The unbearable lightness of being a sole proprietor

Three Dog Night nailed it: One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
Many who decide to leave employment to fly solo in communication/PR/IMC often find it lonely. One day you have the camaraderie of fellow workers; then you are on your own with no one to talk with or to share ideas and/or approaches.
I believe [...]

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Snip/tuck: A word about circumcision and the infomercial

The Washington Post ran an article today about the growing popularity of home circumcisions. The traditional Jewish ceremony for eight-day-old boys called brith milah, or bris, performed by a trained mohel is well-known.
But there is a rise in the number of Christian families who opt for a “holistic circumcision” performed at home rather than in the hospital.
Ouch!
Immediately, [...]

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Just in time for fall semester, lessons in integrity and responsibility from Joe Gibbs

Towson’s fall semester begins September 2. Syllabi for my four classes are printed. Class rosters are ready for the first roll call. For weeks now, I’ve been planning lessons that hopefully will help my students learn to be competent communication/PR/IMC professionals.
But I also feel obligated to prepare my students for the “real world” of work and [...]

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Word stir-fry, part two

“Oh my god…I was like…then she was like…then I was like….”
“Then she goes…and I go…then she goes, but then he goes…..”
“Oh…my…goddddddd! I’m like…and she’s like….”
“Then he goes, like….., and then I go…”
“Can you BE LEAVE this????!!!!!”
“Like…then she goes…and I’m like….”

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The Olympics has winners and losers, just like real life

It seems that every time I turn on the TV to watch the Olympics, beach volleyball is on. I had never before seen this event. But I have become a fan of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. I want them to win gold medals.
In essence, I want them to succeed, like I always wanted my [...]

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The death of (what was left of) journalistic integrity

The news of John Edwards’ affair once again calls into question the integrity of newspapers like the New York Times and The Washington Post.
It took what these institutions of faded glory like to call a “rag”, the National Enquirer, to break the Edwards story. Good for you, National Enquirer. You now have credibility that the Times and [...]

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With effective PR, kudzu can save the planet

I want to be public relations director for a plant.
That plant is kudzu. I believe that kudzu is the next great bio-ethanol. All this imported vine needs is effective PR counsel.
There is precedent. Look what good PR has done for grape vines that produce wine or for industrial hemp (cannabis).
Kudzu, native to China and Japan, is a [...]

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PR and the People’s Republic of China Olympics

As the 2008 Summer Olympics in China begin, brace yourselves for the zillions of references to “public relations”. I dread it.
True, this has begun already. An example is the Olympic Torch Relay that some call a “public relations disaster” for China.
China’s winning bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics is incredibly important to the country. By hosting the Olympics, China plans [...]

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