Madonna building a school for another country

Often, people from countries other than the U.S. return to their own country to help it, why don’t some of the American celebrity superstars do the same? Madonna went to Malawi this week to break ground on a new school she is building for girls. Here is a quote from Reuters:

"I realized how much they deserve to be educated and so for me the best thing I could do was to build a school, a unique school that will create future female leaders, scientists, lawyers, doctors and if this school is successful it will be used as a model to replicate it in other countries," she said.

Hmmm. I completely understand that other countries do not always have what we take for granted here in the United States. I get it, but I also know we have a lot that needs to be accomplished here in our own country – Madonna’s country. Could she, perhaps, update all of the computers in a school district? Why not help out a spouse of an enlisted soldier who has to feed her family with food stamps at the same time her husband is deployed? Then there are all of the unemployed Americans living in cars in the same affluent neighborhoods in which they once owned a house.

You see, I have a problem with giving $15 million to build a school – to build just about anything – in someone else’s country when we need so much here. I rarely hear about citizens and residents of other countries doing the same for our citizens. I mean how many Malawian celebrities have built schools in the United States? It would be a ridiculous idea when their own country needs help, too.

Just like Madonna’s country. I'm just sayin'.

Murderer's book in the victim's library

This comes from the "What Is She Thinking?" file. The head librarian in Cheshire, CT, had a dilemma. Should she buy the book written by one of the alleged murderers of the Petit family (who were murdered at their residence in Cheshire), or should she ban the book from the library?

Well, "ban" is a strong word, but couldn't she have had some integrity and simply not purchased the book? I published a novel in 2002. I had a few thousands readers who simply loved the book and got it into many libraries, including Connecticut libraries. While I do not have the resources to look up every copy in every library in Connecticut, I can easily guarantee that not every library in Connecticut chose to buy the book. I guarantee it.

A woman and her two daughters were murdered in the same town whose library would hold the book. Does their husband and father really need to know that his town bought the book illustrating the entire heinous crime? Does the librarian really feel the need to buy the book so that those who are interested in reading all the sordid details can be appeased or would it be acceptable for her to simply refrain from buying the book?

Integrity in the face of adversity is a beautiful thing. This library really should try it in this instance.

I need your votes!

I am applying for a six-month contract as Sam-E’s Good Mood Blogger. Please go to the button in the side column and vote for me before October 23rd. Tell all your friends!

This contract would allow me six months of time to work on my next novel as well as a chance to blog for a company I have patronized for several years now. So tell everyone you know, through email, social networks, standing on the street corner with a sandwich board … any way you want! I need your votes to become the next Good Mood Blogger.

Thank you in advance for spreading the word.

Rosemary

Adding To Your Services

A few weeks ago, a client asked me to create a PowerPoint Presentation. While we discussed what he wanted to include, he made a comment about my voice. He wanted a voiceover for his presentation and said my voice sounded very nice on the phone. Could I record the voiceover for him? Was that too difficult to add to my services, he asked?

“Well, no, Bob, it is not too difficult,” I began. My former career was as a musical theater actor. With my formal vocal training, I was the perfect candidate. I ended up writing the script before recording it, and now I am simply attaching the audio to the presentation. When it is finished, my client will end up getting a great product for a serious bargain. You see because these skills were things I already knew how to do and do well, I was able to offer them to the client at a serious deal. Since there were fewer contractors involved, fewer steps saved a lot of time - and money.

I have spoken about diversifying your writing business before, but have you tried it? Think about the skills you have in your own repertoire. They do not have to be writing skills. Maybe you have a special interest or talent. Can you offer that expertise to a specific market? For example, were you raised on a horse farm or are you restoring a vintage car? Maybe you can write for an auto association or for a magazine devoted to showing horses.

Make a list of all of the things you like to do -or did - in a previous career. In this economic climate, many unemployed workers are reinventing themselves. Why not be one of them? Add to the services you provide as a writer. It never hurts to offer a benefit to your clients while enjoying your day just a little bit more.