A Prairie Home Companion in Minnesot-ah

September 29, 2007

As the guests of American Public Media, we enjoyed a live "dress rehearsal" of A Prairie Home Companion in Minnesota Public Radio's own theater.

In a word, all I can say is WOW!

This week on A Prairie Home Companion:

for Saturday's live broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater, actor Martin Sheen, and the honky-tonk band that keeps Hank William's foot tapping in the grave, BR549 (Chuck Mead, Mark Miller, Chris Scruggs, and Shaw Wilson).

also the otherworldly operatic voice of Maria Jette, the Royal Academy of Radio Acting; Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and Tom Keith, The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band with Rich Dworsky, and The News from Lake Wobegon.

Check out APHC on iTunes or download MP3s of each show from their website.

BJ Leiderman-It's The Music, Stupid.

Bert and I had the distinct privilege of entertaining BJ at dinner recently. I'm a fan, and you should be, too.

I love his "ad" (which follows) on http://realpeoplerealstuff.com/ . (Think CraigsList and YouTube having a baby together - a combination of entertaining videos and classifieds ads that people will email to their friends, and ones that make people want to buy your stuff.)

I should do my own "ad" under White Collar Jobs! Maybe BJ would even do a special "Missy" piece of music....one could only dream!

BJ's NPR Bio

BJ Leiderman is the noted composer of the theme music heard on NPR's Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Car Talk, and Wait Wait..Don't Tell Me! His themes are among the most instantly recognizable sounds in all of public radio.

Music and music making comes easily to Leiderman, who was born on Valentine's Day 1956 and grew up as the only child in a musical family. As a member of a variety of different bands during his high school and college years, BJ found he was a natural at writing memorable music-including jingles.


While studying broadcast journalism at American University, BJ was introduced to Jim Russell, the producer of an as-yet-unnamed morning show at NPR. Russell was looking for a way to use music to transition NPR listeners from the classical sounds they'd been accustomed to hearing on the air each morning to something that would instantly engage them with an exciting new show. BJ suggested an approach that began with a baroque musical phrase, continued with a music-as-sound-effect "whoosh," and then segued into the main theme. Morning Edition's first theme was born and BJ's relationship with NPR took root.

With his heart in his music, BJ abandoned plans for a career in broadcast journalism in favor of touring, composing, and recording (in fact, he believes he may be American University's oldest living senior). His professional credits include jingles and soundtrack packages for countless corporate and broadcast accounts, and music for many familiar public radio programs, including Marketplace, Weekend Edition, Car Talk, Common Ground, and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! In addition, BJ has worked as a writer (as in "copywriter") for clients as diverse as Nickelodeon, The Chris Rock Show, Fox Kids, Cartoon Network, Christian Broadcasting Network, Coca-Cola and Spike TV.

One of the few public radio stars who has left his mark on NPR broadcasts without saying a word, BJ lives and composes in Virginia Beach, VA. Listeners who'd like to hear more of BJ's pop-rock persona can hear clips of his works-in-progress at www.bjleiderman.com.




Last two photos courtesy of BJ.

HRAMA Program = What's Your Advertising IQ?

"10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign"...oh, I bet there are more than 10!!!

Barry Cohen of AdLab Media Communications in Clifton NJ spoke at our Hampton Roads Chapter of the America Marketing Association (HRAMA) last week. His presentation was passionate and his voice resonant with that of an experienced "ad man". Click on the title of his book to order via Amazon: "10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign"

A few take-aways (and some that are not very intuitive, either):

Curiosity-arousing ads work best. FALSE Express "benefit" 1st and "newsworthiness" 2nd, curiosity is 3rd.

A picture is worth a thousand words. FALSE A word is worth a thousand pictures.

The most important thing in an ad is the headline, followed by the caption under the photo or illustration. TRUE

People remember what they see better than what they hear. TRUE Think about all of those jingles you hear that just won't get out of your head!

To the consumer, perception is reality. TRUE Perception is culturally determined, too!

Celebrity spokespeople create better brand identities. FALSE

Companies that stopped advertising during recessions fared better than their competitors. FALSE

Price is more important to consumers than anything else. FALSE

Everyone who reads the newspaper will see your ad. FALSE Not everyone reads all parts of a newspaper; place ads in sections reads by your target market.

Outdoor advertising has the lowest cost-reach ratio of all major media. TRUE And, make certain your message can be conveyed in 9 words or less.

PR (Public Relations) doesn't drive sales. TRUE But, it does reinforce your expertise and raises your credibility quotient.

"Fish when the fish are biting." TRUE Every business has peaks and valleys. Increase promotion (fish) during those peaks (when the fish are biting) not during the valleys. Better peaks will get you through the valleys. Work smarter, not harder.


And, in my humble opinion....there is an exception for every rule!

Is this the National View of Hampton Roads? Gee, Thanks Michael Vick.

Google alerts for "Hampton Roads" delivered this blog post to me:

Michael Vick has no friends, except for me.

Here is the excerpt that prompted me to post a comment (see my comment below):


"Vick was raised in one of the worst ghettos in the U.S. — the Hampton Roads East End section in Virginia. Hampton Roads is a pure ghetto with subsidized housing, a lack of public protection by the police, and could be one of the worst places in the country to try to raise a family. His parents both were hard workers, and it is evident that even with all the odds against Vick, he succeeded in exiting an area where infinite welfare is the most common life of the typical resident. He went on to becoming one of the highest paid sports entertainers in the industry, with massive sponsorships, endorsements and fan support. I don’t have many heroes in my life, but I know how to pick them out after researching them. I’d rather have my future son want to be dedicated to succeeding like Vick than like Paris Hilton, that’s for sure."


My comment:
I agree that the media coverage of Mr. Vick has been obnoxious and overwhelming, to say the least. There are many more important matters going on in the world.

I can even appreciate your comments and stance on federal law. However if laws were broken (against dog-fighting, against gambling, against cruelty to animals, whatever), then Mr. Vick, and anyone who worked with him, should be punished accordingly. No more, no less than any other citizen.

I do take exception with your comment: “Hampton Roads is a pure ghetto with subsidized housing, a lack of public protection by the police, and could be one of the worst places in the country to try to raise a family.”

Perhaps certain sections of HR could be considered as such, the same as any other metropolitan area in the U.S. However, we have found that HR for the most part is made up of intelligent, hard-working people who are proud of where they live. We have a strong military presence here, and one of the most culturally diverse areas that I have ever had the pleasure to visit or live. We have so many cultural and arts events here…and many free and open to the public… that it forces us to decide among them. I have met many outstanding constituents of the African-American portion of our community, too, recently enjoying a wonderful evening at the Attucks Theatre in Norfolk and the 2007 Mid. Atlantic Black Film Festival.

Don’t give Mr. Vick credit because you think, and I quote: “he succeeded in exiting an area where infinite welfare is the most common life of the typical resident”. That is simply not true and an affront to the people (including me) who live here.

Thanks for the post and your viewpoint.


Callers into the Cathy Lewis HearSay show of August 27th supported my assertion as well.


And, then, Whoopi Goldberg had to get in on the act.


Kerry Dougherty of The Virginia-Pilot © wrote a thoughtful article dated 9/6/07 on Whoopi's "incident":

Goldberg 'view' of south shows ignorance, not cultural insight

Gotta hurry here. I'm about to head on over to another dog fight.

Y'all know what I'm talking about. Here in the South - the Deep South, that is - there's nothing we like more than watching pit bulls rip each other to shreds.

Yup, we ain't nothin' but tobacco -chewing, 'shine-swilling, dog fightin' fools in these parts.

Welcome to Whoopi Goldberg's world of sweeping stereotypes.

Perhaps you saw her embarrassing inaugural appearance on ABC's "The View" Tuesday. Most of us caught clips of Goldberg's observations when they surfaced later on cable news.

The ladies of "The View" were discussing the Michael Vick case when Whoopi leapt to the defense of the disgraced quarterback. She excused his involvement in dog fighting because, well, he grew up in Hampton Roads.

"Instead of just saying (Vick) is a beast and he's a monster, this is a kid who comes from a culture where this is not questioned," she said.

Kid? This guy is a 27-year-old millionaire. He came from "a culture where this is not questioned"?

"He's from the South," Whoopi declared. "From the Deep South."

News flash: Michael Vick is from Newport News, V a. (So was Ella Fitzgerald. Does that mean the First Lady of Song was a dog fight fan, too?)

Someone give this dreadlocked diva a map.

While there's no official gateway to the Deep South and no passport required once you get there, the term is generally reserved for states nestled deep in Dixie: Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana come to mind.

Virginia is not the Deep South. The Old South? Yes. Deep? Never. Even I know it, and I grew up in Jersey.

As if that wasn't enough misinformation for one outing, the comedian also opined that

Southerners accept dog fighting the way Puerto Ricans accept cock fighting.

This goes way beyond geographical ignorance.

"I never heard of dog fighting around here in nearly 65 years," countered Newport News Mayor - and native - Joe Frank on Wednesday. "... To suggest it's socially acceptable or culturally acceptable is absolutely untrue."

The mayor pointed out that Vick's hometown is a city of roughly 187,000, with a splendid university and several museums.

Sure, it's great sport to make fun of those who live in the South. And frankly, if there's one stereotype that's true, it's that those on this side of the Mason-Dixon Line know how to take a joke.

But no one's laughing about dog fighting.

On the contrary, there's widespread revulsion in these parts to the ghastly accounts of dogs that were beaten and electrocuted on Vick's property in Surry County.

If dog fighting were a local underground sport, you'd expect to find strong support for Michael Vick. That isn't the case.

Mayor Frank said he was reluctant to fuel a spat with a celebrity, but he noted that Whoopi Goldberg clearly didn't know much about Vick's town.

As a - dare I say it - Southern gentleman, the mayor politely suggested that Goldberg refrain from cultural stereotyping.

"I think comedians should stick with comedy."

Nicely put.

Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306,
kerry.dougherty@cox.net
More columns Kerry's blog

And, then there's PETA, of course, whose headquarters is in downtown Norfolk.


Thanks, everyone for attempting to champion Hampton Roads, and the "South".

e-Job Search

Here are some of the best sites for searching for a job online:

• http://www.rileyguide.com/eresume.html with links to Wall Street Journal Career Site
• http://jobs.careerjournal.com
• http://theladders.com (check for free trial periods and promotional programs/discounts)
• http://www.resumerabbit.com/ posts resume to 80 online sites (not free)
• http://jobs.hamptonroads.com/index.cfm?pn=register CareerConnection.com
• http://my.net-temps.com/postres.html
• http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/
• http://www.monster.com/
• http://www.marketingjobs.com/ Sales and Marketing Jobs Nationwide
• http://careerbuilder.com
• http://virginiajobnetwork.com
• http://www.norfolkjobnetwork.com
• http://hrew.com/ Hampton Roads Employment Weekly
• http://www.usajobs.gov/
• http://www.indeed.com

What is Hampton Roads? The land and the water and the history...

"Hampton Roads" is this region in southeastern Virginia where we live. Everybody calls it that.

"Hampton Roads" refers to both a body of water and the region of land in the southeastern portion of Virginia made up of the "Seven Cities" of:
Chesapeake
Hampton
Newport News
Norfolk
Portsmouth
Suffolk
and Virginia Beach (also the largest city in Virginia)

and several smaller towns:
Franklin, Poquoson and Williamsburg.

The water area "Hampton Roads" (known locally as "the harbor") is one of the world's biggest natural harbors.

Before "Hampton Roads" was a place to live, it was a place to park your boat. First and foremost, it's the name for the body of water between the Peninsula and South Hampton Roads. More precisely, it's the body of water formed by the meeting of the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers, which then flows out the other end into the Chesapeake Bay.

And how did it get its' name?

It's a condensed version of the original name given it by English settlers:
The Earl of Southampton's Roadstead.

"Roadstead" is an old English word for a protected anchorage, not as enclosed as a harbor but still shielded from the ocean waves.

And the Earl of Southampton? He was Henry Wriothesley, the third Earl of Southampton (1573-1624). His biggest claim to fame is that he was a patron of William Shakespeare. In return for the financial aid, Shakespeare dedicated two of his long poems, "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece," to Wriothesley.

Unfortunately for Southampton, he was linked to the plot by the Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth I's ex-boyfriend, to stage a coup against the queen's government. He was thrown in the Tower of London, sentenced to death.

Fortunately for Southampton, his sentence was commuted to life in prison, and after Elizabeth died and was succeeded by James I, he was released.

The earl was also a backer of the Virginia Company, the outfit that settled Jamestown and the other early settlements in Virginia.

Some things never change. People who put the money up get things named after them.


When driving from Hampton to Norfolk on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), after you emerge from the tunnel - much of the water you see on your left is the Chesapeake Bay, and much of the water you see on your right is "Hampton Roads", the water.

Nibbling (negotiating, not eating) from my friend, Steve Kraner

Savvy Buyer Gambit: Nibbling

What it is:

Nibbling is continuous chipping at your proposal over time, taking a little concession each time. It’s also referred to as ‘incremental negotiating.’

Why it works:
If the customer asks for concessions early, we may tend to think it’s a good idea to give concessions to build the relationship or as a ‘buying sign’ and a chance to close.

What’s the problem?:
Like chess or checkers, your earliest moves have the greatest impact on the outcome.

The savvy buyer may well not do all of their negotiating in one sitting. They will come back for more later. If you give it all away up front, and they come back a second time and now you’re in the ‘real negotiation,’ but you have no room left to maneuver.

A nibble at the end of a long ales cycle causes the seller to think, “Oh, no. I thought we had resolved everything. I don't want to take a chance on going back to the beginning and re-negotiating the whole thing. If I do that, I might lose the entire sale. Perhaps I'm better off just giving in on this little point."

Prevention:
Like my first Platoon Sergeant said, “Sir, I suggest you start tough and then ease off. You can’t do it the other way.”

In negotiations, you can’t expect to start by being submissive and then expect to become demanding.

It’s better to set the tone early that you are on the high end of the spectrum and that getting discounts isn’t easy. Then when you go to finalize it, their expectations are properly set. They’ll feel great when they get a little concession and they’ll appreciate it more than a big concession that they get with less effort. You may not be negotiating right up front, but you are positioning and setting the context that will impact the final negotiation significantly.

Every interaction you have with the customer, from the first meeting to the final negotiation, will impact the tone and context of the final negotiation.

Rule #1: No unilateral gifts.
I suggest that you adopt the habit of never giving anything away without getting something in return. Your hard work, time and attention are valuable resources. Demos, presentations and proposals all have value.

Also, consider this. When the customer asks for something like faster installation, we try to find a way to do it. That’s admirable and in the end it may well be exactly the right thing to do. It’s a problem though, if it results in unilateral concessions.

Rule #2: When they ask for something, find out why.
When they ask for something, listen and ask questions to uncover the underlying need. Use it to expand the scope of competition, increase the deal size and to do what the other guy can’t or won’t do. If you uniquely understand the customer’s situation, provide a unique solution and the customer sees you as a custom fit, you command a higher price. Find problems only you can fix. Probe for pain in areas where you have unique capabilities. Your leverage increases with the uniqueness of your solution.

There’s not much pressure in a one horse race (or a Russian presidential election.)

Good Selling!
Steve Kraner
skraner@hightechguru.com
http://www.hightechguru.com/
703-966-0192 (Mobile – preferred)

P.S. If you want to join Steve's email list, be sure to tell him "Missy sent me"!

Live passionately, just don't share symbolism with gangs

By MICHELLE E. SHAW, The Virginian-Pilot © August 18, 2007

The state’s new tourism slogan, “Live passionately,” almost died Friday.

The catch phrase, featured on promotional material, was accompanied by a hand gesture that has been associated with a decades-old gang that has members scattered across the United States.

Virginia Tourism Corp. officials decided to alter the images used in the ad campaign rather than scrap the idea.

The gesture, a heart made from both thumbs and index fingers, is one of many associated with the Gangster Disciples, according to several Web sites and the Virginia Gang Investigators Association.

The FBI Web site classifies the Gangster Disciples as “one of the most violent of four African-American gangs that hang out on the south side of Chicago.”

“Out of respect to those who have concerns about the use of this symbol, we will adjust the creative images in our ad campaign to eliminate any further misinterpretation of the heart/hand symbol,” said Alisa Bailey, president of the state’s tourism marketer, in an e-mail. “We regret if anyone interpreted the symbol as anything other than a symbol of love, as was intended.”

About $400,000 was spent on developing the campaign, not including ad buys, Bailey said earlier this week. By Friday afternoon, the pictures in question had been replaced with generic images or portraits of the same models – minus the hand gesture. No additional money was spent to make the change, Bailey said in a separate statement.

“We were able to use existing photography, so it was an easy change,” she said.
BCF of Virginia Beach developed the campaign. Art Webb, the company’s president, said he had “no idea things could go in this direction.”

“This is the first campaign that we’ve done that uses a hand gesture,” he said. “We ran it through a number of tourism industry leaders, and it was well received.”

Members of the Virginia Gang Investigators Association, a coalition of law enforcement officers, alerted various state officials on more than one occasion this week about the campaign, said Keith Applewhite, the association’s vice president. One of those calls was to the governor’s office, he said.

Kevin Hall, a spokesman for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, said the governor became aware of the problem after several law enforcement groups contacted the office with concerns. Col. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the State Police also raised the issue with staff members in Kaine’s office, the spokesman said.

“The governor is pleased the tourism agency quickly, independently and, he believes, correctly chose to revamp the campaign to remove those images,” Hall said.

Tourism officials were made aware of the possible conflict earlier this week, before the T-shirts and bumper stickers were handed out in Virginia Beach on Wednesday. At the time, officials thought the gang was “a small group confined to South Carolina” and went ahead with the promotional event, Bailey said Friday.

She spent the better part of Friday morning “trying to decide the best course of action.”
“We are taking this seriously,” she said around 10 a.m. “But just because someone in another culture uses the symbol inappropriately or for some other reason, I find it almost offensive that we would change our campaign.”

Just before 1:30 p.m., though, a BCF spokeswoman e-mailed a statement on Bailey’s behalf, explaining the decision to revamp the campaign.

“Our intent was to show people using their hands to make a heart to signify 'Virginia is for lovers,’” the statement said. “For the majority of people, the heart sign is a symbol of love – and the campaign’s images intended to convey a love of travel and love of Virginia. A heart has been our symbol since 1969 and we were looking for new ways to express it.”

Staff writer Christina Nuckols contributed to this story.

Virginia Tourism Site http://www.virginia.org/

Gang Hand Signs http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/handsigns/menu_007.htm
Virginia Gang Investigators Association http://vgia.org/



The Virginian-Pilot © August 17, 2007

Updated full statement from Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corp., on the "Live passionately" campaign. (A heart-shaped hand gesture used in promotional images is associated with a notorious gang.)

"We have decided to adjust the new Virginia is for Lovers Live Passionately campaign due to concerns that the heart/hand symbol has a meaning other than what our agency intended.
"For the majority of people, the heart sign is a symbol of love – and the campaign’s images intended to convey a love of travel and love of Virginia. A heart has been our symbol since 1969 and we were looking for new ways to express it.

"Attached (see below) is an example of the slight adjustment we were able to make in less than 24 hours at no cost that continues to promote Virginia is for Lovers but eliminates the hand symbol. We were able to use existing photography so it was an easy change. This ad example ties into one of the largest national travel trends involving groups of female friends traveling together.

"We will make the necessary adjustments to the new Virginia is for Lovers campaign to gear up for the full campaign rollout in spring of 2008. Virginia’s investment in tourism advertising is proven to generate a 5 to 1 return on investment."

NOTE: My take on this? We're giving way too much credence, weight, credit to thugs. This was the original article. What a difference a day makes:

By MICHELLE E. SHAW, The Virginian-Pilot © August 16, 2007

Since 1969, the Virginia Tourism Corp. has touted "Virginia is for lovers."

Wednesday, the state tourism arm introduced its latest love child, "Live passionately."
Neptune Park was abuzz with the slogan as hawkers passed out free T-shirts and bumper stickers.

"I'm not sure what it means, but I like the way it sounds," said Lore Baker, visiting from Illinois. "I'm kind of a hopeless romantic."

TV spots are airing in Richmond, and print and online ads are running on a limited basis.

The new catchphrase isn't meant to replace the old one, said Tamra Talmadge-Anderson, spokeswoman for the tourism unit.

" 'Virginia is for lovers' is our brand, and 'live passionately' is our call to action," she said. "They go hand in hand."

The new motto has been in the works since earlier this year and will debut nationally next spring, Talmadge-Anderson said. TV spots are airing in Richmond, and print and online ads are running on a limited basis.

About $400,000 has been spent on developing the campaign, not including ad buys, said Alisa Bailey, tourism corporation president. BCF of Virginia Beach developed the campaign.

"I like it, especially the passion part," Bill Price of Roanoke said. "I never liked the 'Virginia is for lovers' slogan, but I really like this passion thing."

Among state slogans, Brent Reed of College Station, Texas, said he remains partial to "Don't mess with Texas."

"I think it will just stick in my head like the old one did," he said of the Virginia slogan. "I mean, look at this beach. I can see how you could be passionate here."

GOVERNOR’S ROUNDTABLE

WHRO CEO APPOINTED TO GOVERNOR’S ROUNDTABLE
Committee Will Develop Blueprint for Insuring Statewide Access to Broadband

NORFOLK: Bert Schmidt, President and Chief Executive Officer of public broadcaster WHRO, has been appointed to Governor Tim Kaine’s Broadband Roundtable Outreach Committee, a group of executives from telecommunications, academia, industry and the public sector that is charged with developing a telecommunications blueprint to advance the Governor’s goal of ensuring broadband access for every Virginia business.

The group, which will be led by former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopera, is scheduled to begin its work this summer, with its final report due by July 2008.

The Roundtable will concentrate its efforts on five areas critical to the delivery of low-cost, last-mile service: Broadband Adoption, Technology, Innovative Applications, Business Models, and Community Outreach. The Roundtable will coordinate its efforts with those of the Wireless Broadband Telecommunications Subcommittee of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, co-chaired by Senator William Wampler (R-Bristol), and Delegate Joe May (R-Leesburg).

“Governor Kaine has called broadband access a priority for his administration, and I’m proud to serve on this roundtable,” said Schmidt. “The initiative will not only serve rural Virginia companies who don't have easy access to low-cost, high-speed Internet service, but will also establish Virginia as a player in the increasingly global economy.”

WHRO is a regional media company that promotes education, culture and citizenship to the citizens of Hampton Roads, Virginia through a variety of services. Every day, thousands of viewers and listeners tune in to broadcast programming on WHRO's public television and two public radio stations. Since its founding more than 45 years ago to support education, WHRO has employed creativity and technology to serve its mission to enrich audiences through content that educates, entertains and promotes understanding. Owned by 17 local school divisions, WHRO delivers educational and new media services to 286,000 students and 25,000 educators per month as well.

Bert Schmidt, President and CEO of WHRO, out in the community. Visiting with Michael Curry (left), Director of the American Theatre and the Hampton Arts Commission ( a long time underwriter of WHRO) and Ven. Thupten Tendhar, one of the visiting monks from Tibet during the monks annual residency at the American Theatre.

Are you LinkedIn?

I rec'vd the funniest email from a friend and former business acquaintnance the other day after finding her on LinkedIn and sending a request to add her to my Contact List. Let me share it with you:


Yes, you have a profile on LinkedIn. You set it up at some point, but YOU are your only connection. How sad.

LinkedIn is a social networking site. Think of it as a business-to-business (B2B) cocktail party that you attend online (no drinking and driving!). When someone asks to "connect" with you, it's like exchanging business cards and letting everyone else at the party know with whom you exchanged cards.


LinkedIn is a great way to exchange leads, share referrals, make recommendations, create connections, develop or expand relationships, generate introductions...all without leaving your office or couch, whatever the case may be.

I'd like to stay in touch with you, so I can easily find you (and you can find me) if the need arises in the future to renew our business relationship. It may be as innocuous as you having an interest in a school I attended to share this info with the friend of a friend's child. I say never "burn" bridges; you never know when you'll need to cross that bridge again, or even make a hasty retreat some day!

I can send you another request, if you like; just in case you deleted my first one. Or try to find me on your own. Just use "Name Search" and type in "Missy Blankenship". And, feel free to ask anytime if you're not sure how something works. It really is easy to navigate and fairly self-explanatory. And, you can always click on "Help & FAQ", if you're stumped. Don't tell me you're not tech-savvy! You don't need to be.

Try it! Type in a search for former schools you attended or companies where you worked or the name of a long, lost love. You may be surprised but what you find, albeit pleasantly, I hope.

Meet Bert Schmidt, Pres/CEO of WHRO, Hampton Roads Public Broadcasting

Bert (my significant other) and I have been quite busy since we moved to Hampton Roads, making the rounds to meet everyone in our new community.

Here is a video of his recent interview from the city of Norfolk's Neighborhood Network, NNN TV-48 www.norfolk.gov/tv48.

http://wmstreaming.whro.org/norfolk/NP0829073.asf

And, what's on our coffee table? Bert was just featured in the Sept/Oct 2007 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine. I even received a mention, including my spicy meat loaf recipe that he loves. (They just misspelled his name in the headline, oops!)



For a full, easy-to-read, snapshot of the article (with corrected spelling, too), click HERE.