Rainbow

I Can't Sleep

It's 1:30 a.m. and I have to get up for work in five hours. Yet here I am writing this blog post because I can't sleep.

I hurt - I have a sinus headache and "arthr" decided to visit - my right ankle, knee and hip really hurt.

My cat poked my cheek with her paw.

My other cat is attacking the window, presumably because he saw a bug outside, but with him, you never know.

My mind is busy. Before I got up to write this post, I
- came up with a goofy rap song for my godson
- wondered how behavioral targeting really works
- thought of three ideas for blog posts (besides this one)
- remembered a survey that's ready to be analyzed at work
- thought of a survey question that might be useful for work
- wondered when my office's "sharing week" is going to be this fall
- worried about my dad's declining health

Now that I've dumped this randomness on you, swallowed a couple of Advil and slurped a mug of warm milk, I'm headed back to bed - if the cats have left me any room, that is.

Wish me luck, folks. Otherwise you might be soon be seeing one of those other three blog posts I mentioned above;-)

Book Review: The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR

At PlayhouseSquare, my colleagues in the marketing department and I handle both advertising and publicity. I spend more of my time on publicity, so my curiosity piqued when I came across the book The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR, written by Al and Laura Ries and published in 2002.

Unfortunately, this book was a chore to slog through. The tone of the authors is so bitter that I suspect that one of them was humiliated by a termination from an advertising agency, or perhaps suffered a concussion at the hand of a Clio Award-wielding ex-lover.

Some of the references are so dated that I'm only familiar with the topics through anecdotes told by my parents. I can't imagine a recent college grad relating to this book. How many 20-somethings know what a Yugo is?

And then there's the litany of suggestions rejected by their clients with the not-so-subtle assertion that these clients were stupid for not listening to them.

Further, it's hard trust the assertions of authors whose foresight has proven to be less than reliable. For example, they asserted that 3G phones and Amazon would prove to be failures.

This book's coup de grace came when I was adding it to my list on goodreads.com. I mistakenly typed in "the rise of advertising" and to my surprise, up came a listing for a book entitled The Rise of Advertising & the Fall of PR, published in 2009 with a forward by Al Ries.

All this said, I did agree with some of the points made by the authors. I do believe that using PR to build a brand and advertising to maintain a brand can be the right strategy to use in many cases. But with today's fragmented communications channels, I do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all answer.

Nor do I believe that either PR or advertising is falling or rising - both are changing.

PR Lessons from "The Decision"

I'm not a basketball fan. Before last week, I'd never heard of Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. I followed the LeBron James announcement as a Clevelander, but mostly as a communications professional, looking to see if there were any PR lessons to learn.

Boy, were there:

1. Know your audience.
As a general rule, we Americans want our sports heroes to be confident yet humble. And though they'll get the ring, the trophy, and the glory, we want them to win for us. James made it clear that he wants to win for himself, and that just doesn't sit well.

Imagine that a company held a press conference to announce, "We're introducing the new iGadget/Wonder Drug/Clean-As-New Laundry Detergent/whatever so we can make more money." Ridiculous, right? We all know companies are in business to make money, but that's not the way to position a new product launch to consumers.

You have to know your audience, tailor your message accordingly and...

2. Choose the right medium for the message.
The one-hour ESPN special only would have worked well if James had announced his decision to stay in Cleveland. It would have further cemented his status as a hometown hero and commitment to overcome the curse on Cleveland sports. Instead, he came across as selfish.

Appropriate ways to announce his decision to leave: issue a statement or, possibly, hold a press conference in Cleveland, all the while expressing gratitude for the support of the Cavaliers fans and the opportunity given to him by the Cavaliers organization. Either of these could have been followed up with media interviews.

It's important to think carefully about how you are going to deliver your message. Does it merit a press conference? A video statement? A Facebook status update? Is it wiser to start a little smaller and follow up with something wider reaching if needed?

Consider the content and the audience you want to reach with it.

3. Protect the brand.
Up until last week, the LeBron James brand was extraordinarily talented athlete, hometown hero and classy guy. Cavs fans that I spoke with told me they felt duped; they had believed he was respectable. Over and over they repeated that it wasn't the fact that he was leaving, it was how he chose to announce his decision that cost him their respect.

Make sure each and every message is consistent with the brand.

4. Don't stoop to their level.
The way LeBron James announced his decision to go to Miami hurt all Northeast Ohioans in way that we haven't been hurt before, with the possible exception of Art Modell's removal of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. As much as it may feel justified, retaliation isn't the way to win in PR. Dan Gilbert's impassioned letter to Cavaliers fans and area residents would have been the perfect response minus the digs at James.

In PR, as in life, it's always better to be the bigger person.

5. Take full advantage of your opportunities.
I may be biased because I work for a not-for-profit organization, but I find myself most disappointed by the unrealized opportunity for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Sure, they got some money and some national airtime, but James could have given them so much more.

Imagine if he had started his ESPN special like this: "Before I announce my decision, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about an organization that had a tremendous influence on me while I was growing up: the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Specifics about his experience. I would not be where I am today without the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, so I am making a donation to the Clubs in each of the six cities I met with during the past few weeks, and also to the Boys & Girls Club of Akron, my hometown. I encourage everyone watching to learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America by visiting bgca.org."

Maybe, just maybe, that would have softened the response to the mishandling of "The Decision" announcement.

When you have the stage, take full advantage of the opportunity to say what's most important.

Bonus quickie lessons:
Don't refer to yourself in the third person.
Don't announce your break-up in public until after you've told your significant other, your employer, your business partner, etc.
And please, don't use comic sans unless you are writing a letter to a child.

Book Review: St. Vidicon to the Rescue by Christopher Stasheff

Meet the patron saint of technology - St. Vidicon. During an unfortunate incident during the Pope's broadcast to the masses, Father Vidicon dies for his faith and finds himself in a limbo of sorts, battling against Finagle's General Principle, Murphy's Law and the Spirit of all Paradox. Father Vidicon recruits IT pro Tony Ricci to aid him, and in return, gives Tony a little help in matters of the heart.

The novel is a choppy and in fact reads more like a book of short stories. That doesn't stop the fun of imagining that traffic lights and television broadcasts are really made possible by tiny gnomes. And Stasheff is a master of imitating the tone, word order and pacing of a King James Bible or high mass. This mastery may make some portions of the novel tedious for some readers.

In short, a fun read for those plagued by technical problems or tasked with fixing them.

FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book and this review is unsolicited.

Book Review: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines

Ever wonder if the characters in all those fairy tales really live happily ever after? If so, you might want to check out The Stepsister Scheme.

In this book, we have a chance to catch up with Cinderella (Danielle) after she marries her Prince Charming (Armand). Things are going along quite, well, happily until she is attacked by one of her step-sisters and discovers that Armand has been kidnapped by fairies. To set things right, Snow (White, of course) and Sleeping Beauty (Talia) come to Danielle's aid. How do they know she needs aid? They were previously taken in by Danielle's mother-in-law, Queen "Bea."

During the trio's adventure, we get the real story on Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, who has become quite the warrior princess since we last knew her. We also discover what happened to Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters after the wedding. Let's just say it's not pretty.

The first in Jim C. Hines' Princess Series, The Stepsister Scheme is clever, engaging and overall, well-written. His explanation of the "real" nature of the Seven Dwarfs is somewhat clunky and not well-developed, but does not distract from the overall enjoyment of the story. I already have the next installment, The Mermaid's Madness, waiting in my to-read pile of books.

FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book and this review is unsolicited.

Book Review: Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

Vampires are everywhere these days, but Christopher Farnsworth has created a unique and intriguing premise...The President's Vampire.

In the first of what promises to be an entertaining series of books (and possibly films, as Blood Oath has already been optioned), we are introduced to Nathaniel Cade, a vampire who was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1867 and is now oath-bound to protect the United States and its Presidents against supernatural enemies.

As Blood Oath begins, the arrogant, ambitious young politician Zach Barrows finds out that he has been assigned to take over for the likeable Agent Griffin as Cade's handler. Barrows doesn't have much time to come to grips with this new reality before he and Cade have to set off across the country to hunt down a supernatural threat.

The ensuing action is gripping, with a number of unexpected twists. Adding to the reader's enjoyment are excerpts from "Cade's Briefing Book," letters and news articles that explain Cade's abilities in relation to vampire lore and provide additional background on his service to the office of the President without bogging down the story at hand. Aside from one crudely written sex scene that seemed to drop in out of nowhere, I found Blood Oath to be an entertaining read and I can't wait to find out what Cade and Barrows are up to next.

FTC Disclosure: I received a free, preview copy of this book through a contest on goodreads.com.

My Thoughts on the LOST Finale

*SPOILER ALERT* Stop reading now if you have not yet watched the LOST finale.


And so we have come to the end. The responsibility of crafting an appropriate finale for any television series, but especially an epic one like LOST, is not something to be undertaken lightly. Mess it up and you ruin the entire series (Will & Grace) for fans forever. For LOST, a series to which fans have devoted countless hours re-watching, researching, blogging, discussing and dissecting, messing it up might well have left Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof with prices on their heads.

As the finale approached, I fervently hoped that Carlton and Damon would not let us LOSTies down. Little did I know that I should have been worrying about a monumental technical failure at my local ABC affiliate that pretty much ruined the experience for me, though perhaps I should be thankful that they saved me about $20 worth of tissues.

Overall, I'm more than satisfied with the LOST finale. My closest peeps know that I get about as excited about sappy love stories as I would at the thought of jabbing a dull pencil in my eye. In this case, however, after all of the heart-wrenching emotion, physical torture and loss these characters experienced, it was gratifying to see all the right couples together, happy and at peace, together at the end.

The highlights: Hurley's grin when Charlie opened the door to his hotel room, Sawyer and Juliet's reunion at the vending machine, Locke forgiving Ben, seeing Bernard and Rose and VINCENT!, Miles - "I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape," Sun and Jin remembering and then being able to speak perfect English, seeing Boone

The lowpoints: I don't think Kate deserved to be the one to kill Flocke, Shannon's hair, the omission of Jack speaking over the water before Hurley took over his role as protector of the island

The questions: I knew that LOST would leave us with plenty of questions to ponder. These are the ones I would most like to see answered or further explored at some point: Walt's magical/supernatural abilities; Charles Widmore's full back-story and motivations; Charlotte's complete report on the archeological dig that seemed to be a discovery of artifacts from the island; who were the ancient inhabitants of the island that built the statue, the "glowy cave," etc.; the story of Eloise Hawking Widmore; what happened to Helen, Aaron, David and Ji Yeon.

My gratitude is forever due to the creators and everyone involved with LOST for having the courage to create a television show that required viewers to think; for giving us so many unforgettable characters (most especially for me - Sawyer, Charlie, Hurley and Locke); for raising the bar of the television musical score to a soaring height; and for remembering to include Vincent in the finale. Namaste.

Sunday Morning

I like to start my Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee and Sunday Morning - the CBS show, that is.

Hosted by the bow-tie wearing Charles Osgood, Sunday Morning provides in depth reporting on stories that you don't normally hear about, interesting commentaries, and interviews that go beyond the pandering entertainment show fare. This past Sunday, for example, Sunday Morning explained all this "Tea Party" jazz that's going on, showed the largest pilgrimage on earth (nope, not the one to Mecca, but one I'd never heard of before), shared footage of a breathtaking new orchestra/film concert that made me want to go to Houston to see it, and highlighted a project to photograph America's endangered species.

Bill Geist's travels around the country to turkey-calling contests, "Hot Dog U," and the Sisters of the Holy Spirit bakery right here in Cleveland make me chuckle. Did you know that the Sisters of the Holy Spirit bake cookies for the Cleveland Indians? Other regulars on the show include Mo Rocca and Ben Stein.

Sunday Morning is a softer, gentler news show and I find it to be a peaceful way to start my day. I wish there was a Sunday Morning every day of the week. The regular morning shows jump so quickly from one topic to the next that I'm already racing before my day starts.

The show ends with a minute or two of beautiful nature footage. No commentary, no music...just birds chirping, breezes blowing or water trickling. When this peaceful moment ends, it's time for me to leave for church, and I'm in just the right frame of mind to worship.

Orange Is the New Black

I received an advance copy of Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman through a goodreads.com contest.

Unfortunately for Ms. Kerman, the James Frey debacle led me to approach this book more skeptically than I might have otherwise. I found the circumstances of her crime rather hard to believe, especially when she recounts a meeting with the woman who caused her downfall. During this meeting, she quotes the woman as saying, "Sort of chilly for a marg?" Who has ever shortened the word margarita as anything other than 'rita???

That aside, I was compelled by the description of her conviction and time in prison. Despite the fact that she did commit a crime, I found the fact that the criminal justice system forced her to wait six years for sentencing to fall under the category of "cruel and unusual." By the time she was sentenced and self-surrendered to prison, the mistakes of her youth were long behind her. What sense did it make to punish her then?

Even more heart-breaking was reading about the deplorable lack of services available to help the women she served time with to return to the outside world with any chance of success. It's no wonder recidivism rates are so high.

Ms. Kerman's book brings to light the lack of "corrections" in our correctional system. I would much rather see my tax dollars being used to provide training and instruction that could lead prisoners that can be rehabilitated to productive, healthy lives after their incarcerations.

Good Times

There is nothing like curling up with a good book, a warm blanket, a cup of tea and maybe a kitty or two. That's what I did yesterday while I was home nursing a nasty sinus headache.

Over the past year or so, I've discovered some authors whose work I'm really enjoying. Thought I'd share in case you are looking for a good read. If you've read any of the following, I'd love to hear your thoughts - or offer up your own suggestions!

A. Lee Martinez - I'm currently reading A Nameless Witch and loving it. What's not to love about a book with talking demonic duck? His other books look intriguing as well.

Ted Dekker - I'm currently listening to Kiss in the car and loving that too. I've read a number of his books lately (including Black, Red, White and Green) and have enjoyed them all. He has a unique imagination, that's for sure.

Shanna Swendson - The Enchanted Inc. series is nothing short of delightful. Quick, fun reads.

Carrie Bebris - So far, I've only read her series of mysteries that take place where Pride and Prejudice leave off, but I am eager to read other books she's written.

Karen Miller/K.E. Mills - I've been devouring her books. She's a great fantasy writer. One series is blood-soaked and full of violence, another has a dash of humor. Something for everyone.

Lisa Shearin - She created one of the most kick-ass female characters in Raine Benares. I've read the whole series and am looking forward to the new one coming soon.

Tanya Egan Gibson - I found How to Buy a Love of Reading in the bargain bin. Powerful and touching. Could not put it down.

Cinda Williams Chima - I recommend her for Harry Potter fans that are looking for something similar.

That's all for now. Lost is about to start! Peace out.

Held Prisoner By My ISP

I really don't know what to do.

I'm considering a change in internet service providers, but I don't want to have to change my e-mail address. That's harder to change than your mailing address!

The legislation making cell phone numbers portable from one carrier to another really helped consumers. I think Congress needs to step in and do the same for e-mail addresses.

In the mean time, I'm feeling frustrated and stuck. ARGH!

Five Random Things That Make Me Happy

- Looking at the stars

- Being appreciated

- The fact that someone finally likes my singing (I don't care if he's only 9 months old; it still counts!)

- Earning the trust of an animal

- Hazelnut coffee

The Olympics

The Winter Olympics came to a close last night, and I'm still wondering about the Olympic spirit in America. I didn't feel that much excitement about the Olympics, unlike there seemed to be while I was growing up.

Was the excitement there, and I missed it? Or are things different now that we have so many more viewing choices? Perhaps it's just easier to ignore the Olympics.

Or is our society so fragmented into liberal vs. conservative, pro-war vs. anti-war, this side of an issue vs. that side of an issue, that we can't rally as a nation any more?

Is NBC's poor coverage of the Games to blame? I could not believe the disrespect shown by the network, abruptly ending their coverage of the Closing Ceremony to lead into a new program.

I was glad to see Canada win the gold medal in men's hockey because it means more to them than it does to us. Frankly, I'm not sure winning that medal would mean anything to U.S. citizens, a far cry from the excitement over The Miracle of 30 years ago.

I believe that my parents instilled the Olympic spirit in me. When I watch the Games, I feel pride for our athletes and peace at seeing the world come together for a time. I enjoy hearing the human interest stories about various athletes and teams. My parents followed the Olympics closely this time, as they always do, giving me updates on what I missed while I was at work. My mom even took off work to watch the women's gold medal hockey game!

How about you? Did you have the Olympic spirit?

A Best Friend

I don't think people really know what a best friend is. Some people throw this term around too loosely; others claim never to have had one. I consider myself beyond fortunate to have the BEST best friend. Sometimes I feel a little junior high-ish describing her as such, but there's really no other way to put it. She's not just a friend, or even a good friend. Saying "the sister God didn't give me" might be a little closer to the mark, but even that doesn't cover it.

My best friend knows me better than I know myself sometimes...well, more often than sometimes. I tell her everything - my deepest fears, my silliest worries, my smallest victories, my most random observations - and even the things I really hate to admit. I know I can tell her these things because a best friend doesn't judge. Ever. A best friend accepts you for who you are. NO. MATTER. WHAT. And if they can't? Well, then that person wasn't really your best friend to begin with.

My best friend knows when and how to push me to be better than I am. I think back to teammates on two Biggest Loser teams that claimed to be best friends on a recent season. On both teams, one "best friend" let the other down. That's not what best friends do. I would rather die than let my best friend down.

A best friend shuttles your family members back and forth to the hospital when one of your loved ones is seriously ill. A best friend puts your cat's ashes in an urn when you can't bear to do it yourself. A best friend stays in the hospital with you overnight when the delivery of your child isn't going smoothly. A best friend drives four hours to tell you in person that your boyfriend asked her to sleep with him. (Note: a best friend does NOT sleep with your boyfriend and then take you on Jerry Springer to tell you about it.) A best friend burps your baby even if babies scare the crap out of her. A best friend volunteers to learn how to change diapers so you can get some sleep even if she's vowed to go to her grave without ever having changed one. And a best friend, knowing what it took for you to offer, says that's OK, you don't have to.

These are all things that my best friend and I have done for each other. I thank God every single day for my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Thanks for everything Chris!

Five Random Things I Don't Understand

I just don't understand...

-Whose idea was it to have companies send out these privacy notices every year? I don't disagree that they should have them, but I'm sure the extra mailing costs get passed back to the consumer. Does anybody even read those things?

-Why are insurance companies allowed to increase your rates after just one or two accidents? Isn't that what we pay them for?

-If I pay to have cable, why do cable channels think I should watch paid programming?

-What's up with these commercials that show a doctor sitting at his/her desk, talking with a fully dressed patient who is sitting in a regular chair? When do you ever get to talk to your doctor while wearing anything but a scratchy paper gown or sitting on anything but the exam table?

-When I buy calcium supplements at the grocery store, why does the automatic coupon machine think I'm old enough to join AARP?

Playing Games

I love to play cards and board games. My parents and I get together once a week for dinner and games, but today I got to experience a big family game day. There's nothing quite like a few hours spent with people that are as comfortable to be around as a cozy blanket, where no one stands on ceremony, the table's not quite big enough and there's plenty of laughter.

Thanks for including me Brennans:-)

Thoughts on Love and Dating

In honor of Valentine's Day, I've decided to write about my thoughts on love and dating.

I never have had a good dating/romantic relationship experience.

I have heard far more dating and marriage horror stories than I have good ones.

I have heard of men who subscribe to the "100 mile rule," meaning that if you are 100 miles or more away from your significant other, it's not cheating.

I have heard of far too many men being unfaithful to their wives and girlfriends.

I have listened to too many men over the age of 30 express unbelievably immature attitudes about dating. Oh, excuse me, I should have said "hanging out."

For the past few years, I've spent some time thinking about whether or not I even want to be in the dating pool. I've even tried online dating...blech.

As of this Valentine's Day, I've decided a few things:
1. I am going to stop being bitter about my unfortunate dating luck.
2. I am going to express unreserved joy for those who have found true dating or married bliss.
3. I am officially declaring myself out of the dating pool. For me, the potential benefits just don't outweigh the potential risks.

And so, with a true heart, I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day. Share it with those you love. For me, that's going to be my parents, and I'm going to enjoy my time with them.

Five Random Things That Annoy Me

Tailgating (driving, not partying)

Poorly crafted e-mail marketing (worst culprits I've seen: Colorful Images, The Popcorn Factory, Staples)

Forwarded e-mails that threaten bad luck if not forwarded again

People who contact me only when they want free tickets

Reading the word "over" when the words "more than" should have been used

What annoys you?

They've Got Personality

The other day, when I was playing with one of my cats, I started thinking about how amazing animals are. Each one that I've known well has had his or her own unique personality. I just don't get people that don't like animals. What's not to like about a fuzzy, cuddly package that brings joy and unconditional love to your life? That far outweighs pet hair, vet bills, and the occasional mess. In tribute to the animals I've known and loved, here's a quick summary of their personalities:

The Protector - Lady was part of my family before I was born. When I arrived, she became my playmate and protector. This is my favorite item in my baby book, and it pretty much sums up how I learned to think of animals...as part of the family.


The Diva - After Lady passed away, I just couldn't imagine having another dog. My parents and I visited a local shelter and picked out a beautiful brown and white cat. She rubbed against us and let us hold her while we were there. Once we got her home, however, Chablis wanted nothing to do with holding or petting. She did love for me to put jewelry on her though!

The Prince - My dear, sweet Marty, also rescued from a shelter, was with me for 16 years. He remains, in my opinion, the best cat ever. So loving, Marty purred like a champ all the time. Despite his many healthy problems, he was an angel. He also was beyond spoiled. Everyone catered to Marty. I remember arriving at the vet's office one time, and overheard the vet say to his assistant, "Could you finish this for me? I don't want to keep Marty waiting." My handsome boy passed away two years ago and I still miss him every day.


The Baby Carrier - While roommates in Cincinnati, my best friend and I were given a dog for whom our neighbor could no longer care. Sota and Marty became best friends, and it was at this time that we discovered my best friend's unusual connection to springer spaniels. Sota loved to carry stuffed toys around in her mouth, and was rarely seen without one. We called them her "babies." She also loved to hold hands, which I have never known another dog to do.


The Dancing Licker - Cordelia, or Cordi, is a little dog with a HUGE personality. She loves everybody and will smother you with kisses if you let her. Part poodle, Cordi loves to show off her dancing skills and chase balls.

The Obsessed - I have never seen a dog so obsessed with his mommy (owner) as my best friend's springer spaniel is. Darth gets a worried look on his face if she even leaves the room! I suspect that Darth may have forgotten to grow up, because he still acts like a puppy. If I am standing, Darth will jump up and put his arms around mine so I will scratch his chest. In addition to his mommy, Darth is obsessed with bubbles and shadows. He's a bit of a scaredy-dog too, but we still love him!


The Grump - Leia is a grumpy but lovable basset hound. This girl needs her sleep, so don't keep her awake! She believes that humans belong on the floor while she sits on the furniture. In her mind, she's #2 in the house, second only to my best friend while out-ranking my best friend's husband, son and Darth. Bossy but beautiful, that's Leia.


The Energizer Doggie - Bailey belongs to my friend and her family. In all the time I have known this dog, I have never seen her sleep and even lie down for more than a few minutes. I don't know where she gets her energy from, but I wish I could borrow some! She plays hard, but eats like a lady. She will refuse all but the smallest pieces of food. When she's excited (which is most of the time), she sounds like a leaking balloon.


The Gentle Environmentalist - As I mentioned in a previous post, Captain Jack Sparrow (Jack) is an environmentalist, re-purposing garbage into toys rather than play with store-bought ones. He's the most gentle cat I've known, meowing so quietly that I can barely hear him and reaching toward me slowly and softly with his paws when he wants attention. He does like to push things onto the floor though. Jack was also rescued from a shelter.



Dr. Jeckyl/Ms. Hyde - One minute, Snickers is cuddled up on my lap and purring. The next, she's trying to chew my hand off. I can't blame her though. She was homeless on the street and started coming around a friend's house. When the weather got cold, I took her in. I have no idea what her life was like before I got her, but her behavior has improved in the year I've had her. I'm not sure Jack would agree with me though! She just took a toy away from him.


My life would be so boring without all of these characters.

Stuff That Makes My Life Easier

These are a few of the products that make my life easier:

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Nothing works better at taking dirt off walls

Garnier Fructis Ultra Strong Hairspray
This hairspray works great, better than expensive salon brands, but do not be fooled by the Garnier hairsprays in the darker green cans with black lids. These do not work any better than spraying compressed air at your head!

Yesterday's News Cat Litter
No dust, absorbs oders, doesn't have an oder of it's own, and it's recycled!

Johnny Cat Litter Box Liners
The only ones cats with claws don't rip right through

Aveeno Body Wash
I used to suffer from very dry winter skin because I'm not good at using lotion regularly. With Aveeno body wash, my skin stays in good shape all winter, even though I don't use lotion.

Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment
One use heals chapped lips or really dry hands. Works on rough heels too.

Cover Girl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner
The only eyeliner I've ever liked

Bird's Eye Steamfresh Singles
Less than two minutes in the microwave, and you've got a serving of veggies. Perfect for busy singles.





FTC Disclosure - These product recommendations were not solicited.

My Cat Is Green

My cat, Jack, has turned garbage into toys - the envelopes that tea bags come in, the rings from milk jugs and straws. My furry little environmentalist;-)

I Finally Understand

For many years, my dad refused to vote in presidential elections. He had voted for Richard Nixon and was appalled that he could have been duped so badly by a politician. He questioned his own judgment.

I now understand how he felt.

I was rooting for John Edwards to win the 2008 election. That thought is almost physically sickening to me now. The idea that someone as conniving, ruthless and just plain slimy could be the leader of our country is the single most frightening idea I have ever come across.

The sad part is - they are probably people just as conniving, ruthless and slimy, if not more so, in office already.

What is it about politics? Does it bring out the worst in people? Or are the worst people running for office?

The Big Bang Theory Cracks Me Up

(Note: I am talking about the television show, not the actual big bang theory. Got it? K.)

For those of you who haven't watched, The Big Bang Theory is a sitcom about three lovable nerds and one kinda lovable nerd who work together at a university. Two of them are roommates and live across the hall from the totally not nerdy Penny.

BBT cracks me up because I am, albeit to a much lesser extreme, Sheldon Cooper.

I'm a bit of a nerd (he's full on).

I'm particular about certain things and sometimes have weird reasons for them. (See Sheldon's explanation about where he sits)

I've been told that people enjoy how I react to gifts. (See Sheldon's reaction to Penny's Christmas gift)

Like Sheldon, I sometimes don't get come-ons from the opposite sex.

I hold grudges against celebrities (Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, etc.) Sheldon's grudge is against Wil Wheaton.

Beyond my similarities to Sheldon, the show is wittily written and all of the characters make me laugh.

{And no, no one paid me to write this post;-)}

What I Love About Reading

This is a hard post for me to start because I love so many things about reading. It makes me sad when someone says they hate reading; books can offer so much.

I love that reading is an escape from my technology saturated days - computer, cell phone, digital camera, video camera, and television are all off when I read. It feels like a return to a simpler time and I cherish the silence.

I love that I can go anywhere I wish without leaving the comfort of my couch. I can go to New York, Middle Earth, the Dominican Republic, Hogwarts, medieval Europe, Japan...anywhere.

I love that I can meet so many different people, some that I would want to meet in real life and some that I would not.

I love how different authors play with language, and I love to explore the different worlds and characters they create.

I love how reading can lift my spirits if I'm stressed, angry, sad or lonely, and I love how reading inspires my own creativity.

I love how reading is a one-to-one connection between the author and the reader. Unlike most other forms of entertainment, when you hold a book in your hands, you are holding the creation of one mind. That is amazing to me. I like to imagine where different authors might have written their works.

I love that reading connects me with my parents. When I was growing up, my parents always read to me, told me stories, bought me books and took me to the library. It wasn't uncommon for the three of us to be in our living room, one of us watching a TV show and the other two reading...but all together in the same room. These days we pass books back and forth and talk about them over weekly dinners.

Do you love reading? What do you love about it?

Five Random Things I Would Change if I Was in Charge

1. Mid-season breaks in television shows would not be allowed (ahem...Lost, Flash Forward, V)

2. Email addresses would be portable from one service provider to another, like cell phone numbers

3. Political candidates would not be allowed to spend money on advertising

4. Barry Melrose would do color for the NHL on NBC

5. I would re-do the series finale of Will & Grace

Dating vs. Hanging Out

This evening, I was involved in some happy hour chatter about dating vs. hanging out. Here is what I have decided...if you are a man over the age of 30 and you use the term "hanging out" instead of dating, it should be required for you to have "not marriage material" tattooed on your forehead.

Seriously.

What a Communications Manager Does for a Living

I am writing this post mainly for my family. I love them dearly, but I am tired of trying to explain what I do for a living. Like other people who work in an office, I attend many meetings, but I do so much more than that.

To start, I am the communications manager for a large performing arts organization. I am a member of the marketing department, which has 10 total employees and two interns. My areas of focus are our educational and fundraising programs...and other duties as assigned. My title is communications manager, but what I do can also be described as public relations and marketing.

I maintain the media list
A tedious, but important, part of public relations is maintaining a good list of media contacts. I maintain the list for our entire department, which is comprised of contacts at print publications, at radio stations, at television stations, bloggers and online outlets. I update our list with new email addresses for current contacts, add new contacts and delete those that, for one reason or another, no longer belong on our list.

I cultivate and maintain relationships with members of the media
It is much easier to obtain coverage for something when you have good relationships with the media. I meet with key contacts occasionally to determine their interests and update them on what I have coming up.

I write, distribute and track press releases
Press releases are documents that have all the pertinent information relating to an event, program, award or other type of announcement for which we want to obtain media coverage. The first thing I do when getting ready to issue a release is schedule it. I work with seven other people who issue press releases. As a rule, we allow only one to go out from our organization each day. After I have my release scheduled, I write it and distribute it internally as appropriate for fact-checking. Then I email it to our media list. I call or email key media contacts to make sure they've received it and to suggest ("pitch") ideas ("angles") for stories or interviews. Through Google Alerts and our clipping service, I check to see where we received media coverage.

I schedule media appearances and interviews
As a public relations professional, my job is not to get on the news. My job is to get our key spokespeople on the news. So, I will make arrangements for our key people to be interviewed on camera, on the radio or by a reporter for a print publication when appropriate. If that interview is to take place at a radio or television studio, I will accompany that person to the studio. Occasionally, one of our key people is not available and in those instances, I may do the interview myself as I did here: http://www.wkyc.com/life/programming/shows/goodcompany/gc_article.aspx?storyid=110107.

I write copy
Copy, NOT text or verbiage. I write copy for ads, brochures, catalogs, email blasts, signs, newsletters, playbills, postcards, websites, and probably other things that I can't think of right now.

I art direct
I work with graphic artists and our web manager to create the visual look of ads, collateral materials (brochures, catalogs, etc.) and signs. Everything I create has to align with our organization's brand standards.

This post is already getting quite lengthy, and I still have more to say! I'll save it for another post though. For now, I'll close by saying that, as you can see, there's never a dull moment in my job. Every day is different, and I love just about every minute of it!

Where Eating and Sleeping Collide Part II

Enemy, thy name is aspartame.

In follow up to an earlier post, I thought I'd share what I learned about the fatigue I had been experiencing over the summer. I discovered that my problem was being caused by the artificial sweetener aspartame, found in diet soft drinks, some "light" foods and most notably for me, Crystal Light.

I had started drinking lots of Crystal Light in an effort to drink more water, and was probably drinking 4-8 glasses per day. A friend mentioned to me that that might not be such a good idea (thanks Tracy!) and I googled aspartame + fatigue. Turns out that some research studies show a connection between the two.

I stopped drinking Crystal Light and within a week, I was back to normal. And I've learned to drink water like a big girl. As long as I put it in a glass (i.e., not a plastic cup) and use a straw, I can get it down.

The good news is that my diet and my nights' sleep are getting along now.

Coming at You from My Couch

Oh yeah, it's on now! New laptop + new wireless router = more blog posts + start of my novel. 2010 is the year that I start WRITING. I've always dreamed of and sometimes talked about this. No more excuses. Here we go!