From the Observation Deck

 2. Learn how to call a pig the right way and you won’t attract the “wrong kind of pork.”

 3. Track the areas of big outbreaks using HealthMap and flee those areas immediately. Don’t worry about your wheelchair-bound grandmother—it’s every pig for themselves!

 4. Reduce stress. Yup, the economy is in the tank, you’re 401k is missing in action, you may or may not have a job, and all the good TV shows are ending in a couple of weeks. But don’t stress! It’s only a pandemic people.

 5. Go back to the Y2K days. Do you still have all your propane tanks, bottled water, canned goods, generators, and most importantly—duct tape? Be prepared—duct tape your doors and windows before it’s too late. And drink lots of water—that’s what the doctor always suggests.

Let me begin by saying that today’s headline was stolen from an episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine (DS9) and, well…it sounds cool. As it relates to this post, I think I can stretch it enough to work.

Let’s think how we have gotten ourselves into this nice little economic mess we’re in. Some of it was from treachery—bankers being the numero uno target of blame. And some was from just plain material obsession leading to credit debt.

Faith is what many of us are holding on to. Me? I’ve put my faith in God and he has given me the confidence and security that it will all work out.  But keep reading and you’ll hear a tale (no pun intended) about an awesome dog named Faith.

And the great river? In the DS9 episode, it’s a phrase that relates to the great material continuum—essentially the bartering of goods to get what you need. It’s actually pretty funny in the show and a good way to save money in this economy. One DS9 reviewer gives a glimpse of it and states, “Nog temporarily loans Sisko’s desk out to a man who ‘likes to take pictures of himself sitting behind the desks of famous Starfleet captains.’ And Bashir [lends] playful sarcasm at O’Brien’s desperate idea to replace Sisko’s missing desk with a different desk. ‘It’s white, it’s the wrong shape, it’s the wrong height, it’s the wrong width. But other than that, it’s perfect. The captain will never suspect you switched desks on him.’ ” My apologies if you aren’t a Trek fan, but I couldn’t resist. Navigating the river of life can be treacherous for some, and for others it’s just plain fun.

 So here’s an idea on how we can deal with Treachery, Faith, and the Great River. The inspiration of today’s post is an amazing dog named Faith. Her owner, Jude Stringfellow, wouldn’t give up on this dog with only two legs to walk on. She taught Faith to walk on her two hind legs and now Faith is famous. Stringfellow says “that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul.” Yes ma’am!

 Let’s overcome the effects of treachery and material obsessions. Think about turning the tide and helping those who are more needy than you. Help animals like Faith, people in your own neighborhood, and even your own environment by clicking on the links below and taking action.

•  Support National Animal Rescue Day! Sign a petition to get Congress to enact a day that will help build awareness for animals who need a home and want to love you. Even better—adopt a pet of your own.
•  Find a local charity and give your time or money to help someone in your community.
•  One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Through freecycle you can easily communicate with people in your area and post requests for what you need or give someone an item you have laying around that you don’t need anymore. Stop filling up the landfills! Someone may be able to use what you have.  

 May the river bring you some joy! Got a charity you feel close to? Let us know in the comments section.

If you haven’t yet visited the FAIL blog, then shame on you. Not only is it hilarious, it’s a wonderful example of the need for all of us to think about how we communicate. Every time I go into the local Shoppers Food Warehouse I get a laugh. And not just because they have an awesome ad for their donuts. (These donuts eat other donuts for breakfast.) I laugh when I’m in the check-out line where I see an instruction fail on their credit card machine.

Instruction FAIL

This is a good example of the need to have editors look over your work before launching a product. Strict attention to detail can be a pain to some—especially in our fast-food, texting, road rage society—but I think it’s about time to break out the pencils and teach our kids how to use them.

I’m going to have myself a little rebellion—you may even say tantrum—against laziness. I realize that languages evolve, new words get introduced, and with some technology there is a need for brevity (Twitter anyone?). But trying to decipher some of the e-mails I get or the notes on my Facebook wall from people who really aren’t paying attention is just plain annoying.

Okay, tantrum over. But seriously folks, I know that even I don’t catch everything in my own posts but please, before sending your message, click on the little icon, you know the one with the ABC check mark. It won’t catch everything, but it could help your reader’s eyes a bit. And if you’re a marketer or communications professional, or just someone selling content, you most definitely should be checking your work. The fastest way to lose credibility and loyalty is to show you’re lazy or don’t care.

 I know all you texters out there are calling me a dinosaur. Don’t care—it’s my blog. If you have something to say about it, then please make a comment. And try to spell out your words if you can remember how.