Honesty of Expression

Human beings can find connection through more than words. Music remains the universal language, particularly when it comes deep from within the heart and soul. This young 27-year old Colombian is now a reindeer herder named Jon Henrik Mario Fjallgren from the North of Sweden. He sings a song he's written in the Sami language for his best friend who died shortly before the singer auditioned for Sweden's Got Talent(Talang Sverige).

Language-Marketing-and a trip to one of my homes

British and American English (among many other "Englishes") can be distinguished from one another via marketing media. Listen to and watch two videos about the city of Stockholm, Sweden! British tour. American English tour.

Gestetner?

Anyone born after 1975 will be hard-pressed to imagine a world where bulk-mailing meant labeling via printing machines like the Gestetner. Lincoln Cushing wrote an article in 2010 about the Gestetner history for a blog on the AIGA website.

Ditto - the mimeograph machine

As interconnective technology moves into the second decade of the 21st century, many of the tools used prior to computation have been left behind--despite their potential power "offline." Do you think some businesses and institutions could benefit from having any offline machines included in their operations strategy? Read about the mimeograph machine, the "copy" machine of the last century.

Non-compete agreements

It's not unusual for high salaried employees to agree to a non-compete clause in their contracts, but Jimmie Johns seems to have decided that it was in the company's interest (despite plenty of bad press) to ask anyone who planned to work for the restaurant--to sign a non-compete agreement. What does this mean for minimum wage earners in a small town with nothing to do but wait tables? When are some contractual agreements NOT in the interest of good business? READ.

Resume tips

As I read through drafts of sample resume submissions, I notice a plethora of "to whom it may concern" salutations. Nothing will help a cover letter find its way to the trash more than a cold, faceless salutation. Job hunters need to research the people to whom the letter will be sent.

David Weedmark of the Houston Chronicle online "Chron", wrote a top ten list of tips for resume writers that serves as a good check list for anyone seeking work: The Ten Commandments of a Cover Letter

Speech Practice

Making speeches is an art. Writing speeches is also an art. The two are never two separate acts; the process required to create a successful speech or presentation requires careful planning, research, writing, revision, testing, further revision, practice, and performance. The White House website offers links to live Presidential and Vice-presidential speeches (several times per week). It's tough to get a better lesson in speech writing and delivery (while picking up on current events and political perspectives) than through this medium:

Today, President Obama spoke at Northwestern University about "the future of America's 21st century economy."