More Relief Agencies

Be sure to keep checking one of my earlier entries for new additions to the list of relief agencies getting help to survivors of the Asian earthquake and tsunamis. I update the list every time I learn of more.

Is Rumsfeld Finally Speaking the Truth?

The tragedy of the tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia buried this CNN news story, at least for me:

Monday, December 27, 2000

Washington (CNN)—A comment Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made during a Christmas Eve address to U.S. troops in Baghdad has sparked new conspiracy theories about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

In the speech, Rumsfeld made a passing reference to United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to stop al Qaeda hijackers.

But in his remarks, Rumsfeld referred to "the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania."

A Pentagon spokesman insisted that Rumsfeld simply misspoke, but Internet conspiracy theorists seized on the reference to the plane having been shot down.

"Was it a slip of the tongue? Was it an error? Or was it the truth, finally being dropped on the public more than three years after the tragedy," asked a posting on the Web site WorldNetDaily.com.

Some people remain skeptical of U.S. government statements that despite a presidential authorization, no planes were shot down September 11, and rumors still circulate that a U.S. military plane shot the airliner down over Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

A Pentagon spokesman insists Rumsfeld has not changed his opinion that the plane crashed as the result of an onboard struggle between passengers and terrorists.

The independent panel charged with investigating the terrorist attacks concluded that the hijackers intentionally crashed Flight 93, apparently because they feared the passengers would overwhelm them.

Here's the WorldNetDaily.com story:

Rumsfeld says 9-11 plane 'shot down' in Pennsylvania
During surprise Christmas Eve trip, defense secretary contradicts official story

Posted: December 27, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON—Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been questions about Flight 93, the ill-fated plane that crashed in the rural fields of Pennsylvania.

The official story has been that passengers on the United Airlines flight rushed the hijackers in an effort to prevent them from crashing the plane into a strategic target—possibly the U.S. Capitol.

During his surprise Christmas Eve trip to Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld referred to the flight being shot down—long a suspicion because of the danger the flight posed to Washington landmarks and population centers.

Was it a slip of the tongue? Was it an error? Or was it the truth, finally being dropped on the public more than three years after the tragedy of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000?

Here's what Rumsfeld said Friday: "I think all of us have a sense if we imagine the kind of world we would face if the people who bombed the mess hall in Mosul, or the people who did the bombing in Spain, or the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania and attacked the Pentagon, the people who cut off peoples' heads on television to intimidate, to frighten—indeed the word 'terrorized' is just that. Its purpose is to terrorize, to alter behavior, to make people be something other than that which they want to be."

Several eyewitnesses to the crash claim they saw a "military-type" plane flying around United Airlines Flight 93 when the hijacked passenger jet crashed—prompting the once-unthinkable question of whether the U.S. military shot down the plane.

Although the onboard struggle between hijackers and passengers—immortalized by the courageous "Let's roll" call to action by Todd Beamer—became one of the enduring memories of that disastrous day, the actual cause of Flight 93's crash, of the four hijacked airliners, remains the most unclear.

Several residents in and around Shanksville, Pa., describing the crash as they saw it, claim to have seen a second plane—an unmarked military-style jet.

Well-founded uncertainty as to just what happened to Flight 93 is nothing new. Just three days after the worst terrorist attack in American history, on Sept. 14, 2001, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record newspaper reported that five eyewitnesses reported seeing a second plane at the Flight 93 crash site.

That same day, reported the Record, FBI Special Agent William Crowley said investigators could not rule out that a second plane was nearby during the crash. He later said he had misspoken, dismissing rumors that a U.S. military jet had intercepted the plane before it could strike a target in Washington, D.C.

Although government officials insist there was never any pursuit of Flight 93, they were informed the flight was suspected of having been hijacked at 9:16 a.m., fully 50 minutes before the plane came down.

On the Sept. 16, 2001, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press," Vice President Dick Cheney, while not addressing Flight 93 specifically, spoke clearly to the administration's clear policy regarding shooting down hijacked jets.

Vice President Cheney: "Well, the—I suppose the toughest decision was this question of whether or not we would intercept incoming commercial aircraft."

NBC's Tim Russert: "And you decided?"

Cheney: "We decided to do it. We'd, in effect, put a flying combat air patrol up over the city; F-16s with an AWACS, which is an airborne radar system, and tanker support so they could stay up a long time . . .

"It doesn't do any good to put up a combat air patrol if you don't give them instructions to act, if, in fact, they feel it's appropriate."

Russert: "So if the United States government became aware that a hijacked commercial airline[r] was destined for the White House or the Capitol, we would take the plane down?"

Cheney: "Yes. The president made the decision . . . that if the plane would not divert . . . as a last resort, our pilots were authorized to take them out. Now, people say, you know, that's a horrendous decision to make. Well, it is. You've got an airplane full of American citizens, civilians, captured by . . . terrorists, headed and are you going to, in fact, shoot it down, obviously, and kill all those Americans on board?

". . . It's a presidential-level decision, and the president made, I think, exactly the right call in this case, to say, I wished we'd had combat air patrol up over New York."

Thoughtless Assumptions

You just celebrated the most wonderful Christmas by going to a beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve church service and then spending time with your family Christmas Day. You relished the delicious roast beef at dinner, served with baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, and a Merlot. . . .

What? That wasn't how the last few days went for you? You were instead worshipping at a temple or a mosque? Or maybe you don't believe that there is a supreme being.

The world cannot afford ethnocentricity. The world cannot afford for human beings to either assume that everyone else comes from the same cultural background that they do nor interpret others' cultures within the framework of their own. Each person has different cultural and ethnic traditions, different family traditions, different local and national traditions. What seems fun or tasty or moral to one person may be anathema to another. In assuming, you may be intending to share what you enjoy or love with others, but those others may feel that you are forcing your worldview on them.

Look at George W. Bush: He assumes that everyone everywhere wants to be a Christian or live in a democracy. But the nation on which he's trying to foist his brand of Christianity and democracy has, for centuries, had cultural and governmental traditions of a very different kind. Iraqis don't want to be Americans; they want to keep their own traditions. Americans don't know better than everyone else. We're not morally superior to anyone else. But we're in a war in Iraq because of Bush's ethnocentrism.

Look at the rising incidence of heart disease and obesity worldwide: In every nation where American companies have sold inhabitants on eating like Americans, the number of people who are obese or have heart disease has increased exponentially. American business has assumed that everyone everywhere wants fast food. And maybe many people do, but they'll pay for it eventually with their health. The world's getting more and more unhealthy because of Americans' dietary ethnocentrism.

Helping Survivors of the December 26 Asian Earthquake and Tsunamis

The death toll from the tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia has been reported to be more than 140,000. Those places affected include Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, the Seychelles, Bangladesh, and even Somalia (which is in Africa), according to news reports. Click here to see a map of the affected area.

Below is a list of some organizations that are accepting financial donations to aid survivors of the December 26 earthquake and tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia. It's a U.S.-centric list because I live in the United States, but I'll add relief agencies from other nations if you e-mail me with the info.

Action Against Hunger
247 West 37th Street, Suite 1201
New York, NY 10018
212-967-7800
http://www.aah-usa.org

ADRA International
12501 Old Columbus Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
800-424-2372
http://www.adra.org

Air Serv International
6583 Merchant Place, Suite 100
Warrenton, VA 20187
www.airserv.org

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
JDC: South Asia Tsunami Relief
Box 321
847A Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-885-0867
http://www.jdc.org

American Jewish World Service
45 West 36th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
800-889-7146
http://www.ajws.org

American Friends Service Committee
AFSC Crisis Fund
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA
215-241-7000
http://www.afsc.org

American Red Cross
International Response Fund
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013
800-HELP NOW
http://www.redcross.org

AmeriCares
88 Hamilton Ave.
Stamford, CT 06902
800-486-4357
www.americares.org

ARMDI, Israeli Red Cross
Tsunami Emergency Fund
888 7th Ave., Suite #403
New York, NY 10106
866-632-2763
http://www.armdi.org/

Australian Red Cross
1-800-811-700
https://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonations.asp

BAPS Care International
195 Main Street, Suite 304
Metuchen, NJ 08840
1-888-CARE-881 or 732-744-9734
http://www.bapscare.org

Baptist World Aid
Asia Tidal Waves
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
703-790-8980
www.bwanet.org/bwaid

B’nai B’rith International
B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund
2020 K. Street NW, 7th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20006
212-490-3290
www.bnaibrith.org

Brother’s Brother Foundation
1200 Galveston Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
412-321-3160
www.brothersbrother.org

Canadian Red Cross
170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2
1-800-418-1111
https://secure.csfm.com/redcross/

Care Australia
1-800-020-046
http://www.careaustralia.org.au/index.asp

CARE USA
1-800-521-CARE
http://www.careusa.org/

Caritas Australia
1-800-024-413
http://www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/earthquake.htm

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
Romero Close, Stockwell Road
London SW9 9BR
United Kingdom
http://www.cafod.org.uk/get_involved/give_money/to_asia_disaster_appeal

Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090
800-736-3467
http://www.catholicrelief.org

Christian Children’s Fund
Child Alert Fund
P.O. Box 26484
Richmond, VA 23261
800-776-6767
http://www.christianchildrensfund.org

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
South Asia Earthquake
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
800-55-CRWRC
www.crwrc.org

Church World Service
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
800-297-1516
http://www.churchworldservice.org

Direct Relief International
27 South La Patera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
805-964-4767
http://www.directrelief.org

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières
P.O. Box 2247
New York, NY 10116-2247
888-392-0392
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

The First Church of Christ, Scientist
Tsunami Relief
175 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
617-450-3205
http://www.tfccs.com/tsunami_relief.jhtml

Food for the Hungry
1224 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034-1102
1-800-2-HUNGERS
http://www.fh.org/relief_efforts

GOAL
229 East 120th Street
New York, NY 10035
212-831-7420
www.goalusa.org

Habitat for Humanity International
121 Habitat St.
Americus, GA 31709-3498
229-924-6935, ext. 2551 or 2552
http://www.habitat.org

International Aid
17011 W. Hickory
Spring Lake, MI 49456
800-968-7490
www.internationalaid.org

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
P.O. Box 372
CH-1211 Geneva 19
Switzerland
41-22-730-4222
http://www.ifrc.org

International Medical Corps
11500 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 506
Los Angeles, CA 90064
800-481-4462
http://www.imcworldwide.org

International Orthodox Christian Charities
P.O. Box 630225
Baltimore, MD 21263-0225
877-803-4622
http://www.iocc.org

International Relief Teams
Asia Earthquake/Floods
3547 Camino Del Rio South, Suite C
San Diego, CA 92108
619-284-7979
www.irteams.org

International Rescue Committee
P.O. Box 5058
Hagerstown, MD 21741-9874
877-REFUGEE or 733-8433
www.theirc.org

Islamic Circle of North America Relief: Helping Hand
166-26 89th Ave.
Jamaica, NY 11432
718-658-7028
http://www.reliefonline.org

Islamic Relief Worldwide
19 Rea Street South
Birmingham
B5 6LB
UK
0121-605-5555
http://www.islamic-relief.com

Karuna Trust
No. 67, U.D.A. Industrial Estate
Katuwana Road
Homagama
Sri Lanka
Postal Code: 10200
+94-11-2857649, +94-71-2749115
http://www.karunalanka.org

Latter-Day Saint Charities
Welfare Services Emergency Response
50 East North Temple Street, Room 701
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-6800
801-240-3544
http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,5595-1-2910-1,00.html

Lutheran World Relief
P.O. Box 17061
Baltimore, MD 21298-9832
800-597-5972
http://www.lwr.org

MAP International
2200 Glynco Parkway
P.O. Box 215000
Brunswick, GA 3121-5000
800-225-8550
http://www.map.org

Mercy Corps
P.O. Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208
800-852-2100
http://www.mercycorps.org

Network for Good
8615 Westwood Center Dr., Suite 1A
Vienna, VA 22182
703-265-3683
http://www.networkforgood.org

Northwest Medical Teams
P.O. Box 10
Portland, OR 97207-0010
503-624-1000
http://www.nwmedicalteams.org

Operation USA
8320 Melrose Avenue, Suite 200
Los Angles, CA 90069
800-678-7255
http://www.opusa.org

Oxfam America
Asia Earthquake Fund
P.O. Box 1211
Albert Lea, MN 56007-1211
800-77-Oxfam
http://www.oxfamamerica.org

Plan USA
Asia Disaster
155 Plan Way
Warwick, RI 02886
800-556-7918
www.planusa.org

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
https://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/asia/earthquake-1204.htm

Project Concern International
Asia Tsunamis Press List
5151 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 320
San Diego, CA 92123
858-279-9690
www.projectconcern.org

Project HOPE
Asia Tsunami Response
255 Carter Hall Lane
Millwood, VA 22646
800-544-4673
www.projecthope.org

Rainbow World Fund
P.O. Box 14480
San Francisco, CA 94114
http://www.rainbowfund.org

Relief International
11965 Venice Blvd., Suite 405
Los Angeles, CA 90066
800-572-3332
http://www.ri.org

Operation USA
8320 Melrose Avenue, Suite 200
Los Angles, CA 90069
800-678-7255
http://www.opusa.org

Sarvodaya
HQ No98
Rawatawatta Road
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
+9411-2655-255
http://www.sarvodaya.org

Save the Children
Asia Earthquake/Tidal Wave Relief Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
800-728-3843
http://www.savethechildren.org

Stop Hunger Now
SE Asia crisis
2501 Clark Ave., Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27607
888-501-8440
www.stophungernow.org

US Fund for UNICEF
333 East 38th Street
New York, NY 10016
800-FOR-KIDS
www.unicefusa.org

World Concern
19303 Fremont Ave. N
Seattle, WA 98133
800-755-5022
http://www.worldconcern.org

World Relief
7 E. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
443-451-1900
http://www.wr.org

World Vision
P.O. Box 70288
Tacoma, WA 98481-0288
888-56-CHILD
http://www.worldvision.org

A Little Holiday Music

It's Christmastime and you need some lovely instrumental music. I've got just the thing for you: gorgeous piano Christmas music from Creating Memories,* a CD recorded by my talented friend Honey Wilson. (E-mail me to inquire about buying the CD.) Honey is the music director at my church.

_________________________________
*Creating Memories and all its contents, including the clip "Carol of the Bells," © 1996 Honey Christine Wilson. Music clip provided here by permission of the artist.

A Call to Action

Take action right now—today—to stop the certification of the vote by the Electoral College. During the presidential election, as No Stolen Elections says, "machines broke down, counted backwards, eliminated votes, and registered votes for the wrong candidate. Progressive and African-American neighborhoods experienced by far the longest lines on election day, the most vote spoilage, the most elimination of provisional ballots, and the most victimization by precinct manipulation. Four hundred thousand callers phoned voter protection hotlines, with complaints ranging from absentee ballots lost in the mail, to outright voter intimidation and disenfranchisement. And partisan election officials with conflicts of interest undermined voting rights in states from Ohio to Florida to New Mexico. Even progressive Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have questioned the elections' legitimacy, in a series of rigorous, painstakingly detailed letters documenting the unprecedented extent and scope of vote suppression, available at http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/."

No Stolen Elections suggests that you contact the following progressive U.S. senators to take a stand on Thursday, January 6, when Congress meets to certify the vote:

Senator Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553
senator@boxer.senate.gov

Senator Dick Durbin
(202) 224-2152
contact form

Senator Russ Feingold
(202) 224-5323
russ_feingold@feingold.senate.gov

Senator Tom Harkin
(202) 224-3254
tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov

Senator Jim Jeffords
(202) 224-5141
Vermont@jeffords.senate.gov

Senator Edward Kennedy
(202) 224-4543
contact form

Senator Patrick Leahy
(202) 224-4242
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

Copyediting-L Gear

If you're a Copyediting-L list member, you'll be happy to know that you can now buy T-shirts, tote bags, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and other goodies emblazoned with one of the two new CE-L logos.

Other Editors Out There

I recently came across these blogs by other editor- or publisher-type folks:

• e-editor
• The Worsley Blog
• The Editor's Blog
• Liberty Street

Real War

Here's something the mainstream media won't show Americans: what the war in Iraq really looks like. Be warned—the pictures you'll see there are very graphic and upsetting. Send everyone you know to that site, and to this one. I have to believe that there are plenty of people in this country who would demand that Bush end the war in Iraq if only they saw the real war.

Echoes of the Past

There must not be too many Americans any more who read history books or remember what they read there. If there were, G. W. Bush never would have made it into office again. Many of the things he's doing are reminiscent of Hitler. Now, by saying that, I don't mean to trivialize the Holocaust. But Bush's actions make me think he's been studying Hitler. What actions, you ask? Here are just a few:

• He's curtailing civil liberties bit by bit, a process he began after 9/11. Hitler did the same thing after the Reichstag fire. The Patriot Act was ostensibly passed to protect us, but it gives Bush's government much more power over how we conduct our private lives. In the atmosphere of fear created by the act and the constant repetition of Bush's belief that everyone is out to get us, it's becoming "un-American" to speak out, to disagree. If you're not for Bush and his followers, you just might be a terrorist. And that means that it might be a good idea to arrest you, to silence you.



• He's set up a bogeyman for everyone to blame for world problems, just as Hitler did. Hitler justified a military buildup to fight international communism. Bush has created the image of the Axis of Evil: Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. These nations, he'd have us believe, are completely populated by terrorists. Will he push for invasions of Iran and North Korea?



• He's repeating lies so often that many people think they're the truth. A great many Americans still think there's an Iraq–Al Qaeda link, despite evidence to the contrary. Yes, Saddam Hussein tortured his own people, but he didn't send Al Qaeda to mow down the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. In fact, the U.S. put him in power years ago, so we began killing Iraqi civilians to get a monster of our own making out of the way. And those same Americans still believe in the fictitious weapons of mass destruction allegedly hidden somewhere in Iraq.



• He goes to war despite objections by the UN. He does what God tells him, he says, so nothing must stand in his way. He knows the One True Way, he'd have us believe. If his way is so right, why have so many Cabinet members resigned at the end of his first term? They can't all be exhausted from "fighting the good fight" and wanting to spend more time with their families. I don't remember such a high turnover of Cabinet members in my lifetime. I was born in 1959.

I only hope that enough people speak out to keep the man from starting World War III.

Mourning the Dead

United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) has a terrific idea: wearing white ribbons to honor all who have died in Iraq.

Today is International Human Rights Day, which celebrates the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human rights and provides an opportunity to renew our commitment and deepen our efforts to ensure well-being and wholeness for all people. Article 3 of the declaration states that “everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of person.” The U.S. government has violated human rights in the illegal Iraq war. Today, let's start making the growing death toll in Iraq more visible by joining UFPJ's White Ribbon Campaign.

Why white? It's the symbol for peace in many countries and the symbol of mourning in others. If you wear a white ribbon or tie it on a tree or vehicle, you'll be saying, I mourn all of the dead, Iraqi and American. End the war now and bring the troops home.

UFPJ says that "students and faculty at American University hung 100,000 ribbons all over campus on December 5 to represent the vast number of deaths caused directly and indirectly by the Iraq war. The number is based on a study of Iraqi civilian deaths by Johns Hopkins and published in The Lancet, a highly respected medical journal. Another source for information about the growing Iraqi civilian death toll is www.iraqbodycount.net."

If you can, join UFPJ and others in a protest in Washington, D.C. on inauguration day, Thursday, January 20. And buy a UFPJ "We the people say no to the Bush agenda" flag to take with you.

Of Networking and Turning Lemons into Lemonade

Most freelancers have to do their networking via e-mail and e-mail discussion lists; we're not working in a multiperson office with a water cooler as the centerpiece of the unofficial networking area. I get extremely valuable advice, tips, camaraderie, job leads, and more from two great lists: Freelance and Copyediting-L.

It was on Freelance that I read the tale of a freelance graphic designer who benefited from just that kind of networking and was able to turn a lemon of a situation into lemonade. I present to you, with his permission, Steve Tiano's story:

In telling listmates how he does cold e-mailing to attract the interest of new clients, he wrote:

Right now, I use "Seeking Freelance Book Design & Layout Work" [as a subject line]. On the one hand, I hate that it almost sounds like a personal ad headline—"Seeking tall brunette who likes foreign films . . ." On the other, I figure it tells someone [what I'm writing about]. Mind you, it doesn't go to personal someones, but to business someones (publishers or book packagers—and, if I'm lucky enough to have culled the info somewhere, a particular person at the particular business).

That brought on a discussion of what is and isn't spamming. Steve noted that he didn't send bulk e-mails but individual ones, targeted to the company for which the addressee works. I think what he does isn't spamming; it's contacting individuals who will very likely want to hear from him. I use the same technique. But Steve often includes work samples as attachments, without having asked the recipient's permission. He continued:

Okay, after all my talk about never having gotten a complaint from solicitng a publisher or book packager as a potential client with a cold e-mail plus attachments, this evening I . . . found that someone from [a university press] had sent me an angry message saying my attachment—there were actually three (two > 290 K, and the third a four-color cover weighing in at 2.2 Meg)—tied up their computer for 25 minutes and to never do it again.

Several listmates agreed with the sentiments of the university press contact and suggested asking permission before sending attachments and/or including links to pages on a web site where one's work is showcased. They also suggested that Steve send a short, gracious apology—and not expect that he'd get work from that contact. And here's the delicious ending:

I heard from someone at the university press. She was very nice, telling me that someone on Freelance told her of our thread. She said that while she didn't know who'd sent me the angry e-mail, she believed it was someone who no longer works at the press. She also said that she personally didn't find it so offensive but pointed out that since some in her position at other presses might find it as angering as the fellow who wrote me the angry e-mail, I could be wasting my attempts at marketing. She mentioned that they do sometimes—though not often—use freelancers for design and layout. So I apologized again, and then once more in advance for being pushy on top of everything else, but would she mind taking a look at my résumé and samples—as attachments! And she said yes. It may work out that I never do any work for that press—but what a nice woman! As hokey as it sounds, I still get a kick out of people being nice to each other. Which leads me to thanking all of you for the insights and suggestions you offered in response to my telling the tale.

Hey, I'd want to hire Steve if I were that woman. He 'fessed up to his oversight and was politely persistent. Good qualities to have. You can read an interview with him here.

And now . . . get busy networking!

"God Is Still Speaking"

Just found out yesterday about this ad by the United Church of Christ. It's an classy way to let viewers know tha the denomination doesn't discriminate against anyone because of race or ethnic group or sexual orientation. It tells by showing, not preaching. Yet CBS and NBC have deemed it too "controversial" to air on its channels. You can sign a petition to the two networks asking them to reverse their decision. Why do I care so much? Read my brother's story, which I told recently at my church.

Too Many Things to Do

Yup, I know that I haven't posted in a good while. But it's the holiday season—Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas . . . so it's been hectic here while I work, prepare for and celebrate holidays, and help care for a family of five.

But here's a goodie for those of you who didn't want Bush elected. (He wasn't elected the first time; he was appointed. There's a crucial difference!) Go here to download the membership roster for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Then use it to find committee members in your state and snail-mail them about who should be the Democratic presidential candidate in 2008. And tell them what things you want to see the DNC do toward winning back the White House.

And here's another holiday present: Visit Bush Lied Again frequently. It's a site created by my friend William Blinn, an all-around good, witty person with a penchant for telling the truth. Even if you already know that George W. Bush is good at spinning, your head will spin after you read all the documentation there of Bush's constant lying.

How to Go from Employee to Freelancer

Looking to go freelance after being downsized? Here's my advice:

1. Revamp your résumé so that it's skills based rather than employment based. Mine's kind of a hybrid; you can see it here. (Have to finish redoing it!) But because it's not the best example of what I mean, I'm going to steer you to a booklet sold through the Editorial Freelancers Association: Résumés for Freelancers. You need this kind of résumé so that you begin to think like and present yourself as a consultant to be contracted with, not an employee seeking an employer.


2. Peruse publishers' web sites. You can also go to the local public library and peruse the listings in Literary Market Place. Decide which publishers produce the kinds of books you'd enjoy working on.


3. Contact the managing editor of each organization by snail mail or e-mail and sell your services. If you use e-mail, include your résumé as a text document (don't use HTML) within the body of the message, and ask the person (a) if he/she would like to see a PDF or Word version of your resume and (b) to send you a copyediting test. Even if you have lots of experience in publishing, you'll likely be required to take and pass publishers' tests until you become an established freelancer.


4. Once you've taken a test, wait a couple of weeks. If you haven't heard back by then about your results, contact the person again. Once you do hear back, contact the person periodically—maybe every couple of weeks—with a friendly reminder that you're available to handle projects for him/her. Always approach the person from the angle of what you can do for him/her, not what he/she can do for you. Find a way to make yourself memorable. A little bit of humor works for me.


5. Build yourself a web site ASAP, and include its URL (along with other contact info) in all your correspondence, whether by snail mail or e-mail. You won't attract new clients solely with your site until it's been up for 6 months to a year. But meanwhile, it gives the potential clients whom you're contacting a place to "see" you—something to remember you by. Look at my site; look at other copyeditors'. Take notes on the site features that you think work and on the ones that you think don't work.


6. Get business cards made ASAP, and give them out to everyone everywhere. You never know which friend's friend's friend's aunt might have a gig for you. Make sure that the look and content of your business cards integrate with the look and content of your web site.


7. Create letterhead on your computer or get it designed and printed professionally. I had a professional create my logo, and I've plopped it into my web site and into my letterhead on my computer.


8. Subscribe to Freelance, an e-mail list. You'll learn about the nitty-gritty of self-employment.


9. Find a mentor. A mentor will advise you, give you reality checks, and encourage you. Make sure that in return, you mentor someone someday. We have to make the world safe for readers! :-)

Earmarks of an Editor

There's a discussion going on now on an offshoot of one of my favorite e-mail discussion lists, Copyediting-L, about how you really know when you're an editor. My entries:

1. You review your fifth-grade son's essay and use proofreader's/copyeditor's marks and then have to explain what they mean to your bewildered child.



2. You order a chime that is to hang on your home's front door and it carries a small area that can be personalized. You want to have inscribed on it the three surnames of the people in your intergenerational household. The chime arrives, and you see that the wording in the personalized area does not use the serial comma. You talk your spouse into getting out the Dremel engraving tool, and you supervise him closely so that he base-aligns the comma and gets the letterspacing just right.

Why, yes, I'm extremely detail oriented. Why do you ask? ;-)

Running Behind . . . and the Value of Apologies

Got a late start this morning, but I did get in 10 minutes of stair-stepping. Feel those calves ache! At least I now want to get up from my desk several times a day to stretch out the kinks.

One of the reasons I'm running behind was updating my church's web site. I love working on it, so I can end up playing with it all day if I don't watch out. Two of my favorite pages are here, and here.

Another of the reasons was sharing a recipe for incredibly delicious cranberry pie. It's a huge fave around my house.

And the last reason was reading an article about SorryEverybody.com, which now has more than 500 pages and is beginning to attract attention in the worldwide press. Please take the time to visit the site and see the thousands of photos of Americans apologizing to the world because Bush was put in office again. They're very touching, angry, beautiful, and amazing. I want to post a pic there ASAP. I'm frightened about the possibility of Bush's starting World War III. The man may very well bring democracy in the United States to an end.

Climbing Up the Evening

Just finished—puff, puff—another 10 minutes—pant, pant—of stair-stepping! Geez, am I ever out of shape. But I love that exercise high afterward. Nope, I'm not exaggerating. I think my body remembers that high from the last time I was race-walking regularly . . . 4 years ago! And exercising for even a few minutes sure clears out a minutia-clogged brain. It's so much easier to justify to my boss (me) working out for just a few minutes than for a whole hour. And it's easier to get back into the exercise groove a tiny bit at a time.

Soon, the kid witching hour starts. I'll bet you know just what I mean. It's that time of evening before the spousal unit who works away from home gets in, when the kids are anticipating his arrival and are getting hungry, enough to whine, shriek, fight with each other, or bug Mom. Joy! Being responsible for both working and child care, I have to stretch my workday over a span of 12 or more hours, just to get in anywhere from 5 to 7 hours of billable work done. So when the spousal unit comes home and takes over child care and making dinner, I'm still working. I won't be finished till 7. "That's horrid!" you say. No, just tiring. But my kids get an available mom and my clients get work done by their favorite copyeditor, and I don't have to pay for child care. It'll get much easier when the 3-year-old eventually goes to school. I know from experience; that's just what happened when his older brother went off to school.

And now I have to call the almost-10-year-old in from reading his book-report book in the backyard. He has to write a thank-you note to his great-aunt for an early birthday present.

Afternoon Stretch

Working away on the supplements for a college psych textbook, a long project that's gone on since August. In the background, I can hear the music and dialogue for The Jungle Book, that ancient movie I first saw as a child. My 3-year-old likes it; we like to sing along to "The Bare Necessities"—or is that "The Bear Necessities"?

My 10-year-old's school bus will be here in about an hour, and then we'll begin the homework dance:

"Time to do your homework!"

"Not now-ow! I'm in the middle of a [computer] game."

"Five more minutes, then—when the timer rings."

"Ohhhhh-ka-a-a-a-ay."

Later: "Are you done yet?"

"Not yet, Mommy! I still have to do my spelling sentences!" [said in a tone that indicates that I'm an idiot if I can't figure that out from a room away]

Getting Started

So this is my first foray into blogging. I don't expect it to be amazing. I'll mostly tell you about daily life as a freelance copyeditor, mom, and person.

Had a doctor's visit yesterday. The news about my cholesterol was truly bad—enough to make me get off my behind and exercise. I managed to do 12 minutes of stair-stepping . . . yes, on the actual stairs in my house. It actually felt good! And my friend Martha cheered me on by e-mail, so I'm feeling like trying another 10 minutes or so this aftenoon.

Ya see, I got into such bad shape by sitting for a living. I edit books and articles for medical journals, and to edit, one has to sit. Before the birth of my youngest in 2001, I used to race-walk each weekday morning. If I pushed, I could do a 13-minute mile. But with a baby and then a toddler at home, I found it really hard to get in enough hours of work each day, so exercise dropped off my to-do list. I'm hoping that if I continue the stair-stepping until spring and warm weather, I'll be fit enough to get back to race-walking. Gotta be around for my kidlets and spousal unit.

Back to paying work now!