PepperPress

BE SAFE tips keep kids from being left in hot cars

2012-05-17T16:05:00.001-07:00

My letter-to-the-editor as published in the May 16, 2012, Kansas City Star:

Tragically, another child has died after being inadvertently left in the car while his mother was at work in Lee’s Summit. Our hearts go out to the parents and family.

If you think it couldn’t happen to you or your family, think again. Our memories don’t prioritize, so it’s as easy to forget to drop off your child at daycare as it is to forget to drop off your suit at the dry cleaner.

KidsAndCars.org provides these BE SAFE tips:
Back seat – Put something in the back seat that requires you to open the back door every time you park – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.

Stuffed animal should be kept in your child’s car seat. Place it on the front seat as a reminder when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park make it a routine to open the back door of your car to check that no one has been left behind.

Make copies to place in your own vehicles, and give to family and friends – even strangers – who have young children.

For more information on keeping kids safe in and around vehicles, go to KidsAndCars.org <http://kidsandcars.org/> .

Susan Pepperdine, Volunteer
KidsAndCars.org
Leawood, Kan.

Turning Down Clients You Can't Fully Support

2012-02-26T20:31:00.002-08:00

Should you turn down clients or stop working for companies if you disagree with their philosophy?

In the recent Paula Deen controversy, her publicist Nancy Assuncao, resigned and said, “If you don’t believe in what your client wants to do, it’s your business to leave.”

PR consultants, business consultants and others must sometimes decide whether to work with clients they don't fully support: tobacco, gambling, political campaigns, etc. And recently people on both sides of the issue reconsidered support of the Susan G. Komen organization.

Here are some of the responses I received when I posed the question on a LinkedIn discussion group:

Chris Kirk: It really depends on the situation, doesn't it? Is the philosophy something that's just outside your comfort zone or does it conflict with your morals and values? I for one appreciate companies that stand by their convictions.

Amy Rathbone: If peace of mind in the workplace and not compromising your morals for a paycheck is (important to you) then I think you may work for less people and make less money but ultimately be happier with how you are doing business...We probably have all made the mistake of compromising our principles. It's that 'ugh' feeling that hits you in the car on the way home. It's so much easier to avoid!

Brett Gibson: If your "why's" don't align, then antagonistic relationships ensue. If you know why you do what you do, and the client has a different objective, then they are a bad fit. (Also holds true for employee engagement.)...If you know that the client is hurting themselves with their practices, and they won't listen to consultative advice – there's little likelihood that they will change that charge to failure. You don't have to ride along. Find clients more in line with your vision/mission.

Donna Gordon: In the long run, choosing business partners and clients whose values align with yours is not just peace of mind, it's good business. Whether consciously or subconsciously, if you are not 'all in' with the client or project, your work will suffer.

Beatrice Ten-Thye: I am a Virtual Assistant who works with and in relationships. I find it impossible to work with anyone whose business philosophy does not correspond to mine. That said, if I meet a potential client who is not in alignment with my philosophy, I do refer him to someone else. It wouldn't be good for me or the client to enter into a working relationship that does not fit.

Patrick Shore: Our philosophy is doing the right thing for each and every client. If we do not agree with a product, service, or set of business practices we will share this with the client and politely decline their business. I cannot innovate and create growth for items I do not believe in or cannot share with others...I teach leaders to think this way: Are you proud of your business philosophy, business practices and products? Would you brag about them with your family, spouse and children? If the answer is no, you should rethink.

Sherri Becker: If philosophies are not aligned then the PR that the consultant provides may not be presented with the utmost authenticity. Authenticity and honesty are qualities that we work to achieve in all our projects.

Susan Pepperdine: I agree with those who responded. I've found I can't do PR for people, products or companies unless I really believe in them. If you aren't sold on something, how can you sell somebody else?

Of course lawyers must defend murder suspects – whether they believe they're guilty or not – because it's a constitutional right. But we as marketers don't have to represent companies or products we don't believe in. It's important to be proud of your own company and business practices as well as with your clients' products and business practices.

What do you think?

Saving the Postal Service

2011-11-28T15:18:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Postal Service is as American as founding father Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster General. Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution empowers Congress “to establish post offices.”

Yet today rising costs and declining first-class mail volume threaten the USPS’s survival. Saturday delivery may be cut. Other proposals call for layoffs of 120,000 postal workers. More than 3,500 post offices could be closed, including many in rural and small town Missouri and Kansas. In Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is targeting the USPS for privatization.

A crisis in September was caused by a 2006 law requiring the USPS to put aside $5.5 billion annually to prefund retiree benefits for 75 years, a requirement applying to no other private or government entity. Several bills are pending, including H.R. 1351, which would eliminate the prefunding burden.

Do you depend on the mail to receive prescriptions and bills, to send utility payments or Hallmark cards, or to vote? Then contact your representatives: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), www.house.gov/cleaver, or Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), yoder.house.gov. You can even send them a letter... at least for now.

Memory and Brain Expert Addresses Federal Government on “Forgotten Baby Syndrome” to help prevent hot car tragedies

2011-09-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Federal government steps up efforts to prevent child deaths in hot vehicles

Tampa, FLA. – Sept. 23, 2011…. Most parents think it could never happen to them. But children continue to die in hot vehicles – and parents and families across the country endure the worst nightmare imaginable.

Dr. David Diamond, professor in the University of South Florida psychology department and Tampa Veterans Hospital, spoke out today at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) event in Tampa to help prevent families from having to endure the life-long grief of losing a child.

There have been at least 27 child vehicular heat stroke fatalities in the U.S. this year, and one of those deaths took place in Florida.…and we hope that is the last child death in a hot car,” states Janette Fennell, president of KidsAndCars.org a national nonprofit child safety organization working to prevent injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles. A tragic record 49 children died in 2010 in hot vehicles. Over 60 child vehicular heat stroke deaths in Florida have been documented by KidsAndCars.org, making Florida second only to Texas in the number of children losing their lives in this way.

An internationally renowned memory and brain expert, Diamond asks, “How can normal, loving and attentive parents, with no evidence of substance abuse or an organic brain disorder, have a lapse of memory which results in the death of a child?” His research group has developed a two-part hypothesis to address the basis of “Forgotten Baby Syndrome” (FBS). First, they evaluated whether there is a consistent pattern of circumstances that may provide insight into FBS occurrences and, second,they speculated on the neurobiological basis of FBS.

Diamond hypothesizes that FBS occurs as a result of the competition between cognitive and habit forms of memory. Cognitive memory occurs when one consciously plans out a task to accomplish in the future, for example, planning to take a child to daycare as a part of a larger driving plan. In contrast, habit memory occurs when one performs a routine that can be completed automatically with minimal thought, such as driving to work in an “autopilot” mode, in which decisions as to where to stop and turn occur automatically.

Brain habit and cognitive systems are in a constant state of competition, Diamond notes. In all cases of FBS he and his associates studied, the caretakers had every intention to stop at the daycare center as a part of their drive. However, stopping at the day care center on the day FBS occurred was not a part of an established daily routine. With FBS, the brain habit-based memory system suppressed the activation of the cognitive memory to interrupt the drive and take the child to daycare.

Diamond also noted that in some FBS cases the parents experienced impaired sleep the night before, and/or they experienced a powerful stressor during the drive, which suppressed the activation of a cognitive memory. Dr. Diamond concludes that “the brain habit memory system has the capacity to completely suppress the cognitive memory system, thereby providing a neurobiological explanation of how FBS can occur.”

NHTSA brought together local safety advocates, health professionals, law enforcement officials and concerned residents today to discuss ways to prevent the modern-day phenomena of children being unknowingly left alone in vehicles and how to prevent children from gaining access to hot vehicles.

“The KidsAndCars.org message is very clear – Never leave a child alone in a vehicle and don’t think a tragedy like this can’t happen to you or someone you know,” said Fennell. “No one is immune.”

The organization is pleased that Ron Medford, NHTSA deputy administrator, is spearheading efforts in Florida to eliminate child deaths in hot vehicles by 2013.

KidsAndCars.org has incorporated a provision as part of the reauthorization of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which could help prevent these inadvertent deaths. Equipping vehicles with sensors to detect the presence of the child and sound a warning when a child is left inside would help prevent these deaths when the driver’s memory fails. Similar warning features currently remind drivers when they have left the key in the ignition or left the headlights on.

Based on incidents documented by KidsAndCars.org:

54 percent of the time children die after being unknowingly left inside a hot vehicle.

32 percent when children got into a vehicle on their own similar to what happened to Michael Esposito.

12 percent when they were knowingly left in vehicle.

2 percent of the circumstances were not clear.

Safety Tips from KidsAndCars.org

KidsAndCars.org provides the BE SAFE safety tips on an information card being distributed to new parents as part of the information packet given to them when having a baby:

Back seat – Put something in the back seat of your vehicle that requires you to open the door every time you park – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.

Stuffed animal – Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. Place it on the front seat as a reminder when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park make it a routine to open the back door of your car to check that no one has been left behind.

KidsAndCars.org provides these additional safety tips:

· Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway, and always set your parking brake.

· Keys and remote openers should never be left within reach of children.

· When a child is missing, check vehicles and car trunks immediately.

· If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

· If they are hot or seem sick, get them out as fast as possible. Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays.

· Use drive-through services when available (restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc.)

· Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump.

For additional information about ways to keep children safe in and around vehicles, visit www.KidsAndCars.org

###

About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996 in California, KidsAndCars.org is a national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles. KidAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, and heatstroke from being inadvertently left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change and survivor advocacy.

KidsAndCars.org
2913 W. 113^th St., Leawood, KS 66211 (Greater Kansas City)
Office: 913-327-0013, Fax: 913-327-0014, www.KidsAndCars.org

Massage Envy and KC Royals to Attempt Guinness World Record Sept. 17: Most People Being Massaged

2011-09-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my most recent news releases. Come join us Saturday!

Kansas City, Mo. … Summer and baseball season will soon be winding down, the perfect time for a relaxing break on Saturday, Sept. 17, as one of the massage recipients helping Massage Envy attempt to break – and reclaim – the Guinness World Record for "Most People Being Massaged" at the same time and place. Massage Envy and Massage Envy Spa locations in 10 states from coast to coast are teaming up with the Kansas City Royals for the event, which will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Little K field inside Kauffman Stadium before the 6 p.m. home game between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox.

Massage Envy and Massage Envy Spa therapists from nine Massage Envy locations in Kansas City, Mo., and Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Prairie Village, Overland Park and Olathe, Kan., are organizing the event. The current record of 263 massages is held in Australia. Massage Envy previously set the record in 2009 in Rosslyn, Va.

The public is invited to experience the fun and enjoy their “15 minutes of fame” as therapists go for the record, with the opportunity for bragging rights and inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. The wives of Royals pitchers Blake Wood and Sean O’Sullivan are expected to be among the participants.

Participants are encouraged to preregister by purchasing a $25 special event ticket through www.royals.com/massageenvy. The special event ticket includes the 10-minute Guinness Book of World Records massage plus admission to the game and a customized yoga mat. Light snacks and beverages will also be provided. A portion of the ticket will benefit the local chapter of The Arthritis Foundation.

“This is a real team effort by Massage Envy and the Royals,” said Les Snyder, regional developer for Massage Envy Heartland Inc. “We’ll also be supporting our national cause, The Arthritis Foundation, while giving 500 or more Kansas Citians the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a massage plus getting to participate in setting a new world record.”

Therapists from across the United States are being recruited. For more information on therapist recruitment, go to www.MassageRecord.com.

At Massage Envy, an introductory one-hour massage session (a 50-minute massage and time for consultation and dressing) is just $49. Memberships are available for $59 per month and include a one-hour massage session. Members can enjoy unlimited additional one-hour massage sessions at the $39 member rate.

Log on to www.MassageEnvy.com to find the nearest Massage Envy clinic. All clinics are open seven days a week.

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KidsAndCars.org launches national safety awareness program

2011-07-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

In June I volunteered to start helping KidsAndCars.org publicize information to save children from dangers in and around cars -- heat stroke from being left in a car or getting trapped in the trunk, deadly backovers and frontovers, etc.

On July 12 Good Morning America aired a story about two incidents that resulted in the deaths of boys aged 2, 4 and 8 who became trapped in car trunks. Stories have also appeared in the New York Times plus other national and local Kansas City media.

Here is our latest news release, distributed July 13:

KidsAndCars.org launches national safety awareness program

for hospitals to educate new parents about heat stroke danger

‘Look Before You Lock’ cards explain how memory lapses

can place children in danger when inadvertently left in cars

Leawood, Kan. – July 13, 2011 … KidsAndCars.org announces an innovative new pilot program to distribute safety cards through hospitals nationwide to educate new parents about how memory lapses can result in children suffering heat stroke and even death in hot cars. The “Look Before You Lock” program is the first of its kind to provide life-saving information at the very beginning of their baby’s life about the dangers of inadvertently leaving children alone in a vehicle.

“Educating new parents will help prevent tragic heat stroke deaths by giving them practical steps to jog their memory to take their children out of the car,” says Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, a national nonprofit child safety organization working to prevent injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles.

Available in either English or Spanish, the cards will be distributed as part of the free information packets given to new parents when leaving the hospital. KidsAndCars.org is working in cooperation with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., which provided a grant to fund the program launch. “We support the important work of KidsAndCars.org in elevating this issue to a national level,” said Ed Bradley, regulatory affairs manager, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. “Vehicle safety is an issue that crosses all populations and communities, and Toyota strives to address this vital issue in a comprehensive way. This campaign is a great first step in educating the public in the prevention of injuries and fatalities to children in motor vehicles.”

Hospitals have been highly successful in stressing the importance of infant car seats, in many cases even requiring parents to prove – before leaving the hospital – that they know how to correctly restrain their baby. “Lack of sleep while caring for a newborn and changes in family routines can have lethal consequences,” Fennell points out. “It’s just as important that parents learn to be cautious about leaving children unattended in vehicles as they are about leaving them alone near a swimming pool or in a bathtub.”

Administrator David Strickland of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration commended KidsAndCars.org’s efforts: “With NHTSA’s focus on child passenger safety, we applaud any program that helps alert parents and caregivers to the risks of leaving children alone in vehicles. On hot summer days in particular, we encourage parents to make it a habit to look in their vehicles — both front and back — before locking the door and walking away.”

To request cards, hospitals simply need to notify KidsAndCars.org of the number of babies that are born at their facilities.

Individuals may also download and print copies of the card from the website, www.KidsAndCars.org.

Safety tips on the card include the memory device, BE SAFE:

Back seat – Put something in the back seat of your vehicle that requires you to open the back door every time you park – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.

Stuffed animal – Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. Place it on the front passenger seat as a reminder when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park make it a routine to open the back door of your car to check that no one has been left behind.

“This is the first program of its kind,” Fennell noted. “New parents are highly motivated to do whatever it takes to keep their new baby safe, so this is the perfect time to present this information.”

About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is a national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles. KidsAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, and heatstroke from being inadvertently left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change and survivor advocacy.

KidsAndCars.org warns against leaving children in hot vehicles this summer

2011-06-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

News Release

KidsAndCars.org
2913 W. 113^th St., Leawood, KS 66211 (Greater Kansas City)
Office: 913-327-0013, Fax: 913-327-0014, www.KidsAndCars.org

Contacts:

Janette Fennell, 913-327-0013 or Janette@KidsAndCars.org
www.KidsAndCars.org <http://www.kidsandcars.org/>

Susan Pepperdine, 913-262-7414, cell 913-205-5304 or susan@pepperdinepr.com

KidsAndCars.org warns against leaving

children in hot vehicles this summer

In 2010 a record 49 children died of heat stroke in cars

Leawood, Kan. – June 7, 2011 … With hot summer days ahead, KidsAndCars.org is warning parents and caregivers to take extra precautions to prevent leaving children alone in cars. Through May 31 this year 8 children had already died of heat stroke in vehicles – close to the record-setting pace of 2010 when 49 infants and children died.

“It’s a record no one wants to see broken,” says Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, a national nonprofit child safety organization working to prevent injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles. Since the group began tracking data and working on the issue in 1998, more than 500 children have died in these preventable tragedies.

A child’s body temperature climbs three to five times faster than an adult’s, especially in a hot car. In less than 30 minutes, the temperature inside a car can increase 35 degrees. An infant can die in as little as 15 minutes even on a mild 75-degree day.

Unfortunately, even the most conscientious parents can overlook a sleeping baby in a car. “The biggest mistake people make is to think ‘It couldn’t happen to me,’” Fennell said. “Memory experts point out that if you’ve ever forgotten a pot left burning on the stove, you’ve seen how easy it is to have a dangerous memory lapse.”

To prevent vehicular heat stroke deaths, KidsAndCars.org recommends learning the following safety tips. You could also tape them to the dashboard.

Back seat – Put something in the back seat so you have to open the door when leaving the vehicle – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.

Stuffed animal – Move it from the car seat to the front seat to remind you when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you within 10 minutes if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park your vehicle open the back door to make sure no one has been left behind.

KidsAndCars.org also urges security personnel, parking lot attendants and the public to watch for children alone in a vehicle. If the child seems hot or sick, they should get them out as quickly as possible.

About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is a national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles. KidsAndCars.org was the first to focus on preventing heat stroke deaths of children being inadvertently left in a vehicle. The organization is also the only one working full-time to educate parents, caregivers and the general public about additional nontraffic vehicle-related dangers to children, including backover and frontover accidents. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy changes and survivor advocacy.

A Rose by Any Other Spelling...Is Not a Rose

2011-05-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

It's something of a curse to care about correct spelling and word usage. It's like the proverbial fingernails on the blackboard to see words misused...especially by those with college degrees. I once received an email note from a woman with a Ph.D. after her name that said, "Your welcome."

The explosion of social media has only made matters worse. Writing in a hurry seems to be an excuse for carelessness. Remember when Sarah Palin's use of "refudiate" on Twitter caused a stir? Then she claimed to be in a league with Shakespeare, who actually did know how to use -- and expand -- the English language.

You may be writing in a hurry, but readers will peruse your words at their leisure. If they see a typo or misspelling, it could lower their opinion of you by a notch or two. Then, instead of enhancing your credibility as you'd hoped, your expertise may actually be called into question.

Following are some of the words and phrases I've seen misused recently in social media, print publications and in books (with the wrong usage in parentheses):

"principal concern" (not "principle")
"go its own way" (not "it's")
"a tenet of belief" (not "tenant")
"taking some flak" (not "flack")
"led" (past tense of "lead")
"whose idea" (not "who's)
"impostor" (not "imposter")
"all right" ("alright" is never correct)
"fireplace mantel" (not "mantle")
"rite of passage" (not "right")
"someone with flair" (not "flare")
"real trouper" (not "trooper")
"had a big effect" (not "affect")
"straitjacket" (not "straightjacket")
"The Smiths" (not "Smith's)

My biggest pet peeve, though, is seeing "everyday" used when it should be "every day." Nearly "every day" (two words) I see an example of major companies misusing the word(s). When you mean "every single day," it's two words. When you mean "ordinary," it's one word, as in:

"She wears her everyday clothes almost every day."

The good thing is that companies still need to hire professional writers like me to edit and proof their writing. After all, a rose by any other spelling ("rows"?) could be misunderstood.

Presenting the Book, ‘Tour Guide to Missouri's Civil War’

2011-02-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Through my grandmother Elizabeth Vandiver Selby, my family has a link to Missouri's history. Her ancestor Willard Vandiver was the Missouri senator who in 1899 said, “I'm from Missouri. You have got to show me.” In his honor my grandmother named two of her three sons Willard and Vandiver. The third son was my dad, Forrest Selby.

Both of my parents' families had been rooted in Fulton, Mo., since before 1850. The town is in Calloway County, which became known as the Kingdom of Callaway in the Civil War because of its Southern-leaning sympathies.

With these strong ties to Missouri's history, I'm relishing the opportunity to publicize a new book about the state's pivotal role in the Civil War. It's a fascinating look into our past and the rivalries that are still with us today.

Here's the news release I wrote for St. Louis writer Gregory Wolk:

‘A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War’

Offers Driving Tours of Battles, Historic Sites

St. Louis ... In the recently released “A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War,” St. Louis lawyer and first-time author Gregory Wolk offers “the first comprehensive sesquicentennial driver’s guide to Civil War battlefields and sites in Missouri.” Wolk has studied the Civil War for 30 years, and is president of Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation Inc., founded in 2001 to educate people in Missouri and neighboring states about the state’s pivotal role in the war.

To commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the start of the Civil War on April 12, 186l, the book highlights more than 230 sites and scores of little-known historical facts. Few are aware, for example, that Missouri witnessed more battles than any other state except Virginia and Tennessee. “Almost half of the battles fought in 1861 occurred in Missouri,” the author notes.

The book’s 272 pages include nearly 400 black-and-white illustrations and 19 maps. Easy-to-follow directions are provided for five tour loops, each requiring about two days:

Loop One – St. Louis and Southeast Missouri: City and Swamps

Loop Two – North Central Missouri: Sick of Killing

Loop Three South Central Missouri: A Knight to Remember

Loop Four – Region of Kansas City: Roots of Rebellion

Loop Five – Southwest Missouri: Ozarks Battlegrounds

Subtitled “Friend and Foe Alike,” the book details the state’s split loyalties. “Brother was sometimes pitted against brother, ” Wolk said. “One farm would be Confederate…and another farm up the road would be Union.” Historical vignettes throughout the book describe the wartime roles played by notables including Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. Sherman for the North and Gen. Joseph O. Shelby for the South, plus William Quantrill, Mark Twain, George Caleb Bingham, “Wild Bill” Hickok, Belle Starr and Jesse James.

The tour guide is the product of Wolk’s years of traveling the state’s highways and byways to visit Civil War sites and promote Civil War preservation and tourism. “A useful guide resource for the armchair historian, Wolk’s volume is an even more significant tool for those who enjoy venturing out to the locations where history was made,” wrote Thomas F. Curran, Ph.D., author of “Soldiers of Peace: Civil War Pacifism and the Postwar Radical Peace Movement.”

In the foreword Stuart Symington Jr., whose family has a rich heritage in the Show-Me State, points out that the Civil War affected Missourians “in more ways, for a longer period of time, and more profoundly than it affected the people of any other state in the union.”

Published by Monograph Publishing LLC in Eureka, Mo., “A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War” may be ordered for $29.95 in softcover through the website, wwwcivilwartourguide.com, or through Amazon.com by searching “books” for ISBN 0979948266).

Turning the Page on a Year in Books: 2010

2010-12-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's been another great year in books. In varying degrees, they were entertaining, educational or enlightening. Often all three.

I also joined another book club at midyear, bringing my total to three:
Central Exchange (Overland Park, Kan.)
Fairway Book Club (Fairway, Kan., neighborhood group)
BlueStockings (Kansas City, Mo.)

Book group membership encourages you to read a much wider range of books. Plus, it's fun to discuss books with friends who provide insights you haven't considered.

Here's my list of books read in 2010.

Classics (read or reread):
Austen, Jane – Pride and Prejudice
Capote, Truman – A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, The Thanksgiving Visitor
Carlton, Jetta – The Moonflower Vine
Franklin, Benjamin – Autobiography
Golding, William – Lord of the Flies
Lagerlof, Selma – Gosta Berling's Saga
Sinclair, Upton – The Jungle
Silverstein, Shel – The Giving Tree
West, Dorothy – The Wedding

Philosophical and Life Lessons:
Alford, Henry – How to Live
Cathcart, Thomas and Daniel Klein – Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates
Dosa, David M.D. – Making the Round With Oscar (cat helping Alzheimer's patients)
Kick, Russ (editor) – Everything You Know About God Is Wrong
Rubin, Gretchen – The Happiness Project
Ulin, David L. – The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time
Welch, Suzy – 10-10-10 (on decision making)

Autobiographies:
Alda, Alan – Things I Overhead While Talking to Myself
Brown, Helen – Cleo, "the cat who mended a family"
Heimke, Betsy Herold – Bring Cup, Plate and Spoon (Japanese prisoner of war as child)

Novels:
Barbery, Muriel – The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Bauermeister, Erica – The School of Special Ingredients
Durant Sarah – In the Company of the Courtesan
Horan, Nancy – Loving Frank (about Frank Lloyd Wright)
Larsson, Gtieg – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Maguire, Gregory – Mirror, Mirror
McCann, Colum – Let the Great World Spin
Robinson, Marilynne – Housekeeping
Rowling, J.K. – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Selznick, Brian – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Shapiro, Dani – Black & White
Simonson, Helen – Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Nonfiction:
Dawkins, Richard – The Greatest Show on Earth
Farley, David – An Irreverent Curiosity
Fogarty, Mignon – The Grammar Devotional
Gladwell, Malcolm – Outliers
Gosling, Sam – What Your Stuff Says About You
Gregory, Leland – Stupid American History
Jonnes, Jill – Eiffel's Tower
Restak, Richard – The Secret Life of the Brain
Rosenberg, Scott – Say Everything (on blogging)

Newspapers and magazines are essential too, including The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Business Journal, Newsweek, Smithsonian and The Saturday Evening Post.

I think it's important to read news on the printed page instead of online. Seeing the placement of stories on the page gives context, so you can see that the vote on "don't ask, don't tell," for example, is more important than Paris Hilton's latest antics. Online, celebrity gossip and (often intentionally) misleading or mistaken information is impossible to avoid. We still need editors to check the facts, as I was taught in the University of Missouri's journalism school.

I'm looking forward to another year of reading in 2011!

Honoring Pearl Harbor Survivors on the 69th Anniversary

2010-12-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Dec. 7, 2010, marked the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I spent over a week working on publicity for our local survivors. Our Mission, Kan., event went well, with 200 people, including 60 middle school kids, attending.

I got to read my commemorative poem for #HonorFlight and introduce four survivors to tell their stories: Ed Russell and Jack Carson (both Army Air Corps) and Jess Dunnagan and Loyal George (both Navy). All the TV stations were there. Two other survivors also attended: Manfred Olson, 97, and Jim Baker (both Navy).

A story about my adopted Uncle Dorwin Lamkin (Navy) ran on the front page of The Star today: http://tinyurl.com/252aoxx. He was invited by the Dept. of the Navy to return to Pearl Harbor for commemorative ceremonies.

Also got him interviewed by a TV station in Honolulu: http://tinyurl.com/2a9ggg6. (Click on video screen on right side of page.) This report ran in Hawaii and on our NBC affiliate, KSHB-TV here.

This year at our event we had on display a metal relic from the USS Arizona, the ship that was bombed and sank at #PearlHarbor with a loss of 1,177 crewmen. Eventually the relic will be permanently encased in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Park in Mission, Kan.

On Dec. 8 there will be another Pearl Harbor event in Kansas City, with the addition of Pearl Harbor survivor, Wilbur Wright, 92, attending from Fairfax, Mo. I was his guardian on the Honor Flight in September 2009, and he insisted that I be there. So I have to go!

It is such a privilege to help these veterans get the recognition and appreciation they so deserve.

Great News! Layne Christensen Helps in Chilean Miner Rescue

2010-10-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is what I love about public relations! On Saturday, Oct. 9, I received the call I'd been waiting for. The CEO of Layne Christensen, my client of 18 years, called to inform me that the company's drillers had been successful in reaching the 33 miners in Chile, setting the stage for their dramatic rescue a few days later.

He authorized me to start our PR effort, so that night I wrote a news release describing the team effort of Layne Christensen and its Latin American affiliate Geotec Boyles Bros. in successfully drilling the rescue shaft.

We distributed the release internationally through Globe Newswire at noon Sunday, Oct. 10, starting an onslaught of calls and e-mails from media around the world. We heard from news outlets in Singapore, Paris, Canada, the BBC in London and Radio New Zealand. Calls also came from CNN, Fox News, Bloomberg, MSNBC, the Washington Times, and broadcast outlets and newspapers in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Kansas City and Denver.

We had to turn down Larry King and Al Roker because of scheduling conflicts, but did arrange interviews on Fox News Network, Anderson Cooper on CNN and many others. One of the drillers, Jeff Hart, almost became a household name.

The CEO, drillers and other team members even accepted an invitation to the White House, receiving official recognition on Oct. 28 from President Obama.

The definition of PR I've always liked is: "Doing good things and then telling people about them." That was certainly true in this case. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share good news with a global audience numbering in the hundreds of millions. I've loved every minute of it!

Here's the news release that launched our PR campaign:

Layne Christensen Drillers Reach Trapped Miners in Chile

It’s a Joint Effort of Layne Christensen and Latin American Affiliate Geotec

MISSION WOODS, Kan., Oct. 10, 2010 – “Plan B” worked. Winning the three-way race to reach the 33 miners trapped in Chile since Aug. 5, drillers from Kansas City-based Layne Christensen Co. broke through at 8 a.m. Saturday.

“This success required the extra special knowledge and skills only our team could provide,” said Dave Singleton, water resource division president for Layne Christensen.

About two weeks after the collapse, Layne’s Latin American affiliate Geotec Boyles Bros. brought in a Schramm T130 tophead drill. Layne also sent in two drillers, Jeff Hart and Matt Staffel, who had been drilling water wells in Afghanistan to support U.S. troops stationed there. Assisting the drillers were two Spanish-speaking drilling helpers, Doug Reeves and Jorgé Herrera, from Layne’s western region in the U.S.

Working as a team, Layne and Geotec drilled a 5-inch hole nearly 2,300 feet, reamed it to 12 inches and finally to 28 inches in diameter – large enough to accommodate the “Phoenix” rescue capsule. A cheer went up as families and rescue workers joined in a celebration when the drill broke through. “I’m on top of the world,” Hart told a TV reporter.

It took the drillers 33 days to reach the 33 miners. “Had Layne and Geotec not been there, it probably would have taken until Christmas for ‘Plan A‘ or ‘Plan C‘ to break through,” Singleton noted. “We cut more than two months from the original estimate.”

“It’s a first for our company to be involved in a rescue effort like this,” added President and CEO Andrew B. Schmitt. “It’s also noteworthy that we’re celebrating our 15th anniversary with our Latin American affiliates,” he said. In 1995 Layne merged with Christensen Boyles Corp. and became the joint-venture partner with the Boytec group of companies in Latin America.

Now in its third century of operations, Layne started in 1882 as a water-well drilling company in the Badlands of South Dakota. Headquartered in Mission Woods, Kan., a Kansas City suburb, the Nasdaq-traded company operates worldwide, providing products and services for the water, mineral, construction and energy markets.

Using PR to Promote Book by Former K-State President

2010-09-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Once again public relations is proving to be an effective communications and sales tool, in this case to promote the book written by a former president of Kansas State University.

In the years since I studied journalism at K-State (and later at the University of Missouri), the avenues for spreading the word have expanded. Here's how the distribution has changed:
1970s – Mailed releases.
1980s – Mailed or faxed releases.
1990s – Mailed, faxed and started e-mailing releases.
2000s – E-mail releases. Post them on websites. Use online distribution services, especially for public companies and international distribution. Use blogs and social media for additional distribution and to create "buzz."

Some things haven't changed, though. The media still want news releases written in Associated Press news style that cover the “who, what, where, when, why and how." And you still have to have a timely story or news angle.

Here's the release for Duane Acker's book about K-State, available in hardcover, softcover and e-book versions at www.iuniverse.com/bookstore:

K-State President, 1975-86, Recounts Stories in New Book

MANHATTAN, KAN. ... In his just-released book Duane Acker, Kansas State University president from 1975-86, offers a behind-the-scenes look into happenings during his tenure, recounting many stories that are still relevant today. Because events often came in pairs, he titled the book “Two at a Time.”

The book offers candid descriptions of the inner workings of a major university, ranging from the humorous – when margarine was served at a dairy luncheon – to the more serious, such as athletics finances, academic freedom and student concerns. As recounted in an article in the Fall 2010 issue of The K-Stater alumni magazine, he also revisits his handling of disruptive protesters at a guest lecture in McCain Auditorium.

“The book is an honest and straightforward look at the unique challenges of a major land-grant university,” notes William H. Johnson, who was director of the Engineering Experiment Station in the College of Engineering during the 1980s. "While Acker cites his successes, he also does not avoid discussing mistakes he made."

“Athletics consumed much of Acker’s energy as he went against the common view of the conduct of department management,” said Elizabeth Unger, then associate faculty representative to the NCAA and still a K-State faculty member today. “It was difficult but paid large dividends for both men’s and women’s athletics.”

“Acker’s recollections are narrated with candor and humor, offering descriptions of dealings with students, staff, alumni and policymakers, recalling his personal experiences with budgets, athletics and the Nichols Hall renovation,” said Richard Reinhardt, a K-State graduate and farmer near Erie, Kan., who was on the Kansas Board of Regents during Acker’s presidency.

Acker also shares his and his wife Shirley’s apprehensions and satisfactions at the end of 11 years in the presidency, and their experiences after leaving K-State.

The book will be of interest to those involved then or now with K-State or other universities in the state, as well as to current and aspiring academic leaders. “Two at a Time” is available from the publisher, iUniverse, www.iuniverse.com/bookstore, in hardcover, $31.95: softcover, $21.95; and e-book, $9.99.

"If it were my own money, would I spend it on this project?"

2010-08-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

For years I have asked myself this question before making a recommendation to a client. In fact, I included it in a brochure to promote my newly founded business in 1992.

Why ask it? Because if you don't, you risk recommending projects that will make money for you, but won't get results for your client.

Here are some examples from my experience:
Feature Articles – Sometimes a client or prospect desperately wants positive feature coverage, but doesn't have a story angle the media would be interested in. It's my job to let them know – and then think creatively to find an angle I can successfully "pitch" to an editor.
Brochures – My graphic designer associate and I once talked a client out of doing a brochure, and recommended direct mail pieces instead. We probably would have profited more from a brochure, but it wouldn't have worked as well in selling the company's services.
Special events – A major oil company wanted to do a bike race across the country. I pointed out that it made no sense from a PR standpoint to promote a mode of transportation that didn't use their product...gasoline. We developed a different proposal that was more effective as well as less expensive.

By now I have enough experience to have confidence in whether an idea will work. If I don't think it will, I tell the client that "If it were my money, I wouldn't spend it this way." That gets their attention. I used this criterion just last week with a client as we discussed his advertising budget. He appreciated the alternative recommendations we came up with.

In the long run, this is also the best approach for my business's success. When clients get results from my PR efforts, they come back for more!

What Family-owned Businesspeople Learned from Dad and Mom

2010-07-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

After I posed a question on The Family Owned Business Network, a LinkedIn discussion group, I found the responses both heartwarming and enlightening.

I started by recounting advice from my own parents:
My dad always said, "In college, learn how to DO something." As an International Harvester farm implement dealer, he was frustrated by college grads with a degree in anthropology or world history who applied for a job. "But what can you DO?" my dad would ask them. I followed his advice and got a journalism degree. I still use what I learned every day.

My mom's advice was, "Don't leave things to the last minute." She said that if she didn't have her Christmas shopping done by October 1, it made her nervous! So from her I learned to organize and meet deadlines. I went through four colleges in 3 years, and graduated early. I'm so glad I did because if I'd graduated when I was supposed to, my dad wouldn't have lived to see it...

Here are excepts of what the responders have said:
Sherman Titens – Do what you will be happy doing, and
try to make a difference.
Teresa Mason – Have fun doing what you do, always conduct yourself with integrity, nurture and respect those who work for you.
Tom Deans, Ph.D. – My father taught me to never confuse my love of "business" with my love of "his business." Not gifting his business to me paradoxically proved to be his greatest gift.
Paul Andrews – Have a passion and belief in what you do, do it to the best of your ability, and be honest with yourself so you can make the best decision for the business.
Danette Kohrs – Gain the strength to never quit. Learn skills in flexibility and problem solving.
Raj Bhattarai – Be in business not for myself, but for others. Always think of others' problems and prosperity.
Rick Thomas – Work hard, be honest and always keep your word.The only way to get ahead in the world is to earn what you get.
Gary Brown – Duty, honor, country, family and only in God do you trust.
Bob Bennett – Subscribe to Benjamin Franklin's adage "early to bed and early to rise." Also, "the words never spoken are never eaten."
Nancy McAuley – Work hard and give to help others. Live by the golden rule.
Lori J. Baker – All my parents' hard work and long hours paid off, and were a good lesson for the kids - my two sisters and I are all business owners too!
Stephen Ford – Running a business takes commitment. Business problems aren't family problems - keep them separate.
Theresa A. Henderson – Write down that idea. Listen, because others ideas can be better than yours. Being honest will carry you a long ways. Do good deeds, go that little extra mile, and when asked how it can be repaid, tell them to pass it on.
Martin Stepek – Letting good people learn from their mistakes usually gets you loyalty and quality in return, two attributes most family businesses feel strongly about.
Norman Craig – If you give your best effort in everything you do, you will be rewarded in life. Treat people with dignity, integrity, trust and respect.
Jeff Noble – The harder you work, the luckier you will be. Luck is really when preparation meets opportunity.
Bruce Clinton – Personal goals are real and should be recognized as so. Don't burn bridges because of pride.

The advice may vary, but what everyone agrees on is that we're glad we learned valuable lessons from our parents. Collectively, we say: "Thanks, Dad!" "Thanks, Mom!"

A Time to Honor our Veterans

2010-05-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

Originally called Decoration Day, a date set aside for decorating the graves of Civil War dead, Memorial Day is now a time to honor all of America's war dead. This year the day again started early with a ceremony of the Marine Corps League at Mount Moriah cemetery in Kansas City, Mo.

It was a perfect setting for honoring those lost in two centuries of wars, including the Korean Conflict, often called “the forgotten war.” Participating in the wreath placement were Scott and Candy Wasser, Gold Star parents of Lance Cpl. Christopher Wasser, killed in action in 2004 in Iraq.

On June 3 I will be a guardian on my second Honor Flight, assisting three World War II veterans during a one-day trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Vietnam, Korean and Iwo Jima memorials. It is an honor indeed to escort these notable veterans, a Marine and two Army veterans.

10 Tips for Getting the Most Benefits From Association Meetings

2010-04-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

Associations have been very, very good to me. Here are just a few of the benefits I have gained:
• I learned about a job opening at Hallmark during an industrial editors association meeting. The job lasted 11 years. I learned a lot, and made lifelong friends.
• Soon after joining The Central Exchange, I got a lead to the Kansas City Direct Marketing Association, which became a long-time client. That in turn has led to many other clients, including Country Club Bank.
• Even more life-changing, I met my husband Larry while attending a luncheon of the Electric Association.

Getting the full benefit from associations, though, requires more than just attending the occasional meeting. You need a strategy. Here are 10 tips I recommend:
1. Join a few organizations and attend as many of their meetings as you can. It's an investment that will pay off in new contacts and potential clients.
2. Dress in business attire that will make a good impression. Even on "casual Friday" it's not advisable to look like you're planning to clean the garage.
3. Arrive early enough to network. Ask for the other person's card and for permission to send them a LinkedIn or Facebook invitation. When the conversation wanes, simply suggest that you both go mingle some more.
4. On your nametag, write your first name in big, clear letters and your last name somewhat smaller. Most professional networkers recommend wearing your nametag on the right side, making it easier to glance up and read it while shaking your hand.
5. When giving your name, pause a half a best between your first and last name, to give it a chance to sink in. Also have your "elevator speech" ready. When asked what I do, I say, "I make companies famous in a positive way...through the media." Often people will respond, "Oh, public relations!"
6. Sit with people you don't already know. I'm always amazed at coworkers who spend the whole time together, and barely talk to anyone else.
7. While listening to the speaker, think of an intelligent question you can ask. It makes you more visible, and the speaker will appreciate having at least one question to answer.
8. Before you leave, make it a point to introduce yourself to one more person. Often that individual will turn out to be the best contact you've made. For example, Larry Pepperdine was the last person I met at that Electric Association luncheon. The rest is history.
9. Soon after the meeting, follow up with the new contacts you've made.
10. Volunteer for a committee at some point. That's the best way to build relationships with the top people in the organization. And if you become a board member, it will look good on your resume and your LinkedIn profile.

When you attend association meetings strategically, you can gain many benefits. Jobs. Clients. Referrals. Industry knowledge. Friends. Possibly even your future spouse!

What's in a Name? What if you change it?

2010-03-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Your name is your brand, so what happens when you change it? This can be an important issue, especially for women, who may change their last names through marriage or divorce one or more times during their careers.

When corporations change their brand names, they often spend millions on TV advertising and direct mail to re-educate customers. Women certainly can't afford that, but can use less expensive methods. About 10 years ago I created a mailing for two female principals of a consulting firm who needed to notify clients and prospects that they had changed their names, one by marriage and one by divorce.

Recently I suggested to Diane Stafford that she write a column about this issue. Her article, focusing on my experience, appears in the March 28, 2010, Kansas City Star. Read it at http://tinyurl.com/yj2wxy4

In my own career I have changed my last name twice. I started with my first married name, Suzy Brown, while I was at Hallmark, Barkley & Evergreen and my first year at Kansas City Power & Light. Then I got divorced and decided to return to my maiden name, Selby, thinking I would keep it forever. Adding to the confusion, I also started going by Susan because it sounds more professional than Suzy Selby.

But less than three years later, I remarried and changed to Pepperdine. Larry thought it was important that we have the same name, though his three children were grown by then. I told him it was easy for him to say. Unlike me, he didn't have to change his name on 66 records, ranging from credit cards to my driver's license.

Working with the media created another problem since they couldn't recognize me over the phone. When I called a TV station, for example, I’d have to say, “This is Susan Pepperdine. You might remember me as Susan Selby or Suzy Brown...” before I could pitch my story idea.

Some women also have a problem when job hunting. One associate said she thinks she once lost out on a job once because she forgot to tell the prospective employer she had changed her name when she got married. So when they called her previous employer for a reference, the company had no idea who they were asking about. "I learned my lesson," she said, and edited her LinkedIn profile to include her maiden name.

I did the same thing. So if anyone is looking for the Suzy Brown they knew at Hallmark, they'll have a better chance of finding me.

Have you changed your name in the course of your career? What impact has it had on your "brand identity"?

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Snow Poem

2010-02-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

This year I have had lots of opportunities to recite the snow poem. It's a tradition in my family that goes back to my mother (Virginia) and her father, a bakery owner in Fulton, Mo.

We're now into the fifth generation with the poem, which my sister Dayle and I long ago turned into a game. When we see the first snow flake, we rush to be the first to call the other one. Each winter we usually come out about even.

Of course, I have also shared the poem with coworkers, and still have friends from Hallmark, Kansas City Power & Light plus many clients who know me for the snow poem. Some even help by alerting me when they see snow so I can call my sister.

Here's how the poem goes:

“Oh, the snow, the beautiful snow, can do no wrong.
Over the housetops and into the streets,
And into the faces of people it meets.
The beautiful snow can do no wrong.”

My dad always said it was obvious the poem was written before cars. About 20 years ago I discovered he was right. (Pop was always right!) I found the poem, with about a dozen more verses, in a poetry anthology. The poet was Joseph Warren Watson, who died at age 23 of consumption in 1872.

What fun family traditions do you have? Do any of them carry over into your workplace?

Happy 100, Hallmark

2010-01-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

Working at Hallmark Cards was one of the best things I ever did. I gained lifelong friends along with great experience...and even the opportunity to meet actor Richard Chamberlain when he toured Hallmark while promoting "Hamlet” for the Hallmark Hall of Fame.

I knew 2010 was the century-mark for the company. So when I saw the articles in The Kansas City Star on the actual anniversary, Jan. 10, I decided to write a letter-to-the-editor. It is in the Jan. 20, 2010, edition:

Happy 100, Hallmark

Happy 100th anniversary, Hallmark! When I was growing up in Quincy, Ill., my mother “cared enough” to buy only Hallmark cards, and so did I except for the occasions when I created my own “Smallmark” cards. So I guess it was fate that soon after college I would welcome the opportunity to work at Hallmark.

I often thought what a privilege it was to work for a company that promoted love and caring — something the world definitely needs. When I moved on after 11 years in public relations, sales promotion and Crown Center advertising, I wrote a thank-you letter to then-president Don Hall and received a gracious response.

Now, once again, I say, “Thank you, Hallmark.” Because of Hallmark Cards, current and former Hallmarkers are better people. Kansas City is a more livable city.” And the world is a better place.

I hope success is always “in the cards.”

I have heard from one of my Hallmark friends, Carol Gibson, that she loved the letter so much she posted it on the retiree Web site.

Have you written a thank-you note lately? It will brighten someone's day. As “60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney has said: "I've learned that just one person saying to me,‘You've made my day!’ makes my day.”

Besides, it's good PR!

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

Do you have trouble keeping your resolutions? Part of the problem may be that you're not specific enough. For example, I recall one friend who vowed to "be a nicer person." How would she know if she succeeded?

Resolutions need to be measurable to be effective. This is the "continuous improvement" performance-management method, though I didn't learn that was the name for it till I worked for Thomas J. Stevenin, Ph.D., at a Kansas City marketing firm.

Continuous improvement really works. In January I will celebrate the 25th anniversary of keeping my 1985 New Year's resolution: to go to one Jazzercise class to see if I liked it. A couple of years later I resolved to go one more day a week. I now average four times a week and have been to more than 3,950 classes... so far. Other resolutions I've kept:
• Go through and organize every drawer and closet. (Every year.)
• Stop putting sugar in tea and coffee – a small, healthy thing to do. (Early '80s)
• Take off one afternoon a week to watch a movie with my sister and/or a long-time friend. (Since 2005.) Resolutions can be fun to keep!

A new resolution this year is to read (or reread) one classic a month and take notes on the plot. I've been writing notes on books since about 1998, another resolution. Books will include "Pride and Prejudice" (which I've already started), "The Cloister and the Hearth" and "Les Miserables."

What is your resolution for 2010? How will you measure your success?

Dec. 7 Event to Honor Pearl Harbor Survivors

2009-12-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here's the information about the Dec. 7 event to commemorate Pearl Harbor and honor the survivors:

PEARL HARBOR SURVIVORS CHAPTER
TO HOLD 68TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT

MISSION, KAN. ... The Kansas City Metro Chapter III of the national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association will commemorate the 68th anniversary of the attack with a reception from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, at Sylvester Powell Jr. Community Center, 6200 Martway in Mission, Kan. A moment of silence will be observed at 11:55 a.m., the time the bombing began.

The event is free and the public is invited. Refreshments will be provided. The reception will include a brief history presentation, introduction of survivors and displays about the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor that led to U.S. involvement in World War II.
#

Four survivors are expected to attend: Dorwin Lamkin, Ed "Russ" Russell, Jess Dunnagan and Jack Carson.

Over 50? Good Luck Getting Insurance

2009-11-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

That's the headline for the letter-to-the-editor I wrote, which appears in the Nov. 27, 2009, edition of The Kansas City Star.

Here's the full text:

Over 50? Good luck getting insurance

For those 50 to 65, it’s difficult to get an individual health insurance policy at any price. Recently I discussed the problem with my cousin, a doctor who is director of research studying heart disease and diabetes for Kaiser Permanente, one of the country’s largest insurance companies.

In frustration I asked, “How does anyone over 50 get insurance, since most have pre-existing conditions?” His response: “Most don’t. What we have is a system of care that is not a system and doesn’t care.” That says it all.

It used to be said that banks would lend money only to people who could prove they didn’t need it. Now we have insurance companies that will provide health insurance only to those who can prove they don’t need it.

Susan Pepperdine
Fairway

My premiums went up 14 percent in 2008 and 15 percent in 2009. I went back to $5,000 deductible to keep my premiums more reasonable, but health insurance is still my biggest business expense.

What has your experience been with obtaining coverage?

What Are Your Favorite Books of All Time?

2009-11-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Is there a book that has changed your life? One that you couldn't put down?

It's hard to pick just one! I love the classics, including "Les Miserables" (Victor Hugo), "The Cloister and the Hearth" (Charles Reade) and "Don Quixote" (Miguel de Cervantes). Recent favorites include "The Help" (Kathryn Stockett) and "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" (Mary Ann Shaffer).

Here's a letter I sent to the Mizzou Alumni Association magazine, published in the current Winter 2010 issue:

Twenty years ago the Missouri Alumnus magazine (spring 1989) published a Sesquicentennial Sampler of 150 “good reads.” I saved it, and have recommended many of the titles to my book groups, including "Blackberry Winter" by Margaret Mead and "The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman.

My unexpected favorite was "Kristin Lavransdatter" by Sigrid Unset, a Norwegian who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1928. I shared it with my "adopted" uncle, a Pearl Harbor survivor of Norwegian background. He loved the trilogy and said it taught him a lot about his heritage. I loved it, too, and wondered why I had never heard about this woman Nobelist in high school or college.

Thank you for a great reading list that extended beyond the usual "dead white men."

Susan Pepperdine (then Suzy Brown), BJ '69

What are your favorite books of all time?

Is the Business Handshake too Risky This Flu Season?

2009-10-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Remember the "Seinfeld" episode in which the failure to shake hands ruined a business deal? When Elaine's boss, the publisher Mr. Lippman, sneezes and doesn't have his handkerchief, he avoids shaking hands with a Japanese businessman. Though he only wants to avoid spreading germs, the Japanese executive thinks he's being rude and quashes a deal, putting Pendant Publishing out of business.

So the question is: With both the seasonal flu and H1N1 virus causing illness and death this year, should you avoid shaking hands in business situations?

The latest word from Miss Manners (Oct. 18, 2009, Washington Post column) is to make sure you have a clean handkerchief with you every day, and keep it where you can get to it quickly. She recommends that as a better solution than the "sleeve sneeze" some have advocated. I agree. I really don't like the thought of sneezing into the sleeve of a silk shirt or dress. Yuck!

A nationally known surgeon, Dr. Vicki Rackner (www.drvicki.org) of Washington state, recommends just saying “Nice to meet you,” and then not offering your hand.

Both the etiquette and medical expert think it's a good idea to carry hand cleaner and use it discreetly. Dr. Rackner also recommends washing your hands frequently using a NON-antibacterial soap. (Overuse of antibacterial cleaners can lead to deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA.)

In my own experience, there have been occasions when someone has shied away from shaking hands, usually after saying they have a cold and might be contagious. Any momentary awkwardness quickly passes.

What do you think? Are you less willing to shake hands this flu season than in past years?