I went to bed last night full of hope, and I woke up even fuller…full to burst.

Obama is Good. He had an intelligent rebuttal to every challenge and cheap shot the Republicans have thrown at him and he delivered with grace, with reality.

He laid out his plan and talked about how he would do it. Rich greedy white men everywhere are going to be pissed…but I say to them, you have been successful with the old regime, get off your ass and figure out a way to be successful with the new one. Don’t become one of the ‘whiners’. If you can’t succeed in a socially and morally responsible way, you don’t deserve your money.

Barak cuts to the chase. He makes sense. He takes responsibility and he urges us to do so as well. He doesn’t say it’s going to be easy, but he knows it all has to happen…and he’s going to lead us through the change - with honesty, vision, guidance, positivity, inspiration and the example of hard work, good morals and solid ethics.

He helps us remember that we can all find common ground. He isn’t one of the privileged few adding a notch to his belt by becoming president. He’s a real person who has always fought for what he believes, for what is right, for common decency.

‘We can not walk alone and we can not turn back.’

You said it, Barack - thank you for your courage and for your fortitude.

If you haven’t heard Barack Obama speak, or if you are undecided or considering voting for McCain, I urge you to watch this video of his acceptance speech at the 2008 DNC.

To read the speech, go here. And, if you have anything to give, please donate here. This is OUR campaign, we make the difference and as a result, Barack is not beholden to anyone but the American people. Not big oil, not corporations, not special interests…but to US.

UPDATE: This just posted by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2008
Shocking Choice by John McCain
WASHINGTON– Senator John McCain just announced his choice for running mate:  Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.  To follow is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

“Senator McCain’s choice for a running mate is beyond belief. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has clearly made a decision to continue the Bush legacy of destructive environmental policies.

“Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her scant two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do even as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science. As unbelievable as this may sound, this actually puts her to the right of the Bush administration.

“This is Senator McCain’s first significant choice in building his executive team and it’s a bad one. It has to raise serious doubts in the minds of voters about John McCain’s commitment to conservation, to addressing the impacts of global warming and to ensuring our country ends its dependency on oil.”
______
The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.
PASS IT ON.

I heard about this from the incredible blogging woman, Bridget Wright, at Biz Chicks Rule. And since my clients and readers are brilliant people with stunning ideas, I couldn’t help but spread the word.

ideablog is having a monthly contest that awards $10,000 to the best business ideas. They also enlist the help of successful business folk to serve as advisors. The ideas are then voted on by everyday visitors to the site (including your Aunt Betty and Uncle Bert if you enter, I suppose).

Check it out…and definitely let me know when you enter (so I can vote for you and spread the word on Blogging Roads) and when you win (so I can celebrate your incredibleness).

Oh, and if you’re engaged in some uber-procrastination today, leave me a comment, and I’ll email you a link to a YouTube video from 1987 that features yours truly in all of her 13 year-old, 80’s, baggy clothes wearing glory. Glory, I tell you, total glory.

As you all know, I enjoy me some online social networking. I like my Facebook, my Twitter, my LinkedIn in particular. But, lately, I’m noticing this clash of the generations (or sensibilities, perhaps?).

Basically, people are using these networks for one of three reasons:

1.  business activities

2. personal activities

3. a mixture of the two

But what happens when these groups bump into each other?

Sometimes it’s okay. For instance,  I do love catching up with my high school friends on Facebook, and when I market my business and my blog there, they’re potential clients…it is a network, you know. And at least they all have jobs(ish) and understand that I’m making a living.

But then, my nieces friend me and they’re 13 and they put up ridiculous pictures of me from family gatherings. And my sister-in-law writes ’stuff’ on my wall that I don’t want anyone else to see because she’s 23 and using Facebook in its original configuration - as an online yearbook of sorts for the college set.

None of this is a huge deal - I can delete and manage my page…but I find it fascinating to watch as Facebook grows and builds into something more professional and business networky than it once was. And, I’m enthralled by the friend numbers that the younger folk have - think of the network at their fingertips when they grow up and have something really important to share. Hmmm, guess I shouldn’t delete them as friends, they’re holding some prime real estate…oh, and I love them, they’re family after all.

I’m in love. Yes, with an application. Ghost Action is everything I’ve been looking for in a personal organizer:

• easy to use. I don’t think it gets much easier.

1. I create Projects, for me these are typically client names
2. I create Actions, ie. write blog post, edit site or interview Erin
3. I give each Action a due date
4. I create Contexts, mine are Write, Do, Meet or Delegate
5. I sync it with my iCal

• good looking. It’s clean and simple and organized - the total opposite of my desk. And, the icon is a plump and friendly check mark, the world wide identifier that exclaims, ‘IT IS DONE!’ Just seeing that check mark makes me feel accomplished. (see icon above)
• made for Mac. Listen, I tried to have a PC for years and I only got frustration, freezing and restarts. Ghost Action was made for Mac…so it works just like everything else on my computer, looks like everything else and I don’t have to learn anything new. If any of you PC users want to guest post about a similar app for PC, send it along!
• syncs with iCal. As long as you put the @ sign before your iCal entries, they will sync up on Ghost Action. So now, I have a list of things I have to do in Ghost Action - divided by Context and Project, I also have a view of my to-dos in daily, weekly and monthly calendar form AND I have iCal popping up reminders throughout the day (basically kicking me in the pants and telling me to do what I have to do).
• has finder functionality. I’m pretty sure that Finder is my favorite function on my Mac because it doesn’t require me to remember where I put anything, I only need to remember the words I used to define said things. For instance…I just wrote a press release about kids cleaning up the beach…so I start typing in those words and everything on my computer that has those words, starts to pop up (and it prioritizes the listings in terms of word match and recent usage). It’s a beautiful function and Ghost Action does it too, so in this case, I can type in ‘press release’ and all of my press release to-do’s will appear - instantly.

It costs $19.95…less than a good day planner and more than a notebook filled with lists and scratch outs…and so much more useful, functional, infinite and productive than either or both of those systems could ever hope to be. Get it here.

Major props to Erin Anderson of Flexpaths for introducing me to my new best friend, Ghost Assistant.

Just when I was starting to get over the fact that I couldn’t fly to California for the big BlogHer ‘08 conference, I learned that they’re taking their show on the road in the form of  The Reach Out Tour ‘08 this October.

For two weeks, they’re bringing all the highlights of the annual event to six different cities for one-day conferences featuring speakers and networking events. The topics will be determined by the needs and desires of each city and local bloggers will lead the discussions.

The tour is planned for October, 2008 with stops in Boston (Oct. 11), Washington DC (Oct. 13), Nashville (Oct. 16), Greensboro (Oct. 18), Atlanta (Oct. 21) and New Orleans (Oct. 25).

I’m doing my damnedest to get to Boston, but it’s proving difficult so far (loooong story). Who else is going? If you’re close to any of those cities, and you’re a girl, a highly recommend.

Does anyone else think some of the location choices are odd? If anyone can tell me why these two cities are prime locations for the BlogHer tour…please do. Educate me, I’m all ears.

Update: I originally wrote something in this post that was negative about the midwest because I grew up there and it isn’t my favorite place. I got a bit of flack for it…but that was fine. And then, I heard Michelle Obama’s speech…and I rushed back here to change what I had said. I meant no disrespect, and I don’t want to be negative. My sincerest apologies. The only way to make this world better, is to act better.

HARO (Help A Reporter Out), for those of you who don’t know, is the brainchild of Peter Shankman - author of  Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work - And Why Your Company Needs Them.  In effect, journalists from around the world (mostly the U.S. and Canada) send Peter and his trusty assistant, Meagan, pitches for articles they’re writing. Peter sends these out in 3 batches per day - morning, noon, and evening - along with his hilarious comments and usually featuring someone or something who has caught his eye. Sometimes the requests come from national media corps like the NY Times or ABC, sometimes from bloggers or start-ups, etc. The pitches look like this:

5.2) Summary: Retailers Using Smartphones
Category: Business & Finance
Name: Heather Larson
Title: freelance writer
Media Outlet/Publication: Retail Customer Experience
Anonymous? No
Specific Geographic Region?  No
Region:
Deadline: 6:00 PM PACIFIC - August 22
Query: “Thank you for all the responses to my request for retail
consultants about using iPhones to reach customers. I got some
great interviews. Now I need some retailers who use smartphones to
reach their customers. This is for a trade magazine so I’ve been
told retailers have no reason to want to talk to me. But in the
bigger picture, I’m a shopper and tend to frequent stores that help
me out with stories. Other shoppers read the magazine, too. So, if
you are media relations for or a retailer yourself that is a match,
please contact me by e-mail.”

He sends them out to sources, people who have answers to the queries, which currently consists of over 23,000 people. This number grows every day. I’m thrilled to have found this network - it presents endless opportunities for my clients and it connects me to an even wider web and world audience (which you know I love). I carefully read each request, and I follow the rules of the game which are: only send a response to these journalists if you are truly a match for their query. This is all Peter asks of us. He doesn’t even charge for the service.

So, I’ve sent a few responses, and I’ve gotten some great replies, but I’ve also been met with total silence - which is where my question (see title) comes in. Dear journalists, I know you’re busy, we all are…but we’re also all voluntary participants in HARO. It would be so nice if you would follow the basic rules and mores of Web 2.0 etiquette: treat others the way you would like to be treated and reward and return participation. If us folks in the field take the time to respond to your query, a simple, ‘thanks’ or ‘thanks, will be in touch if needed’ will do. Maybe use an autoresponder?

It has occurred to me that maybe said journalists didn’t get my email, spam filters can be pretty rough these days…or maybe these journalists are getting hundreds, even thousands of emails per query. If that’s true, you’re off the hook. I can be a big girl and just know that you are delighted and grateful for each response. Either way, I’m delighted and grateful to be part of the network and encourage you to join. And, of course, a big thank you to Peter Shankman (a man who always replies to my emails).

And I’m glad to see the world didn’t implode. Life happened: I printed and hung up many millions of posters for a huge event we are having for Bonobo Kids…and then I went to the big Ag Fair on the Vineyard to drop something off and got sucked in to working with my good friend Susan Gibbs of the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm. Then I was a mom for several hours and finally turned on my computer to deal with email around 10pm.

But, I missed my blog and I’m ever so happy to be back! I’m guessing you all survived…

Michael Moore’s open letter to Caroline Kennedy:

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

“Caroline: Pull a Cheney!” An Open Letter to Caroline Kennedy (head of the Obama VP search team) from Michael Moore

Dear Caroline,

We’ve never met, so I hope you don’t find this letter too presumptuous or inappropriate. As its contents involve the public’s business, I am sending this to you via the public on the Internet. I knew your brother John. He was a great guy, and I know he would’ve had a ball during this thrilling and historic election year. We all miss him dearly.

Barack Obama selected you to head up his search for a vice presidential candidate. It appears we may be just days (hours?) away from learning who that choice will be.

The media is reporting that Senator Obama has narrowed his alternatives to three men: Joe Biden, Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine. They’re all decent fellows, but they are far from the core of what the Obama campaign has been about: Change. Real change. Out with the old. And don’t invade countries that pose no threat to us.

Senators Biden and Bayh voted for that invasion and that war, the war Barack ran against, the war Barack reminded us was the big difference between him and Senator Clinton because she voted for the war and he spoke out against it while running for Senate (a brave and bold thing to do back in 2002).

For Obama to place either of these senators on the ticket would be a huge blow to the millions that chose him in the primaries over Hillary. He will undercut one of the strongest advantages he has over the Hundred-Year War senator, Mr. McCain. By anointing a VP who did what McCain did in throwing us into this war, Mr. Obama will lose the moral high ground in the debates.

As for Governor Kaine of Virginia, his big problem is, well, Obama’s big problem — who is he? The toughest thing Barack has had to overcome — and it will continue to be his biggest obstacle — is that too many of the voters simply don’t know him well enough to vote for him. The fact that Obama is new to the scene is both one of his most attractive qualities AND his biggest drawback. Too many Americans, who on the surface seem to like Barack Obama, just don’t feel comfortable voting for someone who hasn’t been on the national scene very long. It’s a comfort level thing, and it may be just what keeps Obama from winning in November (”I’d rather vote for the devil I know than the devil I don’t know”).

What Obama needs is a vice presidential candidate who is NOT a professional politician, but someone who is well-known and beloved by people across the political spectrum; someone who, like Obama, spoke out against the war; someone who has a good and generous heart, who will be cheered by the rest of the world; someone whom we’ve known and loved and admired all our lives and who has dedicated her life to public service and to the greater good for all.

That person, Caroline, is you.

I cannot think of a more winning ticket than one that reads: “OBAMA-KENNEDY.”

Caroline, I know that nominating yourself is the furthest idea from your mind and not consistent with who you are, but there would be some poetic justice to such an action. Just think, eight years after the last head of a vice presidential search team looked far and wide for a VP — and then picked himself (a move topped only by his hubris to then lead the country to near ruin while in office) — along comes Caroline Kennedy to return the favor with far different results, a vice president who helps restore America to its goodness and greatness.

Caroline, you are one of the most beloved and respected women in this country, and you have been so admired throughout your life. You chose a life outside of politics, to work for charities and schools, to write and lecture, to raise a wonderful family. But you did not choose to lead a private life. You have traveled the world and met with its leaders, giving you much experience on the world stage, a stage you have been on since you were a little girl.

The nation has, remarkably (considering our fascination with celebrity), left you alone and let you live your life in peace. (It’s like, long ago, we all collectively agreed that, with her father tragically gone, a man who died because he wanted to serve his country, we would look out for her, we would wish for her to be happy and well, and we would have her back. But we would let her be.)

Now, I am breaking this unwritten code and asking you to come forward and help us in our hour of need. So many families are hurting, losing their homes, going bankrupt with health care bills, seeing their public schools in shambles and living with this war without end. This is a historic year for women, from Hillary’s candidacy to the numerous women running for the House and Senate. This is the year that a woman should be on the Democratic ticket. This is the year that both names on that ticket should be people OUTSIDE the party machine. This is the year millions of independents and, yes, millions of Republicans are looking for something new and fresh and bold (and you are the Kennedy Republicans would vote for!).

This is the moment, Caroline. Seize it! And Barack, if you’re reading this, you probably know that she is far too humble and decent to nominate herself. So step up and surprise us again. Step up and be different than every politician we have witnessed in our lifetime. Keep the passion burning amongst the young people and others who have been energized by your unexpected, unpredicted, against-all-odds candidacy that has ignited and inspired a nation. Do it for all those reasons. Make Caroline Kennedy your VP. “Obama-Kennedy.” Wow, does that sound so cool.

Caroline, thanks for letting me intrude on your life. How wonderful it will be to have a vice president who will respect the Constitution, who will support (instead of control) her president, who will never let her staff out a CIA agent, and who will never tell her country that she is “currently residing in an undisclosed location.”

Say it one more time: “OBAMA-KENNEDY.” A move like that might send a message to the country that the Democrats would actually like to win an election for once.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

Two days ago, it was my mom. Yesterday, it was a friend. They emailed me, ever so gently, to tell me that they’d found an error in one of my posts.

The horror, the horror.

Sure enough, I had written ‘where’ instead of ‘wear’ and ‘there’ instead of ‘their’. Oy.

Shame and embarrassment. Self-flagellation. The whole gamut ensued.

Okay, so maybe I’m a bit hard on myself…but, geez, I’m a copywriter for heaven’s sake. I shouldn’t make these mistakes, much less advertise them to my audience, clients, colleagues, critics and fans on my blog.

Now, I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m guessing that other people make mistakes too. So, here are my thoughts on how to NOT let this be the norm (see how I’m cutting myself a little slack here? No one is perfect - I do get that on some level!)

1. Do one thing at a time. Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes, I’ve been known to simultaneously write, IM, email and talk on the phone. Sometimes multi-tasking is good, but I think we can all agree that giving your undivided attention to each task will yield better results.
2. Slow down. If you are in that big of a hurry, things need to change. Living like you are under fire all day is really no way to live.
3. Read aloud. Have you ever taken that test whare yu cn rde sentncs splled rong prfctly wlle? Our eyes and brains are trained to make sense of such things - the brain is dealing with the context of what you’re reading and it knows what it wants to see, even if it isn’t there. I’ve found that the best way to get around this is to read my writing out loud. Yes, it takes a few minutes, but it is soooooo worth it.
4. Copyeditor anyone? If you have the time, money and resources, it would be grand if you could have a professional or recreational copyeditor read your work before you publish it or send it to a client.
5. 30 minute rule. Timing is everything - and if you have at least 30 minutes before you have to publish or send your work, it practically pushes the reset button on your brain. You suddenly have fresh eyes.

By the way, it took me 3 times as long as it should have to write this post because I did 50 other things at the same time, I’m not moving even remotely slow, Silas can’t even read and he’s the only one around, and I wasted so much time doing the 50 other things that I don’t have 30 minutes. However, I did read this aloud and corrected some errors. Hey 1 out of 5 ain’t bad, right? I’m sure you’ll alert me if I missed any mistakes…and I will so appreciate that! Listen, I’m trying to heed my own advice and change my evil ways…and, personally, I find my eagerness, yet total inability, to change quite endearing.

You should know by now that, with me, nothing is black and white. So, here’s my answer.

Occasionally, there is some redundancy when you have the same certain people in more than one of your networks, but that is more the exception than the rule - not to mention that those folks are usually die-hard online networkers, and they tend to really ‘get’ what you are doing with your broadcasts. And, if they’re following you in all of those places, they really like you and will just be happy to hear from you.

So, on this question, I lean heavily towards the ‘you need to belong to many social networking sites’ side. Simply because there are a gazillion people online and they choose to belong to different social networks because each network presents a specific personality, attitude and interaction capability - oh, and that’s where their friends play. As a result, when you decide to belong to a variety of networks, you are reaching a more diverse audience. You are reaching the Twitter people, the Facebook people, the LinkedIn people, the Tagged people, the Squidoo people, the de.licio.us people - and you are reaching them where they are.

To participate on multiple networks is to build, activate and inspire multiple audiences and to foster a bevy of solid relationships. My raison d’etre exactly.