tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91641826620570742452024-03-20T22:18:06.096-04:00Katharine's notes from NJMarketing communications blog with internet marketing resources, and helpful resources for New Jersey organizations.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-83576303223217740382011-05-04T06:27:00.000-04:002011-05-04T06:27:30.980-04:00No stupid questions at business seminarsThe audience chuckled last week when I opened a seminar by saying:<br />
<blockquote>We all know <em>intellectually</em> that there's no such thing as a stupid question, <em>but</em>...sometimes we're not sure about our own. Take advantage of the lunch break, or take a business card and call from the privacy of your own office.</blockquote>I think it was an effective ice-breaker, so I'm sharing it with you for your speeches. I wish I'd added<br />
<blockquote>Your questions are important, so please ask them.</blockquote>The follow-up from the seminar was encouraging. Nothing is more effective than face-to-face communication, when you can convince people to take time off from their busy schedules.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-37095761766054931342011-04-29T09:50:00.000-04:002011-04-29T09:50:48.015-04:00Take our kids to workYesterday I enjoyed my first paid speaking engagement. Now I can put "professional speaker" on my resume, along with my public speaking prizes.<br />
<br />
The crowd wasn't very demanding: 3- to 12-year-olds visiting the office for Take Our Kids to Work day. After my speech, they had pizza and then they were supposed to go across the street for cotton candy and bean bag tosses.<br />
<br />
My speech, of course, was entertaining and educational. But for the rest of the day, what did these children learn? That when Daddy and Mommy go to the office their bosses shake their hands and offer them hot chocolate?<br />
<br />
When I visited my father in the office I saw the stock tickers. When I visited my stepmother I saw the Linotype and the manual exchange switchboard. That photocopy machine made my day. Once I figured out how to use it, I wrote and illustrated books. Unfortunately I wasn't invited back...<br />
<br />
When my kids visited me in the office they watched me stare at the computer and yell at them if they interrupted me in mid-sentence. Or they helped me address mass mailings. <br />
<br />
When they visit Lloyd, they see a real chem lab with spectrometers and safety glasses and everything.<br />
<br />
In other words, my children and I saw real work. I hope all those children who participated in Take Our Kids to Work Day yesterday saw a little of that as well.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-47471104125226307562011-04-25T20:24:00.000-04:002011-04-25T20:24:22.012-04:00Product Mix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQcFooQPoWDcprjO7V7m3ryuDfuDt7nociohGQD2S-B5zGYd6fsU_fQGBu1HllD_xiVopforW0aM4XWi5vYuO-r58I7WudBqH-_vGx7pryIIAvAwY9xDPtPhBG030fXX3KkK4RRI_uMA/s1600/apostolic+chocolate+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQcFooQPoWDcprjO7V7m3ryuDfuDt7nociohGQD2S-B5zGYd6fsU_fQGBu1HllD_xiVopforW0aM4XWi5vYuO-r58I7WudBqH-_vGx7pryIIAvAwY9xDPtPhBG030fXX3KkK4RRI_uMA/s320/apostolic+chocolate+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>A hint to the ladies of the <a href="http://landmarkupci.org/">Landmark Apostolic Church</a>:<br />
<br />
If the lady at the Shell Station at the Danville, PA, exit off Route 80 tells you that you need to bring in more peanut butter chocolates, do it.<br />
<br />
She knows what her customers are asking for.<br />
<br />
I like to buy local products, so I bought the coconut kind--that's all that was left. I was sorry to have missed the peanut butter ones, though.<br />
<br />
Anyway, good luck with your fundraising and happy Easter.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-92134092915598580162011-04-13T07:56:00.000-04:002011-04-13T07:56:41.171-04:00We need more BraziliansAfter hours of research, I conclude that the world would be a better place if more of us were Brazilian.<br />
<br />
The research was at the airport, where I looked for people who flew more or less regularly to South America. The Brazilians were uniformly courteous, even the ones who declined to take my survey. How pleasant the world would be if more people were so civil. I didn't even have to use my Googlely-translated script. I can't even fake Portuguese.<br />
<br />
Though fewer of them actually took the survey, I'm proud to say that Spanish-speaking travelers complimented my pronunciation. I credit Pimsleur, which is a great way to learn a language, better, in my opinion, than Rosetta Stone. (Travel, of course, is the best way, but I don't do enough of that.)<br />
<br />
<em>Gracias lo mismo y buen viaje.</em>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-11226306963386264272011-04-01T06:57:00.000-04:002011-04-01T06:57:10.295-04:00What the ???Here's my LinkedIn "People You May Know" page today<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAomoZIsr9-zDIGJdqRnWNqefyEJsvYb7r97cZXnqROGZeCRNbhzQ83ljRV-E8st8Fo3G7Y1qxBgey_6FxeN7qYOHkY2M2SLoUqVIXpBXeHHuIoNLAwivRFaQEbNpgxbFQQvfHx43WOA/s1600/Linkedin+April+Fool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAomoZIsr9-zDIGJdqRnWNqefyEJsvYb7r97cZXnqROGZeCRNbhzQ83ljRV-E8st8Fo3G7Y1qxBgey_6FxeN7qYOHkY2M2SLoUqVIXpBXeHHuIoNLAwivRFaQEbNpgxbFQQvfHx43WOA/s640/Linkedin+April+Fool.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It took me at least 22 seconds to figure out what was going on.<br />
<br />
<em>Poisson d'avril!</em>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-66051251223720612022011-03-28T06:45:00.000-04:002011-03-28T06:45:01.698-04:00But it's not good enoughHarry's gone now to that great <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-if-media-call-and-youre-not-ready.html">Toastmasters</a> meeting in the sky. He honored me once by asking me to advise him on one of his speeches. "It sounds unrehearsed," I said. "How many days did you practice it?" He told me that he'd only practiced it for a couple of days. "Why didn't you give it more time?"<br />
<br />
He didn't rehearse it more because he was still writing it, he said, right up till the end. He could always make it better.<br />
<br />
I sympathized. You can always improve and tweak.<br />
<br />
I feel now about the fundraising <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2010/12/contains-historical-facts-and.html">cookboo</a>k the way Harry felt about his speeches. I felt the same way about the low-budget mailers I sent out as a realtor. I wrote them. I laid them out and printed them. I prepared the address lists and printed the labels. I folded and stamped them. By the time I did all this, they irritated me. Who'd want to look at junk mail like this?<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, imperfect marketing is better than none at all. <br />
<br />
The same is true of imperfect fundraising. Now I'm up to my elbows in the cookbook. Without the cookbook committee I'd have given up long ago. Still, it doesn't look good enough. It looks as if a volunteer laid it out in Word. I want it to look better!<br />
<br />
At some point you have to say, "This is as good as it's going to get." Boy, it's hard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQFpTZwK8phDGgz-84uR-y4Ku_mGnPvG5NhVqZH1PvAUuZhRX2sJHuAzq-cDXT7ApxNHI1DuvBSq_4S2QHqfENk5m877kloVGqU7qhYJXvKzdzUmEMmwH1HmNivsTM4ZtMcfGpfrUG3I/s1600/cover+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQFpTZwK8phDGgz-84uR-y4Ku_mGnPvG5NhVqZH1PvAUuZhRX2sJHuAzq-cDXT7ApxNHI1DuvBSq_4S2QHqfENk5m877kloVGqU7qhYJXvKzdzUmEMmwH1HmNivsTM4ZtMcfGpfrUG3I/s320/cover+art.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-37055818316070131952011-03-26T08:07:00.000-04:002011-03-26T08:07:25.542-04:00you mean I can do this with Word 2010?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBqIJ8PfoBokZ_qQQg_IR3hnV5TsW5LkQ9Mj77YZK7mhOjxtLHmE6ngPZSaSItzsYNCjtAnz9xPU5EDmYIJH7ytnFVOCD6rNJiksVGWfIWWvpdyhyphenhyphenQP4Iml5ImzmMMZojq_LWEiC0850/s1600/cover+art+jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBqIJ8PfoBokZ_qQQg_IR3hnV5TsW5LkQ9Mj77YZK7mhOjxtLHmE6ngPZSaSItzsYNCjtAnz9xPU5EDmYIJH7ytnFVOCD6rNJiksVGWfIWWvpdyhyphenhyphenQP4Iml5ImzmMMZojq_LWEiC0850/s320/cover+art+jpg.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it's not beautiful (yet). Still, I'm amazed that I'm able to create this cover art for my fundraising <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/01/balzacs-ghost.html">cookbook</a> using only Word 2010. I used to crave <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2009/01/indesign-lust.html">Indesign</a>, but maybe I don't need it, given the awesome power of Word. Thanks, Microsoft!</div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-63682859656219892362011-03-19T09:40:00.000-04:002011-03-19T09:40:49.798-04:00Another postage rate increase in April 2011?By accident I stumbled on this announcement of the <a href="http://www.usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm">US Postal Service's intention to impose "new prices for mailing services</a>" next month. <br />
<br />
Can't find any news stories about it. The <a href="http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2010/pr10_064.htm">latest press release about prices in the USPS newsroom</a> is from June of last year.<br />
<br />
I'll keep you "posted."Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-18178586071123823522011-03-16T10:02:00.000-04:002011-03-16T10:02:02.704-04:00Co op and Marketing Development FundsHaven’t blogged for a while. A new job is taking up quite a bit of time—yay!<br />
<br />
<br />
One of my responsibilities there is a lot of fun. I’m the person who gets to spend the Marketing Development Funds (MDF) and co-op marketing money. <br />
<br />
The way MDFs work is that if you sell a certain dollar amount of the vendor’s product, the vendor offers you marketing money to sell more product. The amount of money is based on your dollar sales. You have to spend it by a certain date, or the credit goes away.<br />
<br />
Now I understand why there are so many branded tchotchkes out there. Oops! Your claim date is coming up and the boss’ll be irritated if you don’t act on it. So you order a couple thousand pens with the company logo on them just so you can say you spent the money. Bo-ring.<br />
<br />
The perfect promotional item would be the one that delights the customer or prospect. It would make her or him say, “I didn’t realize how much I needed a radiation dosimeter. I’m going to wear this everywhere, with the logo facing out. I’m going to show it to my friends and colleagues and tell them what a great relationship I have with Katharine’s company.”<br />
<br />
To evoke that enthusiasm, it better be a darned good gift. Spending MDF money right is obviously a challenge—one I’m looking forward to embracing.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-7859488974329789872011-03-07T06:56:00.001-05:002011-03-07T07:06:09.803-05:00Skirting Reproduction Issues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About those <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-these-pictures-get-me-in-trouble.html">family photos</a> I wrote about in the previous post, I just had a devious idea. If I donate the whole box of photos to the <a href="http://www.summitnjhistory.org/">Summit Historical Society</a>, I'm sure that they'll grant me reproduction rights to the two or three I want. Then their provenance on eBay becomes irrelevant. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found lots of interesting illustrations, including the ad below, at the Historical Society. When possible, I do follow up. In this case, PSE&G was kind enough to permit me to use their images and recipes however I wanted in the cookbook.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I do try to observe the proprieties, but what kind of a researcher would I be if I gave up immediately and said, "Oh, I'll probably never be authorized to use that?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For one thing, the cookbook wouldn't have as many pictures. Remember, order your advance copy now for $20.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7hCWsnwCImlDnXaLiJBviiw6vETk5j387bT0hKBHoiqgqhhZufgwZRibsHz2E_pxQX47bpdpTlhsL9vSfPlHJnMIBu_aUusZVGq27JwK1uNfb39VyMNCd1ajPDFj0aprNkRiaRLC4FI/s1600/pseg+canning+ad0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7hCWsnwCImlDnXaLiJBviiw6vETk5j387bT0hKBHoiqgqhhZufgwZRibsHz2E_pxQX47bpdpTlhsL9vSfPlHJnMIBu_aUusZVGq27JwK1uNfb39VyMNCd1ajPDFj0aprNkRiaRLC4FI/s320/pseg+canning+ad0001.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-22757129877219854292011-03-07T06:36:00.000-05:002011-03-07T06:36:11.535-05:00Will these pictures get me in trouble?Please don't bid against me, but yesterday I bid on a lot of photos on eBay. They're supposed to show a family in Summit, NJ, in the '40s and '50s. According to the seller, there are a few of the kind I want, that is, photos of kitchens, dining rooms, and of people eating home-prepared food in Summit.<br />
<br />
What if I win the bidding? Can I use the pictures in my church <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2010/12/contains-historical-facts-and.html">cookbook</a>? Obviously, I can. I have a scanner. But may I? I'm hoping the seller can either get the subjects' permission or give me permission as a family member. What if he doesn't know the subjects because he bought a box of snapshots at an estate sale?<br />
<br />
Who holds the copyright then? If you have any helpful thoughts on this, please let me know. Otherwise I'll do my customary desultory research. Then I'll probably conclude that I'm running out of time because I need to get the file to the printer and run the pictures anyway, hoping that the subjects or their descendants never notice.<br />
<br />
What was I saying about <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/03/webmasters-need-expertise-technical.html">ignorance of the law being no excuse</a>?Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-22544681248716641292011-03-02T06:40:00.000-05:002011-03-02T06:40:23.488-05:00Webmasters need expertise--technical, graphical and legalIt's not enough to be able to buy a domain, design a style sheet and know how to transfer your files to the internet. As my friend <a href="http://pecos-softwareworks.com/">Alan Norton</a>, a writer for <a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/">techrepublic</a> reminds us, webmasters need to stay abreast of legal developments that affect their sites. <br />
<br />
His article <a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/programming-and-development/do-webmasters-need-to-add-lawyer-and-legal-counsel-to-their-job-description/721">Do Webmasters need to add lawyer and legal counsel to their job description?</a> points out that a morass of legal issues lurks to bedevil innocent internet publishers, especially online retailers. <br />
<br />
<em>Asked and answered, your honor.</em> The question Alan addresses in the article above is one that people are still grappling with, for example on LinkedIn, where someone recently asked "<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/answers/law-legal/tax-law/LAW_TXL/787881-103624450?browseIdx=4&sik=1299065193097&goback=%2Eama">Does an ecommerce retailer have to file taxes in each state it sold a product in</a>?"<br />
<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, as John Selden wrote in the 17th century, <br />
<blockquote>Ignorance of the law excuses no man: Not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him. </blockquote>That means the short answer to Alan's question is, yes, webmasters do need to add legal counsel to their job descriptions, at least if they want to avoid legal hassles down the road and sleep easily at night.<br />
<br />
All these heavy responsibilities on the webmasters' heads are one more reason why they should engage copywriters--lots of them. After all, even webmasters can't be experts at <em>everything</em>.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-618057507152246072011-02-23T06:44:00.000-05:002011-02-23T06:44:52.250-05:00Who proofread this spam?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoDSCd6VoEmEEMt8nGOz9q5zLO3N6Vy4IqTnzZWgc-ewbYKrX0y4hOLNlRKiAWepR-uIxNVk-kdVw6vzjj-_tbwq-slObx1Oxl2neTLI8XMBIPgyRV-z4B-X1JOcqCEIwU7VNC94Q6OQ/s1600/spam+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoDSCd6VoEmEEMt8nGOz9q5zLO3N6Vy4IqTnzZWgc-ewbYKrX0y4hOLNlRKiAWepR-uIxNVk-kdVw6vzjj-_tbwq-slObx1Oxl2neTLI8XMBIPgyRV-z4B-X1JOcqCEIwU7VNC94Q6OQ/s400/spam+jpeg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My spell checker is frantic.</div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-47007863170007304172011-02-22T17:17:00.000-05:002011-02-22T17:17:15.396-05:00Free virtualization tutorialSure, I like <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/02/free-college-classes-online.html">free</a> things. That's why I appreciate the <a href="http://snia.org/">Storage Networking Industry Association's</a> posting free tutorials on their website.<br />
<br />
When I downloaded the <a href="http://www.snia.org/education/tutorials/2010/fall#virt">Virtualizations/Applications</a> tutorial, though, I hoped for a simple explanation, preferably a video with one-syllable words, of the benefits of dynamic provisioning. Instead I found three PowerPoint presentations full of sophisticated network-speak.<br />
<br />
So I did what any writer would do. I wrote down the phrases that appealed to me. Here they are:<br />
<ul><li>Heuristic shifting</li>
<li>Transparent on-the-fly reconfiguration</li>
<li>Virtual disks</li>
<li>Switch-based fabric topology is preferable to appliance-based failover mechanisms</li>
<li>A smart switch comprises a metadata controller and a data controller</li>
<li>A full block copy is better than a live volume</li>
<li>Volume updates replicate to remote servers</li>
<li>"Do not rely on only one network-based appliance or intelligent switch only"</li>
<li>You use two redundant volumes, one active and one passive, stored in a mirrored backend. The passive one has host-based multipathing software</li>
<li>Policy-based service level management handles error-prone administrative tasks such as storage provisioning. In fact, policy-based service must have no user interaction. <em>This one made me think of Vonnegut's</em> Player Piano<em>.</em></li>
<li>" Map storage to server volume(s) (online)!!" <em>This one is obviously important because it has two exclamation marks</em></li>
<li>Hypervisor <em>This is a new word to me, and I like it.</em></li>
</ul>If I got them wrong, don't blame the experts at the SNIA. Do look for these phrases on web copy and newsletters coming from my desk very soon :D<br />
<br />
Finally, slide 21 of <em>Trends in Application Recovery</em> by Andreas Schwegman makes it all worthwhile. So grab some popcorn and download those tutorials.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-33336491387112004342011-02-21T09:09:00.001-05:002011-02-21T09:21:17.384-05:00What bituminous rock did I crawl out from under?Last night two TV ads astonished me. Both were for Citizen's Energy, an alliance that's been providing one-time 100 gallon shipments of <a href="http://www.citizensenergy.com/english/pages/OilHeatProgram">free heating oil</a> to impoverished US households in 23 states. The oil comes from Venezuela, from CITGO, in fact.<br />
<br />
I wish I could find the ads on the internet so I could link you to them. When I do, I will.<br />
<br />
According to Citizen's Energy website, the program has been distributing free oil since 1979. 1979 was only four years after the US sold <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eLdaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q1gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2885,3205885&dq=grain+to+russia&hl=en">wheat to the USSR</a> to supplement the Soviet Republic's poor grain harvest. Everybody knows that the US <em>provides</em> foreign aid, it doesn't <em>receive</em> it, right?<br />
<br />
US citizens shivering in possibly-to-be-foreclosed houses will be grateful for foreign aid or anything that keeps their pipes from freezing. I hope that those of us with more choices will bear in mind that Venezuela's Orinoco Belt is the world's greatest supplier of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orimulsion">orimulsion</a>(r).<br />
<br />
My father, <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UrUcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dX0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6675,6937973&dq=orimulsion+hadow&hl=en">Ken Hadow</a>, waged the best fight of his life combating<a href="http://www.bnamericas.com/news/oilandgas/FP*L_Decides_Against_Orimulsion_Appeal1"> Florida Power & Light's application</a> to burn Venezuelan orimulsion at its Manatee Power Plant. <br />
<br />
Orimulsion is a tar-like bituminous fuel with a sulfur content of 3.8%. To evade OPEC quotas on oil, Venezuela tagged it a "non-conventional fuel" or <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/15/business/venezuela-pushing-liquid-coal.html?src=pm">"liquid coal."</a> Others just call it <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/dirtiest-fuel-fury-of-oil-spill-community-1306641.html">"the world's dirtiest fuel."</a><br />
<br />
Thanks to efforts like my father's, the market in the US, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/03/28/nb-dalhousie-jobs-nbpower-409.html">Canada</a> and the <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/02/06/power-station-approved-and-welsh-firms-poised-for-jobs-91466-22868013/">UK</a> dried up. Now Venezuela sells millions of tons of inexpensive orimulsion to <a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200212/20/eng20021220_108830.shtml">China</a>, where, mixed with water, it burns like coal, releasing heavy concentrations of sulfur, and fueling cheap Chinese exports.<br />
<br />
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez calls the trade between China and Venezuela <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/aug/25/venezuela.china">"a "Great Wall" against American hegemonism."</a><br />
<br />
In 2006, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aLiKorXZtVsQ&refer=us">Bloomberg News</a> reported that <br />
<blockquote>Chavez, whose country is the world's fifth-largest oil producer, had hinted he would seize the assets by raising taxes and royalties on the four ventures. Chavez, a critic of U.S. President George W. Bush, also blames capitalism for global poverty and has endorsed socialism as the best way to right economic inequalities. </blockquote>Chávez did seize those assets. In 2008, <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2008/05/08/venezuela-sinovensa-idUKN0841462520080508">Reuters</a> reported that <br />
<blockquote>President Hugo Chavez last year led a nationalization crusade that gave the state control over the projects once run by companies including Exxon Mobil (<span id="symbol_XOM.N_0"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/business/quotes/overview?symbol=XOM.N">XOM.N</a></span>) and ConocoPhillips (<span id="symbol_COP.N_1"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/business/quotes/overview?symbol=COP.N">COP.N</a></span>), which have taken Venezuela to arbitration for the takeover.</blockquote>Why would a nation that obviously finds the US overweening and benighted give us free heating oil, except to cock a snook, the snook paid for by the sale of orimulsion and by nationalizing private production plants?Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-74159514606509968772011-02-16T06:50:00.001-05:002011-02-16T06:54:22.844-05:00Ginny Hillenbrand’s “Instant Focus” WorksThere was a problem with the way I presented myself. I’d read books about it, prayed about it, asked others. Still I couldn’t put my finger on exactly where the problem was and what I could do about it.<br />
<br />
So I called Ginny Hillenbrand. Ginny trained me when I started out as a realtor. Some of the best advice you see on this blog actually comes from her.<br />
<br />
Ginny is now a life coach. She offers three kinds of coaching.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Presentation Skills</li>
<li>Instant Focus™</li>
<li>Leadership Coaching</li>
</ul>I want instant results, of course. So I went for the Instant Focus™<br />
<br />
As Ginny puts it<br />
<blockquote>“Instant Focus” is a one-time coaching session designed to help you move quickly toward an answer, an idea, a solution… NOW! This unique hybrid between Coaching and Consulting has helped scores of top executives and salespeople pump energy and clarity into confusing or exasperating situations. </blockquote><br />
<div>I described my problem as best I could. And within minutes Ginny responded in a way that made me understand where I could improve my performance, and how to do it. I’d been fretting over this issue for months. Ginny got right to the heart of it. I can’t say enough how impressed I am.</div><br />
<div></div>Here’s how Ginny’s Instant Focus™ sessions work:<br />
<ol><li>Initial phone call to discuss the format (no charge). This will help you clarify your goals. If you don’t move ahead, no problem, but what do you have to lose from making the call?</li>
<li>“Discovery” survey exploring the goal of the process for the individual. All information shared is totally confidential. </li>
<li>90-minute coaching session over the phone. </li>
<li>One week after the session, follow-up call to reinforce and identify areas of progress. </li>
</ol><br />
<div>I’m touched and grateful that Ginny pinpointed the problem area for me and gave me concrete ways to address it. If you have a work or life problem, contact Ginny for that initial phone call and see if she can help you the way she helped me. Ginny’s website is www.<a href="http://1-866-improve.com/">1-866-IMPROVE.com</a></div><br />
<div></div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-51960189402907007362011-02-15T13:37:00.000-05:002011-02-15T13:37:31.776-05:00Why are used Blackberries so expensive?I'm embarrassed to say that my phone isn't web-enabled. So far I just haven't seen the point since I'm not on the road enough.<br />
<br />
Still I know many efficient people who love their PDAs for contact and schedule management. So I thought, what the heck? I'll buy a used Blackberry for cheap and try it out for a month, no internet, just the calendar and contact management.<br />
<br />
To my surprise, there are no cheap Blackberries, even used ones. What's with that? Even the used ones cost hundreds of dollars. They've been on the market long enough that somebody must have tired of theirs, or upgraded, right?<br />
<br />
If you have a used Blackberry that I can borrow for a month or so, please let me know.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-51055824774905380772011-02-11T10:12:00.000-05:002011-02-11T10:12:40.787-05:00Too bad I don’t lead a community foundationThe Pew Internet & American Life Project will present a <a href="http://www.informationneeds.org/media-learning-seminar">media learning seminar</a> about the information ecosystems of communities at the end of this month.<br />
<br />
<div> </div><blockquote>The new research looks at citizen experiences and attitudes in Macon, Philadelphia, and Santa Clara about local media and institutions. It explores the ways local news organizations, governments, libraries, and other anchor institutions are serving the information appetites of their communities.</blockquote>Even though I’d like to be there, I’m not invited because I don’t lead a community foundation.<br />
<br />
Still, from my own computer I get lots of information from the Pew Center, such as this report on <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Better-off-households.aspx">the use of the internet in higher-income households</a> :<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Higher-income households are more likely to own more internet-ready devices and to have broadband access than their less wealthy counterparts. (Well, it's a good idea to confirm the obvious.)</li>
<li>"79% of the internet users in the higher earning bracket have visited a government website at the local, state or federal level versus 56% of those who fall into the lowest-income group ."</li>
<li>"Internet users in the top income brackets are more likely to search for medical information online, seek treatment information, seek material about doctors and medical facilities, and get data concerning test results." (Speculation: Maybe that’s because lower household income correlates to lower likelihood to have health insurance? If your coverage is good, it pays to try to find the most effective treatment, rather than what your insurance company dictates or what you can pay out of pocket.)</li>
</ul><br />
<div> </div>The report separates out the <a href="http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Better-off-households/Report/Highest-earning-households.aspx">internet use statistics for ultra-high income households</a>. <br />
<div> </div><div> </div>Also, have a look at the <a href="http://pewsocialtrends.org/">Pew reports on social and demographic trends</a>, because, as Benjamin Franklin said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." <br />
<br />
<br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-31973157294961415402011-02-10T07:56:00.001-05:002011-02-10T07:56:35.543-05:00Free college classes--onlineI do like <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/02/ring-cycle-i.html">free things</a>, as long as I trust the organization offering them. Here's one I think is a great deal.<br />
<br />
Always wish you’d studied <a href="http://oyc.yale.edu/english/modern-poetry">Modern Poetry</a>? <a href="http://oyc.yale.edu/music">Music appreciation</a>? <a href="http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology">Psychology</a>?<br />
<br />
You can study at Yale, via the internet, at no charge under a program called <a href="http://oyc.yale.edu/">Open Yale Courses</a>. <br />
<blockquote>Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University. The aim of the project is to expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn. </blockquote><br />
I’m taking <a href="http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/the-psychology-biology-and-politics-of-food/">PSYC 123: The Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food</a>. Maybe it’ll give me ideas for the<a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/02/ladies-and-gentlemen-we-have-price.html"> cookbook</a>. <br />
<br />
If you take one of these classes, let me know what you think.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-33473163926614504122011-02-08T12:56:00.000-05:002011-02-08T12:56:43.312-05:00Unwelcome editsThis just makes me laugh:<br />
<blockquote>Nothing, not love, not greed, not passion or hatred, is stronger than a writer's need to change another writer's copy. --Arthur Evans</blockquote>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-60087482288162629722011-02-06T06:11:00.001-05:002011-02-08T12:57:45.765-05:00The Ring Cycle: II want to create a custom ringtone to give to donors at a fundraiser. <br />
<br />
If only I knew how, not just to create the ringtone, but to patent or trademark this innovative idea, I would.<br />
<br />
Lloyd can make me an MP3 file. The problem is how to load it on my own phone and onto donors’ phones.<br />
<br />
So I type “custom ringtone” and “create ringtone” into my search engine. Result: <br />
<ul><li>make your own ringtones,online ringtone maker,free custom ringtones,free ...</li>
<li>Create free MP3 ringtones for your cell phone. .... Free T-Mobile Ringtones • Free Apple iPhone Wallpapers • Make Your Own MP3 Ringtones Online! ...</li>
<li>Make m4r Ringtones Online: computer rpg tetris pokemon monopoly. Make Free Midi Ringtones, Make Money Online Toolbar, Ringtones Librarian.</li>
</ul><br />
<div> I’m suspicious. </div><br />
<div> </div>My mother-in-law is so cautious that she won’t visit blogs, even mine. But I don’t think it’s hypercautious not to want to visit a free ringtone site.<br />
<br />
<ul><li> You already know that the creators are technically savvy enough to transmit information to your phone, and presumably to your computer as well.</li>
<li>Why are they offering this ability to you for free? What’s in it for them?</li>
<li>Could they plan to deliver malware to your pc? Or to your phone?</li>
<li>Even if most of them are honest, how do you know <em>you </em>won’t land on the malefactor?</li>
</ul><br />
<div>Note that I didn’t search for “free ringtone.” I’d rather pay a few bucks and </div><br />
<ul><li>Not feel guilty for depriving someone of a due livelihood</li>
<li>Not worry that I couldn’t really trust the supplier</li>
<li>Otherwise live with the boring ringtones I already have</li>
</ul><br />
<div>In the end, the donors who install the ringtone on their phones are going to have to trust <em>me</em>, especially if they have to hand me their SIM cards to insert into a multi-card reader (though I hope there's an easier way). I need a solution I can trust. </div><br />
<div></div>I’ll keep you posted.<br />
<br />
<div></div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-56467523338779160902011-02-01T18:03:00.000-05:002011-02-01T18:03:36.602-05:00Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have a PriceAt the <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2010/12/contains-historical-facts-and.html">cookbook</a> committee meeting today we settled on a <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2011/01/price.html">price</a>: $20/copy.<br />
<br />
We're happy to say that we plan to design the book to fit in a small flat-rate mailer, so it'll cost $6 for postage and handling to ship anywhere in the United States. We'd have been so irritated if we'd only thought of it after the books came back from the printer.<br />
<br />
The funny thing is that even though we haven't announced the price, we have two advance orders. This reminds us that if the book sells really well, it won't be entirely due to our editorial skills or our marketing acumen. It's a fundraiser, and people do want to support the Women of <a href="http://calvary-summit.org/">Calvary</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40cXcgQXtQHaz-JrbMvHoOrEar5O_e9bcSdWBaHF_tmx3vwaNKCgb0Fm2qPdwc21jsRacGemMu25mPs7r3xAjsALCf9TtJiUrrxdnjmDiA1pRl6-rthY3VpmkR2KI0-281YqBKbVRRFc/s1600/radio+cooking+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40cXcgQXtQHaz-JrbMvHoOrEar5O_e9bcSdWBaHF_tmx3vwaNKCgb0Fm2qPdwc21jsRacGemMu25mPs7r3xAjsALCf9TtJiUrrxdnjmDiA1pRl6-rthY3VpmkR2KI0-281YqBKbVRRFc/s320/radio+cooking+school.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy PSE&G</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-66736213763277911062011-01-31T07:52:00.000-05:002011-01-31T07:52:29.898-05:00How to designate a "best answer" on LinkedIn"How do you pick a best answer on LinkedIn?" the man asked me.<br />
<br />
I'd answered his LinkedIn question. He wrote to tell me how he'd decided to use the information that answerers like me had given him. I reminded him that people liked the <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2010/11/linkedin-expertise.html">"best answer"</a> badges, and that somebody would appreciate it if he chose their answer as "best." So he wanted to know how to do that.<br />
<br />
And, you know, I couldn't find anything in the help guides about it.<br />
<br />
This morning I've closed my very first LinkedIn question. I can tell you authoritatively how to designate the best answer to your question.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Go to My Q&A.</li>
<li>Select the question.</li>
<li>Click "close question." When you do that, LinkedIn will ask:</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Close Question: Select Good Answers</li>
<li>Select all of the answers that are “good.” If you choose just one, that answer will also be marked “best.”</li>
</ul>If one of the responses is clearly outstanding, mark it as the "best." That person will get an "expert" badge on her or his profile. <br />
<br />
If you have useful information from several people, mark each of those answers as "good." They don't get badges, but they do know how much you appreciated their contributions. <br />
<br />
When you choose several good answers and click "close question" LinkedIn will ask again<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Below are the answers you marked as “good.” Please select one as the best answer. </li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<div> Go ahead, I say. Choose a best answer. Make someone's day.</div><div> </div><div> </div><br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div><br />
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<div> </div>Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-2197268480788890902011-01-29T10:21:00.002-05:002011-01-31T10:06:06.388-05:00Site Templates Are Your FriendsWhen you start your first website, you probably don't need a lot of fancy features. You need to get comfortable putting your message on the interwebs--you can always change it up later.<br />
<br />
Templates are your friends. They give you a variety of looks for your site--maybe not as much variety as you want, but still. If you decide it's really not you, press a button and it's gone.<br />
<br />
If you have a blog, you already know how templates work. Was I surprised that setting up a "real" website is just as easy.<br />
<br />
So find a template you like and concentrate on the more important issues: what you want to say, and your domain name. I'm happy to help you with both, of course. But I want you to learn how to update your site yourself, so that you can keep it fresh and keep readers (both human and search engines) coming back for more.<br />
<br />
FYI, I created my own website, <a href="http://katharinehadow.com/">KatharineHadow.com</a>, using a template. :)Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164182662057074245.post-40535668139364774092011-01-28T10:30:00.000-05:002011-01-28T10:30:51.300-05:00Stress One NowTo continue on the topic of <a href="http://njcommuniques.blogspot.com/2009/10/your-call-is-not-that-important-to-us.html">automated answering systems</a>, you may enjoy the chapter "Stress One Now" from Whoopi Goldberg's 2010 book <em>Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There</em>?<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you are a current customer, say 'yes.'"<br />
"No."<br />
"So, to confirm, you are a current customer, correct? If so, say yes."<br />
"No."<br />
"Good. I'll connect you to current customer relations. Your wait time is approximately...<em>horty-hoo inutes</em>."</blockquote>(I find that yelling "Operator...assistance...human being." into the phone connects me to the right department about 15% of the time.)<br />
<br />
Goldberg's other chapters include "Louder, They Can't Hear You in the Lobby," and "Road Rude." She says some unkind things about bloggers, but I'll overlook them, since I agree with her on many points.<br />
<br />
I'm a little surprised that even though she's a famous star Goldberg knows about office nuisances like people leaving science projects in the fridge, and not refilling the photocopy paper. I assume she has assistants to research things like that.Lysistratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04006148676020592273noreply@blogger.com0