Connecticut Band Hopes to Spread Peace In Japan

Although I am slowing transitioning out of my freelance pr gig, once in awhile I offer to help someone if they have an interesting story.



So is the case with my nephew, Noah who is living in Japan and teaching English to non-native speakers.



His band' Sky Island (www.myspace.com/skyislandmusic) is comprised of four band members who have known each other since childhood.



The three Connecticut band members are travelling to Japan next month to play a busy multi-stop tour at interesting venues such as the Solar Cafe which is part of the Earth Embassy eco-organization situated on an organic farm and sustainable living center.



Noah's goal is to: "participate in a cross-cultural exchange with hopes of spreading peace overseas by using our music as our medium."



You gotta love that.

An Emergency Room For Computers

My computer caught a virus that landed it in the repair shop for more than a week. 'The Computer Tamers (www.thecomputertamers.com)' are a public relations person's dream. Set-up like a hospital emergency room, they have a cafe to relax in while the technicians (who are dressed in white lab coats) diagnose the computer's problem behind cubicle walls. Additionally, they are patient and helpful! I am grateful to be re-connected.

I am very, very fortunate to soon start a new venture. I will be teaching an 'Introduction to Meditation' course at Integrative Therapies and Wellness Center (www.itwellnesscenter.com) in Union, Connecticut.

I took my first meditation course during 1991, when I had a job that I hated (which caused painful migraine headaches), I had been recently married, and my cousin and her eight-year-old daughter had died in a house fire.

During that time nothing seemed 'right.' But, I was fortunate enough to have some wonderful teachers who taught about the calm awareness of the mind. They helped me and I will help my students, too.

Staying Up-to-Date

As you might have noticed, my last blog entry was on March 30th.

Although I had made a commitment to myself to blog at least once or twice a week, I failed to do so. While I can come up with plenty of excuses why I haven't blogged...I won't.

I have a few PR clients who have asked me about the benefits of "social media." After a discussion defining the term, we get into the nuts and bolts of having a presence on the Internet.

One thing that I always impress upon my clients, is the importance of keeping their blogs, etc. up-to-date.

Oh well....

Mondays

Mondays are like Christmas. You know that it is coming, but it arrives more quickly than anticipated.

Off to work.

Twitter and Communication

In my roles as 'Farm News Coordinator' for The Farmer's Cow (www.thefarmerscow.com) and Facilitator/Educator for Integrative Therapies Wellness and Education Center (www.itwellnesscenter.com) as well as an assortment of other communication and pr responsibilities, I am continually fascinated by the plethora of social media which offer boundless opportunities for interesting networking.

I began using Twitter approximately three months ago. If you are not familiar with Twitter.com, you should take a look at it. What I have found most fascinating is that I can communicate with people around the world. Both 'famous' and not so famous folks are online and very regularly review and answer their 'tweets.'

One of the most interesting aspects of Twitter is that each 'tweet' is limited to 140 characters. Your writing (especially for business questions) must be very succinct.

What if politicians were limited to 140 characters when they answered constituents questions?

Why "Pooka Dowd?"

The name Pooka Dowd originates from a wonderful movie titled Harvey (starring James Stewart; circa 1950, based on Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name). The movie's main characters are Elmer P. Dowd and his pooka companion named Harvey.