Ad Hoc Thoughts about Copywriting and Life

What we can learn from Lady Gaga

2010-08-12T10:19:00.000-04:00

I don't know a lot about Lady Gaga, but she's got my vote. I especially love her quote about the choice between pursuing a career vs. men! We can all learn a lot from how her team markets her.Thanks, C3/SelectNY.Paris10 Ways to be a Marketing Genius Like Lady Gaga

View more presentations from Powered by C3 / SelectNY. Paris.

Celebrate Women in Science and Technology Today

2010-03-24T08:32:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

It's Ada Lovelace Day - an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science.

I posted about Ellen Swallow Richards on the AAUW Kingston Branch Blog. She's responsible for clean tap water and food safety standards; the first woman student and instructor at MIT. She also co-founded AAUW.

Later today I hope to spend some time surfing the list of woman people have chosen to celebrate. Maybe you'd like to read about a few, too.

Access, Access, Access - Kristof's Column

2010-03-18T23:46:00.000-04:00

I'm tired of the health care debate. It's been going on for decades and I don't understand why. Please read Nicholas Kristof's NY Times op-ed column in its entirety. Are you weary, too?

Op-Ed Columnist - Access, Access, Access - NYTimes.com: "If Republicans succeed in killing Mr. Obama’s reform package, the share of Americans with medical coverage will continue to drop. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimated this month that if significant reforms do not pass, the number of uninsured Americans could grow by 10 million over just the next five years.

Partly because of lack of access, American health statistics are notorious: Our children are two-and-a-half times as likely to die before the age of 5 as children in Sweden. American women are 11 times as likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth as Irish women. The average person in Honduras or Vietnam is expected to live longer than the average African-American in New Orleans.

Opponents of health care reform claim that America’s health statistics are poor simply because of America’s racial diversity and large underclass. But there is one group of Americans who do fine in international comparisons — and that’s the 65-plus crowd. They have Medicare.

One careful study after another has shown that uninsured people are significantly more likely to die than insured people. That’s because diseases are caught at later stages on uninsured people, and they don’t get treated so well.

There’s one group that should be particularly passionate about supporting Mr. Obama’s efforts: opponents of abortions. There’s abundant cross-country evidence that the best way to hold down abortion numbers is to improve access to health care and thus prevent unwanted pregnancies."

Technologies that Empower Women: Tom Watson

2010-03-12T09:58:00.000-05:00

Tom Watson, in his post Technologies that Empower Women, talks about the surprising ways that new technologies change the lives of women and their families for the better around the world.

"In most cases, it's not cool social-media widgets or super-wired gadgets that are making a difference. Much of the social change being driven by technology involves local innovation, local investment, and local custom. Technology that can be sustained at the country or regional level and through public-private partnerships—without massive international aid—is the kind that often brings the most lasting change. Often, this kind of transformation entails looking past the established solutions of the developed world and adopting canny new technological shortcuts."

Here are the technologies Watson cites. Are they the technologies you would have guessed? Used in the ways you would expect? Do read his article. It's fascinating.

Video Everywhere
Clean Cooking
Birthing Kits -- 25 Cents each
Electronic Election Monitoring (note: not electronic voting)
E-learning
Clean Water Nanotech
Mobile Digital Banking
Peer-to-Peer Funding Networks
Micro-Agricultural Technologies
Connected Communities

Searching for Saddam: how the military mapped his social network

2010-03-01T12:46:00.002-05:00

What could people learn about you by analyzing your photos on Facebook, Picasa, or Flickr? Well, our military learned enough about Saddam Husein's social network to capture him by analyzing the pictures in his family albums.

Slate has an interesting series about social networking and its role in searching for Saddam Husein. The series underscores the difference between activity that is top-down directed -- Husein's government -- and networked -- his protectors after invasion.

The younger military interrogators knew the importance of understanding Husein's social network earlier than the leadership. In fact, they kept two diagrams -- one to show the brass, including the big names, the other, the real one, that included his loyal friends, mostly bodyguards and nobodies in the former government power structure.

Here's a link to a brief video overview of the process to uncover Saddam Husein's social network. And here's a link to the series.

Iris Apfel -- Rare Bird of Fashion

2010-02-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

If you like style, design, fabrics...here's an interesting four minute video of Iris Apfel you might enjoy.

I don't know why the Peabody Essex Museum prepared this -- I'll have to investigate -- but it's a museum I remember fondly from my childhood. I grew up in the next town --Peabody. They had a wonderful feature article about the ancestral farmhouse they bought in China, took apart and reassembled at the museum. It's on my list to return the next time I'm back in Massachusetts.

Wi-Fi Turns Arizona Bus Ride Into a Rolling Study Hall - NYTimes.com

2010-02-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

Wi-Fi Turns Arizona Bus Ride Into a Rolling Study Hall - NYTimes.com: "Wi-Fi access has transformed what was often a boisterous bus ride into a rolling study hall, and behavioral problems have virtually disappeared.

“It’s made a big difference,” said J. J. Johnson, the bus’s driver. “Boys aren’t hitting each other, girls are busy, and there’s not so much jumping around.”

On this morning, John O’Connell, a junior at Empire High School here, is pecking feverishly at his MacBook, touching up an essay on World War I for his American history class. Across the aisle, 16-year-old Jennifer Renner e-mails her friend Patrick to meet her at the bus park in half an hour. Kyle Letarte, a sophomore, peers at his screen, awaiting acknowledgment from a teacher that he has just turned in his biology homework, electronically."

Sounds like a good idea to me. I wonder what percentage of Hudson Valley kids have laptops, though. This school district has invested in technology for years.

What's happening in your school district?

Making it fun to change

2010-01-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

Change can be fun? Hmm, it's certainly worth a try. So how do you make a diet fun? or reinforce new behavior you want to become a habit? How do you make a project team fun to work on?

G and I have just started the blood type diet, Eat Right for Your Type -- pretty tricky since we have different blood types. But, worthwhile if my sister's experience is to be trusted. Glenn is an A. I'm a B. We're challenged to master our own beneficial and neutral lists, never mind the things we can share.

[This change is for our health, not weight loss, per se, although I hope I lose some.]

So, how can we make it fun? Add your ideas, PLEASE!

Teaser meals -- make yourself a meal of things he can't have. Yesterday for lunch I had a baked sweet potato with ricotta cheese and pesto -- great for a B; poison for an A. Taunt him while you eat it.
Put on some great music and clean out the cabinets of everything you can't have. Make an A cabinet; a B cabinet; and a shared cabinet. Music to sort your cabinets? Get a job - Sha-na-na-na.
Prepare a meal you both can eat of foods you've never cooked with before -- millet, you say? Rate every new dish, one to five stars.

What Does A Network Weaver Do (remix)

2010-01-04T10:07:00.001-05:00

This brief slideshare deck describes grassroots organizing beautifully. I love how well the images work with the text. Thanks, Danielle.

What Does A Network Weaver Do (remix)

View more documents from Danielle Brigida.

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

2010-01-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

Check out how an expert communicates to an audience. No Bullet Points!

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

View more presentations from Carmine Gallo.

Psychic benefits? Women's work? Any excuse.

2009-11-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

Someone said to me this morning, men won't take jobs in human services because they can't support their families. The women have spouses or partners, so it's ok to pay so little.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

To many woman working in nonprofits are single family households and are one or two paychecks away from homelessness themselves. They frequently work two, sometimes three jobs.

They are dedicated people who have spent as many dollars and years on their degrees.

They deserve better.

in reference to:

"In 2003 BusinessWeek surveyed the compensation packages of MBAs 10 years out of b-school. The median compensation package with bonus was $400,000. By contrast, the average 2004 salary of the CEO of a $5 million-plus health charity was $232,000 and of a hunger charity, $84,000. There's no way you're going to get people with a $400,000 annual pay package to take a $316,000 annual pay cut on the basis of the psychic benefits that await them. Instead, consider the enormous psychic benefits that people in the for-profit world enjoy as philanthropists. Think about this: It's cheaper for the MBA to donate $100,000 a year to the hunger charity than to go work for it. She gets $50,000 in federal and state tax savings, which leaves her $266,000 ahead of the game. On top of that, she gets a seat on the board of the hunger charity; indeed, probably chairs the board. She now gets to supervise the poor bastard who's running the hunger charity. She gets to dictate his strategy and how he goes about executing it. And if that weren't enough, the MBA is now elevated to the status of respected philanthropist in the community (while the hunger charity CEO gets demonized at the annual board meeting for wanting a $10,000 salary increase — "shame on you, that money could be going to the needy," they tell him). And, with a $100,000 annual contribution to the hunger charity, at some point the "philanthropist" gets her name on the top of the charity's headquarters. And maybe she loves her for-profit job on top it. Sounds like an awful lot of psychic benefit to me. Don't fall for this Puritan self-sacrificial psychobabble. It's not the poor who are asking you to work for less. It's the donating public, including many a wealthy donor. They're asking you to end poverty and every other great social problem and to do it for them at a discount. And they're exploiting the images of the poor to get you to agree. The fact that someone makes a one-time sacrificial gift doesn't mean you're obligated to make a lifetime sacrificial career choice. If you do the math and the psychic benefit comes up lacking for you, then ask the people who want you to make the world a better place for another kind of benefit that begins with a "p." Pay."
- The "Psychic Benefits" of Nonprofit Work Are Overrated - Dan Pallotta - HarvardBusiness.org (view on Google Sidewiki)

What about differences within nonprofit sectors?

2009-11-02T08:40:00.002-05:00

in reference to: Amaze Your Friends with these Nonprofit Factoids | Blue Avocado (view on Google Sidewiki)

I'd like to see these figures broken out by sectors within the 501 (c)3 category, as well. If, as you mention below, you take out the hospitals and universities, I believe the differences would increase even more dramatically.

Why? The impact of unionization and/or more men working in hospitals and and universities?

Thanks, Rick Cohen at Blue Avocado, for pulling together the data.

Political genes?

2009-10-16T12:23:00.001-04:00

Other deadlines interfered with my good intention to post on climate change on Blog Action Day yesterday. But, deadline behind me, I've spent some time reading what others posted. It led me to this post on Planetizen.

The post sheds some light on what I've often thought of as people being born with a Republican or Democrat gene. "Egalitarian" and "individualist" may be a better description, though, and linking such disputes to "clusters of values that form competing world views" is more useful than waiting for science to discover the politics gene.

in reference to:

"Some of my acquaintances believe that climate change may end human life (or at least civilization) and that the only way to save humanity is to massively reduce economic growth and consumption. Other acquaintances believe that climate change is, if not an outright hoax, a minor problem—and that even the slightest attempt to regulate emission-creating industries will itself destroy American civilization.
Whole lotta head-shakin’ going on.Most of these people are not scientists (let alone scientists specializing in climate-related science), so I strongly suspect that their opinions come from Al Gore’s movie and Rush Limbaugh’s talk show, rather than from a comprehensive review of the footnote-filled scientific papers addressing climate change. Nevertheless, they are as certain in their opinions as real scientists are. How come?"
- The genesis of the climate change stalemate | Grist (view on Google Sidewiki)

You Can Make Music with Bobby McFerrin

2009-09-29T18:23:00.003-04:00

What a great three minute break. This little excerpt is wonderful.

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus", from the 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009.

Another Woman Who Made a Difference: Wilma Cozart Fine

2009-09-27T12:36:00.002-04:00

I'm always interested in reading about women who have made a contribution, especially in a field dominated by men. Wilma Cozart Fine had an extraordinary talent.

This NYTimes obituary provides a good overview of her contribution to classical recordings.

in reference to:

"Mrs. Fine was one of the first women to excel at record production, a field that is still dominated by men. She brought sensitivity and taste to her work, which included notable recordings by the conductors Rafael Kubelik, Antal Dorati and John Barbirolli; the composer and conductor Howard Hanson; the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony; the pianists Byron Janis, Gina Bachauer and Sviatoslav Richter; and the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

With Mr. Fine, an ingenious recording engineer whom she married in 1957, she developed recording techniques that, even in their early monaural recordings, seemed to capture not only the performance but also a sense of the space in which it took place. The Fines were among the first to make mass-market stereo recordings, and in the early 1960s they experimented with recording on 35-millimeter film instead of on magnetic recording tape. Among their productions were sonic spectaculars like a 1954 recording of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” by Dorati and the Minneapolis Symphony, with bells recorded at Yale University and a cannon recorded at West Point, and a 1958 remake, with different bells and cannon.

Mrs. Fine also had a brilliant marketing sense. One of the first things she did when she joined Mercury, in 1950, was persuade the label’s president, Irving Green, to sign the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, then floundering. Mercury’s first recording with that orchestra, overseen by the Fines, was Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” with Kubelik conducting, in April 1951. When the recording was released that fall, along with another recording of works by Bartok and Bloch, Howard Taubman wrote in The New York Times that “unless this recording has flattered the ensemble’s competence out of all recognition, one must welcome the Chicagoans back to the top rank of American orchestras.”"
- Wilma Cozart Fine, Classical Music Record Producer, Dies at 82 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

All Washed Up: using influence to change behavior

2009-09-23T17:42:00.004-04:00

Here's a great study in how to use influence to change behavior from the folks who brought us Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations. Now they bring us Influencer. Well worth the six minutes. Tell me what you think you could apply this lesson to.

The Challenge of Maintaining Creativity

2009-09-22T10:46:00.003-04:00

I love to take a break from work and watch/listen to a TED Talk. Here's one on education and creativity that I think all my clients providing after-school programs should watch. Actually, I think we should all watch it. And, enjoy laughing, too. Sir Ken Robinson is very funny.

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: How to Poll on the Public Option

2009-08-28T09:46:00.002-04:00

Image by ^Berd via Flickr

Someone called me yesterday to ask my advice on a questionnaire they planned to distribute at a large event later this week. As I thought about the difficulty of designing clear objective questions I remembered that I had a note to myself to blog about this post by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.

Nate describes the essential ingredients of a good poll. He goes on to say that the health care debate is suffering from poorly designed polling questions. I recommend you read the whole post, but here's the difference a well designed public option question can make.

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: How to Poll on the Public Option: "So, who gets it right?

Regrettably, almost all of the polls on the public option succumb to one or more of these sins. However, there are two exceptions. One is the Quinnipiac poll, which asks:

Do you support or oppose giving people the option of being covered by a government health insurance plan that would compete with private plans?

This is a perfect question. It makes clear that the public option is an insurance program, rather than a program to provide health care services. It uses the less ambiguous phrase 'government' rather than the more ambiguous phrase 'public'. It makes clear that the public option is a choice. It avoids leading the respondent by comparing the public option to Medicare. And it asks in unambiguous terms whether the respondent supports or opposes the proposal.

62 percent of people support the public option in Quinnipiac's August 5th poll, versus 32 percent opposed."

Dear Parent, Don't Lose Your Patience - Adpunch

2009-06-02T12:21:00.003-04:00

What do you think of this ad? Will it change our thought pattern as the creators intend?

Dear Parent, Don't Lose Your Patience - Adpunch: This print campaign is all set to shake our conscience. This will scare us, linger in our mind for a long time, but, it will, quite possibly, make a change in our thought pattern."

Is Twitter Changing Your Life?

2009-02-20T10:04:00.001-05:00

I'm in stage 3, I guess. What stage are you in?

Here's a nicely done slide show from Minxuan Lee about how Twitter has change her life, not mine.

How Twitter Changed My Life

View more presentations from Minxuan Lee. (tags: micro twitter)

Brain Fitness: Building Memory Muscle

2009-01-27T09:23:00.003-05:00

Image via WikipediaOne of the exercises focuses on remembering sounds in order. I gave up on phone numbers a long time ago. My excuse -- too many things to remember, I have to leave room for other, more important things. But, truth be told, it's really inconvenient not to remember numbers, and other things, in order.

So, anyway, I'm doing relatively poorly on this exercise. A few steps forward, a step backwards. Today I started out at four sounds, had to drop back to three, back up to four. Four little sounds that challenge my short term memory to its limits!

But, I find I'm not discouraged. I'm challenged to improve. Pleased to know that research shows I can improve. I don't have to write myself off as old.

And, yesterday, I remembered my cell phone number for the first time! I wasn't even trying. I guess I am building my memory muscle.

Supporting Fatherhood in the Hudson Valley

2009-01-25T13:15:00.005-05:00

On Friday I met with a group of folks about starting a Fatherhood Alliance in the Hudson Valley. I'll keep you up-to-date about our discussions as we proceed. We welcome your thoughts and participation.

Some of the goals we discussed include:

Changing the language and expanding the meaning of the words used in the fatherhood movement, eg. child support means more than money; 'deadbeat' dads are usually 'deadbroke' dads who need job training and opportunities.
Strengthening the understanding and skills HV nonprofits need to engage and support fathers in their efforts to be responsible for their children.
Identifying and collaborating to fill the gaps in services that help fathers become more responsible.

Here's some information about some of the people involved and links to more about them.

Donna Linder and her staff members Ed , Ray, and Sherrie (apologies - I don't have everyone's last name) at ChildFind of America. Through their phone-based ParentHelp program, funded through the HHS Fatherhood money, they deal with the issues of separated parenting every day. I wrote the ParentHelp grant for them and know, firsthand the quality of the work they do.
Kenneth Braswell has been focused on fatherhood issues for a long time. You may know him from Fathers, Inc. which he started in 2003. He's the Director of the NY State Fatherhood Initiative for the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance where he works within the Center for Child Well-Being to involve non-custodial parents in the economic and social well-being of their children.
Alicia Marie Crowe, Attorney/Author of Real Dads Stand Up! What Every Single Father Should Know About Child Support Rights and Custody. It's a guide to help Dads stay connected to their children despite the failed relationship with the other parent.

More to come. I don't have everyone's information yet. But that's a start.

Why we need to pass pay equity legislation; why Supreme Court appointments are so important

2009-01-22T20:10:00.002-05:00

Here's a great short video on Lilly Ledbetter and the Supreme Court.

Am I making progress?

2009-01-15T13:02:00.004-05:00

Image by The Rocketeer via FlickrDoe, Poe, Cut, Cup, Pup!

I never knew these sounds could be so difficult!

I just finished Brain Fitness lesson six. These exercises are simple in structure but challenging in practice. And, it's clear that what's challenging for me isn't going to be the same as what's challenging for you.

I'm amazed by the relearning process. It happens pretty quickly. I was having a terrible time discriminating between two sounds. I went to the practice button and listened to the sounds over and over for about a minute and suddenly I could hear the difference so distinctly that, for a minute, I thought they must have changed it!

Brain plasticity in action. As they say, it's not your hearing that's the problem. It's processing the sounds. And, you can relearn that. Wow!

Brain Fitness Is Installed and Ready to Go

2009-01-05T22:13:00.005-05:00

Image by alles-schlumpf via FlickrWell, my guess was right. Posit Science was closed Friday and didn't change their message. Nasty me, I couldn't resist chiding David about their lack of customer focus when he followed up on my Friday message this noontime.

Anyway, David was very gracious and sorted out the problem quickly and confidently. It was one of those Windows software protection options several layers deep. Glenn had changed it from the default. Once it was changed back we were in business.

So, tomorrow is day one. I've decided to make it the first thing in my day -- before the phone starts ringing and I feel the pressure to respond.

I'll keep you posted.

Brain Fitness or Crossword Puzzles?

2009-01-03T12:01:00.001-05:00

Image via WikipediaNot too long ago an assisted living client included Brain Fitness in a grant I was writing for them. I'd never heard of Brain Fitness so I did a bit of research and was impressed -- the research supports the brain's plasticity and the testimonials are impressive.

The benefits have been rolling around in the back of my mind since then. It costs a hefty sum for the two-person versions of both the visual and auditory products -- almost $900 before the Holiday discount and the rebates upon completion -- but I decided I'd invest, a Christmas present for Glenn and me.

Several of our friends are interested in how it goes so I decided to write about our experience here.

Here's our first installment.

Installation Nightmare
The package arrived New Year's Eve but we weren't ready to get started until Friday. We ordered both the Brain Fitness and Insight products for two figuring we'd work on different products and compare notes.

The installation directions seemed straight forward. We're both computer savvy, and Glenn hovers on the border of geekiness, so we expected no problems.

Closed all running programs. Addressed the firewall. Installed. Nothing. Neither program installed correctly. Uninstall. Reboot. Reinstall. Nothing.

Two different machines, two different programs. Nothing.

Checked the website. Little troubleshooting help, none that addressed our problems.

Called the support line - open Monday thru Friday.
The message -- "Support is helping other customers. Leave a message or hold on."
After holding for 15 minutes, I was switched automatically to the message system.
Then, no one called me back.

Here's my guess: It was yesterday, the Friday after New Years, and no one was there -- but they didn't change their message. A company run by academics who haven't made the switch to a customer focus. They run the company for their own convenience. Take the long weekend off. After all, school is closed. Don't even bother to change the phone message or put a notice on the website. Grrrrrr.

So, we've had a rocky start. No way to resolve the issues until Monday.

What if we were 80 year-olds, counting on a family member who works 9-5 to install for us? (We work from home at our computers; we'll be here Monday.)

How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds

2008-07-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

Videojug is a great site to bookmark. Hundreds of How-to videos in categories from Haircare to Technology. Many are professionally done, but anyone can contribute their work.

My introduction to the site was this amazing video and it's follow-on instructions. Take a look.

How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds: "How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds"

"Instant Meeting" Idea

2007-08-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

We spend far too many hours in meetings. And we love consensus. But sometimes the discussion goes on far longer than it needs to. I love this idea from Education World:

Consensus is a format that requires getting everyone on board with the agreement. It doesn't mean that everyone in the group loves the idea; it only means that everyone agrees to live with the decision and help implement it.... "Levels of consensus" is an approach that provides a quick way to check consensus.

State the question to be decided and review the levels of consensus (above). Then ask all group members to hold up fingers indicating where they are on the consensus scale.
1 finger -- "I can say an unqualified yes to the decision. I am satisfied that the decision is an expression of the wisdom of the group."
2 fingers -- "I find the decision perfectly acceptable."
3 fingers -- "I can live with the decision even though I'm not especially enthusiastic about it."
4 fingers -- "I do not fully agree with the decision and need to register my view about why. However, I will not block the decision because I trust the wisdom of the group."
5 fingers -- "I do not agree with the decision and feel the need to stand in the way of this decision being accepted."
6 fingers -- "I feel that we have no clear sense of unity in the group. We need to do more work before consensus can be reached."
If a quick scan of the room shows all ones and twos, the group can see that consensus has been reached. If there are several people indicating threes and fours -- or if there is even one five or six -- invite those with threes, fours, and fives to talk about why they chose that number.

Accepting feedback

2007-07-19T09:10:00.001-04:00

The Frustrated Writer’s Prayer « Write Sense

The Frustrated Writer’s Prayer
July 14th, 2007

God, grant me the humility to face criticism,
the courage not to lash off when someone suggests a revision,
the serenity to accept when my writing is hopeless,
and the wisdom to know when to stop inflicting my writing on others.

Yes, accepting criticism is, indeed, hard. I have to swallow hard, especially when the critic is right.

An Earth Day Story

2007-04-23T10:12:00.000-04:00

I spent the weekend working on a grant application, so I hardly noticed Earth Day come and go. But this morning I watched this story on Rocketboom and want to share it with you.

What a perfect way to tell a story. So well done.

Update: The links connected to the current day's story rather than the Earth Day piece. Sorry, I'll try to sort it out later today. Tues, 4/24/07

Okay, lets try this link -- http://www.rocketboom.com/stories/rb_07_apr_20

All This to Sell a TV Set

2007-03-16T18:12:00.000-04:00

Sony BRAVIA - The Advert

Have you seen this Sony ad? Quite amazing what a company will spend its money on. Be sure to watch the "Behind the Scenes" clip.

Our latest TV ad - featuring massive paint explosions - took 10 days and 250 people to film. Huge quantities of paint were needed to accomplish this, which had to be delivered in 1 tonne trucks and mixed on-site by 20 people.

The effect was stunning, but afterwards a major clean-up operation was required to clear away all that paint!

The cleaning took 5 days and 60 people. Thankfully, the use of a special water-based paint made it easy to scrape-up once the water had evaporated.

Keeping everyone safe was also an important factor. A special kind of non-toxic paint was used that is safe enough to drink (it contains the same thickeners that are sometimes used in soups). It was also completely harmless to the skin.

Web 2.0 - in Four Enlightening Minutes

2007-02-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

Wonder what Web 2.0 is all about? Watch this 4 minute video put together by Michael Wesch, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University. (Actually 4 minutes, 31 seconds.)

Wesch practices the sage advice 'show, don't tell.' You'll find the video well worth the small bit of time it takes to watch it.

Kudos, Professor! Well done.

Raising Money for Innovation

2007-02-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

Robert Wood Johnson has a new competition for innovative domestic violence prevention programs ($5,000 awards to top three winners). The competition drives home just how important private fundraising is. Funders want to be sure their money is used wisely. Grants these days support 'evidence-based,' 'research-based,' or 'model' programs.

So, who pays for the innovative programs? If an organization doesn't have private donors, it's pretty hard to find money to innovate.

RWJF - Newsroom - Features - No Private Matter! Online Competition to Showcase Innovative Domestic Violence Prevention Programs: "No Private Matter! Online Competition to Showcase Innovative Domestic Violence Prevention Programs

The competition, co-sponsored by RWJF and Changemakers, is designed to encourage innovators to share promising new ideas and make connections"

New Look for New Blogger

2007-01-16T23:12:00.000-05:00

All my blogs got moved to the new blogger -- finally. I've been anticipating the move for some time, mostly because I missed the ability to label posts.

Making the change gave me just the push I needed to spruce things up a bit. I hope you like it.

Checking Out the Competition: Non-Profits on the Web

2007-01-16T17:35:00.000-05:00

Here's one way to jump-start your thinking about how your non-profit can make use of web 2.0 strategies. Take a look at these organizations.

THE 59 SMARTEST ORGS ONLINE on Squidoo:

"These charities were chosen for their excellence in online storytelling and collaboration with their donors. We didn't play favorites to one cause over another, nor did we look at their fundraising goals or number of members. Instead, these organizations are winners because of their web 2.0 smarts and a willingness to engage their constituents far beyond asking them to dig into their pockets.

These are organizations that give their volunteers and members a voice and get out of the way. They're pros at mobilizing awareness online. They're experimenters. Innovators. On a mission. They're fearless."

Collage by MMMonica

Improving on "Self-Negotiation" in 2007

2006-12-27T22:25:00.000-05:00

Food for thought as we enter a new year...

EuropeanPWN - Do women negotiate differently from men?

Am I getting enough ?

How many women feel comfortable asking that question ? Help is on the way. The change in question illustrates the change in focus from whether women and men negotiate differently to how women can improve their position and start thinking strategically. Negotiating for what you want, raising your goals and expectations and creating opportunity do not mean you have to stop being a « Nice Girl » ! However, the time has come to move on from thinking that hard work alone will get you rewards . It is time to devote some energy to creating value for yourself. As a result of all the research there are many books on the subject of women and negotiation on the market now with training and coaching sessions to suit all tastes. In the words of Deborah Kolb, Professor of Management and Gender in Organizations at MIT and author of the « Shadow Negotiation » and « Everyday Negotiation », it is time to claim your ‘place at the table’.

Faith-Based Initiatives Walk a Narrow Line

2006-12-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, one of my clients commented on how sensitive the Feds were about do's and don'ts for the faith-based programs. She just returned from a meeting in DC for new grantees in the Fatherhood Initiative. Then, this morning I saw this new report from The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy.

If you're a faith-based organization, this report is MUST reading.

The State of the Law 2006: Prison Programs, Chaplaincies and Capacity Grants Top Year’s Faith-Based Controversies

The State of the Law 2006: Legal Developments Affecting Government Partnerships with Faith-Based Organizations

The Bush Administration´s Faith-Based and Community Initiative continued this year to face legal challenges that test its potential reach. Among the most significant cases in 2006 were those concerning prison programs, government chaplaincies, and grants to help faith-based organizations increase their ability to win government contracts, according to the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy´s annual "State of the Law" report. [More]

Marketing Tobacco to Teens Still an Issue

2006-12-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

Seems like we've been fighting this battle for a long, long time. The proof of the damage marketing tobacco causes keeps rolling in.

RWJF News Release: Exposure to Tobacco Marketing More Than Doubles the Odds of Children Smoking

Exposure to Tobacco Marketing More Than Doubles the Odds of Children Smoking Dec 4, 2006 - Washington, D.C. Children's psychological involvement in marketing enhances its impact Exposure to tobacco advertising and pro-tobacco depictions in films, television, and videos more than doubles the odds that children under 18 will become tobacco users, according to a new study to be published in the December 2006 issue of the peer-reviewed Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Learn How a Great Presenter Refines Substance, Structure, and Style

2006-12-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

If you make presentations to sell, whether it's an idea, a product, your agency's mission, or a new program's value to the community, you'll find this a helpful overview for your prep work.

Many consider Ray Butkus one of the best marketing presenters around. I found it worth saving in my resource file. Maybe you will, too.

Developing and Delivering High-impact Sales Presentations
By Ray Butkus

In the sales arena, success depends upon the superior presentation of the facts. In a highly competitive market with an abundance of choice, winning isn’t simply about building the better mousetrap but about how well the marketplace understands and remembers the distinctiveness of your mousetrap versus all others....

Denny Hatch's Business Common Sense

For Non-profits Taking Tentative Steps into Web2.0

2006-12-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

For my non-profit clients struggling to get into web2.0, this great one page pdf offers six things a non profit can do to "figure it out." Thanks to Seth Godin.

Free one-pager for non profits (org2.0)

Dec 06, 2006 18:08:02 GMT

Courtesy of Npower New York and Squidoo. Download pdf
Feel free to share.

Things I Give Thanks For

2006-11-17T12:21:00.000-05:00

If WW II interests you, you'll find this series of posts interesting.

Leif Peng publishes a daily blog of 50's and 60's graphics that I enjoy tremendously. This past week, though, in honor of Veterans Day, he has published WWII illustrations and talked about his family's experience in the war. Father - Chinese living in Japanese occupied Taiwan; grandmother and family in what became East Germany, his wife's grandmother in Scotland, and his best friend's Canadian grandfather fighting in Italy.

It's a great collection of art and story. Because it's a blog, it reads newest posting at the top. Order doesn't matter for most of it, but Thursday and Friday, Nov. 16 & 17 are two parts to the same story, so read Thursday first.

The series starts at Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, if you need to find it in the archives.

http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/

The Dilbert Blog: Weasel Nominees for 2006

2006-09-15T20:22:00.000-04:00

Scott Adams of Dilbert fame, and my favorite blogger, wants your opinions -- help him out. Send him your nominees. I'm considering mine.

The Dilbert Blog: Weasel Nominees for 2006:

"By way of definition, a weasel is someone who is trying to get away with something and actually succeeding. We don’t include anyone who is in jail because that person isn’t getting away with it.

We also don’t include anyone who is evil or annoying or incompetent but in an honest way. A weasel is someone who craps on toast and tells you it is caviar. Weasels say things like this:

“I have never taken steroids. I look like the Incredible Hulk because I eat right.”

“I didn’t realize I was stealing a billion dollars from my company. I just signed whatever they put in front of me.”

“I deserve my $100 million salary because without me the company’s stock price would have plunged even further.”"

If you care about getting accurate political information...

2006-09-14T21:03:00.000-04:00

NY Center's Blog Spot: If you care about getting accurate information...

I coordinate the NY Center's Blog Spot. Earlier today I posted about Fact Check. There's very little coming out of either political party that I trust, so I count on Fact Check to tell me what's accurate.

They're up for the top ten websites impacting the way the web is changing politics. Take a look, and vote for them.

Non-profit gossip

2006-08-31T11:08:00.000-04:00

And here's another you may find interesting.

Don't Tell the Donor

Don't Tell the Donor

News and opinions from the world of nonprofit fundraising... ripped from the headlines and passed as gossip through development offices... these are the stories you might not want to tell the donor.

For my non-profit friends

2006-08-31T11:06:00.000-04:00

Here's a blog that will help you make connections and stay up-to-date. They started a pretty impressive blog roll that is growing rapidly.

Nonprofit Blog Exchange

Other People's Spread Sheets

2006-08-22T11:01:00.000-04:00

I'm a pretty private person. I guess it comes from my traditional New England up-bringing. But that means that I don't know a lot about other people's personal lives. So I found this site pretty interesting. Who'd have thought people keep spread sheets about so many things?

Sure, budgets, CD & record collections, even mileage calculators. But some of this stuff is really beyond my imagination. I couldn't stop reading it. I wish I'd thought of this one-

I have an 20-year-ongoing Excel spreadsheet, updated quarterly, called
"My Life" with the following columns: Date, Address, Job, Monthly
earnings, Boyfriend (5 years for the current one, but amusing
information before that), and notable events during the quarter. Only
the Monthly earning is graphible, but it's a handy chart at times.

To read what some people track on spread sheets:
Anil Dash: Excel Pile

Copywriting Commandments

2006-08-17T11:58:00.000-04:00

Here's a concise guide to writing copy- easier said than done - from Gail Goodman, Constant Contact CEO.

Writing Compelling Promotional Copy - 10 Commandments for Great Copywriting

Freelance Writing Tips

2006-07-19T08:47:00.000-04:00

Yes, I wish someone had passed these along way back when.

10 Tips I Wish Someone Had Given Me Before I Launched My Freelance Writing Career By Patty Harder

Thanks, Patty Harder

Cool Tool: Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

2006-06-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

Cool Tool: Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Kevin Kelly at Cool Tools provides the links to this wallet-size guide and a similar one, "Seafood Watch" from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I can never remember what I should and shouldn't eat from the good-for-you food list. These guides are small and useful.

Seth Godin's e-book- Who's There?

2006-06-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

Have you read Seth Godin's latest? As usual, it's thought provoking. He's so good at articulating the changes that the web makes in our lives.

And in the best web tradition, his ebooks are short, sweet, and free. (Isn't he the one who started that tradition?)

This one focuses on blogging. It's must reading if you have a blog. Think about having a blog. Think you ought to have a blog. Or can't figure out what it's all about.

What Effect Reading Has on Our Minds - MSN Encarta

2006-06-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

Well, this tidbit made me feel a bit better about having a birthday yesterday.

What Effect Reading Has on Our Minds - MSN Encarta: "How reading protects your mind
When you pit senior citizens against college students in general knowledge and vocabulary, the oldsters win out.
But college students beat their elders when it comes to memory and tasks that involve logic and deductive reasoning*. Except, that is, when controlled for the amount of reading those people do. There, the results pointed toward the notion that reading a lot can compensate for the wear and tear time can put on a mind. "

NationMaster.com - Where Stats Come Alive!

2006-05-07T10:59:00.000-04:00

Here's a wonderful site to bookmark. NationMaster provides a quick way to explore those 'I wonder ...' questions when you're reading the newspaper or researching a topic.

NationMaster combines a massive statistical data base with some great tools to compare nations. Interested in murder rates? The per cent of people who will die before turning 60? Tax rates across the world? You'll find it all here.

NationMaster.com - Where Stats Come Alive!

They've just, in April, introduced a companion site with state statistics. The range here is still sparse, but these folks have proven they have what it takes to build a useful, interesting site.

By the way, if you'd like something interesting to do, they are looking for volunteer editors for both sites.

The secret to reaching a live customer rep

2006-03-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

gethuman - advocacy for high quality customer service for consumers

How long did it take you to snake your way through a series of telephone menus the last time you called customer service? Well, here's something you can do about it. Get Human is a simple, wonderful site run by volunteers and 'powered' by you and me - if we will just take a minute to give them some feedback.

You can rate the companies you call; feed their data base with company name, number called, minutes on hold, and your rating of their service quality. They plan to publish the best and the worst.

And, amazingly they have a page you'll have to bookmark -- a directory of the phone numbers and/or shortcuts for reaching a human customer rep at a wide range of companies. Check there before making your next customer service call.

Thanks, Gethuman!

LiveScience.com: The Most Popular Myths in Science

2006-03-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

LiveScience.com: The Most Popular Myths in Science: "
Chickens can live without a head

True, and not just for a few minutes. A chicken can stagger around without its
noggin because the brain stem, often left partially intact after a beheading,
controls most of its reflexes. One robust fellow lived a full eighteen months.
Likely he was a real birdbrain, however.

While I was noodling around on the Live Science site, I found this interesting fact. Well, it may not be important in your business, but it made me chuckle.

If you've got a few minutes check out the most popular science myths. Pretty interesting.

Happiness in Old Age Depends on Attitude

2006-03-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

LiveScience.com - Happiness in Old Age Depends on Attitude: "'In fact, optimism and effective coping styles were found to be more important to successfully aging than traditional measures of health and wellness,' Jeste said. 'These findings suggest that physical health is not the best indicator of successful aging--attitude is.'"

Ain't that the truth! This report confirms my life experience. When my attitude deteriorates into self-pity or when I let the blues take control, life spins downward. Fortunately that doesn't happen too often.

AOL Offers Goodmail Service Free to Nonprofits

2006-03-06T08:21:00.000-05:00

DMNews.com test News Article

"There will be no requirement, ever, for not-for-profits who deliver e-mail
to AOL members to pay for e-mail certification and delivery," AOL postmaster
Charles Stiles said.

Good news for my non-profit clients. We've all been nervous about what the cost of AOL's e-mail delivery system would do to budgets and fundraising plans. The new arrangement is slated to go into effect within 90 days. I'll keep you posted.

"On Friday, AOL said qualifying not-for-profit organizations and
not-for-profit advocacy groups would "receive the full functionality of AOL's
e-mail system, including having images and Web links enabled in mail, and
delivery to the e-mail inboxes of AOL members, at no charge to either the sender
or the recipient."

The Dilbert Blog: Wisdom for Grads

2006-02-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

This is the cynical view of life in big organzations - but there's always a grain of truth.

Doug Adams has been compiling this advice for new grads. Lots of folks have added their comments.

The Dilbert Blog: Wisdom for Grads: "There's no such thing as good ideas and bad ideas. There are only your own ideas and other people's. If you want someone to like your idea, tell him he said it last week and you just remembered.

Teamwork is what you call it when you trick other people into ignoring their priorities in favor of yours.

Leadership is a form of evil. No one needs to lead you to do something that is obviously good for you.

You can estimate the time for any project by multiplying the number of idiots involved by one week and adding the number of capable co-workers times four weeks. (The competent ones are busier.)"

Pew Research Center: Are We Happy Yet?

2006-02-14T19:25:00.000-05:00

Pew Research Center: Are We Happy Yet?: "Several of them [correlations] stand out: Married people are happier than unmarrieds. People who worship frequently are happier than those who don't. Republicans are happier than Democrats. Rich people are happier than poor people. Whites and Hispanics are happier than blacks. Sunbelt residents are happier than those who live in the rest of the country."

Whew! I didn't know I was so unhappy -- an unmarried, non-church-going, middle class, northeastern Democrat. Well, if this is misery so be it. I'm pretty content.

It's an interesting study, even if it isn't personally relevant.

OSHA Ergonomic Solutions: Computer Workstations eTool - Index for Computer Workstations

2006-02-14T18:49:00.000-05:00

OSHA Ergonomic Solutions: Computer Workstations eTool - Index for Computer Workstations

When you spend as much time as I do sitting in front of a computer screen writing and researching, comfort is critical. There's nothing worse than neck pain when a deadline hovers.

This OSHA site provides some interesting information on equipment, position, and environment. It's prompted me to move my monitor -- closer and lower. I'll let you know whether I find it an improvement.

Thanks, OSHA.

Stanford iTunes

2006-01-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

Stanford iTunes
I've been downloading the audio from Charlie Rose and NPR's This American Life and recorded books from audible.com for a monthly fee and from the local library system for free. I've spent hundreds of dollars over the years buying tapes and CD's from the Learning Company.

Now, I've discovered that Stanford University has a new service, originally targeted to alumni, to download faculty lectures, interviews, music and sports. All free.

I can hardly wait to explore it!

Miami in summer?!?

2005-07-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

Family business offered me another opportunity to test out my skills at 'working on the road.' I want my business to be portable, but that takes practice, foresight, and creativity.

I was surprised at the number of unsecured wireless networks my laptop identified in the area where we stayed. Do you know who's accessing your network?

On this trip I found I worked best in the local café that offered a free wifi hotspot. The folks at Solero on S. Miami at 10th Street were gracious and welcoming. The café con leche was great, the sandwiches excellent, the atmosphere comfortable. I felt a part of the Miami scene and still got a good deal accomplished.

I printed the few materials I had to have in hard copy by emailing them to local family and picking them up at lunch or dinner. It took a bit more planning, but it worked.

Not everyone would find working in such a public spot energizing. I did and that was a blessing. The change of scenery refreshed my psyche. All that Spanish made me feel I had traveled to another country. New ideas flowed.

I think I'll keep practicing. Working on the road is great fun. Even in Miami in summer.

Gen X & Gen Y Profiles

2005-07-01T08:23:00.000-04:00

Whether or not you're interested in marketing, you may find this article profiling Gen X [27-39]and Gen Y [14-26] folks intriquing. Jane Buckingham, author of "The Modern Girl's Guide to Life," and a Gen Xer, paints an interesting picture.

Of their noted slacker image, Buckingham explained that Gen Xers "went through their midlife crises 25 years too early."

Now that they are emerging from those midlife crises, they are remarkably susceptible to marketing that "helps them figure out what is happiness..."

Take a look at the article. Does this fit your experience with Gen X & Y?

Take a Breather

2005-06-30T12:51:00.000-04:00

I finished the last grant in the current queue - finally no deadline hanging over my head. I love the work, but the pressure of drop-dead deadlines takes a toll when you roll from one to the next. It's nice to take a breather.

And, my in-box brought great news. The NY Center received the award for the YABC and Learning-to-Work Center for Staten Island. It's a joint project with the Department of Education. They worked hard on the proposal (and I wrote the application) -- it's a contract worth $1.8M, so they're very pleased.

This break gave me a day to work on my own site. Finally. Take a look.

WordToys - making life easier

2005-06-18T22:36:00.000-04:00

About a month ago I installed WordToys.

If you're like me, your life is entwined with WORD. It's as essential as a pen and pad. But sometimes very frustrating.

WordToys offers a raft of enhancements --some I've been dreaming about (makes a copy to another disk at the same time it saves to file), but some I never even imagined. Like, saving all my open documents to one work space and reopening them all exactly as they were.

If you want an easier life, try it out. I'm still discovering the benefits.

DMNews.com | News | Article

2005-05-11T09:55:00.000-04:00

DMNews.com | News | Article

So age doesn't matter. Time does. And Americans work more - and have less free time - than folks in every country but South Korea.

This marketing analysis from Visa USA offers an interesting perspective on what's important to their market.

Wood Stove Ghost Photo

2005-05-10T17:54:00.000-04:00

Wood Stove Ghost Photo

Our friend Donald sent us this 'ghost stove' picture and the story behind it. Take a look. It's pretty interesting.

Antique Wood Stoves - WOW!

2005-03-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

I worked on the antique wood stove page this weekend. Boy, these old stoves are beauties. Cast iron stoves that look like Victorian wedding cakes and Gothic churches. Ceramic tile towers in use for centuries. I looked at sites from all over the world.

Even if you aren't interested in wood stoves, you might want to take a look.

Image Change

2005-03-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

I promised myself I'd do something on my own website this weekend - enough of this under construction. Make something happen. It's far easier to work on someone else's material than my own. Ditto for marketing.

Well, let me know what you think. It feels a bit calmer.

The Skinny on Wood Stoves

2005-02-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

No progress on my own web site, but I've been writing the copy for several others. Take a look at one. Here's Glenn's site on wood stoves- www.the-skinny-on-wood-stoves.com

He's building an informational site about wood stoves. We've been doing a lot of research on them for our own use but found the information was scattered hither and yon. They say find a vacuum and fill it - so we did.

Great Surfing

2005-01-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

This month I learned about Robert Fenton, a 19th century photographer, listened to some Gerry Mulligan jazz, and contrasted that with some 17th century lute compositions and the art of Gerard ter Borch. Phew, I love this culture stuff! And then, all that science!

You might enjoy visiting the sites listed on the ed.gov listserv, too. It comes about once a month with an assortment of links to online resources sponsored by various government agencies and institutions. The Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, National Geological Survey, and the National Gallery to name a few. Arts, sciences, and social studies (want to know about the history of voting machines or listen to a lecture by Stephen Ambrose?). It’s great that the magic of the Internet now makes all those Washington resources available to us all.

Their instructions to subscribe:
To subscribe to EDInfo, address an email message to: listserv@listserv.ed.gov Then write SUBSCRIBE EDINFO YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME in the message, (if you have a signature block, please turn it off) Then send it!

(The link in the title takes you to their archives.)

Re: [HVWBOA] Made my day, my week...it's great

2004-10-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

Ruth-

Thank you for the tool. I just downloaded it and did a search on my pc. This tool works wonders and I see how it can save time.

Jolie Sealy
Empire Business Solutions

Made my day, my week...it's great

2004-10-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

Hi,

Here’s something that might help you as much as it helps me.

Google Desktop Search – HOOORAAAY! I downloaded this free tool on Saturday and am thrilled with the amount of time and frustration it’s saved me. Key a word or two and within seconds Google Desktop retrieves every file containing those words from email, chat, visited websites, and hard drive – all those Word documents and PDFs.

I work hard at staying organized, but I inevitably find I’ve forgotten that I filed something under some cute name I was sure I’d remember. And now I haven’t a clue. The search feature in Windows is truly a waste. But now – relief.

To reach the page where you can read about it and download the tool, go here: http://desktop.google.com/ Downloading is quick and painless. It sure made my day. In fact, it’s made my week. -- Ruth

Great election sites

2004-10-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

I’ve been pretty disgusted with the campaigns this year. I’ve concluded that neither candidate deserves much respect for the way they twist and skew information. Instead of listening to them, I’v come to rely on two websites that provide great information… www.factcheck.org and www.opensecrets.org The first investigates and reports on the truth about each candidates claims. The second – follow the money. They provide an amazing amount of easy to follow information about campaign contributions.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-- Ruth Wahtera
Need help finding the right words?
(845) 339-6568 (718) 928-6648
wahtera@adhoccopy.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Amazing Desktop

2004-02-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

You look at your desktop day-in and day-out. I don't pay it much attention. I've always opted for a calm, bland, no-thinking, no-search alternative.

Well, I suddenly have new wallpaper on my desktop and it takes my breath away. It's an image called 'All is Well' by Deanna Hancock. The image is nothing more than an open book, some eyeglasses and the most incredible inter-play of detail and light. It's a pleasure to behold.

I found Deanna's piece in the user gallery at http://www.digitalblasphemy.com . Ryan Bliss showcases his work on this (his) site and there's wonderful stuff here. I expect that in a week or two I'll be ready to try one of Ryan's many wonderful images.

The site has both free and subscription options (I've only seen the free stuff). It's worth a few minutes of your browsing time.

By the way, I found this site through This is True - an entertaining free e-newsletter that always leaves me shaking my head. You can preview it or subscribe at http://www.thisistrue.com

Powered by Constant Contact

2004-01-31T21:10:00.000-05:00

I added a link to Constant Contact today. Yes, it's in my own self-interest. I get $2 every time someone tries them out, and a bit more if they actually open an account. I'll never get rich, but , I'd like to learn something about affiliate programs. Since I've been recommending Constant Contact to people anyway, what better place to start?

So, yes, this is an advertisement for them. It's a great service if you're planning to publish an e-newsletter. They take care of all those tedious things like the correct formats for AOL, managing bounces, keeping track of the regulations -- everything but the writing and pictures. And that's why you have me.

Well, we're not a package deal. You can use them without me to do your writing. But, you'll be happier if you use us both. Think about it. A nifty e-newsletter keeping your message in front of your audience. With no pain.

Just call me, 845-339-6568, or email me at wahtera@adhoccopy.com

Crucial Conversations

2004-01-19T18:50:00.000-05:00

This week, I picked up a book called Crucial Conversations – Tools for talking when stakes are high – authors: Patterson, Grenny, McMillan. & Switzler. It speaks directly to how we (and organizations) can make it safe to have, and be honest in, crucial conversations.

The book provides a framework and, best of all, specific tools. Their website, www.crucialconversations.com , has discussion guides, role playing scripts, audio tapes...a plethora of resources. It’s all very well done, and it's based on many years of research and workshops teaching the tools.

I'm personally and professionally excited about the potential impact of this book for my life. What could be better than improving the quality of our dialogue -- especially when the topic is one that gets the adrenalin flowing, the blood boiling, and the blood pressure escalating!

Expressing my gratitude

2004-01-11T22:12:00.000-05:00

Here's a web site that may enrich your life. I've been passing it on to all my friends and family. www.gratefulness.org I especially like lighting a candle. Pausing to reflect on what I'm grateful for brings me a sense of peace. Visit the site. See what appeals to you.

The new year is well underway. Time flies by. I'm blessed to have work that I enjoy and good friends to share the holidays. Now, if I can just get back on a healthy diet -- break that sugar addiction that re-emerged with a vengence. But what's worse than a blog that rattles on about me.

Let it snow...

2003-12-14T22:24:00.000-05:00

Spent part of the day shoveling and part working on the time management workshop for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Winter is well underway. This is our second big storm.

I've done so much work on the workshop that I'm considering turning it into an e-book. And/or marketing the workshop. Years of researching and trying out ideas, looking for the best approach. Interested?

2003-12-04T00:13:00.000-05:00

Oh, BRAVO! I finally figured it out! Guess I can call it a night now.

2003-12-03T21:33:00.000-05:00

I never was successful on Thanksgiving. I finally gave up and went to dinner. It's taken a week for me to regain my courage to try again. Maybe it's not courage...patience, determination, time and energy.

2003-11-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

well, I'm making progress

2003-11-27T19:40:00.000-05:00

25th try never fails!

2003-11-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

One more time

2003-11-27T19:27:00.000-05:00

Try again

2003-11-27T19:21:00.000-05:00

Third try. I'm determined to get this blog working. I know you don't have to be a techie. And I can read instructions. So let's try this again.

2003-11-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my second try at fighting my way through technical gobbledy-gook to set up this blog. Let's see if it works.

2003-11-27T14:04:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this I've been successful setting up a blog. I've wadded through terminology I don't understand and bulleyed my way through the instructions. Hard to believe it works.

Ad Hoc Thoughts about Copywriting and Life

What we can learn from Lady Gaga

Celebrate Women in Science and Technology Today

Access, Access, Access - Kristof's Column

Technologies that Empower Women: Tom Watson

Searching for Saddam: how the military mapped his social network

Related articles by Zemanta

Iris Apfel -- Rare Bird of Fashion

Wi-Fi Turns Arizona Bus Ride Into a Rolling Study Hall - NYTimes.com

Making it fun to change

What Does A Network Weaver Do (remix)

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Psychic benefits? Women's work? Any excuse.

What about differences within nonprofit sectors?

Political genes?

You Can Make Music with Bobby McFerrin

Another Woman Who Made a Difference: Wilma Cozart Fine

All Washed Up: using influence to change behavior

The Challenge of Maintaining Creativity

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: How to Poll on the Public Option

Dear Parent, Don't Lose Your Patience - Adpunch

Is Twitter Changing Your Life?

Brain Fitness: Building Memory Muscle

Supporting Fatherhood in the Hudson Valley

Why we need to pass pay equity legislation; why Supreme Court appointments are so important

Am I making progress?

Brain Fitness Is Installed and Ready to Go

Brain Fitness or Crossword Puzzles?

How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds

"Instant Meeting" Idea

Accepting feedback

An Earth Day Story

All This to Sell a TV Set

Web 2.0 - in Four Enlightening Minutes

Raising Money for Innovation

New Look for New Blogger

Checking Out the Competition: Non-Profits on the Web

Improving on "Self-Negotiation" in 2007

Faith-Based Initiatives Walk a Narrow Line

Marketing Tobacco to Teens Still an Issue

Learn How a Great Presenter Refines Substance, Structure, and Style

For Non-profits Taking Tentative Steps into Web2.0

For my non-profit clients struggling to get into web2.0, this great one page pdf offers six things a non profit can do to "figure it out." Thanks to Seth Godin.

Free one-pager for non profits (org2.0)

Things I Give Thanks For

The Dilbert Blog: Weasel Nominees for 2006

If you care about getting accurate political information...

Non-profit gossip

For my non-profit friends

Other People's Spread Sheets

Copywriting Commandments

Freelance Writing Tips

Cool Tool: Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Seth Godin's e-book- Who's There?

What Effect Reading Has on Our Minds - MSN Encarta

NationMaster.com - Where Stats Come Alive!

The secret to reaching a live customer rep

LiveScience.com: The Most Popular Myths in Science

Happiness in Old Age Depends on Attitude

AOL Offers Goodmail Service Free to Nonprofits

The Dilbert Blog: Wisdom for Grads

Pew Research Center: Are We Happy Yet?

OSHA Ergonomic Solutions: Computer Workstations eTool - Index for Computer Workstations

Stanford iTunes

Miami in summer?!?

Gen X & Gen Y Profiles

Take a Breather

WordToys - making life easier

DMNews.com | News | Article

Wood Stove Ghost Photo

Antique Wood Stoves - WOW!

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The Skinny on Wood Stoves

Great Surfing

Re: [HVWBOA] Made my day, my week...it's great

Made my day, my week...it's great

Great election sites

Amazing Desktop

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