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03
Sep 10

Spelling? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Spelling!

The sign in the picture above is on the front of a restaurant that is opening soon near my house.

Whomever is opening this restaurant is taking a gamble that their investment will pay off in the long run in the form of a successful, well-respected community hamburger joint. I’m also assuming that this person thinks they have an eye for detail that one must have to open a successful franchise.

But if you look at the bottom, left-hand corner of the sign, you’ll notice one glaring spelling error.

Now, I’m not perfect when it comes to grammar and spelling, but as a public relations professional, I’m paid to be. So when I see spelling mistakes, they jump out at me. Usually, however, they’re found in first drafts and are easily remedied.

But this one…those who are making the “big decisions” don’t have access to a dictionary? My knowledge of sign-making is sketchy, but I’d guess that this sign had to go through at least three sets of eyeballs before it was printed: the person who created the sign, somebody to review it, and the printer. (And nobody caught this?)

If you were sinking a large chunk of your bank account into a new business venture, wouldn’t you want to make sure everything was perfect before the opening?

I know it’s just a misspelled word but, to me, it says a lot about the people who own this business, and it’s a terrible first impression.

I give them six months.

(Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get down from my soapbox and take my daughter to the zoo.)

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23
May 10

What ‘Lost’ Means To Me

From the moment Jack Shephard opened his eyes and came to the realization that he had survived a plane crash on a mysterious remote island in the South Pacific, I have placed my trust and my faith in the hands of the show’s creative duo, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, to assure me — and millions of other fans — that there was something worthwhile waiting for me at the end.

And if that statement sounds almost religious in nature, well, you’re right, because, for those who have been worshipping at the altar of Lost, tonight is our Rapture.

In a lot of ways, this show, at it’s core, is about everyday life, about our dreams and our nightmares; holding out hope that everything we do is for a reason, and not the other way around; that those strange coincidences every single one of us encounters is part of a larger plan.

That, sometimes, all we need is a second chance to do good.

I’m not expecting every single mystery we’ve encountered these past 121 episodes to be answered tonight, because, Lord knows, we’ve encountered some unanswerable doozies over the years.

But it would be nice to come to know that, come 11:31 EST, my Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the past six years were not spent in vain.

That’s all I ask.

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29
Mar 10

Welcome to the new Bradmarley.com!

It seems like all of the great blogs out there are run on a WordPress platform; almost as if an aesthetically pleasing layout = great content.

Of course, we know that not to be true, but it doesn’t hurt to make your site easy on the eyes, which is what I am attempting to do with my new design.

It isn’t a Life Without Pants or a Journalistics, but it’s a start, and it beats the old layout. There will probably be more redesigns down the road as I get the hang of WordPress and CSS, but, for now, I just wanted to make the switch and get something out there.

Aside from the new platform, I have decided to make this blog a little more about my sweet spot — PR, media and technology — and less about the superflous stuff, like my NCAA tournament brackets.

It’s still a work in progress, but I have a vision. Whether that vision translates remains to be seen.

But in the meantime, I invite you to take a look around and tell me what you think.

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23
Mar 10

A Good Reason For My Absence

Hi.

If anybody who reads my blog on a regular basis wonders where I've been, I'll tell you. I'm currently up to my eyeballs in new blog switchover. It's not taking as much time as I was led to believe, but it certainly isn't a walk in the park.

I've given this blog, and the content I put in it, a lot of thought lately, and I decided that moving away from Typepad to WordPress will give me a better blogging platform, and an opportunity to "rebrand" myself.  I don't think you're going to get a new style of writing, per se, but it will definitely be more focused.

So, until the change-over is complete, I won't be writing anything here, except for the update when it's done, which I hope won't take too long.

Of course, if you want to leave a comment, I'll read it!

Thanks for your patience.

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04
Jan 10

Six New Year’s Resolutions

It seems every single blog I read over the holiday contained some form of new year's resolution.  Since I like to pick up fads at the tail end of their popularity, I thought now is the best time to share my resolutions.

Six of them, to be precise.

1. Be myself.

They say the hardest part about blogging is finding your voice. I've been at this for almost eleven months and there are still times when I click to publish and it looks like somebody else wrote the post. I plan to nip that in the bud in twenty ten.

2. Start watching Mad Men.

Okay. There has to be a reason why everybody I know on Facebook watches this show. Like I said above, I like grabbing onto fads as they flame out, so getting up to speed before season 4 starts should be par for the course. [Editor's note: He started watching last night.]

3. Learn how to play the guitar.

Because everybody needs one resolution they will give up halfway through the year, if not sooner.

4. Invent the first brain-to-PC thought processing software.

My best blog ideas always hit when I'm in the shower or driving to work, never when I'm sitting in front of my computer. The only way to fix this problem is if I implant something in my brain that allows me to send a blog entry back to my computer via my brain waves. Sounds simple.

5. Create "The List" with my wife.

It's a proven fact that every couple has a secret list of celebrities — usually five– that they would leave their spouse for, written jointly with the understanding that if a celeb on that list propositions your spouse, they are free to run away with no strings attached. My wife and I don't have one but it's high time we do. After all, 2010 could be the year I bump into Jenna Fischer at Trader Joe's.

6. Post at least 2x a week.

The blogging rules dictate you have to blog at least three times per week to stay relevant, but I think that's reserved for people who want to become professional bloggers (whatever that means.) I'm not here to make a living. Unless, of course, you're an agent who likes what you've read so far and you think "The Life of Brad Marley: The True Story Of a Newbie Blogger" has "blockbuster" written all over it. In that case, send me an e-mail. If not, know that I will strive to provide something twice weekly, even if I let my daughter pound the keyboard for 20 minutes.

What are your resolutions that will inevitably be broken?

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