Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Is your dream marketable?
"I'm a writer," I told him. He asked; I answered. Then came the
inevitable did-I-hear-that-right expression. "And you get a paycheck for
that?" he asked. "Nah," I said, "I just live on the land, foraging for
wild berries and sleeping in trees." In between fishing streams with my
feet, I do things like this.
inevitable did-I-hear-that-right expression. "And you get a paycheck for
that?" he asked. "Nah," I said, "I just live on the land, foraging for
wild berries and sleeping in trees." In between fishing streams with my
feet, I do things like this.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Feel Good Folder
It was for bad days. The flamboyantly bad ones. Black and bloody and bruised purply ones.
Not, I-got-a-spot-of-coffee-on-my-pant-leg bad days. Not even, someone-cut-me-off-in-traffic bad days. We're talking stellar bad. Rock-n-rollin' bad. Days you wished you'd gone into a career of shoveling ditches in the Arabian peninsula.
Years ago, a beloved editor of mine taught me the virtue of a business compliment. She showed me her "atta girl" stash of cards and emails and letters. Each of them collected over her career. Each thanking her for an excellent job. Each sincere and dogeared.
"This is my Feel Good Folder," she told me one day, one vibrantly punk day, when we were both wondering about switching jobs from journalists to janitors. "Any kind of compliment, anything kind, it goes in here. Then I take it out and read it on days like this."
Though cards age, sentiment is timeless. A heartfelt "thank you" has the eternal shelf life of canned meat. Should nuclear annihilation come, the humans who rise from the ashes centuries later will still be able to fatten themselves on the potato protein and hydrolyzed soy of Vienna Sausages manufactured in the 80s.
Now that's timeless.
That's the Feel Good Folder.
Today, I discovered a lost recommendation from 2009 that is going inside my Feel Good Folder:
Booyah. Yummy to my tummy. I needed that. It tasted great and was less filling.
My suggestion? If you don't have a Feel Good Folder, you'll feel good about starting one. You'll feel even gooder about starting one for your employees. Keep it next to their personnel files and yank it out when they've locked themselves in the VIP bathroom.
Slaps on the back work. Both to motivate and to dislodged processed meat.
Not, I-got-a-spot-of-coffee-on-my-pant-leg bad days. Not even, someone-cut-me-off-in-traffic bad days. We're talking stellar bad. Rock-n-rollin' bad. Days you wished you'd gone into a career of shoveling ditches in the Arabian peninsula.
Years ago, a beloved editor of mine taught me the virtue of a business compliment. She showed me her "atta girl" stash of cards and emails and letters. Each of them collected over her career. Each thanking her for an excellent job. Each sincere and dogeared.
"This is my Feel Good Folder," she told me one day, one vibrantly punk day, when we were both wondering about switching jobs from journalists to janitors. "Any kind of compliment, anything kind, it goes in here. Then I take it out and read it on days like this."
Though cards age, sentiment is timeless. A heartfelt "thank you" has the eternal shelf life of canned meat. Should nuclear annihilation come, the humans who rise from the ashes centuries later will still be able to fatten themselves on the potato protein and hydrolyzed soy of Vienna Sausages manufactured in the 80s.
Now that's timeless.
That's the Feel Good Folder.
Today, I discovered a lost recommendation from 2009 that is going inside my Feel Good Folder:
"I have a reputation as a 'tough sell' as, more often than not, I decline recommendation letter requests. Tara has never requested a recommendation letter from me. I sought out this opportunity. Tara is, in my opinion, a national treasure: integrity, creativity, humility, decency, personal skills, DIALECTIC INTELLECT!!!! .... Need I say more? I give Tara my HIGHEST recommendation. Call if you have questions (918) *** - ****."
Booyah. Yummy to my tummy. I needed that. It tasted great and was less filling.
My suggestion? If you don't have a Feel Good Folder, you'll feel good about starting one. You'll feel even gooder about starting one for your employees. Keep it next to their personnel files and yank it out when they've locked themselves in the VIP bathroom.
Slaps on the back work. Both to motivate and to dislodged processed meat.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Quote them: Moonlighting mayhem
I love entertaining/odd/screwball writing wherever I find it. Even if it's in the 80s.
From one of the squiggliest scripts in the big-hair era of TV, I give you....Moonlighting:
I think of this show. Then I think of pretty much anything on the WB. Then I think of this show. Any questions?
From one of the squiggliest scripts in the big-hair era of TV, I give you....Moonlighting:
Security Officer:
I'm sorry, but you're not on the guest list.
David Addison:
That's because we're not guests. We're looking for a man with a mole on his nose.
Security Officer:
A mole on his nose?
Maddie Hayes:
A mole on his nose.
Security Officer:
[to Maddie] What kind of clothes?
Maddie Hayes:
[to David] What kind of clothes?
David Addison:
What kind of clothes do you suppose?
Security Officer:
What kind of clothes do I suppose would be worn by a man with a mole on his nose? Who knows?
David Addison:
Did I happen to mention, did I bother to disclose, that this man that
we're seeking with the mole on his nose? I'm not sure of his clothes or
anything else, except he's Chinese, a big clue by itself.
Maddie Hayes:
How do you do that?
David Addison:
Gotta read a lot of Dr. Seuss.
Security Officer:
I'm sorry to say, I'm sad to report, I haven't seen anyone at all of
that sort. Not a man who's Chinese with a mole on his nose with some
kind of clothes that you can't suppose. So get away from this door and
get out of this place, or I'll have to hurt you - put my foot in your
face.
I think of this show. Then I think of pretty much anything on the WB. Then I think of this show. Any questions?
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