiano Ronaldo converted a first-half penalty and put United ahead but three defensive mistakes, one of which was made by the man who's praises I'm quick to sing these days, Nemanja Vidic. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone has bad days. Many, many days have passed since United have seen so bad a day as this and we really can't berate the fact that it went so poorly. We're still tops in our home league and looking great in the UEFA. This really is only a minor trip up. I don't like that our Vidic was sent off in the second-half at 73 minutes with a red card, which preceded the visitor’s third goal. I've not yet heard about a next game ban.

Other Premier League:

My other team…I used to love and still feel a loyalty toward the players – not so much the staff.

The Blackburn Rovers
What comes around goes around…Arsenal took the Blackburn Rovers 4-0 at Emirates Stadium. As far as I'm concerned, this wasn't much of a surprise but it's always disappointing to see the Rovers go down so badly. I personally feel it's all part of the Paul Ince karma they've brought on themselves…the poor judgement enacted by the Rovers' Board in firing him after only four months at the helm as coach. I've always felt strongly about it, which is why I wrote a passionate comment only this morning (3/14/09), in the Lancashire Telegraph. The article is about Keith Andrews' earning his keep and the wise decision of Paul Ince to have brought him to the team. Ironically enough, Andy Cryer's column is titled, "Blackburn Rovers Midfielder Has Gone Full Circle," which I feel has great symmetry to my karmic evaluation of Blackburn's situation.

Other news in the UEFA Cup run off:

Taking it on the nose -- Danish midfielder Daniel Jensen will have to miss out on the deciding leg of Werder Bremen's UEFA Cup Round of 16 tie against AS Saint-Etienne. In fact, he'll be missing two weeks of play breaking his nose in Thursday's night's collision with an opponent while playing against Les Verts. His surgery was on Friday, 13th March, to repair his broken nose. OUCH!

Catching UEFA Footy

2009-03-13T16:28:00.002-04:00

A quick catch-up before the weekend…

Manchester United 2 - 0 Inter Milan

Manchester United will take place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the third season in a row, but Inter Milan actually had United's Nemanja Vidic concerned for a moment.

He was the successful and magical first goal of the night's game, making a powerful header into the net that set the tone of the game, and took United into an early lead. Inter Milan put up a good fight until Cristiano Ronaldo slicked the second goal five minutes into the second half.

We'll find out who the Red Devils are up against next when the draw for the last eight is made on March 20.

And as for Serie A…Well, it's not been a good year for the Italians. For the first time in seven years no Italian teams will play in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Yikes! It's hard to believe that all three Italian sides have been completely snuffed out by Premier League clubs. I say it with pride of course but I wouldn't have minded seeing Chelsea lose to Juventus and have at least one Serie A team in the quarter-finals.
ACF Fiorentina were the first out, unable to get past the group stage, Roma tied with Arsenal, which wasn't enough to get them the points needed to get into the quarter finals, either. Serie A is having a hard time the last few years and it's a sad thing. I remember seeing them win the FIFA World Cup in 2006, which was when I was really starting to get into Footy. That was when I first "met" Gilardino and Zinédine "Zi-Zi" Zidane, and began to learn the game.

I'm happy to know that most likely, an England Premiership team will win (oh, come on! Let's be realistic, here.) and that most likely, it will be Manchester United (oh, come on! Let's be realistic, here.) once again taking the cup. However, I can see English Premiership teams play each other all the time in the Barclay's Premiership. The UEFA needs to be more diverse, like the FIFA was. I am hopeful the other three of the Big Four will be eliminated quickly so there is a more international flavor to the last legs of the competition. I'll be keeping you posted…

SLUMDOG OSCAR FOR SALE

2009-02-25T15:36:00.002-05:00

While the movie,"Slumdog Millionaire" was sweeping the Academy Awards the other night, the domain name, "Slumdog Oscar" was purchased. It's set to go on auction within 24 hours from now. Hmmm....

How to Start the Job Search ~ Step One

2009-02-19T19:18:00.004-05:00

What Do I Do? How Do I Say That?

The Resume

I don't need to begin with statistics or facts about unemployment's alarming growth. We all know about it and chances are you're online reading this now, because you are looking for a job, or freelance project, perhaps you're in preparation of the layoff your company is about to announce. Yeah, we're all feeling it.
So, here we all are, blowing dust off our resumes, breaking out the thesaurus to find power words, figuring out ways to derive our skills from our accomplishments…this is not an easy task to undertake in itself, much less face the entire concept, of looking for a new job or making a career change. Watching our dwindling savings accounts, increasing household budgets, and rising stress factors in the home; all make staying positive and upbeat at the new "opportunity" presented before us – difficult at best.
First things first, take a deep breath and start with the basics. What do you do? What was the title of the last job you held? Not all job titles spell out exactly what their duties are, like Territory Operations Administrator. That can be a job that has wide berth of duties from company to company. Many companies will not have the title in their organizational chart at all. If you're not the Head Payroll Accountant, define your roll. List your natural talents and the ideal job that would highlight your best attributes. In which industry are your skill set and that position best suited?
If you are making a career change or returning to the workforce you'll need to survey what is available to you. Evaluate your talents as above and write down what you believe is the best industry to find the position you want…really look at it and ask yourself. Are you up to date on the latest trends and newest developments in that industry? Do you subscribe to the trade magazines (online or print) and journals related to the field? If not, you need to research everything about it – quickly! Be honest with yourself, start from where your left off and be thorough. Keep in mind a hiring manager who has been inside the industry will be asking you questions, and generating conversation; in an attempt to test your knowledge.
A resume should have an objective or summary statement. Depending on your situation, a paragraph may even be acceptable. The objective gives the interviewer an instant feel of the tone of you, your resume, your intellect, and your skill set. That's a tall order from one statement, isn't it? You have to get it right. Some hiring managers admit, if they don't like the objective statement, the resume goes into the dead file. Your objective or summary also helps you to focus on exactly what you are looking for as you search for a job. Plus, it's a great ten second sales pitch of yourself during the quick handshake and business card swap moment at a networking event.

Now, the meat of the resume is your skills – what you bring to the table. What are your skills? Write them down. One of my skills would be, "Compose comprehensive reading materials." Simple, concise and it can be broad enough that I will elaborate in the body of my resume with my experience through projects such as: Sr. Copywriter and Editor for nationwide company newsletter; Ghostwriter for medical text book, copywriter for email marketing campaign, and so on. Sometimes pulling out what your skill set is can be difficult. You're already feeling down as it is and then you sit there and think, "what am I good at?" Think about an award you've won, or some proud moment when the boss singled you out for moment of kudos. What did you do in those circumstances? Write it down! Did you fix a system or a create savings for the company? Have you ever initiated a sales incentive program, rewards system, or other benefit to employee morale that worked out well?
Next, start listing all of the good things you accomplished at one job, that you will be bringing to the next. For instance, were you the go-to person that helped rookie employees understand the job and did you bring them up to speed? You were good at "training people." That translates to: developing, counseling, coaching, team building, motivating, and much more. Use a thesaurus or the "look up" feature in Microsoft Word. It'll become your best friend.
This same technique applies to your job responsibilities. The level of leadership you held in your last position will determine how well you'll fit into the organization at which you are interviewing. Employers find value in employees that are held accountable for various processes or duties. Responsibility and reliability are two of the most desirable qualities executives say they want in their assistants.
If your education is a greater asset than your work experience, then highlight your degrees. Include any case studies you participated in that had real life impact. In a Campaign Management Class, I spearheaded a Public Relations campaign for our local Area Transit system. The objective was to reeducate the public about public transportation. As I began to see my ideas implemented over the years (local government takes years for a plan to come to fruition), I moved that particular case study to the top of my scholastic experiences.
Frequently, a position that is difficult to fill can be negotiated into your favor. Work backwards with me here: A fellow student and I wrote a grant proposal for a local charity organization that delivers meals to the elderly. Their need was for a $40,000 refrigerated truck, which would enable them to expand their delivery territory and increase the efficiency of the food preparation process. We had a huge success with our proposal, out of the whole class in fact, ours was the only one. A couple of years later, as I was looking for a job, I saw an ad that had been running for a long time, needing an editor for requests for proposals at a particular company. Their experience requirements were way beyond what I had, so I didn't bother to apply. When a friend told me they had a project that had to be completed soon or funds could be lost, I saw an opportunity. My only experience in that particular field was the single grant proposal, nevertheless, I proposed to the hiring manager that judging by how long the ad had been running, if he didn't find someone soon, he was going to be in a bind. He needed a particular job done quickly and I knew how to do the job. I was willing to work on the single project with the looming deadline, on a freelance basis. He would have my quote up front, so he'd know how much he was going to spend, plus I wouldn't cost him the expense associated hiring an employee. The best part would be that he could stop wasting his time interviewing completely unqualified applicants and get to work on the project. I convinced him, the job went smoothly, I earned some money during my job search and I gained some more experience. The supervisor finally had the time available to him to travel and recruit the proper candidate from Boston. The lesson here is do not rule out freelance work while you're job hunting.
Back to your resume, by all means include networking organizations (especially if you've held post as an officer), charity committees, and all career development training. However, make sure the continuing education is pertinent to the profession. If you are applying for a Public Relations position, the fact that you are certified to service the fire extinguisher in the hallway will not be impressive.
Now, at the end of a resume, some folks will put their outside interests to prove they know how to balance work and home life…as if this is some real evidence of a sane and well adjusted individual. Personally, I don't like to put anything personal on my resume. My opinion is that the two should be kept separate. If some parts of our personal lives are illegal to ask, why should we throw in any at all? Isn't that a double standard of sorts? Also, you never know if an organization you belong to may create a bias opinion against you. The gun club member might be offensive to the vegan hiring manager, yet the gun club member could be vegan, too. After you've proven yourself on the job and developed friendships in the department, then revealing who you are outside of work, is a good idea.
I'll take a look at your resume and polish it for you, at no charge. Just subscribe to my blog and send it to me. If you don't have an objective or summary statement, follow the format I've laid out here and let's see what I can do for you! No strings attached! Really.

Beckham, Van der Sar, Rooney ~ Oh My!

2009-02-19T04:31:00.005-05:00

1,302 Minutes, 108 Caps & #10 Takes a 3rd

Just when I think I can't be any more proud of Edwin Van der Sar, he makes me want to burst with joy…again! He's hit his 14th successive league clean sheet in the 3-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday, 18 February, 2009. In fact, if he can keep the Blackburn Rovers from making a goal within the first 89 minutes on Saturday, he will beat the current record holder, Dany Verlinden, Belgium's Club Brugge keeper. Dany Verlinden's record of 1,390 minutes, was set in back in 1990, which means that it will have taken nearly twenty years for someone break the record, proving the task is not an easy accomplishment.

Frankly, nothing about our Eddy's job is easy, but he makes it look so! His brilliant height and sticky hands that can catch a ball or smack it away have made him the best keeper in the league. The young guns can learn so much from him, the main lesson being that with years of experience comes a natural grace and flow that can't be forced. His movements are not jerky and rushed. His eyes never leave the ball and his body is like a sound wave reaching from the field outward. It's unseen, this power he has and yet, it's huge and right there for the world to admire. Yes! I admit I gush!

Now, I do like to give credit elsewhere and that is to who is probably Van der Sar's best partner on the field, #5 Rio Ferdinand. His absence was palpable when he had back issues recently and couldn't play. I see these two as a great partnership and Rio defends his keeper and acts as Captain frequently enough, that I believe when Neville retires, the job should be Rio's full-time. I know Giggs sometimes wears the band, but personally, I sense a better communication experience between the refs, Rio, SAF, and Edwin Van der Sar, when Ferdinand is captain. (Just to throw it out there, my favorite ref is Webb and that will be for another blog!)

So, I've gone this far without mentioning the biggest story of the week and that was Becks earning his 108th cap and making his 100th start in Seville. That places him on par with the most legendary name in the history of English football, Bobby Moore. Some people are offended by this. They feel that he doesn't deserve the honor. Why not? Are they afraid it takes something away from Bobby? Peter Shilton broke the record by 17, earning 125 caps long ago and no one seems to be saying anything about that. It's just that the "pretty-boy" Beckham is now level with the only England captain to ever win a world cup. Well, guess what? He's not going to always be the only one. It will happen again and if we want to split hairs, a British team recently won the World Cup…Manchester United. A team for which Beckham once played. (Hair splitting from the other side argues that Becks had late or quick walk ons that shouldn't have counted as caps.)

So, let's congratulate David Beckham for accomplishing something that not many players get to do. He loves the game so much, he's been loaning himself out just so he can keep playing and it has added up. Game after game, we've now reached a point where we can say, "Look Beckham and Moore are equal on caps!" We only count upward from here with Beckham…from now on, his tally goes higher. By the way, in his loaning himself out to keep playing, Beckham has said that his body fat is the lowest it's ever been in his life. Ok, I'm a woman writing this blog, you gotta know that makes me drool a little. (You guys would be the same way if it were Gisele Bundchen that you were writing about.)
Wow! What is wrong with Victoria Beckham? She should be spending every possible moment with him – offering to measure his body fat!

The last and happiest item is that #10 WAYNE ROONEY IS BACK! Yay! He came back from his injury and he scored the third goal of the game…just as we would expect him to do. He looks like little Opie Taylor with the grin on his face, and that's what we've been wanting to see for weeks now! Welcome back, mate – you were missed!

Tips for Better Business Writing

2009-02-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

Wendy Wells is a Freelance Writer, Editor and Proofreader
wwells@wendywellswrites.com

Wendy Wells is a Freelance Copywriter, Editor and Ghostwriter. She holds a Master’s of English in Writing and Rhetoric, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she also completed her Graduate Studies in Communications.

Many MBA's dread when they are forced to do any sort of formal business writing. There's simply no replacement for the written word, even in our technologically advanced age. Sometimes a phone or video conference isn't practical, and an email isn't emphatic enough for what needs to be said. Presentations and projects often require original text, so you're going to need some basic business writing skills. For times like these and when you need more than a memo to get your point across, following these simple tips can make the business writing process easier for you and keep your reader engaged.

Begin

When you introduce the topic of any sort of business correspondence, consider your audience and their role in the project. How much background information is needed for them to understand what you're talking about? If "very little" is the answer, then keep it short. You can lose your reader very early with too much information, especially if it is only adding flavor to the topic.

Format

Headings in business writing help the reader get a quick idea of the page's topic and content. Use headings to get the message across quickly, allow your reader to skim the page and show emphasis. Headings also create white space, which gives the eyes a "rest" between topics and paragraphs.

Does it have to be words? Business writing is often best communicated when it's not written at all! (Especially for business correspondence, when the reader has quick and easy access to a trash can.) A graph or chart is much more effective than our market shares showed an increase in penetration throughout the summer months, reaching 92%.

Place

Keep business writing and correspondence short! Look for phrases that can be rearranged and shortened. Instead of saying system of inventory, write inventory system. Sentences that start with flourishes such as, "For starters, if you have excessive information that is only adding flavor...” instead, just begin the sentence with what you mean to say. "Excessive information that only adds flavor...”

Cut

Once you've written a draft, go back and look for redundant information to edit. Check to see where things you've written are saying the same thing and cut something out. The two previous sentences are an example, they say the same thing.

Many companies have some sort of internal reference system, abbreviations or nicknames that can shorten your text. If everyone knows the Seattle warehouse is called "S-E2," use it.

Avoid editorializing, save it for a meeting, phone conference, or as a follow-up. Too much space is wasted with: For some time now, I have seen the need to improve the system of inventory control at S-E2, it has grown into a problem, which can deter its progression into a major distribution hub. Instead, get straight to the point of what is best for the company and not what makes you look the best. Before it can become a major distribution hub, the inventory system at S-E2 needs significant modification.

Search for content that steers away from your core subject and remove it. Business writing is not about you but when it's done properly, business communication will make you look great!

Go!

When you've made your point, there is no need to recap. This isn't Composition 101, where your grade depends on the "tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you've told them," formula. Once you've made your point and finished what you have to say, stop writing!

Social Media Works for Hearing Impaired

2009-02-16T15:13:00.000-05:00

Going Deaf
Losing Your Senses – NOT a Picnic!

Social media is perfect for someone like me. It's online, I write you – you write me, I can blog, podcast, or video. Don't get me wrong…I love socializing and meeting people in person, and at the Charlotte Twestival last night, I had a blast! If it weren't for the fact that I'm Hearing Impaired, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it even more!

You're probably familiar with the cotton-filled feeling your ears have when you've got a head cold. Sound is muffled, as if it is coming through water, or through the wall of another room. Everyone expects you to hear what they say and comprehend it the first time around…when you don't, they get impatient because you're making them repeat. Music doesn't sound the same…the quality is flatter, something's missing…your own voice betrays you…say a few words, and stop yourself, "do I really sound that way? What's wrong with me? I must be sick." That's the flu. For me, that's life.

My world is growing quieter but my head grows louder. I am going deaf but I have tinnitus. I never have silence. There is no such thing as relaxing, soothing, calm in Wendy-land. There is no, enjoyable conversation that is caught the first time around, where no one ever has to repeat themselves. There is never a day, when someone – a stranger, a friend, a loved one, doesn't become impatient with me because they've had to repeat something twice, three times…'look at me, I need to read your lips,' – they say it again. When I don't get it the third or fourth time they often give up, "oh never mind, it wasn't that big of a deal…the joke's over." So I get left out – frequently. Or, I'm too embarrassed to ask someone to repeat themselves more than once or twice, and I'll pretend I heard them. Smile and nod…I take the cue and laugh when everyone else does (must have been the punch line), then ask Nathan later what I missed. Wendy-land gets lonely and it's an embarrassing place to live. It's the house on the block with the poor kid, who never wants to invite friends over.

Yeah, I know, "woe is me!" Well, there's only so much, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, that I can do. I've had surgery in both ears. Surgeons replaced the bones with metal implants and rebuilt new ear drums. Both surgeries were spaced apart by about ten years, and that's about how much time they'll "buy" me until I go nearly deaf. As long as I have any measure of hearing, aids can amplify sound and I do have one hearing aid. I need two but they're expensive and insurance doesn't cover them. I suppose all six senses are a luxury. Each surgery corrected the vertigo I had at the time. But that grows as the hearing goes. Another embarrassment. I might as well be an alcoholic, for the way I get so dizzy and unbalanced much of the time. If Nathan's around, or I'm standing near something, I can usually inconspicuously lean, or reach out to steady myself. Fortunately, Nathan's used to it. He'll suddenly feel my hand tighten around his waist or his arm,he'll know I'm having a dizzy spell, and that it'll pass. No need to call attention to it.

So, at last night's Twestival in Charlotte, as usual, it was a struggle to participate in conversation, as it always is in a loud venue. (Especially when my Love was on the microphone. We're both radio/TV people, so I get it;~) Inevitably, I will end up asking, "what?" so many times that I get embarrassed, I'll fiddle with the volume on my hearing aid, twist my neck around to try each ear…then, as usual, I'll take a cue from the facial expression of the person speaking to me, or the group I'm in and smile and nod – or, pensively, "hmm, interesting…" I've got to read lips in situations when I can't hear. While I love going out and socializing, social media is perfect for me. I'm reading words, which is even more definitive than lips, it's online, I write you – you write me, I can blog, podcast, or video…I blast the volume, whatever. It's just that going deaf and socializing in public is no picnic. I'm sitting outside watching everyone else eat and laugh…Nathan will hand me a doggie bag later.

My left ear is almost completely deaf, so it has the hearing aid. My right ear has about 60% hearing left in it. I can hear in a relatively quiet room without my hearing aid, especially certain tones and voices. Usually, I can derive from the conversation we're having, what is being said even if I'm not catching every word. Sometimes, I'll get it wrong and it's comical. Eating dinner in front of the telly, Nathan will get up, and take our plates toward the kitchen, I'll hear his voice, and reply, "no thanks, I want to save some room for dessert." He'll stop, turn look at me quizzically, and that's when I know I've done it again. I'll lift an eyebrow silently inquiring, "what did you really ask me?" He'll bemusedly say, "I asked if you if wanted to start the movie yet." Oh, I was turning down a second helping of dinner. You hear that? Going deaf really isn't a picnic!

I'm Your Valentine

2009-02-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

For the month of February, I'll review and polish your resume for free. It's my Valentine to you all! (If I get swamped, preference will be given to those with upcoming interviews, according to their scheduled date!)

The Dark Angel ~ The White Knight and The Coolest Hand

2009-02-10T14:13:00.021-05:00

Goldie Hawn Doesn't Need My Hug...

...Yet, when someone that I have always adored, like Goldie Hawn is just as moved as I am for the same reasons…I want to hug her. Even now, thinking of the pain she was feeling at the moment when she had to announce that Heath Ledger had won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, at that moment, her pain…not my own, makes me want to go and give Goldie Hawn a hug....

During the BAFTA's, the other night, I couldn't help but cry in such sorrow that Heath Ledger had to win his Best Supporting Actor award, for the Dark Knight, posthumously. What really got me, was the way Goldie Hawn's voice cracked when she said his name. She still has that, sweet, freshly washed voice she's had since before the days of, " Private Benjamin" or even, "Laugh In." As she said his last name, "Ledger" came out as a painfully, happy whisper that forced its way over swallowed tears. Then, when she introduced the man who would be accepting the award, Producer Charles Roven…she almost couldn't say his name either. I don't know if she had ever met Heath, or worked with him but she obviously feels the way I do…they way so many of us do. He was so talented and there was so much that he had not yet unwrapped to let us see…the bleeding wound of our communal heart was reopened. He was always my favorite actor when I was watching one of his movies. It was then, that I would believe I could never feel the loyalty toward any other actor that I did for him at that moment. That's his power. He makes you watch him, lost in the life of the person he has become. From a priest who becomes a sin-eating, Angel of Death, to an ersatz Knight who finds the royal inner strength and will to make those around him better than they are. And that's what makes, Heath so unique…he really does bring out the best in those around him. Without pointing fingers, look at some of the partners with whom he has acted…up until the time they stood across from Heath, had they ever given so magnificent of a performance in their careers? Some never did again, or have yet to reach that height and are still working to find it. Like a high chased by a junkie…to have felt it once, is to crave it again forever. When the BAFTA's returned from commercial, directly after Heath's award, they gave a salute to those whom had passed away this last year. What a year of remarkable people…gone! And this wasn't even the year that Heath died. The last actor of the clips was the greatest. The hottest cat, the coolest hand...Paul Newman. The only other person who makes me agonize that the world has lost him. I was devastated when he died. Especially because I don't think his death received the immediate respect and attention that Paul Newman deserved. Our two candidates had just held a debate, and that was the top priority of talk and news. I understand that. I get it. But when one of the greatest humanitarians of all time, certainly of OUR time passes away AND he happens to be one of the most talented actors to ever grace the screen, AND he happens to have never once had a whisper of scandal around his loving fifty year marriage to his sweetheart…that deserves the trumpets of angels. Knowing that the bluest eyes…the eyes of an angel, will never look into the camera again, and smile that wickedly, innocent, handsome, grin…or the smile that breaks into his laughter…it's painful. His whole face, so beautiful and perfect…flashing white, lipid blue, the tannest skin; the man was a vocabulary of color on screen. I can't even get through a full sentence now, without stopping to weep. Still, this loss – so great it is, affects me this deeply. That's what these people do…these actors. We let them into our hearts so much so, that we feel as though we have a right to be a part of their lives. Isn't that part of the whole "stalker" psychology? Stalkers can't differentiate between the characters, the tabloids, the interviews and the real person's private life. We don't have a right to their private lives, but because they are "so popular," we end up with a glimpse inside anyway. It's when they're gone that we realize we really didn't know them at all. There was so much that we'll never learn, see, or understand about them because they weren't our friend. Yet, when someone that I have always adored, like Goldie Hawn is just as moved as I am for the same reasons…I want to hug her. Even now, thinking of the pain she was feeling at the moment when she had to announce that Heath Ledger had won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, at that moment, her pain…not my own, makes me want to go and give Goldie Hawn a hug. But she doesn't need my hug. She has Kurt, Kate, Oliver, Wyatt, Ryder and many other loved ones and many other pairs of arms open to her. But I imagine, out of all the loved ones and arms that could embrace her at that moment, the one she wanted more than anything, to hug – was Heath Ledger.

If I Could Write an Episode of Torchwood...

2009-02-06T12:24:00.000-05:00

A peek at my "special" Torchwood episode after the Dr. Who episode where the Dialeks have come back "Turn Left." ~

The entire headquarters of Torchwood is in shambles…it looks like nothing will ever be able to get it back to order. Gwen and Inanto look dead, about six Dialeks are scavenging the equipment, doing what they do…Jack, the re-generated Doctor, Donna and Rose are sneaking in through what looks like a computer desk. It's actually an escape hatch, and secret room with weaponry, rations, etc. Rose and Jack each have a big gun like the one that Rose used when she blew the head off a Dialek in "Turn Left." Donna is gathering items into a backpack and the Doctor is about to "make an entrance," when the "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" is screamed but just then…the floor begins to vigorously rumble. During what feels like a violent earth quake, Gwen and Ianto wake up, in pain but not dead. Jack sees them, starts over toward them just, as a sound like a deep voice uttering a steady hum and a bright FLASH of light appears.

THE FACE OF BOE is floating above the Dialeks, OUTSIDE of its protective liquid and jar. The tentacles (dreadlocks, Russell?) stretch out to the Dialeks and the pods at the end of them latch on to them like suction cups. A little bit of powder, then liquid comes out and the Dialek melts away into nothingness. As if it never existed. (Here the Doctor would say, "Oh! That's what those are for!) This Face of Boe is healthier and younger looking than the one that is in New New York later. The Face of Boe is able to settle to the ground, close its eyes and suddenly, everyone injured is healed. The deep voiced hum continues and the Doctor approaches the Face, they are obviously communicating telepathically. After some time, The Doctor nods at the Face, stands up, looks around and says, "Jack has gone, he won't be back for a while."

I Support Christian Bale MORE After Hearing This....

2009-02-06T12:19:00.003-05:00

Once again, sound bites put into the context of the editor and producers are all that we hear…which, is the only thing that instant judgment is based on in the court of public opinion. Listen to this whole thing, apparently, it's not the first time Christian Bale has had to tolerate this type of behavior from the DP. This was NOT the first scene that camera man had ruined for Bale, by walking around on the set!
I agree, with Bale...the DP obviously doesn't understand!

Say he's sorry? Christian Bale was in the right!

2009-02-03T19:57:00.003-05:00

Good acting isn't "playing make believe." There is a process that stellar performers must go through in order to truly become the role of whomever they are playing. For some, staying in that mode takes heavy concentration, before and through the moment the scene is shot…when they are able to finally release the pent up energy of the character…this other person inhabiting their body. Some actors are more easy going and can snap into character as soon as the scene starts. They have a mechanism that enables their "other person" to inhabit their body with only a thought in their own mind.

Christian Bale is known as an actor who needs to be able to concentrate on being the character up until and into the scene being filmed. When someone breaks the "third wall" and invades the reality of the character, the result can be quite jarring. Keep in mind, the moment the "infraction" occurs, – the actor is NOT themselves. They are the character…and something has interrupted and disturbed THE CHARACTER. The reaction can be very emotional, anything from anger to fear, laughter to tears. The character Bale is playing in the movie would never see a DP taking light readings in the reality he inhabits. A "Terminator" perhaps, but not a camera man…seeing this guy broke the world that Christian Bale had created for this other person, who inhabits his body…the angry soldier fighting Terminators.

Writers are often intense and if one small distraction happens, and entire thread of a storyline we were "seeing" can suddenly disappear before we've had the chance to get it on paper. This is frustrating because sometimes, the exact feeling of, "AH-HA! I've got it!" is never quite the same, even if an alternative and fantastic storyline is created.

No, Christian Bale should NOT have to apologize for his outburst. The crew of the movie set (and all sets) needs to respect and understand that if they break an actor's concentration before a scene is filmed, it's just as bad as if they walked into a scene that is actually being filmed. The character inhabiting the body of the actor doesn't realize it's all a movie. If someone out of the ordinary shows up, or an action occurs that jars the actor's concentration… the character can freak out! Because in that moment, the actor is inhabiting the character… it's the other way around, you see? Perhaps, (not always) a character is the first to react…before the actor has the time to take over the body again.

I'm not saying it was the soldier character that yelled at the guy and not Christian Bale. He has a temper. He worked hard to create an alternative reality in his mind and someone had no respect for it.

.
(If you don't scroll down far enough, you'll miss blogs with tips for Better Business Writing, news on Manchester United and some of the dining/food allergy experiences I've had!)

Wendy Wells Writes: Say he's sorry? Christian Bale was in the right!#links

2009-02-03T08:39:00.000-05:00

Wendy Wells Writes: Say he's sorry? Christian Bale was in the right!#links

I tawt I taw a Tweety Tat? Twitter Devours Another Twitt-tee

2009-02-02T22:27:00.003-05:00

I finally started following people on Twitter. I signed up quite a while ago but haven't done anything until tonight. Things that make you go hmmmm.....

New Blog: Twitter Star Date ~ Sometime in the now

"Power begins with mastering the means of communication. Whomever owns the words conveying the message, is in control."

Hmmm, does it sound insightful, or merely give the appearance of trying to sound profound? Do the quotation marks give it any more credibility than if they were not there? Do they make you wonder who said it? Usually, a phrase in quotation marks implies an erudite, philosophical person from history, or one making history, said something worth repeating.

The two sentences in quotations above refer to power, communication and control. Those of us who write and live in the realm of Public Relations, know that when order has been broken, a breach of an image has occurred, or a disaster needs a leader… conveying the message in the right way can keep the situation under control.

I have no desire to give a history lesson, or to regurgitate recent news. However, I will cite two examples: the 1982 Tylenol® scare and the recent airplane landing in the Hudson River. Within less than a year after the poisonings, Americans were chewing Tylenol like candy because we trusted Johnson & Johnson again. Within moments after the landing, Twitter made Captain Sully a hero.

Anyway, I'm a wordsmith and I've been surfing around Twitter for the first time. This led me to a number of different sites about copywriting, freelancing, getting published, etc. I am disheartened by the experience, because I see so many other businesses similar to mine…and they have REAL websites! (I blame finances and the fact that my boyfriend has his own marketing business. One of his services is to CREATE websites for clients! The shoemaker's children go barefoot, syndrome…get it?)

Fortunately, I have education and experience on my side. Some sites I visited were created by delusional saps who can't write their way out of an avalanche with a hot pen. (Mine, don't steal it.) Apparently, they'd fallen for some "get rich by writing from home" scheme. As soon as the technology is available, I plan to reach through their monitors and shake them by the shoulders. YOU CAN NOT GET RICH THIS WAY! Especially if you have no skill as a writer! Many of us have years of training, education…hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt…all to become great writers and it will happen for us before it will happen for you!

I often hear, "JK Rowling had never written before…." Yes, but she has talent! She has an extraordinary imagination and ability to weave descriptions that transport the reader to another place, where we believe in witches and wizards. The real secret behind Rowling is that she IS Lord Voldemort and we're all under a spell to buy, buy, buy!

I am a huge fan of the series and the novel I am writing now is actually part of a series as well. But that's for another blog entry, on another night. Ciao!

Serious Fun for the Super Bowl!

2009-02-02T19:16:00.003-05:00

I'm not endorsing the product or anything, just showing an example of my work. Red Ventures is a marketing company and one of their biggest clients is Direct TV. They hire me to write for them and the content I provide ends up in various places throughout the web! (I've placed the actual text here and the link to where it's published.)

Serious Fun!

On Saturday, January 31, at 1:30 pm ET, the white sands of St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, is where DIRECTV has a day of fun planned for subscribers to see on the 101® Network. Check out the most popular Pre-Super Bowl XLIII gathering in Tampa Bay, Ybor City, Clearwater, or any other town near Raymond James Stadium! The day before the Big Game, the place to be is the Third Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl hosted by Spike HD. It's two, 20-minute halves of a rough and tumble Flag Football Match up, as Hollywood and the NFL come together in the name of fun for a great cause.

Just like any great and super "Bowl" sports game should, the Direct TV Celebrity Beach Bowl will have live pre-game commentary ahead of the 2:30 ET kick-off. During the action, the voice of Andrew Siciliano from Direct TV's NFL Sunday Ticket Red Zone Channel will be calling the plays along with an all-star team of sports analysts who will serve as officials and sideline correspondents. For experts on the field, Maurice Jones-Drew, from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Matt Forte, from the Chicago Bears will officiate the game. Hey, Direct TV isn't messing around…this fun is serious business!

Naturally, the serious fun comes in for the REAL game, and that takes place Sunday, February 1, 2009. The anticipated clash of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Arizona Cardinals, in Super Bowl XLIII.

Before all of the football fun begins, Direct TV's HD picture will bring you the best entertainment from some of America's greatest musical talents. The night kicks off with Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson when she sings the National Anthem. For the first time in many months, America will hear this brave songbird sing joyfully at a place of celebration.

Multi-Grammy Award-winner, Faith Hill will sing "America the Beautiful" for pre-game festivities, and the Halftime show promises to be bigger, more dazzling, and better than ever when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform.

Cristiano Ronaldo World Player of the Year 2008

2009-02-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

Cristiano Ronaldo has become THE FIRST Premier League player to be announced the FIFA World Player of the Year!This has GOT to shut up some of the bashers of his talent but of course, it won't. There are too many critics that are willing to tear down an individual based on the fact that they are good looking, young and the focus of a great deal of attention. This is a well-deserved and hard-earned honor for our #7 Winger. Yesterday's match against Chelsea proves that he, Evra, Berbatov and Rooney, can work amazing magic together! Two set-ups from Ronaldo made two of yesterday's goals possible. In the first half, he completed a fantastic goal that was not counted due to a a technicality. (It should have been 4 -0) Congratulations Cristiano Ronaldo! It only makes sense that the Greatest team in the World should have the Greatest Player in the World! ***** Manchester United 2008 World Cup Winners *********** Cristano Ronaldo 2008 World Player of the Year ******

Manchester United Wins World Cup

2009-02-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

Manchester United Wins World Cup
December 22, 2008,
Wendy Wells – Charlotte, NC
wwells@wendywellswrites.com

(12.22.08)
When it comes to my favorite football team (what we Americans usually call soccer), I'll admit I'm a bit…passionate. But you have to understand: Manchester United has had a slight hiccup in the Barclay's Premiership League this past season. This blip in their sturdy record of victories has led the uneducated novices of the Football world to think, the team is suddenly no good, or that they've lost their edge. Wrong! Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Red Devils have been busy winning qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup AND taking out the competition in the 2008 World Cup to become the first British team to ever win the title. Do you understand what I just wrote? Let me repeat: Manchester United is THE FIRST BRITISH TEAM TO EVER WIN THE WORLD CUP TITLE.

That means Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, (certainly) Hull City, Everton, Blackburn, (duh), Wigan...NONE of them have ever accomplished what http://www.manutd.com/ has by becoming THE FIRST BRITISH TEAM TO EVER WIN THE WORLD CUP TITLE.

(Now, don't get this confused with England's winning the World Cup in 1966. That's the England National team's win. I am very proud of England. Especially since there are so many ManUnited players on the team!)

I'm so proud that Rio Ferdinand was the Captain (no disrespect to Neville) as the lads took the trophy. I always feel that Rio does a good job of keeping a cool head on the pitch, he communicates well with Sir Alex Ferguson, and he intervenes well on behalf of the players with the referees. Usually. The only disappointment out of all the celebration, of course, is the thing that makes me nearly cry....Nemanja Vidic's send off. In some respects it proves how Manchester United can win a World Cup with only a ten man team. On the other hand, it's heartbreaking to think Vidic might not only have been sent off for such an important game, but he also might be banned for an upcoming match as well.

Apparently, this ban is going to carry over into the UEFA Champion's League when they play Inter Milan in February. Now, I'm not so worried about Inter Milan taking the match as the team that they are now --- but if they get their shoes on the right feet, and run through the gates in the proper direction...they could become a force to be reckoned with, especially with Vidic off the pitch. He's not only an integral part of the Manchester United defense but he's also proven to be the "ace-in-the-hole" on more than one occasion by scoring out of nowhere when we needed it most.

Sir Alex is being the lovely diplomat about it all (at present) and I commend him for that. He says it (the send off and red card) was the right thing for the ref to do at the time. However, I have not yet seen or heard what SAF is saying about the possibility of the suspension carrying over into the UEFA's upcoming match. The elbow is easy to see in slow motion replay, but it's really hard to know exactly what the momentum of their body's inertia was, the velocity in which they were carried, or how hard of a shove off Nemanja was taking as he launched himself up off of the Liga player. As a fan of the man, I see it as his simply his trying to get up after a fall. I'm sure a fan of the other team, would see the incident as an insult to their player. Regardless of the exact motive – we have a red card and have to face the possibility that #15 might not be on pitch against Inter Milan in February.

Now, on to the man of the hour – or rather, the Man of the Match, Wayne Rooney! He scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute of the game to win the trophy 1-0. Whew! Saving the day, that "White Pele." First off, let's rewind a bit to Gamba the other night. Sir Alex Ferguson switched out Tevez and Rooney while we were ahead 2-0. Just as Rooney was coming onto the pitch, Yamakazi. scored for Japan. Rooney's answer to Japan's slicing our lead in half? Within one minute (or less?), he zapped a goal past their keeper like a stone in the ocean! Then, what do we do? BAM-BAM hat trick like nobody's business and the score goes to 5-1. Endo gets a penalty kick and bumps it to a less embarrassing 5-2 for the Japanese.

Now, right here, I must comment on the merits of the penalty kick he'd been awarded. Total bollocks. Neville supposedly had an arm in but it was really a ball that hit his arm from behind. It was a ridiculous call, Neville had no idea the ball was coming at him. One of the game's announcers said there had been an earlier arm ball that was not called out, so this probably balanced out. Phooey on that notion as well. Either a ref makes a call it when it happens or they don't call it at all, that's it. The ball that hit Neville was not from his deliberately swinging his arm into the path of the ball's play. The ball was kicked into Neville's arm, from behind. "Nuff said.

So, Endo gets one by our Eddie. It happens sometimes, even the best keeper in the league, Edwin Van der Sar, can’t swat every fly. I do not think our Dutchman gets enough credit, though. So often, all of the blogs and message boards are about the guys running on the pitch, and it is well deserved praise – I'm right there shouting "Halleluiah" with the rest. I just don't see enough "atta' boys" and "Man of the Match" praises thrown to our Eddie. (I love to call him our Eddie, I don't know if he'd hate it or not!) Anyway, as always Van der Sar played a huge role in this victory…as he always does. He knocked out so many, very close-to-the-post balls, especially once we'd gone down to just ten men after Vidic's send off. This comes as no surprise that Eddie's got the skill for the sweet taste of being the BEST on the planet…this is his second world title, his first was with Ajax in 2004. (They haven't played CL football in, so long…I think since he left, do you see the connection?).

BUT I DIGRESS…..back to our World Cup Title
The Man of the Match, # 10, Striker, Wayne Rooney scored the goal that proved Manchester United is the Greatest team on Earth. This happens to have been his third goal in less than one and a half games! He got two during that Gamba match.

I haven't even gotten into the other amazing players and the plays they made! Perhaps after I've had the chance to study my recording of the game more in depth, I'll add to this. But for now, I'm lovin' Manchester United with the rest of ya'll who do and tryin' to educate those of you who don't YET! ~ Wendy Wells

PS – One final little note to Sir Alex. Please Sir, grab up Michael Owen. We don't need him as a Skipper but can't you just imagine the Striker on our team? Oh, the rhythm he and Rooney, Ronney, Berby, Brownie and the rest would all have together…think about it, please!

Super Bowl XLIII: Attend it or Enjoy it on Direct TV? : Direct TV Satellite TV Blog

2009-01-28T22:50:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl XLIII: Attend it or Enjoy it on Direct TV? : Direct TV Satellite TV Blog

This is an example of my work. Since it is on my own business site, let me make it clear that I am not trying to sell the product or content. I am only showing an example of a blog style article that I was hired to write.

When Service Stinks - It Smells Like Wild Dog

2009-01-13T15:37:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd include this bad experience I had written about in a previous blog from last year.

Bad experiences I have had occurred at Wild Wing Cafe one night (Ardsley Plaza, Charlotte, NC) when we ordered nachos with NO jalapenos and told the server I am allergic to them. A different guy brought out the platter and each cheesy chip had a jalapeno sitting on it. We told him I am allergic to them and sent it back only to have the same one returned with the jalapenos picked off! We could still see the indentation from them on the cheese AND some droplets of jalapeno juice were still on the chips! Now, it wouldn't have KILLED me to eat them but I would have become tremendously uncomfortable with hives, swollen and runny eyes, asthma coughing and of course, the need to give myself a shot, which I hate to do.
Another bad experience was at the Fox and Hound in Winston-Salem, NC. I handed my allergy card to the waitress and asked her to check with the kitchen staff if the tartar sauce was safe for me to eat. I rarely eat fried foods but the Fish & Chips sounded good. She came back a little while later saying, "they don't know, so you better just not order it." SAY WHAT? I got up and asked for the manager on duty to come speak to me. I handed him my card and asked him to check the label of the tartar sauce and see if it was safe for me. (Often contains mustard powder or mustard flour.) He checked, I couldn't eat it. But to have to go through the hassle of demanding service like that is bollocks! Hello? Is anybody listening? CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT A REQUEST, IT IS AN EXPECTATION! I have more than 20 years of food and beverage service under my belt and know this is not the way good business is conducted.

Hard to Feed Lady ~ Loves to Eat at Blue! (Food Allergy Queen)

2009-01-13T15:32:00.005-05:00

My most recent experience at Blue was after the Second Harvest Food Bank's Awards Banquet for their "Canstruction" competition, at the Convention Center, Uptown. Local architects and builders created sculptures out of nothing but food products, which were really amazing to see!
Well, at the banquet, there was NOTHING safe for me to eat. (Due to my crazy food allergies that came on just a few years ago, I have to be REALLY careful about what I eat.) Everything had either some sort of mustard sauce or paprika splashed all over it, which would have made me blow up and need a trip to the hospital...yuck! Bad choice. Other options were meat products, which I don't eat. So, I stood there nibbling dry crackers and sipping a glass of wine while everyone else gorged. Nathan said, "We gotta' feed you!" We walked back to the parking garage, took his car around the block and started to drive around Uptown. Neither of us wanted pizza or pasta, so Fuel and Brixx was eliminated. The evening was getting started into "club scene," so sushi at Cosmo's was nixed, we could have gone with one of the big name steak houses; but they usually have only two choices for me. A shell fish of some sort, or a grilled slice of fish, which is often prepared as blandly as possible. I wanted something tasty. We looked at each other and both said, "Blue."

Since it has been a while between this blog and our visit, I'm only going to comment on what I REALLY remember perfectly. (I promise to be quicker with other reviews!) Our server was excellent and I don't remember his name, so I will have to investigate.
A few years ago, Nathan made a laminated allergy card for me and it lists all of the seasonings I'm allergic to, as well as the warning to be aware that cross-contamination of utensils, gloves and other food handling need to be closely observed, when preparing my food. Everywhere we go, managers, servers and chefs LOVE the card. I want him to patent and sell them.
I've gotten so tired of telling servers about my allergies and whipping out the card, that I let Nathan do it when we're out together. (After all, I have to handle it all the times he's NOT around, don't I?)
As we had our drinks, Nathan had a Booker's on the rocks (I think) and I was drinking a split of Moet and Chandon, Champagne (I know), we looked at the menu and studied the seasonings. (Nathan knowes them by heart, too.) Usually what I do is, find a few items on the menu that sound good to me and ask the server to see if they are safe. On this night at Blue I did the same and the server left, with my allergy card in hand, to speak to the chef. When he returned, he told us that Chef Gene Briggs has a relative in his family, who also has food allergies, so he really understands the special needs of a person like me. Chef Briggs had an area cleared away in the kitchen, which would serve as the only place where my food would be prepared. This way, my food is separate from any of the seasonings that can harm me, and there would be great diligence in hand washing and glove changing, he would personally see to it. I almost wanted to cry, or run back to the kitchen and hug Chef Briggs around the neck. The server also said that the chef remembered seeing my allergy card before, on other visits to Blue and that tonight, he took the liberty of making a copy of it to keep it on file. So, from now on, when I know I am going to Blue, I can fax or email Chef Briggs directly to let him know I am coming. He can be prepared and make something special for me.
He has done exactly that twice. One night, Chef Briggs made something VERY special for me with the Jumbo Diver Scallops, and my mouth is watering as I recollect the meal. Nathan and I were going to see The Cure at Bobcat's Arena with our friends, Phil and Sara Harris. We met up at Blue before the show for a quick bite and a drink. I wanted the Scallops so much but they were wrapped in Procuitto and I don't eat meat, don't even like the flavor if it's peeled away. Chef Briggs made a completely different recipe, off the menu for me that night and I can't even describe it. To say it melted in my mouth is so cliché' but it did…the food was so full of flavor but not overwhelmingly so. Incredible. When a Chef is willing to accommodate a diner by going so far "off menu," you know this is the place to eat.
So, on the night of the Second Harvest Banquet that couldn't feed me, I wanted to eat something different from that previous visit, with Phil and Sara Harris. So, I ordered the Whole Roasted Mediterranean Sea Bass, with fresh herbs, artichokes, pear tomatoes and a lemon spinach orzo pasta. This menu description immediately had my attention because I love sea bass, lemon, spinach, artichokes and I'm very fond of orzo. I don't remember if Chef Briggs had to change the recipe at all to accommodate my allergies. There may have been some seasonings he had to leave out or substitute, it doesn't matter to me, the meal was excellent.
The server brought the fish…as the menu says, the WHOLE fish to the table and cordially asked if I would like him to remove the fish's head and bones. I replied that, I would appreciate his doing so. (I don't eat fish very often anymore and I certainly don't want it looking at me while I do! Picking and spitting bones, also not too ladylike.) He worked quickly, so the fish was still hot once I was able to begin eating. Nathan was waiting for me to get my meal before he'd begin eating, so I encouraged him to start without me (isn't that sweet? 8 years later and he's still so chivalrous). He had ordered the Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Loin Grilled over an apricot and toasted pine nut couscous with a carrot, mint salad and a cardamon scented yogurt. Nathan was very happy with it and said it had been cooked to perfection. (He practically licked his plate clean, so I know he liked it!) I remember l loved mine as well and that I had no complaint whatsoever.
Alex Myrick came over and spoke with us for quite a while. He wanted to come over and make sure that everything had gone well with my meal and most importantly, that I felt Ok. From across the room, Alex was simply approaching the table where "the blonde lady with the allergies" was sitting. Once he got to our table and saw us up close, he realized he knew who we are. Alex and Nathan have known each other for a long time, and between Blue and Table, we've seen him a few times over the last several years. However, the topic of my allergies was the main focus at first. We told him how my food allergies came on just a few years ago, in my late '30's….literally out of nowhere, practically overnight. Alex and I agreed that part of the training process in food and beverage related industries, should be based on the topic of food allergies. I have more than twenty years of food and beverage experience, and I can honestly say that very few places I have worked, managed and trained employees; spend enough time discussing the dangers of anaphylaxis.
As for the rest of the meal that night, I remember Nathan had a top-shelf bourbon on the rocks just not positive which one (they have all the best), and I had a couple of Moet & Chandon White Star, Champagne splits. During other visits there, we've had some really great wine.
Alex Myrick has an amazing wine list at Blue and as a former bar manager myself, I'm very impressed with the variety of gorgeous flavors. Not all of them are the highest dollar bottles on the market either. Some of my favorites are really fantastic grapes and they're not the most expensive on the menu, either. The Vignale, Veneto Pinto Grigio is from Northern Italy, it's light, not too overpowering and get this, it's Vegan/Organic! However, Santa Margherita, Valdadige, Pinot Grigio is my personal favorite and it's a bit higher in price. Chardonnay's Rombauer is a MUST on any decent wine list and Alex has it at the top of the Carneros Region wines.
You can check the wines for yourself, so I'll leave them at that, except to say I am surprised at the lack of Sonoma Valley wines he has (that aren't in the Reserve price range). The Napa Valley selection is huge, don't get me wrong – he has an amazing selection. What I was looking for specifically, was either the Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon Rodney Strong (he has the Reserve) or Chateau St. Jean's Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, I know he can't carry EVERYTHING that everyone likes and some wines just have to be left off the list. It's just my personal opinion that the Sonoma Valley gets too little attention and is overshadowed by the Napa Valley, not only by Alex Myrick at Blue – but really, by many other restaurants, too. But I'll get to those at another time!
Overall grade – A+
Awesome job by our server (I really wish I could remember his name and the next time I see him, I will remedy this!)
Fantastic care by Chef Gene Briggs and the rest of the kitchen staff.
Personal attention from the owner and not only because of the previous friendship with Nathan!

Tense Writing

2009-01-05T21:51:00.005-05:00

While reading various articles and doing research, I frequently come across business writing and web items that I think I can write better. I'm a proofreader and editor, it's what I do! When trying to write for business or any other sort of correspondence, it is important to maintain a consistent voice. One mistake I find on a regular basis is when web designers do not maintain a common tense. I think the mistake of switching tense is often made when a writer is trying to keep the tone of the text casual. Or, a writer might misuse tense by trying to keep the same tense. A few tips can be pulled from these examples to get you on your way to writing better business correspondence.

This example is pulled from the biography of a professional:

XYZ Company was founded in 2005 by Jane Doe. Ms. Doe's mission was to assist companies in achieving their strategic business goals.

In trying to be consistent, this writer has made an error in tense. The word "was" indicates that particular mission is in the past, which therefore, implies her mission has changed. If the mission has not changed, the sentence should be revised. One option is:

Ms. Jane Doe founded XYZ Company in 2005, with the continuing mission to assist companies in achieve their strategic business goals.

However, aren't most companies goals business related? Is it necessary to spell out "business goals?"

The XYZ Company was founded in 2005 by Ms. Jane Doe. XYZ's strategy is based on Ms. Jane Doe's mission to guide companies as they realize their goals.

If someone has to read something more than once to understand what it means, rewrite it for clarification.

We accept a 25% - 50% up front payment after agreement of project scope and terms, remaining balance is due upon successful completion, unless other terms have been arranged.

Three separate clauses are awkward and have to be re-read in order to be properly understood.

Rewritten:
When the client and our firm have reached an agreement on the project’s scope and terms, we expect a 25% to 50% payment before work begins. The remaining balance is due upon completion. Any other arrangement of terms will be written into the contract. We find this protects your interests, and ours.

Detailed Service Description
Passionate professionals who use the power of the written word to help you achieve your objectives.
Just because there is a header, doesn’t mean the sentence below it shouldn’t be capable of standing alone.
Rewritten:
Our services are provided by passionate professionals using the power of the written word, to help you achieve your objectives.

Obviously, a casual and conversational tone works very well and is expected in certain circumstances. Formal language and technical verbiage can appear snobbish, and frankly, it can look as if the writer is working too hard to prove they know big words. Appearing erudite is not necessarily a bad thing, when it's shown in small doses. – wdw.

Another Semester of School

2008-12-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

So, another semester until I graduate. It's my own fault I didn't pass the MA exam. I took on teaching a Film Class at the University because my vanity screamed, "Yes, Professor! Of course I'll teach the class because you think I'm so brilliant and worthy - with high quality lecture skills and vast amounts of film knowledge!"
Then of course, there is the stupidity of my own making where I misread the required list of works to read and study. I thought I already knew over half of them. All summer, I kept saying (not only to myself, but out loud to others), "I really should be studying and reading for my MA exam..."
There is no silver lining yet but there is a silver line. My independent study professor has agreed to continue helping me write my novel next semester. Thank God! I got stuck - or rather, the freaking people in my head got stuck. Oh, they've been busy - don't get me wrong...they're always busy. They were actively trying to escape while I was studying and cramming and STRESSING during the MA exam prep time but NOW?
Now that it is time for them to get out and get on the page, they've started to argue with me. They don't want to do this...they don't want to do that....the water's too cold...the dog wouldn't do that....a snitch wouldn't break so easily....and on and on. They cooperate to some degree, they love me if they're supposed to love me, they creep me out if they're murderers, but their ACTIONS are ........... stalled, on the side of the road with a white flag sticking out of the window.
Then, this other chick came along and had the nerve to create a whole other story line in my head. Not only did she do that but her story line involves TWO separate story lines! Kind of a "Sliding Doors" deal but not really that easy. She doesn't know where she's going either....her name's Shelley...brunette, drives a convertible - which I kind of think is a flaw in her character. It's a grossly vain thing but one of the story lines gets rid of it.
Anyway, the screenplay was no easier to write because the characters took over and barely let me speak at all. See, they were only dialogue. So they got to do, say and take the story where ever they wanted! I couldn't control them at all sometimes, couldn't reel them in. At least with the novel, I can hold them in, suck 'em back, cross my legs and negate their birth...I just can't always make them do what I want them to do...UGH! KIDS! Right?

This New Thing - A VERY old Blog

2008-12-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

This is pretty cool. Being able to just write stuff and send it out there. The main thing that I have been going through lately is written below. It's been a hard road since I lost my boy, Spanky. I'll come up with something new next time. For now, I'm still so sad that this is all I'm concentrating on. WDW

Subject: Spanky Doodles
I wanted to let you all know that I am back online from my recent move. While I am happy to be in my new home, the joy has been dimmed due to the departure of my beloved, Spanky. My cat of nearly 15 years has left us to go to a place where there is no pain, no kidney failure, no ulcers, no organs shutting down and no more wasting away. He was very brave as he stared into my eyes when he left to go into the Light. We had been preparing for this for a while now and over the past few days when I knew he was feeling as bad as he ever has, I told him I would do whatever he wanted me to do. If he wanted me to alleviate his pain with eternal slumber, I promised I would. If he wanted a bag of doughnuts, I told him I'd get them. Unfortunately, he had stopped eating for the last few days of his life. Spanky had been losing weight over the past few months and those of you who knew him at his full and gloriously muscular 25 pounds would have been very sad to see him at his final 12 pounds. His robust, baritone voice had turned into an old man's craggy complaint. His naps got longer and his waking time was shorter. He began to instigate fewer and fewer of our "stare down" games with his enormous yellow eyes. He would never lose by blinking first and would only lose if he looked away first. Normally though, it was rare that I would win a game of "stare down" with my boy. He was just too good at it.
Dr. Bissell from the Charlotte Cat Clinic said that she could "fix him up" and send him home with me after teaching me to inject him and give him IV fluids. She said that he would not nor ever be the same cat that I had known and that it would have been merely post-poning the inevitable in order to help myself adjust to his dying. I told her that I loved him way too much to let that be the way he lived his final days. I would rather say goodbye to him than see him in the pain I knew he must have been feeling. Once she gave the first injection that made him sleepy it was 5 to 7 minutes until the final injection that would quiet him forever. During the last few moments we had, I held him, sang his song and Pasha's song to him, and rubbed his belly as he always had loved. He held his gaze in my eyes throughout the entire experience. Instead of me telling him it was OK for him to go, I believe he was telling me it was OK for me to let him go. Even after he had passed, his eyes were still staring directly into mine. He won our very last game of stare down and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

God Bless Spanky Doodles
February 14, 1990 - September 20, 2004

Edwin Van der Sar's Beautiful, Sticky Hands!

2008-11-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

This post is from an older blog that I transfer to this new site. It's in praise of our amazing keeper, Edwin Van der Sar.
Aston Villa vs. Manchester United - November 22, 2008

How about that lovely save and keep that our AMAZING Edwin performed during this particular game? With ONE hand on the ball, right at line, his hand stayed on the ball, Milner's foot kicked it, Van der Sar's hand KEPT the ball, then his other hand came around, both hands picked up the ball and Edwin stood up.Incredible! It was a beautiful move. The commentators (the ones I suffered through here in the South East USA) were saying how Van der Sar's gloves must have glue on them....but nope, we all know it's just his fantastic talent shining through.A one-handed ball retention, against Milner's kick! THAT deserves some recognition!(Manchester United is the best team on the planet and they will prove it again this year! - I agree they are having a rough start but you just wait and see - they'll pull it out and take the cup! FIFA can blow Sir Fergie's arse!)
Obviously, we know that now -- the World Cup has been taken by our lads!