Michael Will Live On

By the end of this year, I predict that you will hear about the launch of the Michael Jackson Foundation.

Within the next 12 months, I predict that Michael Jackson will post-humously receive no less than three humanitarian awards. One will be created in his name.

By the end of next year, I predict that you will hear about the launch of Neverland Ranch as a permanent Michael Jackson Museum.

By the time she is 18, I predict that Paris Jackson will become a staunch advocate for the betterment of all humanity and she will dedicate her entire life to humanitarian work.

It would have been wonderful to see the creations Michael would have come up with in his next 20 years - and I have no doubt they would have been great. But the real loss is in his humanity. He has got to be one of the top two humanitarians in the entire world.

Dirty laundry? Please. We've all got that. I'll bet you can name three people you know personally whose dirty laundry is worse than Michael's. So get over it.

I'm very sorry he left us at such a young age and I pray for his family, especially his children.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Bernie Madoff Sentence Just and Deserved

With a 150-year sentence, Bernie Madoff got off easily. My only regret is that he is already 71, which means he will only spend a small portion of his lavish spoiled life in prison. I wish he were 20 years younger so he could suffer more.

Let us not forget that two of his victims committed suicide. He is responsible not just for making hundreds of people penniless but for these two deaths, as well.

I hope prison wipes that smug, shit-eating grin off his face and I hope he never commits suicide. He should live out every single day God gives him in one tiny room, going to the bathroom on an open toilet. Even that is too good for him.

This should be a message to any scam artist who is thinking of trying a ponzi scheme or any other scheme, for that matter. I hope all the other idiots who have followed in his footsteps are caught and get similar sentences.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Calling All Bahamians!

The Bahamian American Association is planning a “Bahamians in New York” Mixer, Sept. 12th at Astoria Manor, Queens, New York.

As a Bahamian by marriage, I have learned that there are dozens of fellow Bahamians out and about in the neighborhoods of the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tri-state area.

My husband and I, who are members of the Bahamian American Association (BAAI) in Harlem, New York, have met many good people, both Bahamians who live in America and friends of Bahamians, through events held by and at the BAAI, and we are always interested in meeting more.

On September 12, the Bahamian American Association, a 97-year-old nonprofit organization and an icon of Harlem, is holding a mixer to bring Bahamians and friends of Bahamians together for a night of fun, food, entertainment and fellowship.

The event, organized and hosted by Anwar Rolle of Island Boy 4 Ever Entertainment, and formerly the lead singer of the Baha Men (known for their hit single “Who Let the Dogs Out”), will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009, from 7 p.m. until closing, at the Astoria Manor in Queens, New York. The mixer will benefit the BAAI scholarship fund.

The evening will include a cocktail hour with a delictable assortment of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and a formal dinner. Dinner and dancing music will be provided by DJ David, renowned for his appearances at the world famous Atlantis resort and casino’s “Dragons” club in Nassau.

Several prizes will be raffled off, including a two-night stay at Sheraton Grand Bahama Lucaya Resort, a five-star resort on the island of Grand Bahama, sponsored by the Grand Bahama Tourism Board (www.grandbahamavacations.com), and a seven-night stay at the five-star Sandy Port Resort in Nassau, sponsored by www.SandyPort.com, as well as additional surprises througout the evening.

Walk the red carpet! A red carpet webcast will be recorded during the event. All Bahamians are encouraged to record a message to their friends and family back home. The webcast, which is sponsored by The Bahamas Weekly (www.thebahamasweekly.com) will be available on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and www.bahamianamericanassociation.org. In addition, both the Bahamian American Association and Anwar Rolle will be awarding scholarships throughout the evening.

“Bahamians who are away from their homeland really value the ability to congregate with their fellow Bahamians,” said Mr. William R. Dames, president of the Bahamian American Association. “At the BAAI, we strive to foster that togetherness on a regular basis and also to come together to do good within the Bahamian American community. The scholarship fund is a major focus of BAAI and we are pleased to be able to award two scholarships at this event.”

To order tickets for the mixer, find out more about the Bahamian American Association, or to make a donation, go to www.bahamianamericanassociation.com.

To find out more about Anwar Rolle and Island Boy 4 Ever Entertainment, go to http://www.island-boy.com/?PAGE=21 or http://www.vip-ent.com.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

New Reynolds Wrap Made From Recycled Aluminum

How excited I was when I found this product on the shelf! Recycled aluminum foil from Reynolds Wrap! My first reaction was to slap my forehead and say, "what took so long?" This is a great idea and one that ZipLoc, Saran Wrap, CutWax and all the others should follow. It was only a few pennies more than the original Reynolds Wrap and worth the price. It is as strong as the original version and it's helping to save the environment. And I especially love the fact that it is "100%" recycled. Not 3%. Not 10%. Not 30%. 100%! That's the way it should be! I highly recommend this product to all. Stop sending tin foil to the landfills today.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

The Problem With QWERTY Keyboards

QWERTY keyboards are great. The first time I got a phone with a QWERTY keyboard, I was actually pleasantly surprised at how fast I could type with just two thumbs. But here's the problem: Have you ever tried to dial a vanity phone # with it? If not, I challenge you to try it now. Go ahead. Dial 1-800-USA-RAIL or 1-800-JETBLUE.

Aha! There's no number over the letters! Go to push down the U and guess what happens - you get a U! And who in their right mind is going to sit there and count out which three letters go with each number? And what if it's an emergency? You're SOL!

So what's going to happen to vanity phone numbers going forward? Companies that spent so much money and effort on getting easily recognizable vanity phone numbers will now have to heavily advertise the numeric equivalent or they're going to have a lot of complaints from customers and a lot of missed calls.

In addition, I recently tried to access my office voicemail from my BlackBerry. The prompt first asked me to enter the pound or hash symbol and then input my 10-digit #. On the QWERTY keyboard, the # is the very first key, directly above the Q. I clicked on the shift button and hit the #, but it didn't work. The system kept telling me "5 is incorrect". So I am unable to access my office phone mail from outside the office. That is not cool.

I went to BlackBerry.com to try to find a phone number for customer service to get their thoughts on the subject, but I couldn't find one. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. If anyone has any suggestions for how to handle these issues, please let me know.

Thanks.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Please Make the Television More Like the Computer

I am a creature of habit. Once I develop habits, they stick with me for a long time. And nothing today is more habitual than the computer and the Internet. I find that certain habits that I’ve picked up through modern technology I want to use elsewhere, but they don’t exist.

For instance, online searching. When I sit down to my television set, I generally will flip through the channels until I find something I want to watch. Most people would go to the directory channel provided by their cable or satellite company and sit there while they read screen after screen of program names and times. That’s not for me. Still others may pick up the good old fashioned TV Guide. I haven’t owned or purchased a TV Guide probably since the 1980s.

But I have a solution, and I task any young entrepreneurial spirit to develop it. I would like to be able to sit down at my television, click a button on my remote and have a search box pop up. I would just type into the search box the name of the show I’m looking for, hit enter and bam! The television finds it and there it is. If, for example, I wanted to hear the latest dish about Madonna, I could — just like the Internet — type in “Madonna”, and all the Madonna songs, Madonna gossip or Madonna interviews would pop up on my screen for my review.

The other thing that drives me nuts are the forward and back buttons. They work just fine on the Internet, but get into a Microsoft Word doc or Excel spreadsheet and try to find the back button and it “ain’t there”. I’m still using Office 2003, and perhaps good ol’ Bill has already figured this out and its in Office 2007. But in the meantime, I find myself nonchalently seeking out that back button out of habit.

Someday, I believe everything on television will be served by the Internet and everything on the computer will work just like the Internet. It can’t come soon enough for me.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

What You Need to Know About Trampolenes

Recently, my brother and sister-in-law let my 10-year-old niece have a trampolene. It was against their better judgment, but it had side netting all the way around so they thought she would be safe. Besides, Nicole is an athlete - playing either soccer or basketball every week.

What they didn't know is that there was an 8-inch gap between the netting and the edge of the trampolene that was covered with nothing more than a leather flap. One day, Nicole went to get off the trampolene and her foot went through the flap. She fell through the netting and broke both her arms.

Of course, my sister-in-law was furious at the safety that was promised and not provided. She called the manufacturer, who literally told her to go "f" herself. Can you believe that? She then called Wal-Mart where they had purchased the trampolene. Wal-Mart came out, disassembled the trampolene, took it back and gave them a full credit. Wal-Mart is also in talks with the manufacturer about possibly covering the additional expenses - medical expenses, new clothes she could easily slip on, a home tutor for several weeks, etc. Leave it to Wal-Mart to have this kind of clout with the manufacturer.

A trampolene can be a fun toy that also provides much needed exercise and gets kids away from the gaming console and out of the house. But be sure to check it carefully for safety features. Check the connection between the netting and the edge of the trampolene to ensure there is no risk of falling through. And talk with your friends about their experiences.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Give Life

I'm a month behind, but it doesn't matter. April was National Donate Life Month, but even though April is over, this is not the kind of issue that you celebrate for a month and forget. This is a subject that affects people all year long so it's good that I'm keeping the thread of conversation going.

If you are a registered organ, eye and tissue donor, bless you. If you are not, I ask you to consider it. If you are not interested, then you, most of all, should read my girlfriend Dara's story, below. I asked Dara if I could tell her story here and she said please do:

"I had a son, Tyler Haywood Smith born on Sept. 4, 1991. On the day when we were about to take him home we were told that something was not right and I must bring him to my pediatrician first thing on Monday morning. As a matter of fact I had to sign an affidavit saying I would do this and was told my doctor would be expecting to see me first thing on Monday.

"We went on Monday and were told that he was more then just a little jaundice and they were sending us to John Hopkins Hospital. After several weeks of testing at Hopkins I was told he had Biliary Atresia. Bilary Atresia is a disease that, at the time, affected one out of ten thousands babies. Bilary Atresia is when the bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent. I was told that if this was happening three years ago I would be told to go home and enjoy my time with my son. Instead, because of advances in medicine, I was told that I could be one of the lucky ones: my son could have a life saving transplant.

I could not believe this. This was me, this was not a dream or a TV show. This was me and my family's life and it was our son and Alexis' brother they were talking about. Tyler needed to take medicine every day and in time he would need a liver transplant. It was hard because he was not as sick as the other kids with this disease. Yes! He was a little yellow and his belly stuck out some, but he was not as sick as other kids that were on the transplant waiting list. You had to be sick to move up on the list. All I could think about was, because Tyler was not extremely sick, he may have to wait a long time before getting his liver transplant.

I knew how I felt before I learned about organ donation. I was afraid of it. I did not realize how it could save someone's life nor did I know how many people were dying because they needed a transplant. No one was talking about it back then. I had to learn more...because my son was dying.

When Tyler was 8 months old, we started looking for other options. We learned that if we were compatible we could do a living related transplant. It was new and only a few hospitals were doing it. I had to do it. I learned both my liver and the part I donated to Tyler would rejuvenate fully in both of us.

People told us we were crazy. They told me I had more than one child. I knew we were not crazy, this was my child...and I would do anything to save his life. The hospital put us through so many tests to make sure this is really what I wanted to do and that I was healthy enough to endure the donation surgery.

The day came for our surgeries: I donated part of my liver to Tyler. The transplant was successful and things went well for several months. Tragically, in our case Tyler had other complications and did not make it. While this is still very hard for me, one of the things that I find comforting is that Tyler's heart is living in a young lady who is probably about 19 years old now.

Tyler became an organ and tissue donor when he passed away. Tyler gave life to others when he no longer had his own. Not a day goes by that I do not think of families that are going through what my family went through.

To honor my son's memory, I volunteer with Donate Life Connecticut. Donate Life Connecticut plays a crucial role in the field of organ, eye and tissue donation. Nearly 1,000 Connecticut residents are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant...and nationally, over 100,000 Americans are waiting for their second chance at life.

Unfortunately, there are not enough people saying 'yes' to donation, and 18 people die daily simply because an organ wasn't available. Through compelling educational programs and materials, Donate Life Connecticut empowers residents to make an informed decision about donation and to register their decision to save lives with the state donor registry.

Please take a moment to consider my family's story and to educate yourself about donation from their website. Also, I urge you to consider Donate Life Connecticut in your yearly charitable giving. Donate Life Connecticut is funded by concerned individuals, businesses and foundations that assist us to deliver our lifesaving message to the public.

An honorarium, memoriam in Tyler Smith's name or general contribution can be given online at http://www.ctorganandtissuedonation.org/howyoucanhelp/monetarycontributions.html
Thank you for taking a minute to learn how you can save lives.

Or go to http://www.ctorganandtissuedonation.org/

Hopefully, you will decide that donation is right for you and you'll join the organ and tissue donor registry. "

Thank you Dara for sharing your story. I hope it helps.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Leave Miss California Alone

I believe in gay rights and, in particular, their right to marry. But I don't think it's right that Miss California lost the beauty pageant because of her views. She has a right to her beliefs and I don't think she should be chastised for it. Last time I checked, we live in a democracy where people have the freedom to choose.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Happy Earth Day!

Al Gore asked me to forward this message to all my friends, so I am putting it here for you:

In order to solve the climate crisis, we can't just change light bulbs -- we need to change laws. We're closer today than ever before. Right now, Congress is debating clean energy legislation that will jumpstart our economy and help solve the climate crisis. On this Earth Day, can I depend on you to support this crucial legislation?

Yes. I'll get 10 people to sign the petition in support of clean energy legislation within the next week.

This is the historic comprehensive energy legislation that we've been waiting for. It will create millions of jobs and help solve the climate crisis by closing the carbon pollution loophole. After so many years of inaction and obstruction, it's incredible that we have finally reached this point. But the legislative process is never easy. With powerful forces fighting hard to maintain the status quo, it will take all of us working together to seize this moment.

Today, you are one of more than 2 million Repower America members, and tens of millions of Americans, who want to take positive action for our planet. This is it -- a chance to demonstrate nationwide support for clean energy to our leaders in Congress, and help to bring about a new economic era based on clean energy.

So please, talk to your friends. Talk to your parents or grandparents. Start a conversation with a co-worker. And ask them to join with you and the millions of other Americans who want Congress to support clean energy jobs by closing the carbon pollution loophole.

Yes. I'll get 10 people to support this historic clean energy legislation in Congress.

I support clean energy but I'd like to help in other ways.

Your efforts have brought us this far. I hope you take this opportunity to make this a historic Earth Day.

Thank you,
Al Gore

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Recycling to Save the Earth

When I was a junior in high school, the student body decided to sell recycled note paper and envelopes to make money for the class. They brought in a representative from the recycled paper company, whose name I, at this point, don't remember.

Instead of a straightforward boring speech, the man presented a slide show. A few years earlier, he took an entire summer off and decided to take a cross-country driving trip. Early on, he picked up a hitchhiker who ended up spending the entire trip with him. The two took pictures of the beauty of America. Crystal blue water. Crisp mountain caps. Clean sandy beaches. Flowers. Blue skies. Dessert. Rich lush forests. You name it. He accompanied his slide show with the song, Rocky Mountain High by John Denver.

That day, when I viewed those slides and listened to that melodic song, I fell in love with the planet, and I'm still in love with it today. Every time I hear Rocky Mountain High I picture that slide show and the beauty of America.

That's why I am so fanatical about recycling. I hate to see this living planet be destroyed by humans. I'm doing my part. Are you?

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Let's Make Every Day Earth Day

Picture this. It's 400 years from now. And every inch of the earth is buried in landfills. Schools, parks, apartment buildings, offices...are all built on top of landfills. The only place to find natural soil is in a protected areas such as Wyoming's Yellowstone or New York's Central Park. These landfills emit methane gas and other chemicals into the atmosphere, which cause diseases. So there are more people with allergies, asthma, multiple sclerosis, all kinds of diseases than ever before. Maybe even some new diseases have come into being as a result.

Do you want your children's grandchildren and their grandchildren to play on top of a landfill? Have little league games on ground that sits on top of 50 feet of garbage? Swing a swing on top of buried plastic that takes 75 years to biodegrade?

It's going to happen if we just keep throwing everything away. Thousands of tons of garbage just pile up every day. Every year, hundreds of landfills are filled and closed and new ones are opened. How long before we run out of room for landfills? How long before every new building can only be built on top of a greened-over land fill?

It's time for everyone to do their part. Recycle everything you possibly can. And I've said this before, it's not just about what you put into your recycling bin. Saturday I recycled my printer. I bring my ink cartridges back to the store for recycling; glasses to the Pearle Vision Center for recycling; and hangers to the nearest dry cleaners.

I buy recycled toilet paper and paper towels and 100% recycled copy paper. A ream is only $1 more than the non-recycled. Recently, I discovered 100% recycled aluminum foil by Reynolds Wrap. And the quality is excellent. When I bought my new HP 6500 Officejet printer on Saturday -- which uses 40% less energy -- I got a $50 rebate for bringing in my old one, and they planted a tree. They even made the box out of brown kraft, which is recyclable, instead of the old white coated boxes, which are not.

Please, don't make Earth Day an annual holiday. Make it every day. Make it a montra you live by. The earth is a living breathing thing and it needs every one of us to keep it clean. After all, every one of us messes it up and depletes its resources.

Now imagine this. Four hundred years from now, your children's children's children are playing in a park. An all natural park. The air is clean. You can help. Start today. Please.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Is There Really a House in New Orleans Called the Rising Sun?

The song House of the Rising Sun, an old folk song which was recorded by Bob Dylan in 1962 and became a classic rock icon by The Animals in 1964, is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I still listen to it often. If I could play that song on the organ straight through perfectly, I could probably die a happy woman after that and want for nothing. But alas, I play as well as a three-year old, so this dream is unlikely to happen in my lifetime. I’ll have to stick to air keyboarding.

But listening to the song lately made me wonder, is there really a house of the rising sun in New Orleans that’s been the ruin of many a poor boy? Well, according to Wikipedia, there actually was such a property. In fact, several different historic spots lay claim to the name.

Wikipedia reports that old New Orleans directories have records of a short-lived hotel called “Rising Sun” on Conti Street in the French Quarter dating back to the 1820s, which burned down in 1822. A 2005 document search turned up evidence of advertising that eluded to prostitution. Additionally, an archaeological excavation of the site uncovered a large number of pots of rouge and cosmetics.

A second building rumored to have a similar name was the late 19th century “Rising Sun Hall”, a social and pleasure club, which Wikipedia tells us was on the riverfront in the Carrollton neighborhood.

Still a third and even more intriguing claim, made by guide book Bizarre New Orleans, is that The House of the Rising Sun is named for Madam Marianne LeSoleil Levant whose name translates from French as “the rising sun”.

Additional attribution stories include murder, alcohol, gambling, wife beating, slavery and a jail house (thus the words “I’m going back to wear that ball and chain”). 1960s folk singer Dave van Ronk reportedly said in his autobiography that he had seen pictures of a rising sun design over the front door of the old New Orleans Prison for Women, and claimed, as many others did, that the house of the rising sun was a nickname for the prison.

People looking to add a little nostalgia and intrigue to their New Orleans trip can still stay at the House of the Rising Sun. Today, there is a bed and breakfast that goes by the name at 335 Pelican Avenue and a club at 333 Bourbon Street by the same name.

For more information about the history of the House of Rising Sun, click here. For more information about the song, click here. For the lyrics to the song as sung by The Animals, click here. For information about the bed and breakfast, click here. For information about the club on Bourbon Street, click here.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thanks Jennie — and Betty — for 35 Years of Friendship

I have a pen pal. Her name is Jennie and she lives in Tootgarook, Australia. And right now, I’m sounding a little bit like a second-grade kid standing in front of the classroom holding a piece of paper and explaining their homework assignment out loud. But that’s okay with me.

I was trying to write “25 random things” for Facebook and I thought, ooh, not too many people know I have a pen pal. I could write about that! And then I realized, ooh, I’ve never written about her in my blog, so I could blog about how I got a pen pal and all about our relationship. So I stopped the random things to work on this post.

The story goes like this: When I was 13, I went to a birthday party for a girlfriend from my 8th grade class named Betty Gostomski. But as my mom was driving me to the party, a really huge thunderstorm developed and because of the storm, only two girls, me being one of them, showed up at the party. So rather than do “big party” type stuff, we decided to just hang out in her room. I was laying across her bed flipping through a magazine — Seventeen, or Ingenue or something — and at the back of the magazine was this ad for The Friendship Club. For $1, I could send away for a pen pal and I got to choose the type of friend I wanted.

I asked for an English-speaking girl about my age. Within about a month, they sent me the name and address of Jennie Prosser from Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia. I wrote her right away and she immediately wrote back to me. I felt bad because she said that it took her years to hear from the Club, but I hoped that it was fate and our friendship was meant to be. It was.

Jennie was 16 and I was 14 by the time we started conversing. We have spent our whole lives together. She got married. I got married. She had three kids. I didn’t. Her husband died and I got divorced at the same time. She remarried, I remarried. She divorced. I divorced. I remarried. I’m now one ahead of her. : )

All this time — during the ’70s and ’80s — she didn’t have a phone, so snail mail was the only way we conversed. In the mid-’90s, when all the telephone companies started putting the phone books on the Internet, I found someone with a similar name in Australia and decided to pick up the phone and call. It turned out not to be her, but a few years later we started emailing back and forth. We completely dropped snail mail from our communication channels and began emailing quite regularly.

Then, about a year ago, I thought again about talking by phone and decided to ask her for her phone number. She emailed it to me, and I picked up the phone and called her. After more than 35 years, we finally got to hear each other’s voice on the phone, and all I could think of was, why did we wait so long?

While we were on the phone, we both got on our respective computers and went to Google Earth, and were able to see each other’s streets. That was incredible! From nothing but snail mail to a photo of the street she lives on while at the same time talking to each other on the phone! It’s like I was there.

A couple of days ago, my mother asked me if I had heard about all the wild fires in Australia and if Jennie was okay. I hadn’t heard about the wild fires so I immediately looked them up on the Internet. Then I went to Mapquest to see how close they were to her. Well on a microscopic map, they looked like they were right on top of her, so I emailed her to see if she and her kids were okay. An hour later I still hadn’t heard, so I picked up the phone and called. It was only 6 a.m. which is why she hadn’t gotten my email, but I just loved the idea that I could pick up the phone and talk to her any time I want to! And with the great long distance package I have, it only cost $3.72!

We still haven’t met yet. We’re hoping to be able to make that dream come true some day soon. But it’s amazing how technology has helped us grow our friendship. I’m very appreciative of that.

I haven’t seen Betty Gostomski since 8th grade, but I probably should look her up and thank her for 35 years of friendship, all because she invited me to her 13th birthday party. Friends like that — and like Jennie — you don’t forget. May God bless us with 35 more.

Now back to my 25 random things...

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Let’s Sign Into Congress a Paparazzi Law

I don’t believe in the ways of the paparazzi. I think there should be a paparazzi law which states that they have to stay 50 feet from any door or entranceway, such as a retail shop or a bar, or from a famous person’s driveway.

I think it’s disgusting how famous people can’t even get out a doorway or into their car and they have to fight their way through the streets.

If you want to take pictures, take pictures, but I think that blocking someone’s path should be illegal. I think it should be against the law to get within a certain number of feet of a specific establishment.

Now, if you happen to catch someone on a public street, in a park or on a beach, that’s a different story. If you’re in a pub and you can take a picture of them without a flash — notice I said without a flash — from a distance — notice I said from a distance — and you’re not disturbing them, then go for it.

But I can’t believe we don’t have laws about this already. I think it’s not only pathetic but it puts famous people in danger and that’s a violation of their rights.

Some would say it comes with the territory. But I believe there are ethical limits, and right now, no one is abiding by those limits.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

The Integration of the GRAMMYs

I was very impressed and touched by the GRAMMYs program this year -- in particular, the way they integrated various genres of music together throughout the entire night. It was as if they were trying to send a message that we are all one in the universe -- all brothers and sisters -- all equal in the eyes of God.

Keith Urban playing with B.B. King, Stevie Wonder with the Jonas Brothers, Jay Z with Coldplay, Sugarland with Adele. The message was loud and clear and yet so subtle.

Also on the subject of integration, I especially like the speech by Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy. He not only announced that Barack Obama was a past two-time Grammy winner for his audio books, which I didn't know, but he incorporated "yes we can" over and over again into his speech, and it was tasteful, not cheesy. He said:

- When it comes to pledging ourselves to the proposition that every young person deserves an opportunity to experience music and the arts in public school, our GRAMMY Foundation says, "Yes we can..."

- When it comes to providing a safety net for music people in need — any time…any place — our MusiCares Foundation says, "Yes we can..."

- When it comes to protecting a musician's intellectual property and the right to earn a living, The Academy says, "Yes, we can!"

I find it very touching how people have taken President Obama's slogan and made it their own.

It was, in my opinion, the best planned GRAMMY awards show I've ever seen.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

A word about A Rod

I’m glad that Alex Rodgriguez told the truth. I’m not happy that he took steroids five years ago.

Yet while everyone is responsible for their own actions, I feel the real blame lies on the baseball organizations that are willing to pay out these multi-million dollar contracts.

If I was paid millions of dollars over the course of a few years, I would feel pressured to perform too. And I might do anything I had to not to fail.

People like A Rod and Jose Conseco ruin the dream of baseball for everyone. I think the Major League Baseball Association needs to get tougher on steroids with a strict policy that anyone who tests positive is eliminated for the entire season. And I think random drug testing should be improved and the frequency increased. Perhaps, instead of urine tests, take a strand of a player’s hair, since drugs can be traced through the hair going back three full months, or through saliva swabs, like they do on Law & Order SVU.

The contracts issue will never change. The bar has been set and nobody’s going to lower contract fees for star players. But perhaps they should be structured differently so athletes are rewarded for doing their best and not for attempting to achieve goals at any cost.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thank you for your votes!

I want to thank everyone who voted for my new health care idea on Change.org. I did not make it into the top three, but I did receive over 100 votes. Thanks to everyone for your support! To read the top three suggestions that will be presented to President Barack Obama after he is sworn in, go to http://www.change.org.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

May You All Have A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year

I want to wish all my friends, family and colleagues a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. I hope you achieve all your dreams and successes and suffer no heartbreaking losses.

And please remember to pay it forward. Do a good deed for someone, but don't expect anything in return. Remember, we must take care of our own, and that includes family, friends, and those who are less fortunate.

If you have lost a connection with someone you loved, a parent, a child, a friend, reconnect. If you owe someone an apology, give it. If you're too lazy to pick up the phone, don't wait any longer. Call.

And please be kind to the environment. Remember, the earth is a living, breathing thing.

God bless you all.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thank you, U.S. Troops

As I reflect upon this Christmas Day, I just want to say thank you to all the U.S. soldiers around the world who are protecting our freedoms and our democratic way of life. For all the times you wonder if you are appreciated, you are. For all the times you wonder if you are doing the right thing, you are. For all the time you've spent away from your family, especially on this Christmas holiday, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sacrifice.

Merry Christmas. Come home safe and soon.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Please vote for me!

To all my family, friends and business associates,

I am writing to ask you to vote for me. On the website change.org, I put up a suggestion of how I feel the heatlhcare system should be changed. Votes get ideas to the second and then the final round. Winning ideas are actually going to be presented to Barak Obama after he is sworn into office.

About a week ago, my suggestion was ranked #2 in the global health category. I have 67 votes mostly from people I don't know who read my idea!

If you disagree with my idea, that's fine. You can simply do nothing. Or everyone is also free to write a comment.

Here is the link:
www.change.org/ideas/view/socialized_healthcare_system

Then click on the "67 votes" box. You will have to register to vote.

I appreciate your support. Thank you,
Lynn

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

How to Find a Job in a Down Market

As a freelance writer and editor who’s pretty well plugged in to most of the goings on in the advertising, marketing and digital media industries, I will often get requests from people in the industry who have lost their job to help them find a new one. Just this morning, I learned of two more people in our personal circle who have lost their jobs. So I thought the time was right for a blog post that discusses all the ideas that I generally recommend to people who email me.

When looking for your next great career move:

1) Don’t limit yourself to your local market. Do you work in the kind of field that would allow you to telecommute? If so, consider working for companies in California, Canada, Chicago, or anywhere that is too far to drive to. Don’t be afraid to submit your resume for a full-time position is Timbuktu and tell them all the benefits 1) of you and 2) of why they should hire you to work remotely (less overhead, less wear and tear on the environment because you won’t be driving to work). Be willing to travel to the office 2-4 times a year, but make sure it is clear that it is on their dime.

2) Don’t limit yourself just to the ads you find in the classifieds. Choose the top 10 to 20 companies you would most like to work for and contact them. Tell them that you’d like to discuss how you can [fill in the blank: grow their business, strengthen their team, etc.]

3) Consider freelancing. I’ve met freelance data analysts, direct marketers, even contract CMOs. Anything that you can do full time you can freelance. In this tough market, all companies are likely downsizing a little. But they will still have projects that need to be managed — they just can’t afford to pay benefits or pay full-time staff. While you may ultimately want a full-time job, consider offering your services as a freelancer to leading companies. Tell them they’ll get best-of-breed services without having to pay for benefits or a full-time salary.

4) If the company that recently laid you off or is planning on letting you go is running or sponsoring an conference or trade show, negotiate a free ticket so you can scower the exhibit hall or network the sessions to find yourself a new job. Companies will rarely turn down this type of request due to the guilt alone.

5) Reach out to all your existing contacts, including: vendors, PR reps, friends, family members, church members, your son’s baseball coach. You have a network. Don’t be afraid to use it.

6) Finally, step outside your career box to see how your strengths would fit another industry…and they will. You just need to see yourself differently. If you’re in sales, you can sell anything. If you’re a marketer, you can market anything. Tell them why and how everything you’ve ever learned would be a great fit for them.

I hope this information is helpful. Best of luck to all of you who are currently or may become unemployed. I’ve been there too many times to remember so I completely understand. Go get ’em!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

You Can Find Absolutely Anything on YouTube…

Recently I began making an Excel spreadsheet of all mine and my mom’s old 45s to get them ready for sale on eBay. My mom’s records are all fifties and sixties music, including some real classics such as Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog”.

I wanted to add the year the song was released to each line, which is not on the record, so I found myself searching the Internet. Ironically, I found a lot of the years marked on YouTube videos. It surprised me that I would find any of these old songs or groups on YouTube but, believe it or not, most of them are.

I was really taken aback when I found an old song from the fifties called “Diane”, by The Bachelors. This is a song that my mom used to play for my sister Diane when we were kids, saying that it was my grandfather singing to her from heaven. Listening to it brought back such wonderful memories.

I’m in heaven, when I see you smile…
Smile, for me, my Diane
And though everything’s dark
All the while, I can see you Diane.

Wow, does that take me back.

Then I started finding songs I loved from the seventies, such as the Poppy Family’s old folk tune, Which Way You Going Billy. I must have played that video 50 times last week!

It’s true, you can literally find anything on YouTube. Marvin Gaye singing I Heard it Through the Grapevine. Glen Campbell. John Denver. Every song I looked for, I found. Even Gospel songs like Shout to the Lord that I needed to practice for church.

I dare anyone to go to http://www.youtube.com right now and search for a song. Any song. Seriously. Right now. I bet you’ll find it. And let me know about the great memories you're able to bring back by looking at videos on YouTube!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Congratulations Mr. President!

I am so proud! This is the most momentous happy occasion that has taken place in my lifetime. There have been momentous unhappy occasions, such as 9/11 and the death of Princess Diana, but this is a positive moment that will change me forever.

I don’t know about you but I am numb. I feel overwhelmed and in a state of shock over having helped create such a historic event. And to be watching CNN when they were the first to declare Barack Obama president-elect is a moment I will never forget.

What was even more amazing was the extent to which the world was watching. They said on the news that 78 countries were watching. I spoke to friends in Australia and Austria and their entire countries were on the edge of their seats. My husband spoke to a friend in France who couldn't wait to hear the news and our choir director's family in Norway was watching excitedly.

I am thrilled and proud, but also a little bit numb at the enormity of this event and the fact that I played a role in it. My husband says that Barack Obama was not born, he was sent. I think he is right.

Now I can't wait for January 20th to see him sworn into office!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

A Message to All Agencies and PR Firms

I know times are tough right now and some of you are laying off full-time employees. This may leave you in a position of needing to outsource more of your content needs to freelancers, and I just want to ask you to consider me when you're looking to hire from the outside.

In addition to writing for some of the leading trade magazines in the marketing, advertising and digital media space, I also work with private clients, including agencies, PR firms and technology companies, on their content needs.

I can help you with white papers and case studies; I can ghost-write articles that get your clients' bylines; I've written research reports, web site content and press and collateral materials.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any content projects you need help with. You can reach me at 203-854-1055 or lynnrusso1204@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

I Don’t Believe in Coincidences

One week ago, my husband Adrian and I were given the sad news that his cousin Paul was murdered. This is a double tragedy as just six weeks ago, we buried Adrian’s Uncle Vivian, Paul’s father. But it wasn’t until yesterday that I realized the bigger significance of this.

Adrian’s uncle died peacefully at the age of 77. But as sad as it was to lose him, thanks to his passing, some 100-plus family members and friends all got to say good bye to Paul — an opportunity we would never have had if Vivian had not died first.

Since we got the news, the thing that has been running through my mind on a continuous loop is seeing Paul — at the head of his father’s casket. Sitting in front of us at the funeral in church. Sitting on his sister’s porch, with his arm around Adrian and Adrian’s arm draped around him, big smiles on their faces as I snapped their photos. And then the after party, where he sat next to me and my mother-in-law for a half an hour and had a long wonderful talk with us. So close I could reach out and touch him. We would not have had these beautiful quality moments if not for Vivian.

And then it hit me. I don’t believe in coincidences. Could God have planned it this way? Well of course he did! It’s no accident that we got to say good bye to Paul. God knew that Paul would be entering his kingdom and he gifted us with these last precious moments. Of course, none of us knew at the time that we were saying good bye to Paul.

And, remember the horrible American Airlines luggage experience I wrote about in a previous blog post? Well it resulted in us receiving a $400 voucher, which my husband used to make the trip to Paul’s funeral. Was that a coincidence? Did God intentionally put in our path such a horrendous travel experience that it would be guaranteed to cause me to write a three-page letter to the chairman, president and CEO of American Airlines? If we had only had a slightly annoying experience, I would have never written the letter and we would have never gotten the voucher. Was all of that part of God’s plan?

As I said, I don’t believe in coincidences. I won’t say that “everything” happens for a reason — but I believe about 90% of it does. This entire experience, I have no doubt, was all connected in one single thread.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Heard From American Airlines: 17 Days

Well, we finally got a huge apology from American Airlines along with a much deserved e-voucher toward a future flight. I really hope they fix the problems in their infrastructure because if it gets any worse, they may not be able to recover. I'm sure they will share my comments with the staff. I hope it does some good. All I really want is good service.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

No Response From American Airlines

Well, it's been 12 days and we haven't heard word one from American Airlines. But that's okay, because when you put someone up against a wall you need to be prepared to foll0w-through on your promise. We are. It really doesn't matter to us whether they respond or not. We are fully prepared to become Jet Blue enthusiasts.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

American Airlines: Has Their Service Sunk Down So Far That It Can't Come Back?

Between my husband and I, we have probably flown 100 times over the course of our lives, both nationally and internationally, on a variety of airlines. And never has either one of us had lost luggage, until two years ago. Just in the past two years, American Airlines lost our luggage three times. But this most recent experience was enough to make us change airlines for good. Check out the letter I wrote to Gerard J. Arpey, chairman, president and CEO of AMR Corp. and American Airlines. The letter should have arrived on Tuesday. Three days have passed and I have not heard from anyone on the American Airlines staff. It's okay if they don't respond, because we have a choice too. Place your bets on what you think that choice will be.

Here's the letter I wrote to Arpey. I'll let you know if and when I hear from American.

Dear Mr. Arpey,

I’m writing to tell you that your airline’s customer service system is broken and that, as one brand I thought I could trust, American Airlines has completely failed my husband Adrian and I.

American was the first airline for which I acquired a frequent flyer number and American has always been my first choice for any trip. But that all changed on September 5th.

I’m sure you understand the value of customer relationships. I don’t need to tell you that acquiring a new customer costs thousands more than its costs to retain an existing customer. Nor do I need to remind you that dissatisfied customers tell four times as many people about their bad experiences than their good experiences…that the customer is in control of the relationship today…that they have the power to choose which companies they interact with and which advertising messages they pay attention to…that the average consumer is bombarded with more than 300 advertising and marketing messages per day and are interacting with fewer and fewer companies on a daily basis…and that standing out in such a crowded and fragmented media world takes exceptional service, something that I don’t feel American has been providing.

Over the course of the last three decades, my husband and I have flown at least 100 times on a variety of national and international airlines. In all those years, we have never had lost luggage…at least, not until two years ago. In the past two years, American Airlines has lost our luggage three times. Three times!!!! All from the same airline!!!! And never from anyone else. Does that statistic seem like a red flag to you?

On Sept. 5th, Adrian and I flew from LaGuardia Airport, New York to Nassau, Bahamas, by way of Miami. When we arrived, only two out of three pieces of our luggage were there. We filed a lost baggage report on that day. It took ten days to get our bag, and American Airlines staff failed us EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

To start with, the AA staff at the lost baggage desk in Nassau were lazy and rude. They showed no interest whatsoever in finding our bag, were not the least bit helpful and were downright rude. I believe you expect nothing but the best from your employees, but if you had been standing over their shoulder as they spoke to my husband, you would have agreed that they did not represent the company in manner befitting a leading brand and you probably would have told them to leave and not come back.

They offered no help whatsoever and suggested we come back and meet the next flight coming in from Miami and “see” if the bag shows up. My husband went back to Nassau International Airport five times. The bag never arrived. We were in Nassau for four days for a family funeral, not a fun vacation. Adrian had to borrow clothes for the funeral. We returned home without the bag.

After a few days at home and about a half dozen calls to the baggage claim center, a customer service rep was able to identify the bag. It had been sitting in Miami the whole time. Even though there was a thorough description of the bag in our claim report, no one put the two together until I pushed them to look further. The service rep then tagged the bag for LaGuardia Airport and hung up.

Several hours later, there was still no word about the bag so I called again. The bag had not been assigned a flight. A new customer service rep put in a request to have the bag put on a flight to New York. But even she couldn’t see that it was tagged for LaGuardia. She asked if we lived near Hartford. I said no. Then she asked if we lived near Newark. I said no. I had to remind her that LaGuardia was the closest airport.

The next morning I called again. It had now been nine days. The bag was scheduled to arrive at LaGuardia at 10:57 a.m. But when I called at 12:00 p.m. no one could tell me if the bag had arrived. I had to call back at 2 and again at 5. Finally at 5 they were able to tell me the bag had arrived — six hours after the flight came in! But even then, no one had picked it up! It was sitting in the baggage area unmarked with no instructions! A new customer service rep put in yet another request to have the bag delivered to our home.

At 10:30 p.m. we get a phone call from the driver. He says he’ll be there at 4:00 a.m. Are you kidding? We’ve been waiting nine days for our bag and that’s the best you can do? I told him he was only authorized to leave the bag if it wasn’t raining, and not to call me and wake me up. He said, “I guess you don’t want the bag.” Don’t want the bag? What? Again, I repeat, are you kidding? He should be fired for that remark!!! And I truly mean that. As it turned out, it was raining heavily at 4:00 a.m. and he showed up at 6:30, and woke us up to retrieve the bag.

Mr. Arpey, we wouldn’t even have our bag right now if it wasn’t for me. I was the one who got the bag identified, not your staff. I was the one who got the bag tagged for New York, not your staff. I was the one who got the bag put on a flight, not your staff. I was the one who got it put on the van, not your staff. Not once did I feel that your staff had our back or was working proactively FOR us.

Mr. Arpey, your entire customer service system is broken at every touchpoint. It doesn’t matter that your flights arrive on time. It doesn’t matter that the rest of the process goes smoothly. It only matters that no matter where we go, our luggage seems to disappear when we fly American. We had family gifts in that bag. What are we supposed to do with them now that we’re home?

And it’s not enough that we got our bag back. We spent considerable time, effort and gasoline in the attempt to retrieve a bag that, in the end, was properly tagged and there was no reason for it not to have arrived in its rightful destination. How do you plan to compensate us for our loss?

Furthermore, our loss doesn’t even come close to the damage that has been done to the value of your brand. How do you plan to repair the damage done to your good name? And finally, can you guarantee my husband and I that, if we fly American again, that this will never happen?

I look forward to your response. If you prefer to do nothing, rest assured that we will certainly do the same when it comes to considering American for any future flights.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

When Did We Start Sending Professional Athletes to the Olympics?

I think it's a sad day when we have to send professional athletes to the Olympics. Who cares if Kobe Bryant gets a gold medal? Or Serena Williams? Why wouldn't they? We would expect nothing less. But the Olympics is not for the Kobe Bryants and Serena Williams' of the world. Its' for amateur athletes who have never earned money professionally.

If they had wanted to be in the Olympics, they should have thought of that before they turned pro.

When did that rule change? I know it's been going on for a few Olympics now. But when exactly did we get so greedy and become such a sore sport that we had to start sending professional athletes? When did we decide that that was the only way we could effectively compete and win? Does everyone else cheat so badly that we had to cheat too?

I think it reflects badly on the United States as a whole. It makes us look like whimps, poor sports, and cheaters. When I see professional athletes winning medals, I feel cheated because there's no competition. There's no surprise. There's no excitement for the new athlete.

How are we ever supposed to get along with our global neighbors if we can't even place nice in a sporting event? I think the Olympic Committee should revisit this ruling. If the Olympics is corrupt, why even bother watching it?

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

A whole new appreciation for Billy Vera

I’ve never been a big fan of recording artist Billy Vera. After all, I only knew of one song he ever wrote, called At This Moment, and always considered him a one-hit wonder. Remember, “What did you think, I would give at this moment? When you’re standing before me, with tears in your eyes?”

Anyway, I was never crazy about the song, and have always put it in the same category as Debbie Boone’s You Light Up My Life. Ugh. So when I learned that Billy Vera was the big act last Thursday at downtown Stamford’s (that’s Stamford, Connecticut) Live at Five concert series, I stuck my finger in my mouth and said “gag me” and even considered not going.

Boy was I wrong. And I’m really glad I went. My mind started to change that afternoon when I read an article about him in the local newspaper, the Stamford Advocate, and it caused me to develop a whole new appreciation and respect for the man.

The article explained that he had a very robust career writing music for others as well as himself, including a song called Storybook Children which I remember my mother having when I was child and one that I liked very much. It was on an Atlantic Records red and black label.

He also had and still has a very successful acting career. I was completely sold, however, when I found out that he was originally from my area and played many a gig in a local bar (long since demolished) in my home town, called The Stagecoach. In fact, ironically, the old “Stage”coach was right across the road from the live stage!

Well, when someone local makes it big, I automatically feel a certain affinity and loyalty for him. He was also a very friendly man — he let me take my picture with him — and he was a great entertainer. I really loved all the old stories he told inbetween songs, about the old days with his band and how he came up with the ideas for different songs. All night long, he introduced old band members in the audience.

And talk about well connected, Vincent Pastore, who plays Sal BonPensiero on The Soprano’s, came on stage and introduced him! He said that back in the ’80s, he opened up a nightclub in New Rochelle, New York, and he asked his good friend Billy Vera to be the act on opening night.

Also, Billy Foster, lead singer of Billy and the Showman, who is a long-time friend of ours, told me that Billy Vera actually got him started in music. And it was Billy Foster’s band who backed Billy Vera up on stage Thursday night! Well, if I wasn’t sold already, that would do it for me, because if he’s good enough for Billy Foster, he’s good enough for me.

But here’s the icing on the cake: he told me that he came all the way out here from LA just to play his home town. He didn’t have any other gigs in this area. He just wanted to give back to the people who gave to him all those years. Wow!

Thanks, Billy, for expanding my mind and enriching my life.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

A GOOD SUMMER READ: Shadows in My House of Sunshine

I would like to recommend a good book to all of you readers out there. It’s called “Shadows in My House of Sunshine” and it’s written by Emilie Betts, a first time writer.

Emilie, 85, writes a very colorful and often painful history of her life experiences. Going from a rich childhood in the pre-depression era to nearly penniless during the Great Depression and then back to the high life again during the wild and crazy sixties and seventies, Emilie, the wife of the late Robert Betts, former chairman of the William Esty advertising agency, is a natural writer who easily creates a visual experience of her life.

The book is raw and real and gives everyone something they can relate to. You’ll get lost in every page and wonder, what happens next? Nearly every experience reminded me of some memory in my own childhood or life.

It’s a relaxing and easy summer read and one you’ll come away from feeling as if you know her and are much the better for it.

I know I am. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting her recently while she was on her book signing tour here in Connecticut. When I got the email from my local library that she was coming, I read the description of the book and was immediately mesmerized by both the woman and the book.

We missed each other that day, but she was kind enough to contact me afterward. She welcomed me into her home and, on a beautiful sunny day, we had lunch on the back patio of the adorable English cottage she refers to so lovingly toward the end of the book. I look forward to future lunches and interesting discussions with my new friend.

Check out Emilie’s website.

Click here to buy the book.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Spam Alert

I need to alert everyone to a dangerous spam scam. Today, I put an ad on petfinder.com to try to find a home for my mom’s cat. I put my real name, my email address, and my cell phone number (real smart move, Lynn).

Well, within three hours, I had three emails all from guys wanting to pay top dollar for my cat. They think my cat would be perfect for their little family – they’re all married with a couple of kids, of course, and live in quaint towns with a big house and lots of yard space – and would send the bank check right away if I would only give them my complete name, address and phone number. Yeah, right.

One guy was all the way on the other coast. The second guy was about 8 states away, and the third guy – well he tried to get me to believe he was in the U.S., but he didn’t do his homework. He said he lived in Rockville, Delaware. Hey stupid, Rockville is in Maryland, not Delaware. Then he followed that with “US”, as in, “I live in Rockville Delaware US.” Again, hey stupid, if you live in the U.S. and I live in the U.S., do you really need to clarify that point? I think I know where Delaware is – or Maryland, which ever state you decide you live in. And here’s the kicker – there was an ad on the bottom of his email for Swiss Air!

I tried to remove the cat ad but couldn’t get my user name and password to work. I found the phone number of the president and company founder, Becky Saul and called. She picked up the phone and was very nice. She told me that in recent weeks their spam complaints have picked up, and that they were working on making the site blind like dating sites are, so you can’t see the personal information of the pet owner. Great idea.

In the meantime, I wanted to alert everyone to the problem and caution them not to put any personal information on such sites. I learned a hard lesson.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thanks, Tim for All Your Wisdom and Entertainment

I am very sorry to hear about the sudden death of political anchorman Tim Russert who ran the Sunday morning NBC television news show Meet the Press.

I met Tim last year when he was on tour for his book, Big Russ and Me. As a journalist, I was assigned to write an article for the Greenwich (Connecticut) Citizen — a small local weekly newspaper — on an author breakfast, for which he was one of the guest speakers. I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing him for 10 minutes after the breakfast.

Every time I saw him on television afterward, I felt proud that I once was within just a few feet of him and had a live conversation with this very important journalist and man.

Tom Brokaw, who broke the news, said that, among the many losses associated with Tim’s death, was the fact that Tim would never be able to report on such a historic presidential election, which he was looking forward to. That is truly unfortunate.

I didn’t buy the book that day. Now I wish I had. I would have gotten an autographed copy, something that everyone who is rushing to the Internet to buy his book tonight will never have.

What I do have is the memory of him, brief though it is, and that I will cherish. My condolences go out to his family and his colleagues.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

I Don’t Care What Your Thumbs Think

Lately, there seems to be a run-on of TV and radio commercials featuring objects brought to life. Some of these are so ridiculous I can’t believe they passed client approval. It started with a Stop & Shop supermarket commercial where the products themselves told listeners about their new low prices. More recently, I’ve heard a radio commercial where the letters “H” and “R” (as in human resources) introduce themselves. In another commercial, a guy stops furiously texting to talk to his “Mr. and Mrs. Thumb”.

Perhaps the creators of these types of commercials saw the genuinely sincere and funny success of “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” TV commercials and said, “hey, this is a great idea,” and thought automatically that consumers would gravitate to other objects coming to life. Perhaps they’re one of those people who give their private parts names and thought they could translate that idea into a winning ad.

They were wrong. They forgot the part where the creative has to be interesting and unique and the message has to offer value. After all, they are speaking to adults, not kids who will laugh at anything. They also forgot they need to be compelling enough to get these adults to open their wallets.

To me, these types of commercials seem like a copout – a lazy “let’s put anything on the air” attitude from people who have forgotten everything they learned in college or from the leaders of the industry. Or perhaps they simply had a hangover that day. Who knows.

But in today’s market, where consumers are successfully skipping over, fast forwarding through or simply ignoring ads, who can afford to be anything less than exceptional? Let’s retire these slapstick attempts at garnering attention and get back to some real quality creative. I promise I’ll pay attention if you give something worth paying attention to.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thank you, God - Nelson's Back

On Thursday, May 10th, 2007, I wrote a blog post about Nelson - a man who was being deployed to Iraq - and how his deployment made me feel.

Two nights ago, just shy of one year overseas, Nelson walked into one of our karaoke spots. He's home and in one piece. Not a scratch or a mark on him.

Thank you, God. Now could you please work on bringing the rest of them home?

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Who Needs Television?

That’s exactly what I began wondering when I started watching “Lost” on the Internet a few weeks ago. I became addicted to the series during season 1, three and a half years ago. It is, in my opinion, the best written script on television. But I never watched it, because I had missed the bulk of the first season and I didn’t want to start in the middle. I decided to wait until I could watch the pilot and all the subsequent episodes in order.

I finally got that chance three weeks ago — halfway through season 4. And I did it on the Internet. ABC makes every episode available through its website. So there I went. I watched every episode from seasons 1, 2, 3 and the first half of 4 (before the writer’s strike) sitting in front of my computer, all in a space of about three weeks. I am now fully caught up in time for the first new episode since the writer’s strike ended, scheduled for next week.

The whole experience was really great, and it changed my views on television as a medium. I was in control of what I watched and when. I wasn’t beholden to a TV schedule. I could pause, replay, fast forward. There were commercials, but most of them were just 30 seconds — not the four to six minutes of advertising you get from the broadcast networks.

And I realized, who needs television? I wished I could do that with every show — watch it when it’s convenient for me. For a fleeting moment, I thought, hey, that’s what TiVo’s all about. Maybe we should get TiVo. But then, I had a second thought. Who needs TiVo? Will watching TV on the Internet put TiVo out of business?

Experts say that the “second screen” — the computer — will never replace the first screen — the television — because people want larger screens and they want to be able to sit and relax in front of them without doing any work. I get that. And I agree with that. But we all know that there are companies figuring out how to hook up computers to the television, and early adopters are already doing it.

So what happens when early adoption moves to early majority and all of a sudden everyone is sitting back on their leather couch in front of their 60-inch flat screen surfing the Internet for TV shows? What happens to television then? And TiVo then?

A major paradigm shift is taking place in 2009 — all of television is going digital. The significance of this is, all television is being formatted to fit the Internet medium. When that happens, the question will become, how many broadcast networks are smart enough to take advantage of it?

I watched approximately 72 episodes of Lost on the Internet. Each show had one advertising sponsor, which generated approximately 10 commercials. That’s 720 impressions just on me. How many mes were out there last week? And the week before? A hundred? A thousand? Just 10,000 people watching on the Internet would generate 7.2 million impressions. That’s a sizeable number.

But here’s the big catch: as much as I said I wasn’t going to watch those commercials, I found myself doing it again and again. There was a 30 second countdown to click back to the show. Many times, those 30 seconds were up before the commercial ended but I clicked back to the show anyway, missing the tail end of the commercial. But there were plenty of times when I found myself watching the commercial and forgetting to click back to the show until the commercial ended.

This is a major paradigm shift in consumer behavior. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. In fact, I’m certain this is a trend that will only grow.

Will this result in the generation of online-only television? New shows that aren’t good enough to bear the multimillion expense of a television pilot but would cost less to produce for the Internet? There is tremendous potential here. And I’m ready to be the guinea pig. The test case.

Now I find myself 10 days away from the next Lost show being available and there is nothing I can do but wait. Sigh. I guess I’ll just have to watch television.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Funny? Maybe. Sad? Definitely.

This video is supposed to be funny. Yeah, it is funny. But it’s also – and even more so – really frightening and sad. There’s actually two different points that I think are being made in this video:

1) That the illegal immigrants – while they are illegal – are human and deserve to be treated like human beings and not like things or cattle.

2) Be careful how you treat them because one day you might be in their position too. With all of our customer service and tech support going out of the country, all of our farmers going bankrupt and all of our money going to Iraq, this is not a far-fetched idea.

In my community, our one and only factory is closing down by 2010. What else are 3,000 factor workers going to do? While anyone can go back to school and start over at any age, it’s easy to say when we’re not in that position. Recently, in my town, a 59-year-old man who was laid off from his job jumped in front of a train. Sure he had lots of options. Apparently, he didn’t know what any of them were. Sad. Very sad.

On the first point, I’m not happy about the fact that we have hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens in this country. They use our hospitals and don’t pay for them, and their children, some of whom are born here which makes them citizens — a twisted idea in itself — and many who are not, go to our public schools for free. And they don’t pay any taxes. But on the flip side, whose fault is it that they’re here? Not theirs.

How can you blame someone for trying to make a better life? It’s not their fault they were able to get through the border. It’s ours. If we don’t want people walking over our borders or staying longer than their visa allows, then we should stop them.

Meanwhile, have you ever seen a street corner full of day laborers? I have. In my community we have a corner where the city even put up a “day laborers” sign. You should see how they converge by the dozens on a single truck when someone pulls up. And they stand out there in all kinds of weather, all day long. All they want to do is work. Is that so bad? They’ll do anything for any price just to survive, which is more than I can say for the spoiled rich teenagers who won’t even work in a grocery store. Or tennis moms who would rather spend all day at the spa than making her own spending money running a cash register. We should be grateful for some of these people who are willing to do the jobs that the average American thinks isn’t good enough for them.

Yes the illegal immigrant problem is completely out of control. But blame the politicians. Don’t blame the immigrants. They’re just trying to feed their families.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

The U.S. Dept. of Census Is Misinformed

I believe the U.S. Dept. of Census is misinformed when it comes to those little check boxes on their forms, and on any other document in which they ask you for your race.

While there is only one check box for the entire black race, in fact, all people of color do not actually fit under one race. In fact, people from the Caribbean are very different – extremely different – from African Americans.

They don’t think alike. They don’t talk alike. They don’t dress alike. They don’t eat the same food. They don’t worship the same way. They don’t listen to the same music. They don’t dance the same. They are in fact, quite different. Yet, the U.S. Dept. of Census has but one box, labeled African American, where I think they should have two: one for African American and one for Caribbean/West Indian. I think this would provide a much more accurate representation of the American population.

Everyone talks about how the Hispanic population is growing. The Asian population is growing. What about the island population? Jamaicans, Haitians, Bahamians, Dominicans. There are more and more of them in the U.S. every day, but does the government really have an accurate read on their growth?

Think for a moment how this information is used. The make-up of your region’s population could determine how much federal and state funding your schools get and what the money is used for. It could play a role in which grants are set up, where they’re set up and how much money is put into them. It could make a difference where nonprofits set up shop, do their work and what they determine their mission to be.

It’s also used to deliver marketing messages. Today, it’s a top priority for marketers to create a message that is relevant to its audience. Marketers jump through hoops and over barrels on a daily basis to try to understand who their audiences are, where they are and how best to reach them without wasting their message on people it is not appropriate for. Marketers would definitely benefit from more accurate Census data.

Some people are uncomfortable filling in these boxes and feel they should not be there at all. But if they are going to be there, and we are all going to be required to fill them out, then at the very least, they should be accurate. It’s time for a change. I strongly recommend that the U.S. Dept. of Census add one more box to their population form – for Caribbean/West Indian. Let them stand up and be counted. They deserve it.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

My wish list for 2008

1. Peace on earth. You can think it’s cheezy if you want to. It’s on the top of my list and it’s staying there until we achieve it.

2. An equal opportunity healthcare system for all Americans.

3. No more dead our wounded soldiers. Ever.

4. Reversal of global warming, with the majority of our energy output coming from carbon neutral sources. And let’s figure out how to make garbage to energy work so we can stop burying all our garbage. Someday the entire planet will be made of garbage. Ewe.

5. A workfare welfare system. Nobody who is healthy and able to work should get something for nothing. And for all the women who say I can’t work because I have a child, provide a national free or subsidized day care system.

6. Fire the IRS. Why do we put ourselves through the agony of filling out tax returns every year? Just take the tax out of our pay and be done with it! Then take all that money from the IRS and put it into socialized medicine.

7. Enough affordable housing for all, including the homeless.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

What I'm Thankful For

As the holidays approach, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on what I am thankful for:

1. My husband, who loves and respects me and works hard to help us build a future together.

2. My mom, who is always there for me and is more than just a mom; she is a friend who I enjoy being around.

3. My friends, who never complain when I vent, appreciate and miss me when I’m not there, and enrich my life just by being them.

4. Soldiers. For all the freedoms I have, and all the sacrifices you’ve made so that I can have them. If I said the word thank you a thousand times it would never be enough.

5. God. Even when I forget to pray, or forget to say thank you, he is always always there for me. He never ever gives up on me, even when I’m cranky or not as nice as I should be.

6. My pastor and my church. For giving me back my spirituality, giving me a venue for reaching out and helping others and for all the new friends I’ve made.

7. My clients who keep me busy and appreciate me. This one is also a thank you to God for allowing me to be my own boss and run my own business for four years. It gets better every year.

Happy holidays everybody!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Please Watch This Video

I encourage everyone to take two minutes out of their busy day to watch this video and take it to heart.

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Nicks Fans Are Concerned About the Wrong Thing

Last night on the news I heard something that really got my goat. Fans of the New York Nicks were holding up signs outside Madison Square Garden calling for Isiah Thomas to be fired. At first I thought, well, yeah, the guy does deserve to be fired. But it’s the reason why they were carrying signs that riled me.

The Nicks have lost 6 games in a row and the fans are outraged. Where were they when he was being tried and eventually found guilty for sexual harassment? Why weren’t they calling for his firing then? Was that not more important than the Nicks losing 6 games? Are you kidding??!!!!

It’s a pitifully sad day in America when we value winning over integrity and having a conscience.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Telemarketers - Are You Really That Stupid?

I have a business line at home. This type of line is not exempt from the FTC's Do Not Call list, so I am destined to deal with telemarketers.

For the past four months or so, I have been getting phone calls from a toll free number. No one calls from a toll free number except telemarketers. But when I pick up the call, all I hear is, "All our representatives are currently busy. Please hold the line for a representative."

Do they really think people are going to do that? Do they really think people will hold the line just to hear what they have to say?

Telemarketers have been trying to reduce abandon rates - the percentage of people who hang up because there's no service rep on the other end of the phone when their phone rings and they pick it up - since the 80s. Haven't they figured this out yet?

This isn't rocket science. If you're going to use an automated dialing system to get people on the phone, then make damn sure there is a representative on the line when they pick up!!!

Why should I wait for you? What do I care about why you're calling? I don't!

Ninety percent of the time I don't even pick up the call and stubborn as they are, they keep calling back. Today I picked it up just for the heck of it to see how long it would take for a representative to pick up. I waited four seconds after the recording.

Are you kidding???? I don't care who you are or what your reason for calling is. If you can't get it right, you don't deserve to speak with me. Besides, I am absolutely certain I don't care why you're calling - even if you're one of my favorite charities. I don't need to speak to you on the phone. I can go to your website.

Some day, telemarketing as an outbound service will be extinct. And the killers will be the marketers who couldn't figure out how to get it right.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

It Is Not a Person’s God-Given Right to Live On the Street

I get really irritated when I hear this. And I’ve heard it many times. “We can’t take a person off the street. It’s their God-given right to live on the street if they want to.”

When you’re born, you’re given a lot of freedoms. In the U.S., you have freedom of speech, equal opportunity education and jobs, and the freedom to worship your religion of choice. But never does a parent say immediately upon birth “my baby has just as much right to be a homeless crack addict as anyone else.”

Nobody wants that for their child. And when we leave people on the street, we ignore them, turn our backs on them, when we should be helping them.

Recently, in my town, a legless alcoholic in a wheelchair was begging for money in the parking lot of a CVS. This went on for about two weeks before the police chased him away. This man looked like he hadn’t had a bath in months. His clothes were so filthy I would burn them, not wash them. I asked one day why he didn’t go to the shelter. He said he didn’t like the shelter.

Another time, a big woman approached me asking me for a dollar for french fries. When I pulled out the dollar she asked for two. She said she was pregnant and homeless. I said why don’t you go to the shelter. She said they won’t take me because I’m not clean. She looked very clean to me. What she meant was, I’m a drug addict and you have to be clean and sober to live at the shelter. Meanwhile, four hours later the woman apparently still hadn’t gotten her french fries because she was still out there begging when I was leaving the area. She tried to beg from me again and I just help up my hand and said “don’t”.

The thing is, there are these people who are rejected from the system because they want to remain an alcoholic and a drug addict. Or at the very least, they’re not strong enough to give it up.

I think that when someone is homeless, and they have nothing left, and they’re not strong enough to take care of themselves, we should do it for them…whether they want us to or not.

Like this legless guy in the wheelchair. Since he’s disabled, he would easily qualify for a bed at a convalescent center. A permanent warm, dry and clean place to sleep and three square meals a day. But he won’t go because he can’t get the drink there. I think we should pick him up against his will, lock him up in detox for as long as it takes, and while we’re at it, scrub the hell out of him and put clean clothes on him. Who cares if it’s not what he wants today? He’s too sick to know what’s best for him.

Nobody wants to be homeless. Nobody really wants to be a drunk or a drug addict. I know that people would argue where do you draw the line. But sometimes it’s an open and shut case, like with this legless man. If he won’t do it for himself, we should do it for him.

It’s nobody's God-given right to live like a pig or to beg. Technically, it is their right. But this is America. We’re all brethren under God…brothers and sisters in one universe. We’re supposed to be helping our fellow man. And I think there are times when we should be doing it, whether they want to be helped or not. They may not thank us, but God will.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.