Does TV Make You Less Lonely?

Is TV a social replacement or a social deterrant?

An intriguing new study argues that we're less lonely when we watch the tube.

Find out why: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7304294.stm.

Rebranding the Redneck Riviera?

I'm headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama, which is attempting to reposition itself as an "undiscovered ecotourism beach getaway."

That sounds challenging for the PR folks.

The Redneck Riviera extends for nearly 100-miles along the Gulf Coast Highway 98 in Lower Alabama and Northwest Florida. It's moniker comes from a Tom T. Hall song about the region, best known for seafood, white sands, emerald ocean, inglorious architecture, fishing and Bubbas.

To be sure, the RR has brand equity, but maybe not the kind the city's promoters want any longer.

Not sure how successful the new messaging will prove to be, but the trip itself should be a blast.

Writing Eases Cancer Stress.

According to a 2008 BBC report, Washington, D.C., patients who journaled about their illness felt better, with up to 49% reporting improvments in their attitudes.

"Expressive writing" and "writing clinicians" seems to shift negative feelings about leukaemia or lymphoma diagnoses.

The trick seems to be writing about feelings, not just facts.

For more information, log onto http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7304294.stm.

Company Blogging Basics.

Why would you create a blog for especially for customers? Because they are key stakeholders.

And because blogs are inexpensive, evergreen, deliver brand promise, engage customers and build loyalty.

At a recent IABC meeting in Atlanta, a panel of corporate and academic experts gave several tips for companies that want to create customer blogs.

* Make a long-term commitment. You can't just post...and walk away.
* Ensure the link is obvious on your website.
* The design should be easy to navigate.
* Be genuine in voice.
* Moderate the content.
* Address detractors. But don't try to control the conversation.
* Let your customer community come to your defense.
* Respond to misinformation quickly.
* Recognize it takes time and skill to blog.

Check out http://www.coca-colaconversations.com/, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.

Go Slow. Literally.

The Slow Food movement has given birth to the Slow Travel movement, which encourages savoring a destination not devouring it, taking your time in one place versus racing from one attraction to the next.


Anyplace can be a place where the pace is languid. For inspiration, log onto http://www.slowtrav.com./

Heard on the Street.

Attended a rally in my Atlanta neighborhood tonight about crime prevention.

Met a fellow named Russ Copeland who now lives in Dunwoody but was a former Ansley Park neighbor. You might say he left his heart in Midtown.

When we swapped "what-do-you-dos," he was asked a couple of pertinent questions about my career.

Then he distilled, from his viewpoint, the best writing as such: Hit 'em. So they can hear you.

Great insight from a great guy.

Environmental News You Can Use.

It's not always easy reading "green."

But even if you didn't mark Earth Day this year, you can bookmark The Mother Nature Network, http://www.mnn.com/, and stay up-to-date on all things eco.

The timely site has an interesting package of swine flu articles.

The Lyricism of Getting Lost.

Rebecca Solnit's book A Field Guide to Getting Lost is one of the most poetic narratives I have read on the value of wandering.

Sample passages:

"Night alone in motels in remote western towns where I know no one and no one I know knows where I am, nights with the strange paintings and floral spread and cable television that furnish a reprieve from my own biography, when in Benjamin's terms I have lost myself though I know where I am."

"The world is blue at its edges and in its depths. This blue is the light that got lost. Light at the blue end of the spectrum does not travel the whole distance from the sun to us....This light that does not touch us, does not travel the whole distance, the light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue."

This volume would make a wonderful graduation gift.

Raging Inferno.

The antidote to reality TV is FX's riveting Rescue Me about NYC firefighters, starring Dennis Leary (who also writes and produces).

Snarky, sexy, smart and serialized, it's got some of the best dialogue on cable.

Political Superheroines.

A comic book called Female Force: Michelle Obama, will be released April 29.

Showcasing influential women in politics, this edition joins best-selling comics honoring Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Upcoming releases will feature Condoleezza Rice, Caroline Kennedy and Princess Diana. Each is $3.99.

Visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com/ for outlets.

Now is Not the Time to Buy. So Why Do We?

I can't resist splurging on a strappy pair of Michael Kors sandals, fiscal woes or not.

Turns out I'm not alone. Seems we can only go so long without cashmere or caviar.

Jeff Gordinier writes about a syndrome called Recession Splurge Reflex in the May issue of Details magazine, when we succumb to the fleeting temptation of pricey liquor or cosmetics.

"You've surrendered to what may be called the Recession Splurge Reflex, an impulse to treat yourself to the very indulgences that we're all supposed to banish in the name of fiscal austerity."

Read it at: http://men.style.com/details/features/landing?id=content_8817

Lucinda Williams on Clarity.

Award-winning country singer and songwriter Lucinda Williams was interviewed in the Feb/Mar 2009 issue of Garden & Gun. She grew up with a father who also wrote.

Here's what she had to say about his influence:

"Dad stressed the importance of the economics of writing. Clean it up, edit, edit, revise. Above all, the listener whouls be able to understand the poem or the song and not be forced to unravel a complicated, self-indulgent puzzle. Offer your art up to the whole world, not just an elite few."

I think that is good advice for all writers.

Wisdom From Jay Leno.

In the latest issue of GQ, Jay Leno waxes eloquent on consistency.

Of course, he's talking about stand-up comedy, but the insight applies to all service providers:

"Keep the water warm. Because a roiling boil, that's great for about twenty minutes and then the water's gone."

An Artist, Defined.

I like this quote for explaining what a writer (or painter or musician) does:

"The greater part of the labor of an author in comprising his work is critical labor: the sifting, combining, constructing, expunging, correcting and teasing." T.S. Eliot

When an Aubergine is Banal.

Recently, a linguistically-oriented friend and I discussed words that are under-used in conversation.

Here's a sampling of these $10 words. Try to use one before noon!

* Ruinous
* Aubergine
* Slattern
* Dodgy
* Cache
* Anomaly
* Sylph
* Tertiary
* Banal
* Fiasco
* Abyss

Is Twitter Twatter?

Detailing the minutiae of your life is addictive, says the author of an article in the U.K.-based Psychologies magazine.

TMI? You decide.

Read it at: http://www.psychologies.co.uk/Psychologies-magazine/This-month-s-feature/Are-you-an-online-update-junkie.

Black and White and Read No More?

It's no secret that newspapers are fighting for their very existence.

That topical theme is the backdrop for the new Russell Crowe-Helen Mirren thriller State of Play, which has already garnered glowing reviews.

Who triumphs, reporter or blogger? I'll be plunking down $10 for a ticket to find out.

Review: http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/phils-state-of-play-movie-review.

Let's Get Small.

Here's an intriguing idea: single-room hotels located in cities across the globe.

The folks behind this less-is-more concept? The Finnish-based Hotel Room collective, which has launched its first one-room property in Helsinki.

Check it out at: http://www.hotelroom.fi/.

S(mother) Love.

Just saw a screening of Grey Gardens, which premieres on HBO on April 18.

It's a devastating story about the ties that bind....in this case, between an eccentric and wealthy mother and daughter (relatives of Jackie O).

The subject matter will make you squirm. The performances by scene-chewers Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore are equally parts luminious and haunting.

A cautionary tale with great costuming.

Gripping Golf. Gripping Advertisements.

This year's Masters was a nail-biter, with frustrating lows and spirited highs from Tiger, Phil, Kenny, Chad and Angel, the eventual winner of the Green Jacket.

But the sponsors' advertising was consistently on par, especially that of ExxonMobil. Their "tinkerer" campaign encouraging math and science education for kids is, in a word: brilliant.

Check it out at http://www.exxonmobil.com/.

Anchors Aweigh & Bite The Dust.

Ever wondered about the origins of commonly used phrases like "anchors away," "love is blind," "bite the dust" or "mum's the word?"

Wonder no more: http://www.phrases.org.uk/ reveals all.

Sign up for the "phrase a week" email service and you can dazzle friends and associates at the next mixer.

Mourning Becomes Her.

Dealing with death gracefully is a fierce art.

A friend whose mother is dealing with terminal cancer has found solace in a series of beautifully written essays on Slate.com by Meghan O’Rourke: http://www.slate.com/id/2211257/entry/2211256.

The Sound of Good Writing.

Listen closely to the next voiceover you hear in a movie. Do the words sound good? Do they paint a pciture? Do they sound natural? Is there a rhythm to them?

Werner Herzog's narration in Encounters at the End of the World is a great example of compelling writing.

Try reading the copy you have written aloud. The ears know.

The Case for Not Dumbing Down.

In his latest column "Stop the Inanity!" for Entertainment Weekly, Mark Harris argues against the dumbing down of movies.

I'd argue his reasoning applies to all communications.

Read his essay at:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20269754,00.html.

10,000 Hours to Mastery.

Malcolm Gladwell writes in his latest book, The Outliers, that it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at anything, regardless of the field of endeavor.

That's about 10 years of hard work.

On his blog, Harvey Mackay sites neurologist Daniel Levitin who has studied this formula for success: "It seems it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery."

Every hour you log brings you closer to mastery--a great thought to keep in mind when I'm pulling long hours.

Connect The Dots.

Heard something interesting this morning during a panel discussion on Corporate Grantmaking at Atlanta's Nonprofit Summit.

William McCargo, Global director of Community Relations Site Strategy for Cisco, offered this nugget to a room of development executives looking to boost their chances of receiving funding: tell a story.

"Build a strong case. Help us connect the emotional dots with a strong, concise narrative."

Now, more than ever, compelling content spells success.