Parking Getaway
Last Thursday afternoon when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in London to open Sunfest, one of the city’s most popular festivals, I was pushing my way in to speak to a Western University continuing ed. PR class.
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Kids’ Manners and Artificial Intelligence
In my role as a blogger for Witlingo, I get to delve into the world of voice-first technology; smart speakers, apps (called skills) for smart speakers, and the AI voices for the big companies. Those include Siri, Bixby, Cortana, and others. And when I say delve, I mean concentrate as if someone has put me in control of a space shuttle without instruction!
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One Mo Time
That’s an ancient photo of me on a barge in Lake Ontario, emceeing the Symphony of Fire fireworks contest. At that moment, I was looking for a cue from the producer and swallowing a pound of bugs.
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Five Big News Writing Mistakes
Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve certainly made my share, and some still haunt me to this day. Why oh why did I think David Duchovny’s surname was pronounced do-SHOVE-knee?
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Audiobook Alert!
Months in the making, Make the Media Want You: An Insider’s Guide to Creating Persuasive Pitches, is now available in audiobook format.
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Working For Fun
A film-maker recently approached me with a request to have me voice a character for them. The budget was “just for fun”! People have tried to get me to work for free before, but I’d never seen “fun” as a payment term.
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Women Up
It occurred to me the other day that the entertainment industry is finally starting to treat women the way they treat men. On screen, at least. In specific instances. And it’s about frickin’ time.
…Smartie Smart-Speaker Pants
“Alexa, please write a blog post about yourself for me?”
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Writing for Lifestyle
Freelancing means working for a lot of different people. Some are one-offs, some are repeat customers. It’s always exciting when someone hires you for the first time.
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Audiobook Availability
My first audiobook – the first one I was hired for that’s legit, paid for and I’m proud of – is on the market!
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Managing the Manager
Why are so many managers so terrible at their jobs? I mean, really, let’s be honest, when you work for an excellent manager, it’s a relief, like the beating has stopped.
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Unnecessary Complications
Every bank and financial institution claims it can make things easier for us. Simplify your life! Make saving money a breeze! We’ll guide you through the process! My recent experience doing a teeny weenie bit of work for one of them was a wet mackerel to the forehead. Not easy at all.
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Go Away & Get Paid
Until I started working for myself, I always worked for traditional companies with fat HR do-and-don’t binders and strict rules. Truth is, I kind of like rules. When parameters are set you know just how far you can push. The motto, “Beg forgiveness, don’t ask permission” works well in this environment, especially where creativity is involved.
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Shaky Money-Maker
I’ve been having trouble with my voice. There, I’ve said it. It’s difficult to admit that after decades of using my voice to make my living, I can’t count on it to be there when I need it.
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Robot Judge
Later this year, robo-judges will begin making rulings in Estonian small-claims courts. Robots will only be used in cases involving less than about $8,000. This is what clogged court systems have come to.
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Spring Ready with Frankie Flowers
Since we moved in December, I’ve only given passing glances to the outside part of our new home. There are gardens. A deck. A patio. Outdoor furniture left by the previous owners. (Thank you!) Stuff we have to get rid of. And a lawn that appears to need some TLC.
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Our Values
One of the best parts about my new, freelancing life is that I can take a couple of minutes to expand my mind. Who’s going to tell me that I can’t watch a five-minute video or read a long-form article? My boss says it’s fine!
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