Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Limerick Friday LXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXIX: Reeling ACC Adds Some High Class, Plus Christie The Latest N.J. Blemish
They already have Quick-Shot
Pitino
Now they add douchey Petrino
Louisville, way to be
Welcome to the ACC
The conference of Harleys and
vino
Bit by bit, ruining the game
Will be Goodell’s claim to fame
Special teams phased out
Scoreboards spinning about
A commish with no clue or shame
Call them cowards or worse
Biting my tongue not to curse
On your chain, they’re just
yankers
These double-talking, cheap
wankers
The dancing changes, but not the
verse
You might not be shocked
That the ‘Fins are a
laughingstock
Coach is a dead man walking
Yet the owner is balking
No GM? We deserved to be mocked
Just another political rat
Good at lying and being fat
Chris Christie is Jersey wrong
Facing re-election odds long
Find us some accountability,
stat!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Scooter & Hum’s Top Five Books of the Year 2013
Amazingly,
this is my seventh year of doing this highly unofficial ranking of the favorite
books I read during the course of the year. I think the fact that two books
incorporated “Zen” into their titles and philosophies may speak volumes on my
year, no?
Overall,
it was a slightly disappointing year for books, really; last year’s slate of books was harder to judge and were better. That being said, I still unearthed a
few gems, however.
Without
further ado ...
#1: “The
Dog Stars,” by Peter Heller
What I Wrote Then:
Heller
takes on an ambitious environment with aplomb, sketching out how what we might
cling to, turn to and lean on in times of unthinkable depravity and loss. In
that sense, he has pulled off a minor miracle in “The Dog Stars”—painting a
believable picture of what an America might look like after it goes to the
dogs.
What I Say Now:
Heller’s
unique bit off quite a bit to chew on (dog pun intended), and I wasn’t thrilled
with how it said goodbye, but his style evoked unexpected emotion and visceral
feeling throughout, a true gift and feat for any author.
Passage to Remember:
“Is it possible to love so desperately
that life is unbearable? I don’t mean unrequited, I mean being in the
love. In the midst of it and desperate. Because knowing it will end, because
everything does. End.”
#2:
“Joyland,” by Stephen King
What I Wrote Then:
Stephen King’s
“Joyland” was an exquisite fit in the Hard Case Crime series. It took place
along the coast of North Carolina (fictional Heaven’s Bay), a place near and
dear to my heart. It took just over a week to read. It featured emotional,
oft-beautiful prose about coming of age and first loves. It managed to
interweave a compelling cold-case plot within it. But it still had one
impossible-to-overcome problem, in my estimation:
It was too
short.
What I Say Now:
As
memorable for the feelings it evoked as for the story it spun, “Joyland” was a
metaphorical breath of fresh air, a love story meeting a ghost story meeting a
coming-of-age story.
Passage to Remember:
“It’s hard to let go. Even when what
you’re holding onto is full of thorns, it’s hard to let go. Maybe especially
then.”
#3: “Perfection,” by Bob Griese and Dave Hyde
What I Wrote Then:
For a kid who didn’t want to wear glasses and then found
a role model in Bob Griese, this was a book that transported me back quite a
few years. “Four decades later, I still hear those cheers,” wrote
Griese.
And so many years later, I’m still grateful for the
privilege of being among those cheering.
What I Say Now:
In a
year in which I read three tomes on football, “Perfection” was the only one
that had me riveted, that was able to make a 40-year-old story come alive like
it was happening in real time, that brought my heroes to life—warts and all.
Passage to Remember:
“In the locker room ... no one talked of
the undefeated season. It was the title we cherished. The ring. This moment
when we were the best.”
#4: “Doctor Sleep,” by Stephen King
What I Wrote Then:
King
certainly bit off plenty in electing to pursue an extension of such a landmark
novel, and with a few hiccups here and there, he largely pulls it off. It’s an
ambitious work that lacks some of the frantic intensity and horror of some of
his earlier pieces, but he does a more-than-admirable job of tackling a
monumental task in “Doctor Sleep.”
What I Say Now:
In
any comparison to its predecessor, “The Shining,” this novel is going to come
up short, so I will admit to some harsh grading here. “Doctor Sleep” did have
bursts of high emotion and fear-inducing moments, with a story about the
normalcy of heroism that reels you right in.
Passage to Remember:
“Life was a wheel, its only job was to
turn, and it always came back to where it had started.”
#5: “Collusion,” by Stuart Neville
What I Wrote Then:
The
lack of soul, for lack of a better word, within this novel made it more “just”
a crime mystery story—though Neville’s writing talents make that work to a
more-than-passable extent.
What I Say Now:
Similar
to “Doctor Sleep,” I felt that “Collusion” paled in comparison to its
predecessor (the tremendous “Ghosts of Belfast.” However, Neville once again uses a diminished (and underutilized) Gerry Fegan does
a tremendous job of tying together the traditional evils of politics,
corruption, violence and all the overlap that comprises what Northern Ireland
is and was.
Passage to Remember:
“She was safe.
“That was the most important fact in his world now, the
one thing that made tomorrow better than yesterday, and he clung to it like a
pillow in his sleep.”
Honorable Mentions (fringe top-five
considerations):
“All That Is,” by James Salter
“Listening In,” by Ted Widmer
“Minimalist Parenting,” by Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest
Others Receiving Votes Category:
“Doc,”
by Dwight Gooden and Ellis Henican; “Dude and the Zen Master,” by Jeff Bridges
and Bernie Glassman; “The Essential Smart Football,” by Chris B. Brown; “The Public Relations Writer's Handbook,” by Merry Aronson, Don Spetner and Carol Ames; “Coaching Confidential,” by Gary Myers; “Zen in the Art of Writing,” by Ray BradburyFriday, January 10, 2014
Limerick Friday LXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXVIII: The Tar Heels Can’t Read, Plus “Treme” Will Be Oh, So Missed
Cheater Hill is under more fire
Real reporters jumping into the
mire
National doing what local won’t
Read very well, they don’t
Reap what you sow in a situation
dire
To 2013 we said goodbye
In the sand under a gray sky
One more year in the books
Never as good or bad as it looks
More fun in 2014, less asking, “Why?”
A comeback for the ‘Noles
The ACC sits atop the polls
But Auburn pissed it away
When Jameis couldn’t make a play
Another season has taken its
tolls
The Ireland tenure finally
through
A long time coming, ‘tis true
But dysfunction still does
abound
As long as Philbin’s still
around
Optimism dwindled right after it
grew
“Treme” captured every note and
verse
The Big Easy, for better or
worse
From Katrina to rebirth
Examined what New Orleans is
worth
The beauty alongside the warts
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Dry, But Necessary, PR Writer’s Textbook Was Useful In Tackling The Digital Age
“The motto for public relations personnel
within a company and those at an agency representing a client is: NO SURPRISES.”
I’m
not going to sugarcoat you, here; “The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook: The
Digital Age” was a slog of a road. But I mean, hell, you make the decision to
read a textbook, you kind of know what you’re getting yourself into, amirite?
Merry
Aronson, Don Spetner and Carol Ames collaborated on this work back in 2007, and
obviously seven years in this arena is akin to dog years. But still, there was
a lot covered in here that was quite useful, particularly to someone (me) who
has public relations as just one aspect of many bundled within his
ridiculous ever-changing job description.
“One factor that has not changed with the
advent of the digital age is good writing, which remains at the core of effective
public relations.”
Among
the intriguing topics covered included the impact of SEO on headline writing,
media fragmentation, treatments, letters of commission, and successful (and
not) pitch-making. The trio also tackled editorial considerations, the
Associated Press Daybook, speechwriting, multimedia, how not to use PowerPoint,
broadcast writing and even press-event logistics, among other lively and
contentious areas.
The
book also delved into blogging policies, official statements, anticipating
needs in a crisis and what should constitute a PR program. Throughout, the
authors did a commendable job of mixing in useful statistics and citing
relevant studies to bolster their recommendations. I found the chapter recaps,
in particular, quite handy; and I even found only one egregious grammatical
error, which speaks to the credibility of the work.
As a
communications professional in my current role, I don’t anticipate having to
incorporate or navigate through many of the issues brought up. However, it’s
somewhat comforting to know that should such necessities arise, “The Public
Relations Writer’s Handbook” sits nearby on the shelf.
And even
in the event that it resides there collecting dust for many years, I know that
wouldn’t be the worst thing—and still would justify the time spent hammering my
way through this useful resource.
“Effective public relations writing forms
the core of nimble, innovative marketing made possible by digital technology.”
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
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