Tech Advice for the Rest of Us.

My pal Dale Dixon--who upgraded my system earlier this year sans drama--is launching an IT consultancy for small and mid-sized businesses.

His genius? He avoids geek speak and takes a holistic approach to your entire tech set-up.

Bookmark his site: http://gyronyconsultive.com/

Head to the Moon.

Tiny indie flick Moon is worth seeking out for the tour-de-force performance by Sam Rockwell.



This gripping sci-fi drama is a hauntingly beautiful study of alienation. The critics have rightly raved; it has a 90% rating on http://www.rottentomatoes.com/.



Fun fact: the movie was produced by Sting's wife, Trudie Styler.



Check out the trailer at: http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/moon/

Customer Service is Not Dead.

Consumer advocate Clark Howard calls it customer "no service."



Recnetly, though, I've enjoyed stellar service from the following:



* Eye Gallery: Maren in Marietta and Jamie in Buckhead made sure two pairs of glasses--both frames and lenses--were rock-star right

* Buckhead Life Group: When a reservation snafu stranded us in Chops versus the desired Lobster Bar, manager on duty Jared seated and personally served in the tiled space which we had all to ourselves

* Boston Market: Within an hour, Alexy, a call center representative, responded to my online complaint about a disappointing sandwich served onboard a recent flight, expressing appreciation for the feedback and mailing out coupons for in-restaurant dining

* OXO: Jean at OXO cheerfully replaced a year-old dish scrubber that was not performing as expected



Share stories of great customer service. Reward responsive companies with your business.

Head South From Sea-Tac to Tacoma.

Last week, I flew to Sea-Tac, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for some R&R, Northwest-style. Like most folks, I usually head north to Seattle, but this time, I made a point to drive south to Tacoma.

I'm glad I did.

Tacoma has shed its gritty image and is emerging from Seattle's shadow as a destination in its own right.

There's mesmerizing glass from native son Dale Chihuly and majestic views of Mount Rainer. The city is clean, the residents are friendly and there's plenty to do and see. I stayed at chic Hotel Murano and walked to most destinations, including the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum. I made my own glass creation at the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio. I enjoyed dining at Pacific Grill, BITE, The Lobster Shop and Hello Cupcake.

It's time to discover Tacoma. http://www.traveltacoma.com/

Best Copywriting. Fewest Words.

The billboards for Patron Silver are on-the-money copywriting genius: Social Networking.

Worst Copywriting. Fewest Words.

Why are city parking signs examples of the worst copywriting?

Because they are poorly written. And they are everywhere--literally.

Trying to decipher the confusing and limited language while whizzing down an empty street often requires a PhD. And often results in a ticket because of misinterpretation.

When you are writing--or reviewing someone else's writing--ask yourself if the language is clear, concise and easy to understand.

You'll know it isn't if it brings to mind municipal signage.

That's a starting point for good writing.

The Glorious, Global Oyster.

I just spent a week in Washington state eating thumb-sized Penn Cove oysters and Bowes that were two-thirds the size of my fist.

Slimy bliss.

If you, too, love the sweet and briny tang of this lowly mollusk, then get your hands on a copy of the August issue of Travel & Leisure and flip to page 127.

Peter Jon Lindberg has spent three years traveling the world in search of the best specimens.

His rhapsodic prose in "The World Is My Oyster" will delight you. (No link online, buy a copy at a newsstand).

A sample: "Perhaps it's their shells, the contours mimicking the landscapes they inhabit, craggy coastlines in miniature. Perhaps it's their pungent, briny liquor, crashing like surf across the tongue....Knocking one back is like mainlining the cove it came from."

The Importance of Source Material.

Not too long ago, I attended a screening of an artsy film called Cheri. The reviews were mixed, as were my feelings after the credits rolled. The movie looked sumptuous, but it lacked depth.

But the story of an aging courtesan who falls tragically in love with a much younger man in 1920s Paris was intriguing. I went to the library and checked out the novel written by Colette.

Why read when you can watch? Why seek out the original source materials?

Because Hollywood takes liberties. Because it is thrilling to let your imagination connect the dots. Because there's magic in your own interpretation of an author's words. Because the morsels of language revealed on the page quicken the blood in a way film cannot.

"A Marrow Experience."

All of us, intuitively, can relate to a "marrow experience," one that pervades our very bones.

In her memoir of manic depression, An Unquiet Mind, Dr. Kay Jamison unblinkingly describes the state she was in:

"St. Andrews provided a gentle forgetfulness over the preceding painful years of my life. It remains a haunting and lovely time to me, a marrow experience. For one who during her undergraduate years was trying to escape an inexplicable weariness and despair, St. Andrews was an amulet against all manner of longing and loss, a year of gravely held but joyous rememberances. Throughout and beyond a long North Sea winter, it was the Indian summer of my life."

Writing With Bite.

This wonderful sentence is from Melissa Bank's novel The Wonder Spot:

"Back at the Cave, I took a sip and tasted thousands of pots of coffee that had burned themselves into black bitterness; I tasted the burner itself."

What's Wrong With Liking Pate?

Is cultural snobbery dying in a low-brow world?

The August issue of Vanity Fair explores the topic in a pithy column by James Wolcott, arbiter of all things highbrow.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/wolcott200908

Go Early. Go Green.

I'm up and at 'em uncharacteristically early (and on a summer Friday!) to attend SART, Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable.

Sponsored by Southface Energy Institiute, which promotes responsible solutions for environmental, today's talk is about financial incentives for making your home energy efficient.

Want to get involved? Check out future programs at: http://www.southface.org/web/programs&events/SART/sart-menu.htm.

Need a Break?

If creative frustrations are getting the better of you, Sarah's Smash Shack in San Diego has the solution for your aggravation.

And it's a smashing success.

In specially designed "break rooms," you can demolish plates and glasses--wearing safety gear, of course--and someone else cleans up mess. Then you can donate the broken bits to artists for use in mosaics. Responding to customer demand, the entrepeneurs even offer mobile smashing sessions.

The beauty of destruction? Satisfied smashers say letting loose with breakables releases stress and anger and leaves them feeling free.

Don't knock it 'til you've broken it.

Stick It.

Ever wonder why some things stick--urban legends, pitches, conspiracy theories, proverbs-- while others don't?

Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath identifies six commonalities of "sticky"--i.e., memorable--ideas:

* Simplicity
* Unexpectedness
* Concreteness
* Credibility
* Emotions
* Stories

As a writer, the last requirement--Stories--interested me most.

It's worth bearing in mind when you want to create stickiness for your products or services.

Eat--Er, See This Movie.

Today I learned what a "notional tomato" is. And I also know that production agriculture controls food from seed to supermarket.

Hungry to learn more?

Food, Inc., is in theaters right now. http://www.foodincmovie.com/

On America's Birthday.

Food for thought, in between bites of potato salad, grilled burgers, watermelon and apple pie:

"The United States is the only country with a known birthday. "
James G. Blaine, polititican, 1830-1893

What Miss Moss Knows.

My longtime gal pal Susan Moss tossed this nugget off during dinner last night:

"Those who are older than us know things we've not yet seen. Those that are younger than us know things we've forgotten."

Which is the best argument I've heard for including both toddlers and seniors in your social circle.

Life's Big Three.

According to a Chinese proverb:

Happiness is somebody to love,
Something to do,
And something to hope for.

One Line Wisdom.

"There is no path that goes all the way."
Han Shan, Chinese poet, 9th century