Hard Rain

When words are used as words should be, they are tools of thought. When their proper usage is neglected, they tend to become the masters of thought.

— Harold N. Lee

I don't know about you, but I hate when the weatherman's "alternative facts" convince me to leave my umbrella home, and it pours.

Governing is no place for alternative facts or "truthful hyperbole.” Leave those to the copywriters.

The problem alternative facts pose for me is simple: I don't know where bluffing ends and bullying begins.

Lots of Americans are asking what to do about it.

I suggest you carry an umbrella.



Opinions are my own.

12 Hairy Hints for Better Blog Posts

Nearly 3 million blog posts are published every day. How can you assure yours will be noticed?

Take these 12 hints to heart:

1. Tackle an evergreen topic. (Readers never tire of fundamentals. Good to Great is 16 years old; How to Win Friends and Influence People, 81).
   
   
2. Seek to be of service to a target audience.
   
   
3. Write a brief, quirky headline that promises you'll solve a problem.
   
   
4. Write a short, informative lede that grabs readers' attention.
   
   
5. Use a simple style.
   
   
6. Use research to prove your points.
   
   
7. Use visuals to engage readers.
   
   
8. Include outbound links to authoritative content.
   
   
9. Seek to produce something better (more readable, current, accurate, in-depth, practical, original, targeted) than the million other posts on the topic.
   
   
10. Write a post that's no longer than it needs to be.
    
    
11. Proofread your post.
    
    
12. Above all, make readers feel good.
    

PS: Deep dive into better blogging by reading Nadya Khoja's remarkable post, Increase Blog Traffic And Boost Engagement With These 37 Proven Methods.

Thrill Ride

Today, another ride begins.

David James and I launch our direct marketing agency.

Everyone who's tried the entrepreneur's path knows how it differs from a job.

A job is a merry-go-round; riders must wear a smile at all times.

Self-employment is a roller coaster; riders must wear a blindfold at all times.

As Seth Godin says, "Heads, you suffer; tails, you endure a journey filled with unpredictable outcomes."

Wish us fun.

All Hands on Deck

We're sinking. Fast.

That's according to Edelman's newly released 2017 Trust Barometer.

Trust "is now the deciding factor in whether a society can function," says Richard Edelman, president and CEO.

And trust has a gaping rip in its side.

According to the survey, 53% of people distrust institutions;and 32% are unsure of them. Over 75% believe they serve only the rich.

"Trust in institutions has evaporated to such an extent that falsehood can be misconstrued as fact, strength as intelligence, and self-interest as social compact," Edelman says. 

The root causes are globalization and automation, which continue to eliminate jobs.

Can someone save our ship?

Edelman believes business, "the one institution that retains some trust," can.

But "business must get out in front and become an effective advocate on policy, moving away from lobbying toward direct public discourse that provides context on trade, immigration and innovation, outlining both benefits and disadvantages."

He also thinks social media can rescue us.

"Company-owned social media channels should supplement mainstream media to educate and to encourage dialogue. Business should provide citizens with platforms that invite them to help shape policy—giving them a positive outlet for their views and fears."

I'm not so sure. For my money, I'd bet our rescuers will be:

• Entrepreneurs, whose aim isn't to shed jobs, but create them

• Teachers, whose aim is to produce useful citizens

• Writers, whose aim is to inform

• Artists, whose aim is to inspire; and

• Philosophers, whose aim is to help us distinguish truth from lies

Who do you count on?

Revolution

On Inauguration Day, I joined the thousands of "DisruptJ20" protesters massed in Washington for street demonstrations.

I hurried along with the vanguard of one group as it ran amok through the downtown streets. They used hammers and metal ramrods to smash plate glass windows, car windshields, and ATMs; hurled every object in sight through the broken windows or into the middle of the street; and set small fires inside trash containers and limousines. They endangered a lot of bystanders, who looked on haplessly and in shock.

You haven't lived until you've been in the center of a cyclone of armored police, spraying mace and tossing concussion grenades into the air.

But anarchists have no place in my world. They have no right to trash my home town and terrify my fellow Washingtonians. 

Call me a fogey, but you can count me out.