From my portfolio - 4

Again, this was written for a client, but I was not paid for the work.  Because I was never paid, the copyright does not pass to the client but remains with me.  Despite this, the article was published online without any compensation to me.  To guard my copyright, I am posting it here on my own blog.  I'll link to the client's site below the article.

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When a man is greeted with smiles and trust from those he serves, that man stands out. That man is Asot Michael, serving the people of Saint Peter more than a decade and a half. The population of Antigua and Barbuda has watched him work on their behalf. They have seen Asot pitch in his personal resources without hesitation if necessary to get results. And while he works tirelessly on their behalf, Asot Michael does not forget to listen to his constituents. Indeed, he attempts to live his slogan – Asot Michael cares for people.

The People of Saint Peter can expect their ABLP representative to move ahead with modernizing physical infrastructure throughout the area. Investments in tourism and renewable energy will lead to economic uplift for communities and families. The economy of the region remains on an uphill path. The ABLP reduced IMF debt over the last four years by $300 million. The party also saved the ABI Bank and cut the debt to GDP ratio from 104 percent to 75 percent. Looking ahead, there are planned improvements in electrical generation, including more use of wind and solar to reduce costs.

Asot Michael remains committed to all the people of Antigua and Barbuda, but particularly those in the Saint Peter Constituency. As with economic progress, so too has he been instrumental in the party’s progress in education. A knowledge-based economy is necessary to remain competitive on the world stage. Asot Michael’s wide ranging network of world leaders in business and politics is paying dividends. His experience benefits those he cares most about, the people he represents as an elected MP from Saint Peter.

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http://sergeyport.com/for-asot-michael-leading-means-caring/

From my portfolio - 3

Again, this was written for a client, but I was not paid for the work.  Because I was never paid, the copyright does not pass to the client but remains with me.  To guard my copyright, I am posting it here on my own blog.  I do not know if this was published online elsewhere but if so it was done without the promised compensation to me.

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Successful branding in the social media marketplace does not happen by good luck, like Cinderella's fairy godmother waving a magic wand.  Were Cinderella to succeed in catching her prince today, she would need the true magic of social media: high quality content.

But what is high quality content?  Cinderella, or for this example, the Cinderella Company, Incorporated, needs to know its audience and to tailor the social media message to meet audience expectations.  That communication should be consistent but specialized for each chosen outlet.  

For instance, Instagram is more visual than textual and requires photos more than mere words.  Picture captions can enhance the message, but if the photo does not capture the attention, the words will never be seen.  Twitter, on the other hand, revels in the textual and relegates photos to an also ran status.  Video works best on YouTube, especially if the presentation is longer than a few seconds.  The Cinderella brand can be consistent everywhere it's seen, but the presentation must match the chosen outlet.

In addition to tailoring the presentation for each platform, the message must resonate with Cinderella's audience.  There is little use in pitching the company's princely aspirations to a group composed mostly of wicked stepmothers or jealous sisters in a FaceBook group.  Cinderella's social media choices would more reasonably be guided by the knowledge that her royal audience hangs out on Instagram or Pintrest where they peruse photos of glass slippers or pumpkin shaped carriages.

Only by knowing her audience intimately and choosing the right venue to attract their interest will the Cinderella Company succeed with their social media message of living happily ever after.

From my portfolio - 2

This was written for a client, but I was not paid for the work.  Because I was never paid, the copyright does not pass to the client but remains with me.  Despite this, the article was published online without any compensation to me.  To guard my copyright, I am posting it here on my own blog.  I'll link to the client's site below the article.

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The combination of clean snow and good hills equals a fine day for snowboarding, and that means hitting the slopes well equipped for adventure and fun. Carrying your essential gear for the day doesn’t absolutely require a snowboard specific backpack, but if you hit the slopes more than once or twice a season, a dedicated snowboarding backpack is a more capable adventure solution that’s worth a look. Here are five backpacks with the features snowboarders have come to expect.

The smallest capacity bag in our list, the Jones Snowboards DSCNT Backpack has an internal frame, a dedicated hydro-pocket with an insulated sleeve and is sized at 19 liters. It’s a sleek unassuming pack that holds the essentials, like snacks, water, avy tools and a warm layer. Jones Snowboards builds the DSCNT out of recycled 450D nylon as well.

The Burton Side Country Backpack is available in basic black or yellow and at 20 liters won’t slow you down. The PU-coated Cordura fabric means durability, while the front panel access gives you quick access to snacks. There’s an adjustable ice axe carry for ascents, and back panel features airflow zones to counter the sweat.

If you want a pack that does class as well as the downhills, the Dakine Heli Pro Backpack is worth a serious look. With Vertical snowboard carry or diagonal ski carry, the 20 liter Heli Pro can keep you out and about all day. But it also has a laptop sleeve, so it can serve on campus too. There’s a fleece lined pocket for your goggles and the pack is hydration compatible as well.

Patagonia's SnowDrifter Pack comes in a 20 liter and a 30 liter version and the company says the pack is made from 100 percent recycled fabrics. The SnowDrifter has an adjustable sternum strap and padded waist belt with zippered pockets. It’s got an insulated hydration sleeve as well as quick access to main compartment. Multiple interior pockets make gear organization a snap.

Moving up in size, the Arc'teryx Alpha SK 32 Backpack as the name suggests is a 32 liter pack. More expensive than most, this weather proof pack keeps the water out and your layers and other gear dry. Its side zipper gives you easy access to interior of the pack, while the top lid holds your helmet and other bulky or wet items.

Finally, the largest pack in this list, the Osprey Kamber 42 Men's Ski Pack, has dual top-load and back panel access into the spacious main compartment. This 42 liter pack can take on most ski and snowboard carrying configuration, horizontal or vertical. It sports a removeable top pocket and glove-friendly zipper pulls so you can grab your tools easily.

The backpack you choose holds your essential gear safely and comfortably and lets you concentrate on the fun.

 

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http://shawnboday.net/the-best-backpacks-for-snowboarding/

 

From my portfolio - 1

This was written for a client, but I was not paid for the work.  Because I was never paid, the copyright does not pass to the client but remains with me.  Despite this, the article was published online without any compensation to me.  To guard my copyright, I am posting it here on my own blog.  I'll link to the client's site below the article.

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When one wishes to put his charitable giving to good use, the most likely target would be one of a number of non-profits, organizations whose purpose is not to make money, though they certainly might, but to support a cause. Groups who operate in the not for profit arena generally have other goals, usually charitable or altruistic. Employees of such an organization may be and often are paid, but any profits generated by the business do not enrich the owners but go back into the group to further whatever cause the group espouses. Today this seems obvious, so it might seem as though non-profits have always been around, but the concept is actually a recent one.

Prior to the twentieth century, most charitable organizations were associated with churches or religious orders. London, Rome, Paris - these and other European cities all had hospitals run by large churches, especially the Catholic Church, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the middle and late 1800s both the YMCA and the Red Cross were organized. Neither was primarily created to turn a profit, and both depended on selfless giving and volunteers.

Philanthropy was not invented in the United States, but the country's expansive capitalism and wealth shaped the concept. The Rockefellers, the Carnegies and other big money names arose in the nineteenth century. These family dynasties made millions for their founders, who often endowed eponymous foundations. Indeed, PBS, the Public Broadcasting System, even today depends on grants from some of these old money foundations like Carnegie, Ford, and others.

During both World Wars, Americans were asked to donate time, effort and money to causes dedicated to either fighting the war or supporting those who did. The Red Cross especially grew its fund raising activities, and so did the Salvation Army and other not for profit groups.

However, it was not until the Tax Reform Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1969, that the rise in non-profits really began. That law granted some tax advantages both to organizations and more importantly to those who donated to them. Further laws passed since the Nixon administration have expanded, and occasionally reduced, tax benefits of giving money to corporations, companies, clubs and other organized entities of a charitable bent. There are millions of charities in existence today, and some are more worthy of the name than others.

Charitable and public-spirited organizations have always existed, but it was not until the formal structure of Federal tax law that there were tangible advantages to organizing such structures. Needless to say, some are more worthy than others, so there has lately been a corresponding rise in ratings agencies or groups to help potential benefactors decide whether to donate and to whom. Consumer Reports and Charity Watch are among the most popular of the services who rate non-profits, grading them on how they use the funds they raise. Thus, the non-profit sector is now firmly a part of American popular culture.

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https://www.altiusdirectory.com/historic-approach-of-non-profit-work/

 

Hating us for our own good

 Well reasoned and well written, this one needs to be read:

https://amgreatness.com/2020/11/19/how-they-hate-us/

Welcome to mob rule

When I was born we lived in a country of laws. There was majority rule, but with lawful respect for the minority's rights. The majority might win the vote, but they were still restrained by the law. At present we are descending into a pure democracy, which is essentially two wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner. Pure democracy is synonymous with mob rule.

I expect the current presidential election issue to be ultimately decided in the Supreme Court. I also expect the Court to rule in favor of Biden based not on the law, but on one overriding factor: fear.

The Supreme Court Justices all know that if their ruling somehow makes Trump President for another term that the country will explode in violence. They rightly fear the mob. To paraphrase Mr. Shakespeare, discretion being the better part of valor - or the law - they will rule for Biden. Their ruling will be based, not on the merits of the case, but on fear of the consequences. Trump's voters will not riot, will not loot, and will not kill. Biden's voters will.

We already have a demonstration of mob rule in action over in Michigan. The Wayne County Board at first failed to certify the election results there, deadlocking 2-2. The two Republican members at first refused to certify the election, citing pervasive problems with numbers that don't add up.

But then the mob was let loose in a public hearing. Members of the mob stood up in the public comment portion of the open meeting and made vicious threats against Monica Palmer and William C. Hartmann until the two, fearing for their lives and the lives of their families, changed their votes.

This is now the blueprint for our future in America: if the vote doesn't go your way, threaten violence until it does. The Supreme Court Justices know that what has already happened in Detroit will occur nationwide if they declare Trump the winner, so they won't.

Expect more of this mob rule in the years ahead. Whether it will ultimately succeed depends largely on whether the rest of us are willing to - again in Shakespeare's words - take arms against this sea of troubles and by opposing, end them.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Cancer-Mountain-Drew-Boswell/dp/1798482118/ 

Instagram censors posts

Not to get too political, but Instagram is forcing me to comment. As a cancer patient I follow several cancer related hashtags on that app. I noticed that a lot of that content suddenly wasn't showing up in my feed and dug around to see why. Turns out that Instagram is censoring much of it to protect me from what they say is false election information!

Leaving aside the question of how a cancer hashtag has anything to do with politics, it's offensive to me that Instagram believes we are too stupid to make up our own minds about this or any other issue. Intelligent people should be able to read anything they want to and make their own decisions. How can we have an informed citizenry if our chosen apps silently treat us like children who need to be locked in an intellectual playpen?