How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

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

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

Over 50? Good Luck Getting Insurance

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?

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?

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?

Letter on Grammar Published in DM News

Those of us who are cursed with a knowledge of correct word usage and spelling cringe every time (not "everytime") we read copy filled with errors. Social media in particular have become a breeding ground for careless writing.

Here's the unedited version of my letter to DM News, which appeared in the Sept. 28 issue:

Your Aug. 17 headline asks, “Has new media changed copywriting?" I agree with “contender” Suzanne Darmory Dunleavy, who says that copywriting must still be “be on brand, be on strategy, be engaging, target the right audience with the right tone and have a clear call to action.” As always, effective direct marketing requires three main ingredients: the offer, creativity and the list. Effective copywriting is integral to the first two of those.

Contender Steve Caputo, meanwhile, says that new media have affected the writing process in part because of “unprecedented speed.” Unfortunately, speed seems to have become an excuse for sloppy writing. Yet reporters have always had to produce accurate copy while racing against deadlines – and following Associated Press news style.

Since my background is journalism, I'm acutely aware of the daily parade of typos, misspelling, poor grammar and style errors. Careful writing in any medium still helps ensure (not “insure”) that your message is clearly communicated. When someone writes, "Your welcome" or "Please bare with me," both of which I’ve seen lately, the message I receive is that the company doesn't care about quality.

Mistakes I see most often include:
• Confusing "Everyday low prices" and "Low prices every day." ("Every day" should always be two words in the second usage.)
• Using apostrophes to form plurals. A recent article on social media used "company's" as the plural of “company.”
• Misusing "its" and "its" or "their," "there" and "they're."
• Confusing “principle” and “principal” or “complimentary” and “complementary.”
• Not bothering to check the spelling of tricky words: Use “impostor,” (not “imposter”), fireplace “mantel” (not “mantle”) and “a real “trouper” (not “trooper”).
• Confusing “podium” with “lectern.” A speaker stands behind a lectern and on a podium.
• Not putting a comma after dates and states used in apposition: “The company will launch its product on Nov. 1, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo., the marketing director announced.“

These days the fingernails-on-the-blackboard error I see most frequently is "Get it for free." Writers seem to like the alliteration, but the "for" is unnecessary. After all, you wouldn't say, "You can get it for cheap."

One more quibble: Most stylebooks still hold that the word "media" requires a plural verb. So your article’s headline should have been, “Have new media changed copywriting?"

Honor Flight Is a True Honor for 40 WWII Veterans

It was a great day in honor of highly deserving World War II veterans. Arriving at the airport at 5 a.m., we flew to Washington, D.C. and spent the day touring the World War II Memorial, Vietnam and Korean memorials, and Arlington Cemetery. We also saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington...a moving experience that brought tears to the eyes of many veterans.

In honor of the occasion I wrote a poem, and was asked to read it at the dinner before our return that evening:

In Honor of Those Who Served

Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Rising Sun –
A date of infamy, a war begun.
Japan awakened “The Sleeping Giant,”
The United States arose defiant.

From Guadalcanal to Omaha Beach,
The Axis could never avoid our reach.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific,
The hard-fought battles were horrific.

Germany and Italy – brutal foes
In the end were no match for our heroes.
On Mount Suribachi our flag did wave,
A tribute to blood lost by the brave.

Purple Hearts and Bronze or Silver Stars
Were awarded to those who bore the scars.
In withering fire and under attack,
Thousands went to war and never came back.

On land, in air, on –and under – the sea,
They fought to preserve the land of the free.
For these veterans who fought the good fight,
We thank them for serving – through Honor Flight!

Susan Pepperdine
Guardian, Kansas City Metro
Sept. 30, 2009

I Swear It's True: Swearing Is a Bad Idea

Swearing has been much in the news lately. Consider these incidents just in the past few weeks:

In politics: Bob McDonnell, the GOP candidate for governor in Virginia, said in a Sept. 11 live radio interview: "I'm going to find other ways to be able to fund transportation. I've outlined twelve f—ing funding mechanisms that are creative, that are entrepreneurial."

In the media: On the Sept. 16 WNYW Fox newscast, Ernie Anastos, a New York anchorman, told the weatherman to “keep f—ing that chicken.” Evidently unaware of the slip, he kept talking, while his co-anchor looked stunned. The bleeped YouTube clip has been shown on virtually every talk show.

In sports: Serena Williams exploded after a lineswoman called her for a foot fault in semifinal tennis match. "If I could, I would take this [expletive deleted] ball and shove it down your [expletive deleted] throat," Williams told the lineswoman after the call. She lost the match and was fined $10,500.

After incidents like these, the perpetrator usually apologizes for a “slip of the tongue.” But I have always felt that if profanity were not a normal part of the speakers’ everyday vocabulary, it probably wouldn’t “slip out” during a public appearance.

Year ago when I left Hallmark Cards and started working at Barkley & Evergreen (now Barkley), I was amazed at the amount of swearing I heard every day in the office. Personally, I made the decision that it was never a plus – and often a minus – to use swear words.

I did witness an occasion when profanity cost an ad agency the opportunity to gain a new client. In a presentation meeting the two agency vice presidents both used the f-word several times. The prospective client happened to be a very conservative man who had been known to walk out of marketing meetings when he deemed a presentation to be risqué. I knew immediately that there was no way he would award a half-million dollar account to that agency. He didn’t.

Swearing can damage your personal life as well by hurting your chances of finding someone to spend your life with. When I used to teach my “How to Meet Your Mate in 90 Days or Less” class, I urged participants to “put your best self forward” by avoiding expletives. Men especially are not attracted to dates with a foul mouth.

I think swearing insults the audience in two ways. First, it shows the speaker doesn’t value the listeners’ opinions enough to watch his words. Second, the speaker often looks upon the listeners as hopelessly un-cool and out-of-date if they are offended or annoyed.

Whether you meet someone in a business or personal situation, spouting profanity never makes a good impression.

What do you think? Do you have any examples to share?

Korean War Veterans to Speak at Sept. 17 Marine Corps League Meeting

Korean War veterans will present “Remembering the Korean War” at a meeting of the Simpson-Hoggatt Detachment of the Marine Corps League, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Disabled Veterans of America location, 8787 Old Santa Fe Rd. in Kansas City, Mo.

The presentation will include discussion of the buildup to the war, Marine action in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, the Inchon landing and liberation of Seoul, 1st Division attack to the north, and Marine air support of Marines on the ground.

The event is free and the public is invited. For more information call Commandant Ken Spencer at 913-362-8383.
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About the Marine Corps League: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the federal charter in 1937. Membership numbers more than 60,000 nationally, and is open to current and honorably discharged Marines and to Navy medical corpsmen. http://www.mcleague.org. The Simpson-Hoggatt Detachment was formed in 1925 in Kansas City, Mo.

Walter Cronkite: Further Proof 1916 Was a Good Year

Walter Cronkite was an icon in my field, journalism. When he died recently, I learned that he had been born on Nov. 4, 1916.

Birthdates in 1916 have always caught my attention because my mother was born on June 18, 1916. Some years ago I discovered that my Aunt Thelma and my adopted Aunt Lee, both now 93, and my adopted Aunt Helen, were all born that year. (Aunt Lee was my Uncle Martin's sister and Aunt Helen was my husband's mother's best friend.)

This got me to wondering what other famous people besides Cronkite were born in 1916. One notable on the list at http://www.nndb.com/lists/915/000105600/ is Gregory Peck. About 10 years ago I attended his engaging benefit performance for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre at the Folly Theatre in Kansas City.

Other performers on the list are Kirk Douglas, Olivia de Havilland, Glenn Ford, Jackie Gleason, Betty Grable, Van Johnson, Dinah Shore and Keenan Wynn. Writers included James Herriott, Shelby Foote and Irving Wallace.

Here's to 1916. It truly was a very good year.

Who's on first...but where are the 5 W's?

Two full-page ads in The Kansas City Star caught my eye recently because they left out an all-important piece of information. WHERE.

First, there was the ad announcing Paul McCartney's concert at the BOK Center. Where is it? You would think that American Express, which bought the ad, would want us to know. But no such luck. I had to use Google to find out that it's in Tulsa. (OK, that explains the OK in the name...)

Second, I saw another full-page ad announcing Macy's new store at Summit Fair. Where is it? I guessed Lee's Summit, Mo., because of the name, but the ad gives no clue. Fortunately, several pages later is a JC Penney ad that includes directions and a map.

In J-school (journalism) at the University of Missouri, we learned that the lead of every news story should include the 5 W's: Who, What, Where, When, Why...and sometimes How. Whether you're writing a news release, an ad or Web copy, it's still a good way to double check your copy.

Otherwise, you're wasting your client's money.

Reflections on the Moon Landing

It was one of those "I remember exactly where I was" moments when the Eagle landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. As Neil Armstrong said, it truly was, "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Staying up late to watch the landing was a thrill shared by millions. At the time, I was just finishing up my journalism degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia. My “sequence” was news/editorial, so it was perfect timing to witness one of the biggest news events of the 20th Century. The Columbia Missourian, our training-ground newspaper, published a commemorative edition. I went to a McDonald's to hawk copies, and sold my whole stack in no time.

Too bad Walter Cronkite missed living to see the anniversary by a few days. His reporting captured the awe and the pride we all shared.

If you haven't already, be sure to see In the Shadow of the Moon, a fascinating documentary released in 2007. It is available on DVD.

Ceremony to Honor Hospitalman at Marine Corps League Meeting

Working with the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and now the Marine Corps League gives me the opportunity to thank both veterans and active military for their service. Marines, Navy corpsmen and anyone else who is interested are invited to the following event, publicized in a news release I wrote and distributed:

The monthly meeting of the Simpson-Hoggatt Detachment of the Marine Corps League will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Disabled Veterans of America location, 8787 Old Santa Fe Rd. in Kansas City, Mo.

The meeting will feature a ceremony and presentation of a framed poem to Lance and Katherine Simson, Overland Park, Kan., parents of Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Simson, a hospitalman who received a Silver Star for “conspicuous gallantry” in combat operations in Afghanistan. Simpson-Hoggatt Detachment member Ed Becker, who served as a Navy corpsman, wrote the poem as a tribute to Simson and other corpsmen’s service to the Marine Corps. Simson recently returned to Afghanistan for a second tour of duty.

The event is free and the public is invited. For more information call Commandant Ken Spencer at 913-362-8383.

Merger of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook?

On Conan O'Brien's first week on The Tonight Show, he predicted that YouTube, Twitter and Facebook would merge...creating another time-wasting Web site called YouTwitFace.

That may be a little too close to the truth.

Bataan Death March Survivor to Speak to Marine Corps League

If you've ever wondered how anyone could have survived the Bataan Death March in World War II, here is an opportunity to learn the story of someone who did. Here's a news release I wrote for the Marine Corps League that provides details on the June 18 presentation:

Bataan Death March Survivor to Speak to Marine Corps League

Billy Templeton, a survivor of the Bataan Death March in World War II, will talk about his experiences at a meeting of the Simpson-Hoggatt Detachment of the Marine Corps League, 7 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at the Disabled Veterans of America location, 8787 Old Santa Fe Rd. in Kansas City, Mo.

Infamous for its brutality, the Death March started on April 9, 1942, on the Philippines Bataan Peninsula. Templeton, an Army Air Corps radio operator, survived the 60-mile trek in blistering heat and then was held as a prisoner of war for three-and-one-half years. His 2006 book, Manila Bay Sunset: the Long March Into Hell, describes his ordeal and “personal triumph.” He now lives in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

The event is free and the public is invited. For more information call Commandant Ken Spencer at (913) 362-8383.
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Memories of Mom

Here's the "As I See It" article I wrote that appeared on Mother's Day 2005 in The Kansas City Star:

Remembering Lessons From Mom

This year I’ll face Mother’s Day for the first time without Mom, who died April 1 at 88.

She was never like anyone else’s mom. Though she always told me I was an accident, I knew I was loved. But I also learned the world didn’t revolve around me. Other lessons Mom taught me are also deeply ingrained:

“Be independent.” At 5 I walked to school and saw a mother with her son in tow, also headed for kindergarten. I thought, “My mother would never do that. I’m on my own now.” She said she never had “empty nest syndrome.”
“Don’t leave things to the last minute.” She had a running contest with a friend to finish Christmas shopping by Oct. 1. I was glad I followed her example and completed college in three years. If I hadn’t, Pop wouldn’t have lived to see me graduate.
“Don’t let yourself go.” She’d immediately cut back if she gained a few pounds. When I asked why she ate half a doughnut, she said it was because “I’ll only get half as fat.”
“Good health is everything.” She ensured my sister, brother and I got regular checkups. At 77 when she learned she had cancer and needed to have her leg amputated below the knee to “buy time,” she didn’t hesitate. She “bought” nearly 12 years.
“Don’t spend everything you make.” When I left Hallmark, Mom pushed me to roll over my profit-sharing money into an IRA. It will someday help fund my retirement.
“Write thank-yous.” Mom sat us down to write notes right after Christmas. Learning that lesson helped me get at least one job, at Kansas City Power & Light, which led to meeting my husband Larry. I thank her for that training.
“Have a good time.” Mom said that when she died, people would say she had a good time. As a teen-ager, I thought that seemed shallow, but now it makes more sense. Sure enough, one of her longtime friends said at the funeral, “We had a lot of laughs.” So perhaps it’s fitting that Mom died on April Fool’s Day.
“Life is for the living.” When Pop died on the golf course at 58, I knew Mom would remarry. Later she reported that a man had visited “to pay his respects to the lonely widow.” I was matron of honor at her wedding 10 months after my dad died. She was married 33 years to my dad and nearly 30 to my stepfather when he died. Mom said that people who disapproved of her remarriage had probably been unhappily wed.

So through the tears, I’m reminding myself, “Life is for the living.” I’ll always miss Mom, but will remember, “We had a lot of laughs.”

Honored to Be Selected for Honor Flight

I was pleased to receive an invitation from Gary Swanson to be a “guardian” (volunteer helper) on the Honor Flight planned for next fall.

Honor Flight, www.honorflight.org, takes groups of World War II veterans to visit the Washington, D.C., memorial dedicated in their honor. With an estimated 1,000 World War II veterans dying each day, time is of the essence to honor as many veterans as possible. All costs are covered by donations to Honor Flight.

Since the mid-1990s I have volunteered my time to help publicize World War II veterans from the European and Japanese theaters of war, including troop carriers in the Pacific and Army troops who landed in France right after D-Day. Since 2001 I have also been working with the local Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and "adopted" Dorwin Lamkin, who was a Navy corpsman, as my uncle after my last uncle (also a WWII Navy veteran) died in 2003.

Greed Is Not Good

The public outrage over million-dollar bonuses for bad performance proves that one thing money can't buy is a good reputation.

This type of situation always reminds me of a lesson I learned from my father, a successful International Harvester farm implement dealer in Quincy, Ill. When I was still in grade school, he told me about a businessman who owned a local appliance store, but was suspected of cheating his customers on repairs. To see if the suspicions were true, my dad had one of his employees get repairs after first marking all of the parts. Sure enough, the employee was charged for parts that weren't replaced. My dad made a point of noting that even though the businessman happened to be a deacon in our church, he was dishonest and deserved no respect.

One definition of public relations is "doing good things and then telling people about them." One of those good things, as my dad made clear, is to treat your customers with honesty and fairness. If you don't, no amount of PR will save your reputation.

Kelly Ludwig: A Rare Vision

Congratulations to self-described “queenodesign” Kelly Ludwig, who is much in the news lately. She is featured in a splashy story in the March 2009 issue of Spaces magazine. Titled “Inside Out,” the four-page article highlights Kelly’s love of the “colorful, modern folk and outsider art” she collects and uses to cover the walls of her Brookside bungalow in Kansas City.

She fell in love with collecting while serving as the designer for the KCPT-TV road-trip series “Rare Visions,” which showcases folk art and unusual roadside attractions across American byways. The series has also led to her book on Detour Art plus an upcoming update to the first Rare Visions volume.

Next up: “Rare Visions – Detour Art” exhibit featuring a selection from Kelly Ludwig’s collection, March 6 to May 1, 2009, at Belger Arts Center, 2100 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo., www.belgerartscenter.org.

I first met Kelly about five years ago when she brought me in to work on a writing project for a client of her design firm, Ludwig Design Inc. I was impressed with Kelly, her design work and her dedication to serving clients. Her Web site is lots of fun, too. Visit it at http://www.ludwig-design.com and see for yourself.

Gown Gallery Makes News 3 Times in 6 Days

Even a small shop can make a big splash in the media. Pepperdine & Associates client the Gown Gallery is a good example:

1. On Jan. 9 multiple segments aired on KCTV-5 and Fox 4 TV about a 15-year-old honor student and several women planning to attend inaugural balls in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20. Video footage showed them in the shop getting fitted for their gowns.

2. On Jan. 13 an article and photo appeared in The Kansas City business section, quoting owner Sharon Miller and telling how the Gown Gallery is thriving despite the recession.

3. On Jan. 15 an article and photo appeared in the weekend preview section of The Kansas City Star, again talking about dressing women for the inauguration and the planned move to a new location in the downtown garment district.

Stay tuned! And visit www.gowngallery.com for more information.