I’ve already admitted that I’m better at taking care of other people than I am myself…especially when it comes to updating my systems, my blogs, renewing my memberships, keeping up with twitter, facebook, linked in- or any of my other social media networks.  It is difficult to do this when you are in a time constraint with your business…and time IS money.  But, the creepy crawler catches up with you.  Cobwebs set in and pretty soon, you go to do something and your compter says, “huh”? and you have a bad computer day all day. 

Case in point, I was assisting one of my clients the other day, and I wanted to setup code for him on his site that would let him keep track of how his site was doing overall statistically as it was being tracked. It had been so long since I had checked my on stats that I didn’t realize they had updated “how” they did the tracking and mine hadn’t been tracked in months…just because I had failed to keep abreast of things pertaining to the functioning of my own sites. 

Then there are those little nuisances where you see an email alert about a change on one of your pertinent sites, and you contend you will do it later…then forget, until something malfunctions again, because the computer “forgets” the old way of doing things too!

I wrote a blog last week, and it was fairly informative I thought and took particular care with it to get some information out to my readers.  Well, I went to find it on my site, and it was gone.  NOT THERE!  NADA.

Did I lose it?  Did I forget to publish it?  Was it in the draft folder?  Nope.  It was nowhere to be found.

Guess who updated?  Yep.  Wordpress.  To the new version… 2.7.1.  Now I’m sure I was informed of this earlier…sometime, somewhere, at one of my email addys…but hey, I’ve been busy!   Excuses produces Misses!

Another client wanted to know why Google Analytics wasn’t tracking his web stats…yep again…they block content that is not updated and spend their energy on the ones who pay attention!

Moral of the story is obvious.  God and Websites take care of those who take care of themselves!

WORDS AND CATCH PHRASES

 

How appropriate to read Lake Superior State University’s annual list of words/phrases that are to be banished at years end!  What a great idea!  Like a de-cluttering of the English language!  A year-end wrap up of acceptable words and non-acceptable words. uh…… “How cool is that?” (That phrase will NEVER be banished!!)

I don’t speak any foreign language, albeit a touch of Latin from my Catholic upbringing, but I wonder if other languages have catch phrases, or slang, or nicknames?  I wonder when you take a second language if it includes teaching slang or catch phrases?

At any rate, some of the words that have been banished this year,

• “from Wall Street to Main Street”;
• “winner of five nominations”
• “economic meltdown” hasn’t been chosen YET but soon will be!
• “change” (even though we desperatly need some!)
• “maverick”
• “first dude”  (adopted by Todd Palin, Sarah Palin’s husband)
• “Joe the Plumber”  (see what happens when you give a public opinion?
• “Main Street” vs. “Wall Street” (puleasssssssssse!)
• “At this point in time” (this gets nominated every year!)
• “Get a Life” (this phrase was banished in the 1997 list)
• “monkey”  (mainly used in connection with internet catch phrases)
• “going green”  (This had the highest nominations for tiresome words needing to be banished)

So what would be YOUR favorite words or catch phrase to eliminate for the year 2009?

I for one will always use my favorites, banished or not…as we get older we are “creatures of habits” (which is one of my favorites!).  At any rate, I love to say, “no way” or “you’ve got to be kidding”, then there is “for sure” and not to be forgotten, “duh!”  (the best way to insult someone is always with the word “duh” that makes THEM feel stupid….uh, duh! (how stupid can I be!)

Please write and let me know what YOUR favorite slang/catch phrase is…I’m sure with many sales people out there, hundreds of words can be added to the list! 

Sales:

• “For a limited time only”
• “time is running out”
• “hurry in while supplies last”
• “not sold in stores” (and they always are at the speciality stores)

O.k. let’s get our own list going!  In the meantime, a very Happy and Prosperous New Year to one and all and let’s hope from “Wall Street to Main Street”   “Change” is here at last!   A good one of course…duh!

Here is what I was thinking about with a recent client.  Why write a weekly blog, if you also send a newsletter, emails, and do social marketing?  Do we really believe that everyone “reads”  all that is put out there?  Blogs are great, don’t get me wrong..and there is a definite place for them in the cyberworld, but I’m wondering if it could not be put to better use?

Who are your clients?  Would that page of your website, the blog page, be a good place to speak directly to them?  Teach them? Educate or Train them?  What about that page to advertise for your clients?  As a service not a charge.  For fun, let’s call that blog page, the clientblog where any and everything that has to do with your own personal clients go there. 

Let’s say my website is really hot…and it gets lots of activity, readership and traffic. I have this client in NY, a dentist, who offers upscale dentistry and has a really unique office.  He is also running a “special” for a limited time due to hard economic times for people…What if I used my clientblog to spotlight him for a month and draw traffic to HIS website by promoting on mine?

It serves a two-fold purpose. Increases your business, increases your clients business and is good marketing and PR service.  How many times can you read someone else’s blog on “how to” or “what event” they are going to have….why not capitalize on the opportunity to give the gift of business to your client?! 

Hmmmm….this can be done and might be a good thing to consider doing!  Thoughts anyone?

It’s time for a good laugh! A belly shaking, rolling on the floor laugh…AND an English lesson to boot! My love affair with words was nourished by an email that was sent to me by a friend. It challenges the English language while giving a good laugh and marvels the astonishment about how things get to be what they are and why. Curious? Read on. 

Subject: I love English  

I love English
Can you read these right the first time?  

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.  

2) The farm was used to produce produce.  

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. 

4) We must polish the Polish furniture. 

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.  

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.  

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present. 

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum 

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.  

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid. 

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row. 

13) They were too close to the door to close it 

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.  

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.  

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow. 

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail. 

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.  

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests. 

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend? 

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language
—————————————————————

 Lovers of the English language might enjoy this too . . .  

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is ‘UP.’

It’s easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?  

We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. 

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.  

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.  

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.  

When it doesn’t rain for awhile, things dry UP.  

Fess UP… you like this! 

One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so………… Time to shut UP…..!  

Oh…one more thing: 

What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U-P 

Are you laughing hard enough yet?!

The choice words we may be using worldwide, in reference to the way the economy is impacting all of us, is not just slang -but down right cursing!  Forget proper etiquette!  Forget which candidate is promising what!  Forget “severance pay” and health care costs, and fuel cost, and that General Motors just laid off thousands of salaried people along with the highest unemployment rate in years…and the fact that a lot of Americans can hardly feed their families, much less the animals! Forget it! 

Which wars are we going to fight?!  The one in another country, while others are threatening?!  Fight the housing war?  The Fuel War?  The employment War? 

Sigh.  O.k. It’s time to start screaming that we are fed up and we are NOT going to take it anymore!  America does NOT get this bad economically, we were suppose to learn from the Great Depression!  Can we learn from a Recession?

Republicans and Democrats are fighting about who created this mess. As usual, hindsight serves no one.  The debates come off as a mere game of who can outdo the other, and really does not help us to see WHO is really qualified for what our country needs at this fearful time…regardless of party…who really cares WHICH party wins, as much as “who can get us straightend out again and WHOM can we really believe?”

A friend of mine called last night really depressed.  I asked her what I could do, and she said, “ask my sister to back off of the political wagon and her one-sided views…I’m sick of it all and what’s going on in our country and I’m really down about it.” 

I assured her that it will all turn around again.  This has happened before.  America WILL survive the economic hardships and threats from any other nations…because the heart and soul of AMERICA is just that…survival.  We have had good presidents, and we have had bad ones, but as flawed as the system seems to be at times, we still have to admit it works. But it takes more than the political powers, it takes ALL of us.

As a citizen and cheerleader of our country, I say let’s all get out our flags, remember the meaning of Independence Day, and wait patiently and frugally for things to get better.  Easy to say, hard to do… but remember, the higher power has the MOST power of any candidate, or living human being on earth.  Perhaps it is time for us to remember to vote for HIM and HIS power of influence and decision-making.   God, Please Bless America and All Nations.  

Oh dear!  I haven’t written in my blog since June!  There is NO excuse for that!  Yes there is…broken fingers? No…I could use my toes.  Um, computer crashed?  For 3 months?!!!  I don’t THINK so!

Hmmm…o.k. I’ll just own up to it, I’ve been too pre-occupied with other things in my life to keep my “journal of opportunity” updated here.  Between social networking and blogging, it takes some time, especially if you want to be funny, or say something that makes you look good to hundreds of social networking people, who also compete to have the cutest, funniest, or most bizarre thing to share with those who post. And we can’t forget about the chat rooms we may belong too as well. 

While it is IMPERATIVE that we network, I figured out I was spending an awful lot of time being “social” and not as productive as I should be, as I visited all the twittering, and faces, and linked ins.  Then I finally admitted to myself, “Mary Beth” you talk to much!  Take a breath! Take a break from the social world of networking… so I did…for 3 months!    That’s the best tale I came up with yet, isn’t it?!

In truth, I have just been busy with health issues which I will have fixed at the hospital tomorrow as I go under the knife!  Amazing thing that surgery does for you…lest it be the LAST thing you do…you do have to go tell all those you hated, you forgive them, and yes, you have to ask them to forgive YOU (even though you know it was their fault, the higher power just may not think so!).   

Next, you keep going back and forth on those darn “Living Will” pages and wonder if you REALLY want to leave your “power of attorney” for BREATHING or staying alive, up to a relative…what if they really didn’t forgive you, they just said they did…revenge can be so sweet!

Then of course, while you appreciate that the surgeon prays with you prior to surgery, you are reminded that HE is not God who is going to fix you, be HE is praying TO God to HELP him …man ya gotta have faith!

Lastly, you wonder if you need to get someone to take over your clients for awhile…for coverage, or at least do some blogging for you – so it’s NOT 3 months again, (please, I got it covered, don’t write and ask for work!) and then you realize, your compassionate and LOYAL friends and clients will wait for you – awwww.

So, I bid adieu as I write this final blog today…until next time.  And if by some strange fate I don’t make it back, you will know that my final act was writing my blog…you see, if you don’t have anything to give to people in your will, you can always be rememberd for your blogging!  I envision the priest standing at the altar and saying, yes, one of the things that Mary Beth was soooo good at, was her blogging!  We will sorely miss her written words…amen.

I was just going along, minding my own business the other day, when I went to my Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) Forum to see what “kewl” things were going on. 

Now this association is the greatest thing that ever happened to work at home moms or solo entrepreneurs.  The 8,000 + membership, provides everything you would possibly need to know, about running a business; PLUS it offers the networking opportunity for people from all over the world. VANA not only helps bring YOU business, but you can also do business with  the other Virtual Assistants as well.

Anyway, I go there often to either chat, network, or sometimes, just because I’m nosey and want to know what is going on with everyone!

Now, among the offerings at this forum, is an award center that recognizes a VA for their hard work.  Oddly enough, I have a VANA toolbar that takes me straight to the Forum; it has a dropdown menu that gives you “caps” of the latest news.  Well, I immediately spotted the VA Award Catagory, and quickly started to click on it, while saying to myself outloud, “now that’s what I need!”

I opened it, and you guessed it, there was my name as the VAccolade recipient!  Chills made the hair on my arms stand up; I couldn’t believe I had just thought, “that’s what I needed,” and like magic, there it was! 

Now, while the award is magical in itself, and I’ll tell you about it in a second, I immediately analized how this association was just like that…magic!  The founder, Tawnya Sutherland, first built this organazation that promoted support for Moms in starting a business.  She promoted and supported women to the point that they could become self-sufficient right there in their own homes.  Tawnya gave membership and opportunities to thousands of women all over the world.  She gave the tools and tips needed for women and men to become successful in their own right.  I can’t believe that Oprah or Good Morning America, hasn’t scooped her up yet to show that even from another part of the country, women (and men) CAN and Do unite and it works!  This classy lady, from Vancover, British Columbia, has done no less than Oprah, Suzie Orman, Martha Stewart, and even Hilliary, from the standpoint of being a woman and building a business, a following, and being a pioneer in the business world that promotes women at home in business.

Gee, this was going to be about me and my award!  I guess you can see who should get the REAL AWARD here.  O.k. I will make myself at least tell you a little bit about the award I got…it’s the least I can do since you let me go on about this fantastic founder of VANA!

here is the letter I received:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You have been selected to receive the VAccolade Business Entrepreneur Award from Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) at VAnetworking.com for demonstrating your professionalism on the web.

To qualify for this award, you must have been nominated by one of your clients, business colleagues, or peers. You must have also met any combination of the following criteria:

1. Has been an important contributor to the forum (volunteer/advice/support/etc.)

2. His/her website demonstrates at least one of the following qualities in an outstanding way: a. Solid copywriting b. Usability c. Search engine friendly d. Excellent design e. Original content

3. Shows all around business savvy and good judgment

4. Demonstrates a strong USP

5. Upholds our VANA member ethics

You may now proudly display one of the VAccolade banners on your site for all to see. You can also use the VAccolade Press Release Template to announce to the media that you are a recipient of the VAccolade.

Also, stop by the VAnetworking forum and check out everyone who has congratulated you on a job well done!

We look forward to seeing you around the forum!

Wow!  My mom is very proud.  I received a lot of letters and congrats from clients and peers alike; but the best reward is being a part of this wonderful group called VANA. 

I always promised myself that I would never be one who forgets who helped forge my success…thank you Tawnya, and thank you VANA and thank you readers who allowed me a moment to showcase my stardom in all humility.

Startling facts were discussed on BlogTalkRadio, The Puddle People Hour where I am a Co-host along with Pam Sargant. We had the honor of having as our guest, the Former First Lady of Utah, and wife of Michael Leavitt, Former Govenor of Utah.

Jacalyn S. Leavitt, is the chair of the IKeepSafe Coalition where governors wives all over the states have joined her in bringing startling statistics to Parents of Youth and Teenagers using the Internet.

Here are some of the stats compiled by the Coalition:

99% of Teens use the Internet
54% of teens receive requests for personal information (12% of that figure is from “tweens” (8-12 years of age)
42% have posted personal information online
30% reported that they have talked with a cyber-stranger about meeting in person.
27% have talked to strangers on line about sex.
1 in 7 children (ages 10-17) receives a sexual solicitation or approach via the internet in a one year period.
77% of tens have a personal profile available online, 40% of which say it is viewable by all persons.
80% of students are aware of cases of cyber-bullying which is very destructive to teens.
94% of students admitting to cyber-bullying did not tell an adult.

Frigtening statistics to say the least. A new statistic just coming out, all the data is not available yet, is that MANY students in college are flunking out of school, due to becoming addicted to playing video games instead of studying, and being too tired in class.

The internet is a wonderful, yet powerful technology. It can offer so many opportunities to learn, to interact with others, to provide goods and services, and conduct business. But it has also destroyed youth who were unable to handle the pressure of kids playing jokes and bullying them to a point where one child in Vermont even committed suicide due to a rumor started about him. It’s one more thing that Parents MUST help their kids with…teaching responsibilty and monitoring their kids, just as they do when teaching about driving responsibly, or teaching them the golden rule of all things in moderation for a healthy balance in life. The computer, the video games, and all the new technology, can be a wonderful vehicle that this generation is the first to witness and be a part off. They must be reminded however, that it can be as dangerous as drugs, drinking and driving, and ruining their whole lives if video games and computer become more important than what they can learn from the technology, and about real life experiences in a positive way.

With the US celebrating a Memorial Day Holiday this last weekend in May, we normally bring out all the flags, the servicemen, the bands and parades.  This year will be no different.  However, the cemetaries may have more visitors, and the sentiments may run even deeper, for the service men and women who have served in the Armed Forces and have lost their lives in war.

Many people challenge the need to be in this war, and the opinion of one or the other really doesn’t matter; the fact is, there are people at war and people losing loved ones no matter who is fighting or who the innocent are.

Not to bring morbidity to the issue, but I’m of the opinion that there should be a National Rememberance Day for Victims of Crime as well.  With so many losing their lives to senseless crimes.  We wake up one day, like any other, and not even a hint, that within the minute or hour, any one of us may fall to victimization. Possibly from a weirdo at a university that took aim; or just minding our own business driving along when suddenly, a senseless accident due to a drunk driver may occur.  It could be somthing as simple as someone using their cell phone and losing control of their car.  Even the use of a cell phone can take a life…amazing, huh?

These unsung hero’s who die for naught ought to be remembered beyond their familes and friends.  Like those from 911,  those who die everyday trying to save others, like our firemen or policeofficers who fall victim to crime as well.  The ten’s of thousands, who die silently every day because of a principal, or idea, or right, or money…but, usually, through no fault of their own.

This Memorial Day, may it be a united one.  May parades and banners, the music and memories flood all of us across the nation and the universe who fell victim to crime whether from war or any other means.  May we pray for the unknowns, as well as those we knew about.  May we pray for peace in every state and every nation.  And may we pray for a world that trembles through the onslaught of pain and loss.  May God Bless all Victims, and all Survivors all over the world.

Please be safe on this Holiday Weekend and don’t become a victim.  Celebrate life and celebrate the memory of those lost.

HEAR IT READ ON BLOG TALK RADIO! MOM WILL LOVE IT!

Did you know that sentiment can bring out the best in your writing?  Want to know why? Because it comes from the heart. And the heart is pure and honest. Writing it is even better. When you write it, you don’t blush!  You don’t stumble on words. You don’t hold back.  A special thing about writing it, is that it can be read, re-read over and over and cherished forever, in a frame, scrapbox, or treasure chest.

For Mother’s Day, why not write your Mother a letter. Tell her things that you have always wanted to say to her, but were maybe to “embarrassed” to say, or had difficulty saying it outloud.

As a Host on, BlogTalkRadio/The Puddle People Hour/, we are hosting a special segment dedicated to “MOM’s” on May 10th @ 1:00 p.m. EST. We are going to have our listeners write a letter about their Mom and email it to the writingeditor@yaoo.com. My co-host and I are going to read them on the air.   It will be so special for Mom to hear it on the air, and it can be download on the ipod and recorded at the site. She will love it! 

Let’s say your Mom is in the nursing home, can you imagine the joy she would feel if you wrote her a letter and she heard it read over the air or on a recording? Then, plays it back over and over again? 

On a personal note, my own loving mom has Alzeheimers. She is in a nursing home. She still knows her kids, but may forget the names sometimes. The hard part is she lives 550 miles away from me, and is being taken care of by other siblings. I’m going to do a recording that she can listen too,  so when she misses her “eight kids” (yes, 8 kids!) who all live in several different states, she will be able to hear their voices and have a loving letter read to her. Cool idea, yes? 

C’mon write that letter!

Then send it to thewritingeditor@yahoo.com and I’ll read it on the air, to YOUR mom!