E-John Hancocks

Just a quick reminder:

Most new jobs come with new e-mail addresses, and with new e-mail addresses comes a world of possibilities. Do I forward? Do I have it all sent to my blackberry? Who do I give this new e-mail address to? What is my signature going to be?

As for that last one - I overheard someone in the office discussing a coworker's e-mail signature (you know, that thing at the end of your e-mail that has your name, title, digits) because said colleague was not careful when he created the signature. It turned out that the executive was sending out countless e-mails as head or executive or manager or director of broadcating.

Check it twice!

How Sharp Are Your Eyes?

Sometimes typos are trivial. Sometimes the implications of grammar errors can be huge (as in the case of the child molester I posted yesterday). Sometimes, however, they are just plain funny. See if you can spot the seemingly harmless typo that COMPLETELY changes the meaning of the sentence in the following press release. See, typos can be damaging! I received the press release this morning:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 10, 2008

RADIO'S COUNTRY CARES FOR ST. JUDE KIDS
TO BE HONORED WITH SERVICE TO AMERICA AWARD

-- Alabama lead singer to accept award --
WASHINGTON, DC – Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, one of the most successful radio fund-raising events in America, will be honored for their pubic service efforts at the 10th annual NAB Education Foundation's Celebration of Service to America Awards. Alabama lead singer, Randy Owen, will accept the award at the celebration held Monday, June 9, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

"Each year, the Samaritan Award is given to a broadcaster or organization that exemplifies the industry's commitment to serving the public interest through the airwaves," said NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr. "Country Cares is a program that truly embodies the spirit of this award, as apparent through their tireless fundraising efforts and dedication to serving the patients of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital."

Randy Owen played a vital role in establishing Country Cares in 1989. Since its inception, Country Cares has worked with nearly 200 radio stations to raise $315 million for the kids of St. Jude. The national radiothon program is aired in more than 100 radio markets, with over 100 country artists contributing to the organization. These stars include Randy Owen, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Lonestar, Clint Black, Keith Urban and more. Additional information can be found at Country Cares' Web site, www.countrycares.org.

Recent Samaritan Award recipients include Gulf Coast broadcasters for their service during and after Hurricane Katrina and syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner for raising millions of dollars in scholarships for students attending historically black colleges and universities. Other past Samaritan Award recipients include the Children's Miracle Network; The Men and Women of America's Armed Forces; former Tribune Company Chairman, President and CEO Dennis J. FitzSimons for his leadership in a number of charitable and community organizations, including the McCormick Tribune Foundation; and a group of Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters and law enforcement officials for initiating the first AMBER Plan.
###

Did you catch it? If not, look closer:

WASHINGTON, DC – Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, one of the most successful radio fund-raising events in America, will be honored for their pubic service efforts at the 10th annual NAB Education Foundation's Celebration of Service to America Awards.

(Italics and bold mine). Now that, my friends, will teach you to check it once, check it twice, and employ a set of fresh eyes to check it yet again.

It's In The Wording

The following is some really weird news that stresses the importance of grammatical perfection. That's right! It's important!

From

United Press International

The man accused of killing a Georgia hiker also is the focus of an investigation in Florida probing the disappearance and death of a nurse.

Flaws in a federal sex-offender registration law left a criminal free in Kansas City, Mo.

The faulty law allowed seven-time convicted sex offender Terry L. Rich to be released from custody last month by Senior U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs when Rich's lawyer brought attention to the defect, The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday.

Whether or not there was a legislative blunder, the wording should be enforced as written, until it is changed by Congress, Sachs said.

Rich, 59, reportedly has yet to be listed in the sex offender registration system required by state law.

Rich's attorney reportedly argued the law excluded his client because Rich traveled between states in the past and the law only pertained to a sex offender who travels in the present tense.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Nelson asked Sachs to understand that Congress meant for the law to include all sex offenders, the Star reported.

What!!?? That'll teach you to mind your p's and q's. Talk about a tense situation.

When is a Noun Not a Noun?

I suppose a constantly advancing technological society like the one we live in requires subsequent updates of the language we use to describe it. Similarly, words we've been using for years take on new meanings, new tenses, or morph into something else entirely. Case in point: Message. When did 'message' become a verb? My friend Tina often calls me triumphantly, exclaiming, "[Insert latest crush's name here] messaged me!"

Come again? Messaged? The funny thing is I find myself using the same lingo on a regular basis.

Last night I tried to remember when I sent my first text message. Who did I send it to? Did someone teach me? I couldn't, for the life of me, remember. Text messaging has become such a natural part of life these days that it's almost impossible to remember what I did without it. (Not to mention cell phones in general, but that just seems like AGES ago).

I do remember that I got my first cell phone when I was 14; my parents are of the strict and overprotective variety (hush Mom, you know it's true) and therefore required that I never leave home without it. I was THE unlucky teenager whose whereabouts were never in question; my mom knew what I had for dinner, who I sat by, what songs we listened to in the car on the way there. I've had the same cell phone number for over 10 years! Thank you, Verizon, you are the network. I digress...

The point is now that the majority of cell phone-wielding Americans have a pretty comprehensive text messaging plan as part of their monthly access, it's time we embrace the changes in our language that must inevitably occur. It's not that messaged/messaging/messages (as the present tense verb, not the plural noun) didn't exist as words before, it's just that they will now increasingly become part of our vernacular.

Dictionary.com lists it as a verb, albeit seemingly as an afterthought, but hey, it's in there. Get the message?

Back to Life, Back to Reality

I'm Back!

I haven't blogged since December 12 because I was completely swamped with final papers and holiday chaos. The good news is I turned in the last paper required of my Master's career on December 15! I officially have my Master's degree (M.A.) in Journalism from NYU. So my brother was right when he rapped about me having three degrees. (Earlier this year Robbie wrote a little 'flow' about me, which I'll post at the end).

I spent a long 10-day break in Texas with family and friends, and came back to New York to ring in the New Year. I am particularly fond of the rhyming capabilities for New Year's Resolutions. All night Monday I was chanting, "Lose weight, look great, get a date, clean slate, 2008!" So here I am, starting fresh. Out with the old, in with the new. Turning over a new leaf. (Insert any combination of your favorite 'new beginnings' clichés). I have a new job. It's a new year.

Courtesy of my brother, Robbie:

i did this while listening to "This is why im hot" put it on an go start when he starts the first verse This is why i'm hot, alright here i go, this is fo sho guna be a tight flow. And you know how, cause you know me; its going out to my sis Tracy B. Its going down, its about to happen; you cannot forget that her last name is Bratten. And you should know, wat that name means; shes already put it in like 4 magazines. Straight to top, yea shes going up, shes just like a bomb; man shes blowin up. Shes up at NYC gettn that degree, no i aint got one; but shes got three. ya thats the word an its wats heard, im the athlete she is the nerd. sike im just playin, we about to fight, i can throw a disc; man she likes to write. and you always know, we gonn come through; bout to go holla at NYU, but here is my ryhme, it should be a crime, this was 5 mins i need more time. but its okay, man i don't play; youll get another flow on another day! lol im dumb!

~thanks bro.