Hannah, a friend I met at Kate Gosselin's appearance at the Southern Women's Show, showed up on one of the two new episodes of Jon & Kate Plus 8 tonight! As cameras panned through crowds at various Gosselin appearances, I recognized Raleigh -- then Hannah -- and, alas, then me. I knew Hannah would eventually appear because she was interviewed by TLC, but I had no idea I was caught on camera as well. LOL.As J&K are now basically doing solo spots, I'm hoping TLC will use more snip-its in the coming weeks and we'll get to see some of Hannah's interview. :)
Here’s a little something from my friends at inSide919 that fellow professional women might be interested in:Women network differently from men. Find out what works and what doesn't when it comes to networking on places like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Inside919, etc.
For the first-time ever, there will be an All Women's Social Media Summit in NC. Join fellow Inside919ers Olalah Njenga, Heather O, Deidre Hughey -- along with Heidi Richards from Florida and Wendy Y Bailey from Atlanta -- who will lead a lively discussion on How to Get the Most out of Social Media. You'll also learn about marketing and branding yourself and your business. Find out what some of the no-no's are when it comes to online networking.
Our very special guest will be NBC17 Executive Producer Kim Greene, who will tell us how they use social media to find US for interviews. Yes--they do read blogs, folks!
Seating is limited. You also have a chance to win a pair of tickets in our Social Media Summit Ticket Giveaway. Go to the website for details.
October 17, 2009 (all day event)
Raleigh Marriott
Fayetteville Street Mall
http://www.womenssocialmediasummit2009.com/
Raleigh Marriott
Fayetteville Street Mall
http://www.womenssocialmediasummit2009.com/
As someone who lives on the computer, I surprisingly never realized how strict the definition of “Spam” really is. You may not either.The following detailed information from inSide919, a local business and social network, is highly applicable to all business relationships and good enough to share:
Sending Spam or Bulk email using the Internal Email System... Hurts Your Reputation
One of the things we would like inSiders to know is that this is NOT the place for Bulk email or Spam.The main reason for this is that YOU will end up hurting YOUR Reputation and Brand Message.
So... Do not use the Internal Email system to send Bulk email, promotions, deals, notices, thoughts for the day or solicitations of any kind. Basically... ANY email that is not Personalized may well be considered Spam by the receiving party. When a person accepts your 'Friend Request' they are not agreeing to 'RECEIVE' anything from you - they are simply agreeing to be open to forming a business relationship with you.
Here are a few examples that may help:
1. If you send me a one-time individual solicitation for a product, service or business (meaning that it includes a personal message to me, not a cut-and-pasted canned message), I don't consider that spam. If I don't respond and you solicit me more than twice, it's spam.
2. If you send me a solicitation, promotion, or notice in a bulk e-mail that's simultaneously going to a number of other people, that's spam.
3. If you post solicitations on my comment wall, that's spam (unless that solicitation is a RELEVANT response to something I "inquired about" somewhere on the Network or "requested" in my Profile).
4. If you send me a one-time invitation to an event that's designed to benefit me (whether I buy anything from you or not) that's NOT spam. If your "free event" is a thinly disguised sales pitch or "business opportunity meeting," that's spam.
Most messages sent to more than 5 people at the same time will most likely fall into the questionable area. When in doubt ... don't send it out!
From the Lifestyles section, Mon., May 25. It's a tight turnaround, but great opportunity!JOIN THE OUR LIVES FAMILY
Do you want to see your words published on these pages?
We need more community writers for the Our Lives column to share stories about life around here.
Send a 50-word essay -- yes, 50 -- on a topic of your choice. It could be what you'd like to write about if chosen, it could be a little about yourself, it could be what's on your mind. Just make it good.
E-mail your essay to adrienne.johnson@newsobserver.com by 5 p.m. Friday. Late entries will not be accepted.
E-mail your essay to adrienne.johnson@newsobserver.com by 5 p.m. Friday. Late entries will not be accepted.
Sorry, but you will be contacted only if you are chosen to write a longer essay to be considered as one of the new writers.
Good luck and good writing!
[I have a story and photos of Kate Gosselin slated for the summer issue of a local magazine. It may never see the light of day based on recent headlines. But no one’s looking at the bigger picture…] The details of the Jon & Kate Gosselin story are getting uglier by the day. The wholesome Pennsylvania family blessed with eight gorgeous kids (a set of twins and sextuplets) and a reality show documenting their lives seems to have been derailed by fame, the media, or their own sense of entitlement – depending upon who you ask.
Clip shows like The Soup have been targeting the Gosselins and their TLC show, Jon & Kate Plus 8, for months. But it was business as usual at TLC. And mom Kate continued to make appearances promoting books about the family. There was a big “will they or won’t they” media blitz when Kate wanted to continue with a fifth season of the show and Jon most definitely did not. TLC announced the show would return, and everything in the Gosselin household hit the fan.
First there were rumors of infidelity on Jon’s part … followed shortly thereafter by the same against Kate. Kate spoke with The Today Show and said she was “hesitant to believe” the accusations against Jon and that they were handling it privately. Not so privately, it seems, as less than one week later she appeared on the cover of People magazine saying, "I don't know that we're in the same place anymore, that we want the same thing … I've been struggling with the question of 'Who is this person?' for a while."
The media blitz surrounding the family is larger than ever, and everybody’s got an opinion. Up until now, sources supposedly “close” to the couple have been cashing in. But now we’re even hearing that the marriage is over from Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jodi, Kate’s brother and sister-in-law. Viewers will remember Jodi from earlier seasons of J&K. Is this payback from Jodi for being cut out of the show and the children’s lives? Is this a publicity stunt by TLC to boost ratings for the May 25th summer season premier of Jon & Kate Plus 8?
It just doesn’t matter. Whether the headlines are true or not, who’s considering how all of this nonsense is affecting the children? I’m tired of hearing how much the Gosselin home is worth and how much they earn per episode. How can you put a price tag on what this controversy is doing to the kids? At ages eight and five, these children are heavily influenced by what they see and hear in the media – and in everyday places like school and the grocery store.
"Watching this family self-destruct should not be used as a form of entertainment," said Jodi.
If you love your kids as much as you profess to, Jon & Kate, please stop doing interviews and start going to counseling instead.
You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the central place of every heart, there is a recording chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage, so long are you young. -Douglas MacArthur
Registration is now open for the Triangle Area Freelancers (TAF) 2009 Writers' Conference."Write Now: The Craft and Business of Freelance Writing" will be held Saturday, April 18, 2009 on the North Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh. Local novelist, nonfiction writer, and private editorial consultant Peggy Payne will deliver the keynote address. Her most recent novel Sister India is a New York Times Notable Book.
Reserve your seat by visiting http://www.triangleareafreelancers.org/, or call 919/873-9833 for more information.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of interviewing a woman with whom I have a lot in common. We were both born within a few years of each other and raised in the Badger state, chose similar professional fields, got what we hoped would be stepping-stone jobs after college, moved around a bit, got married, and had children.The major differences between us are that she is more well-known and has made more money … subsequently by working full-time through most of her children’s lives. But despite all her successes, this woman is now taking ‘early retirement’ and leaving the daily grind. She is stepping down from a job she loves, where she is well-compensated, respected, and admired – to be at home with her kids. I applaud her decision as it is one I made a long time ago.
Although she seems to be following my lead, in truth, I can learn a lot from this woman. To go from a nine-to-five environment into a world where you work just as hard but don’t get paid, are only sometimes respected, and admired only by those who do what you do – is a form of culture shock to say the least. But family is important, and those of us lucky enough to be home with our children sometimes lose sight of that in the grand scheme of things.
I love my family and also my occupation. For me, freelancing is the best of both worlds. As my second job (the first being CEO of a busy household), it allows me to keep my professional skills sharp while working with editors and business associates nationwide. I have to dress for work every day, multi-task my brains out, return phone calls, meet deadlines, and deliver a finished product that makes everyone happy. My family is starting to see how important it is for Mom to have a creative outlet and a paycheck made up of more than sticky-sweet kisses. Little do they know that they are often the inspiration for many of my essays and all of my successes. Wearing two hats is a challenge, but all jobs have their pluses and minuses. On most days, my office is better equipped than my pantry, but I am learning to expand my super- and writer’s-markets.
With this in mind, I’ve written measurable and attainable goals for 2009. Resolutions include exceeding editor/client expectations (the old “under promise – over deliver” adage), showing more patience with my children, and demonstrating the confidence and fortitude to help my business and personal relationships soar. It’s a tall order, but one I am eager to engage. What are your resolutions for the new year?
Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. -Stanley Horowitz
