If Elizabeth Dole Threw a Party, Would You Go?

I was pretty shocked when Elizabeth Dole ran an ad that ended with a Kay Hagan's picture and a voice (not Kay's as I've discovered) saying, "There is no God." Hagan must have been taken aback too. She has filed suit against Dole for defamation and libel.

Damage control by Dole is another nasty ad. She asks, "If the godless Americans threw a party in your honor, would you go?"

Come on. Who are "godless" Americans? Are they non-Christians? Are they people who sleep in on Sunday morning? Are they people who smoke? People who drink? People who gamble? People who eat Twinkies?

Or, are they just people who don't think like you do?

Or, are they people who don't vote for you?

If Elizabeth Dole threw a party, would you go? If you're from North Carolina, then you'd probably have to get a plane ticket. Dole isn't in North Carolina enough days per year to qualify for in state college tuition. Perhaps she's off partying? Wonder if she checks to see if all her hosts are god-approved, Jesus-stamped hosts?

Kay Hagan Responds to Elizabeth Dole "godless" ad

It didn't take Kay Hagan long to repsond to the "godless" commercial I mentioned in my last blog post. Shortly after I saw the Dole ad, the online posts started cranking up.

If you've missed the commercial, Dole had a thirty second spot that said that Kagan took money from atheists - or godless Americans. The really troubling part, in my opinion, was the end. That showed Hagan's photo and a voice over saying, "There is no God." The voice did sound like Hagan. In fact, I thought perhaps it was a sound bite taken out of context. In fact, that was not Kagan at all. That's where I think the ad really got dirty. Frankly, the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, but you just don't do a voice over with a photo when the person didn't make the statement.

Hagan was none too happy. She sent a "cease and desist" letter to Dole. Hagan is calling the ad slander. In fact, it would legally be libel rather than slander, since it's recorded. In any case, Hagan is saying the ad damages her reputation. In North Carolina, being called "godless" is a pretty serious charge. This is the South and the Bible Belt.

Dole refuses to can the ad.

Hagan now has a rebuttal ad out in North Carolina.



Frankly I think that the godless ad will hurt Dole. It's very down and dirty, and that doesn't play well in North Carolina.

Dole should be focusing on the issues and not leading a witch hunt.

CNNBC video - Wake Your Friends Up with a Funny Political Video

A friend sent me a political video today that said that I tipped the 2008 presidential election. I clicked on the link and saw myself as the star of a newscast saying that I didn't bother to get out of bed and that McCain won, because I did not cast my vote.

Now, I'm not saying which way I'm voting. That's personal.

I will, however, say that the video is clever and funny as heck.

The way this works is that you click on the link I put in the first paragraph. You then put in your buddies name and email.

Buddy gets the video link. He or she clicks and then sees what looks like a newscast saying that he/she was the lone voter who made the difference in the election. The show looks real (like a news spot online). Your friend sits there and sees this newscast that looks like the real deal but is only customized and viewable to that person. The name is plugged in here and there to make it look like your buddy is featured. It's kind of like those little customized books that kids like that have them starring in the book.

Do note that you may flip out a friend with this joke video, because it does look so real and work so well. I really scared a buddy who thought I made the video and had posted it. No way. I would not do that to anyone, and I don't have the tech skills even if I wanted to do that.

My friend had a good laugh when I explained it all.

This high tech voting joke is "Paid for by MoveOn.org Political Action, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee." That's just copied from the page. So, you can look and check out the group if you want.

This is a great example of how online marketers can really customize materials to specific users, so regardless of your political leanings, you should find this interesting.

If you want to double check, just click in and send the joke video to yourself. Then, you can see what would go out.

They note on the site that they do not keep your information or spam you, and this did make it through the filters here on my computer.

If you're looking for a laugh and if your buddies have a sense of humor, this really is a classic online spoof video.

Have fun - but don't send this to anyone who is the really nervous type.

Godless American Smear on Kay Hagan - Wow - I Don't Know What to Say About That Mrs. Dole

Politics do get dirty, but I was really shocked at the TV commercial this evening that basically called Kay Hagan the daughter of Satan.

The commercial said that Hagan takes money from a group called Godless Americans PAC and suggested that she supports a number of changes that would not fly well in a conservative state like North Carolina. This was done indirectly by simply linking her to the group and then having quotes from members of the group.

The commercial ended with Kay Hagan saying something that sounded like, "There is no God . . ." (big voice taper . . . clearly cut short).

I don't know the context of the quote that sounded like it came from Hagan. I do recall that once, long ago, the preacher at our church quoted scripture, "A fool hath said, 'There is no God.'" My little brother was kind of tuned out (as younger kids may be at church). My Mom asked him what the message at church had been. He, at the age of around 6 or 7, said that the sermon was about how there's no God. So, context makes a big difference.

When I saw this commercial, I thought it must be supported by a radical group (and certainly not part of the main campaign). It simply didn't sound mainstream or very professional. When the piece ended with, "I'm Elizabeth Dole, and I support this commercial" (or whatever the wording is on such commericals - sorry I have no TiVo), I was frankly speechless. Was it some kind of Halloween joke? If so - not funny.

The race in North Carolina has been hot and nasty, but someone better show me some darn sure proof that Hagan is the anti-Christ before putting a one minute sound blurb on TV that totally trashes her. That was wrong on some many levels that I'm still shaking my head.

I'm one of those up-in-the-air voters. Frankly, I'm not impressed period. It would suit me to wipe the slate clean and get a whole new batch up there to vote on, although I know that's not going to happen.

The new Dole commerical is the lowest blow I've seen from any candidate in an election that has been riddled with nasty jabs.

I've always known Elizabeth Dole to be a classy lady and from this county (though does not hang here much). She did fund and build out local Red Cross building. I can't imagine that she put her verbal stamp on such a horrible body slam commercial on another candidate. I'd hate to think that Dole would go that low even if Kay Hagan is the daughter of Satan (which she obviously isn't).

I would never talk that ugly about my own worst enemy. And, I am disappointed that Dole would do so. In fact, I think that ad helped me make up my mind about my vote.

Update:

Kay Hagan didn't think much of that "godless" commercial either. The News & Observer covered a press conference this morning:

"State Sen. Kay Hagan says she'll go to court to seek a cease-and-desist order against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's campaign if the "godless" TV spot isn't pulled in the next 24 hours."

The godless Kay Hagan commercial is on You Tube. Readers can watch and make up their own minds.

Birthday Gift from Belks was Not Too Special

Happy Birthday to Me - but No Thanks to Belks

I was pleased to get a card from Belks department stores for my birthday. They really didn't have to do that, and they really shouldn't have.

This Belks card says, "Celebrate Your Birthday with a Gift from Belks" on the front. When I open up the flap, it says, "Our Gift to You." It's $10 off on my single regular or sale purchase of $50 or more.

I go to Belks and find a short swing coat that I love. It's $59.99 I think - something in that range. Good deal. I can get the cute coat and save $10. That's a nice birthday suprise.

When I get to the register, the code scan won't work. The sales girl is new, and she doesn't know why the code won't work, so she calls someone with more experience.

Experienced sales lady comes over. She sees my coat and the birthday card. She tells the girl that usually these codes don't work, because people think that they can get several items for $50 and then take off $10. The kicker is the "single regular or sale priced purchase." That means it must be one item and not more than one adding up to $50. That's not very clear, and it's pretty lame. But, OK. I only got one item - an expensive one. Experienced sales lady tells new sales girl to try the code again. She tries twice. It won't work.

The lady who has been working longer asks if the item is a special purchase. Heck, I don't know. It's a coat. It was on a rack in the ladies section.

Experienced lady goes and checks and says that the coat is a "special purchase." Well, I don't think it's very special when it voids my birthday card. It sure doesn't say special purchase on the sales tag.

I'm really not the "whatever" type, but in this case, that was my thought. I spent about an hour shopping and only found the coat and really wanted it. So, I paid for the special purchase coat, but I still did not find this whole thing particularly special.

The sales lady did tell me that the clause about "special purchases" was in the fine print. Heck, I couldn't read that font size. I wouldn't have been able to identify the coat as a "special purchase" anyway. What does that mean? Who knows?

When I got home, I got out my reading glasses and read the fine print on the birthday card. Whew boy. You would not believe all the brands and items listed as not qualifying for the birthday gift card coupon. No Levis or Dockers. No Coach or Mattel. The brand list was long. Then the special purchases, red dots, early birds and so on were off limits. Heck, you couldn't even buy maternity cothes - not like I need those. But still . . . Don't even think about fragrances or make-up or jewelry. Bamp. Wrong purchase for your birthday.

The young sales girl did say that she was sorry and asked if I still wanted the coat. I did. I was not impressed with how this went down, but it wasn't her fault. I've found our local sales folks at Belks to be really helpful. They can't help it if the home office pulls a bad prank like sending a birthday gift that is not a gift at all - just a tactic to get me in the store thinking I get $10 off.

So, this post is really for the Belks corporate office. This is a sneaky way to do business. Don't send me a birthday gift card and then limit it so much that I'm paying full price on almost anything I pick. That's just wrong. Yeah. You got me in the store. You sold me a coat. But, it will be a while before I drop any more bucks at Belks. I have been a regular customer. That birthday coupon scam didn't impress me even a little bit. Don't bother if you're not going to do it right. You got me today. I'll know better in the future.

The Free Ride is Over - Why Did the Baby Boomers Think They Deserved So Many Years of Leisure?

Baby Boomers - Enjoying the Good Life


I’m not surprised our economic system is imploding. I’ve always been a “pay as I go” kind of person. When I get calls or flyers saying I don’t have to make any payments until way off in the future, I just scratch my head. If I don’t have the money today, what makes me (or them) think I’ll have it in a couple of years. Whatever I bought on this strange payment plan probably is worn or broken by the time they want the money. There's no fun in paying off the past, but we're sure doing that and in many ways.

The Baby Boomers rocked our world and continue to do so. I must confess that I’m on the tail end of that generation. But, I’m clearly not part of the “in crowd.” The true Boomers retire at age 65. The tail enders, from 1961 and down, bounce up to age 67. Had I been born a year earlier, I’d enjoy two extra years of benefits. Now, I’ll pay two extra years.

I’m not complaining about working and paying my way. That’s the way it should be, and that’s where the Boomers got off track. They enjoyed the house, white picket fence, two kids, and a dog and then got a 12 year bonus to kick back and take it easy.

When Social Security was put in place, the average lifespan was 65 years. Hum. What do those numbers tell you? Well, the idea was that the last little bit of time on earth could be spent enjoying the fruits of a life well spent. Actually, many never made it to retirement and collection. Social Security was meant to be a true program for the elderly and infirm so that they didn’t work right up until death (though many did initially).

With advances in modern medicine, the lifespan is now 77 years in the United States. Instead of providing a cushion for a few months or years (or maybe not at all), we guarantee most people 12 years of leisure. And, many push that. I'll be attending a birthday party for a woman who turns 100 years old later this month.

I was watching TV yesterday and some woman was moaning, because she was not going to be able to retire at 50 as she planned. She noted that she’d worked very hard and that all her dreams had been shattered by the downturn in the economy. She honestly thought that she deserved 27 years of retirement.

This poor woman who would be working a couple of extra years to make up for a 401K drop was crying. Now, money does not grow on trees. Tucking cash back that grows and grows is not the same as earning a dollar. The money comes from somewhere and usually off the poor who buy things but do not earn off those things. The lady thought she earned the right to sponge for 47 out of her 77 years on this earth, but she ought to go dig a ditch or two and see how fast her savings compound on minimum wage. That might give her a real appreciation for hard work.

Life in the United States has been very cushy for the last few decades. If you consider the extended childhood in this country with the average age of gainful employment around 20 years and a retirement of 65, then the average person would expect to contribute only 32 years in the workforce out of a lifetime. This must be shocking to those from other countries where kids work from the time they can walk and the elderly struggle right up to the last breath.

When Social Security started, there were 12 people paying in for every one person benefitting from the program. Now 2 to 5 are paying for every person getting a monthly check. Does something seem wrong with that math?

Furthermore, this new generation does not have the option (in most cases) of a single income family. Many women of the Baby Boom generation had the choice as to whether to stay home and care for their children and then collect on the higher rates of men in the workforce. Toady, most families can’t make it without two incomes. Children of the children of Baby Boomers pay big for this. These are the grandchildren. They go to child care in infancy so that Mom and Dad can help pay for retirement for Grandpa and Grandma.

I am considered by many accounts to be a Baby Boomer, but I never did think that I’d live to see decades of free time (and I was right). I worked and paid my way. I’ll be hitting that wall with the higher pay out age on Social Security (the first wave). So, I’ll work some more. That’s fine. I wasn’t expecting a rose garden and didn’t get one – other than maybe the thorns.

Cloris Leachman for President - Has Everyone Gone Nuts?

“Vampires, mummies and the holy ghost. These are the things that scare me the most,” says Jimmy Buffet in an old CD called Fruitcakes. He also says in the title song that we’ve all got a little fruitcake in us.

Fruitcakes came to mind when I was watching Dancing with the Stars on TV this week. I’m not a regular viewer of the program, but I’ve always thought it was a good show and have enjoyed watching the dances.

I can only imagine that a fruitcake came up with the idea to feature Cloris Leachman on Dancing with the Stars.

Last week Cloris dressed in a short 50s style costume and did an old-time, teeny-bop dance. She didn’t bother to learn any of the steps. She just went on stage and played the buffoon. In addition to pretending her dance partner (poor Corky Ballas) farted, she let her wig fly. While some onliners are talking about that being hilarious, it wasn’t. It was a planned stunt. She says so in the interviews afterwards. She was wearing a skull cap that said, “Vote for me.” That flew with the wig. It was a stupid stunt, and I think Cloris was the only one who thought it was really funny.

Cloris Leachman has had a grand career and is liked and respected across generations. It is really unfortunate that she feels the need to celebrate her senior years by being the village idiot on Dancing with the Stars. It really isn’t funny seeing an icon reduced to throwing her leg up on the judges table and showing cleavage in a bid to stay on a program that is supposed to be about talent and not about one old woman with a big ego and a big bawdy mouth.

The sad part is that Cloris Leachman could learn the basic dance steps and toss in a little humor and make a strong and positive statement about growing older. Instead, she plays the age card and gets a pass when she has contributed nothing at all to the show.

Sadder still is that the same people who are voting to keep Cloris Leachman on Dancing with the Stars will be voting on who will be the President of the United States. That’s even scarier than “vampires, mummies, and the holy ghost [and Cloris Leachman].”

Let the School Sales Begin - No Neighbor Left Behind When the Kids Go Begging

Enough Already

I just bought $100 in candy. No. I am not a pig. Well, I can be. But, I do not buy candy in bulk. I did this time though, because the pizza and cheese cakes my kid just sold for a school group have not even arrived. I pick him up at school, and he has two big bags of candy. One hundred candy bars. Count 'em. I didn't. I just wrote out the check. My kid just sold over $400 in pizza/cakes, and he is not going door-to-door and hitting the neighbors up for candy when he's not even delivered the other goods.

This is not even the official school beg-a-thon. From what I gather, they decided to send a recorded phone message asking every child to carry in $20. This would be fine if it meant no door-to-door sales. I got hit with this one when the boys were in elementary school. They said to send money. Then, you would not need to worry about school fundraisers. I sent in $20 for each of the boys. I guess I was the only one (or one of the few). A couple of weeks later, I got the Christmas wrapping paper and knickknack sales papers. If the boys didn't sell any of that stuff, they had to sit out on the magic show. Hum . . . I think I did suggest that it sounded like in school suspension. I was told, however, that I was looking at it all wrong. The magic show was a reward for sales. Getting stuck in the room while the others went to the show - priceless I suppose.

This is the season for putting kids on the street. It's not just the schools. The Boy Scouts push that grossly overpriced popcorn. I still have a can from last year. Maybe it will age like fine wine, or maybe I just tossed $15 bucks down the drain. The Scouts do "Friends of Scouting" right on the heels of the popcorn. That's vague. That's because it's money to pay the executives who make starting salaries higher than I make after ten years on the job. I didn't know I needed to apply to a non-profit organization to make a decent salary. I also didn't know that very few Eagle Scouts make it in the Scout organization on the executive level, because they are focused on programs and not on selling popcorn. I learned that when doing research on such programs. The United Way in this area had a huge scandal. I thought it made sense to see where my money might be going. It would probably be better not to know. It's simply hard to turn down a kid selling stuff, and these groups know that and play it.

One question does cross my mind, "What do kids learn from all this selling of stuff that most people don't even need or want?"

Want More People to Visit Your Area?

There are so many neat things to do in North Carolina as I'm sure there are in any state. It's hard to get the word out though as I'm sure many folks know who work with local tourism or who plan events and hope for a nice turn out.

My friend Greta Lint (a tourism promoter and consultant) works with communities in helping promote areas and events, and she's doing a session on blogging to increase foot traffic. That could be for your company, business, event - whatever you want to share with the world (or even a little slice of the world).

The really great news is that Greta is offering a free session at the ConvergeSouth blogger user's conference in Greensboro on Friday, October 17 at 3 p.m. That will be at North Carolina A&T University of Greensboro, NC.

Don't worry if you don't have a clue about blogging. Greta will cover all the basics and even help you get started blogging, so be sure to bring your wireless laptop.

If you need more information see ConvergeSouth or email Greta at greta@gretalint.com

I sure wish I could go, but I work too late that day to make it up to Greensboro. So, I guess folks will have to check back in later and let me know all about it.

Rules for Working with Bloggers

REMEMBER - There is a Real Person Behind that Blog


How NOT to tick off Bloggers

I had some questions from a media person about dealing with big, bad bloggers. Long story. We got off on rather the wrong foot I think. She’s print. I’m net. Big world difference there. In reality, I’m a crossover and go back and forth between magazines, tech writing, and then online work. So, I do understand that the social rules vary greatly. Blogiquette is definitely different, and here are some general rules for dealing with those strange creatures who blog online.

Rule 1

Know your blogger and his or her site. Most blogs are personal spots handled by a single person. You’re not dealing with a mega corporation. Usually, it’s just someone in the living room plunking away on the keyboard. Read a couple of posts and the bio before making contact.

If you think I’m a man, since I use the handle Barbecue Master on one blog, then you didn’t look very close (or at all). I actually got that title when writing for another site, and it did, in fact, sound better than Barbecue Mistress. For my own work, I generally use my real name (Cyndi Allison) or Grill Girl.

Rule 2

Remember that most blogs don’t make much (if any) money. Sure. Some folks are getting rich blogging – but not very many. Particularly when you’re looking at a niche area, you’re probably checking out someone who is simply blogging because they love the topic area.

It’s rare that you provide anything (information for posting - in particular) that will benefit the blogger in any great way. Most bloggers are much shorter on time than on material.

So, you’re really asking for a favor if you want your information posted on someone’s blog. That’s fine – just be aware that you’re not blessing the blogger with information.

I get some delightful emails from Weber (the grill company) and from Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA). They use my name and let me know that they have some information that I might be interested in or that my readers might want to know about. They keep it short and provide contact information if I have more questions.

Rule 3

Print material does not work well online. People don’t read the same way online that they do sitting down with paper. If you’re sending over a standard press release, most bloggers won’t post it. A blogger may use some of the information and may link – but shoveling content from print to online doesn’t work well.

In addition, if you’re asking a number of bloggers or webmasters to post the same material, you’re creating duplicate content. That can be an issue online. Search engines may think the blog or site is a "copy and paste" spam site if it includes a lot of materials elsewhere online.

Rule 4

When you visit and post a comment, be aware that many bloggers have blogs set to accept or reject posts. You likely will not see your comment immediately. That doesn't mean it disappeared. It's sitting there waiting for approval from the person who hosts the blog. Don't post again and again. That looks like spam when the blogger does click in.

Rule 5

If you post a comment unrelated to the blog and/or the blogger, then you probably won't see your comment. If the blog is about kayaking, then the blogmaster is not likely to leave up random comments about electronic gadgets for sale. That won't impress the readers who visit for a specific topic.

Rule 6

Some bloggers do trade out links. Some do not. Check. If the blogger does not have a long list of "my favorite sites" or "see these blogs too" or something along those lines, then he or she probably is not a link trader.

While it may help to get link trades, I don't do that. And, I think Google will take a look at that some day. Too much back scratching.

On the other hand, I do often mention other sites, blogs, events and so on in my blog posts (like Weber and HPBA above). I just do it when it works for my readers. And, I don't ask for anything in return. Sure. I love links too. But, I hope they will be links that are earned and not just trade off links.

Rule 7

If a blogger does post your materials or mentions your site or event and so on, then a “thanks” is in order. It does not have to be a long and gushy email. Even three letters – tks – that’s fine.

*********

I’m sure there are more tips that I’ll think of later. One good thing about a blog is that it can be updated over and over.