Susan Finch Solutions

I have cool clients that inspire me to push harder.

Jack Perry, sent me this with Matt Perry at about the 59 second mark of the video.  It's funny because I wrote about this same Time Magazine article recently.  I had no idea My frient, Matt could jump this high.  Thanks Matt, Jack and Wade or always being the cheerleaders by example and deed.

This was posted in OC Family Magazine online:

TIME magazine recently featured a story titled, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” I understand certain points explored in the article and admit that I too have indulged in something I may not eat on a regular basis after a grueling workout (not going to say what sinful morsels I snack on 'cause my trainer is no doubt reading this). But, I will defend myself and state that these situations are very rare and that my gluttonous snacks are not all that bad – in moderation (frozen yogurt, avocados, nuts, peanut butter).

Women's Equality Day?? Take the Quiz.

OK, so today is "Women's Equality Day." But what does that mean for tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that? Every day is equality day at ProofreadNOW, so forget about patronizing and just get all the day's definitions correct.


1. beldam:
(a) a young woman;
(b) a woman supervising female prisoners (as in a prison);
(c) an old woman;
(d) a female relative.

2. calash:
(a) a large hood worn by women in the 18th century;
(b) the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work;
(c) a female servant in eastern and southern Asia;
(d) a female spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die.

3. doula:
(a) an elderly woman;
(b) a woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth;
(c) a female attendant who retrieves balls for players or officials (as in a tennis match or a baseball or basketball game);
(d) a female adopted child.

4. modiste:
(a) one who makes and sells fashionable dresses and hats for women;
(b) placing a moderate estimate on one's abilities or worth;
(c) marked by attentive concern and solicitude;
(d) a woman who is the superior of a convent of nuns.

5. colleen:
(a) a girl who is an attendant of a bride;
(b) a flower girl at a wedding;
(c) an Irish girl;
(d) a woman employed in a dairy.

6. fatti maschii, parole femine:
(a) deeds are males, words are females;
(b) manly deeds, womanly words;
(c) the state motto of Maryland;
(d) all of the above.

7. Electra complex:
(a) the Oedipus complex when it occurs in a female;
(b) phobia for sleeping late;
(c) propensity to mourn the slightest loss;
(d) a penchant for vacuuming.

8. Pygmalion:
(a) Greek god of transformation;
(b) a king of Cyprus who makes a female figure of ivory that is brought to life for him by Aphrodite;
(c) a young woman making her formal entrance into society;
(d) pseudonym of Henry Higgins.

9. haute couture:
(a) a woman of high social standing or rank;
(b) a school in which the rudiments of reading and writing were taught by a woman in her own home;
(c) an act of civility, respect, or reverence made mainly by women and consisting of a slight lowering of the body with bending of the knees;
(d) the houses or designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions for women.

10. rebozo:
(a) a pretty but often empty-headed young woman;
(b) a long scarf worn chiefly by Mexican women;
(c) a naive girl or young woman;
(d) encore performance in a clown act.

If errors in printed publications are making you hysterical, ProofreadNOW has the soothing solution to your everyday problems. We examine the spelling, punctuation, and clarity of your ad, proposal, Web page, brochure, or anything else in print. We'll nurture your inner drive for perfection and care for your documents in a way that brings a smile to your face.

Read the rest for the answers.

Are you sure about when to use who or whom?

From my friends at ProofreadNOW

Most people are confused at least some of the time about using who or whom. Most grammar books tell you how to use who, whom, whoever, and whomever correctly. But the following discourse is the best we've ever seen. Yes, it is long, and it takes some effort to read and grasp. But the author's examples and reasoning are stellar. Take some time to read it - come back later if you can't read it in one sitting - and get it down pat so you'll be the best writer you can be. This is one of the major installments of GT in our drive to reverse the dumbing down of English the world over. Please join us!

CB Technologies, Inc. Launches their new site

CB Technologies in Garden Grove, California launched their new CMS site.  I had a lot of fun creating a new look and walking them through all of the added functions of their CMS, Mura.  They wanted to show each of the major focus areas through strong visuals on the home page.  We created a flash movie that gave the high-tech look and spotlighted their three major focus areas.

They are all pleased. They are also happy with how quickly they are able to add and distribute content.

This site holds a special place in my heart because one of the partners of CB Technologies, Deb Torturo, and I were in school together since Jr. High. I felt honored that she asked me to bid on the project and then awarded it to me.

CB Technologies was honored by The Boeing Company to be interviewed on the half-hour magazine format show, Making It! The show aired April 2008. CB Technologies provides hardware configuration, acquisition, delivery, and installation of HP linux, unix, and windows server products. You can learn more about CB Technologies and their partners here.

Bid and Quote Etiquette - Take 5 Minutes

I've noticed a surge in quotes I'm being asked to give on projects of varying sizes and scopes. Some of the quotes take minutes and some take many hours to research and prepare.  What I've also noticed is that I end up being the one to follow up to see if my bid was accepted or not.

If you are the one asking companies and contractors to bid on projects, please have the courtesy to let them all know, even through a BCC, that they were not selected.  It's a simple courtesy to thank them for their time in submitting the bid or scope.  It also allows these companies to cross it off their list of potential projects.

Recently, I've put several printing projects out to bid.  Once the printer was selected, I sent the ones not chosen a short note of thanks to let them know I appreciated their time.  It was a polite way to inform them that they were not selected.  In return I received many notes of thanks.  Many said that it's rare to receive such a note, where it used to be standard practice.

We are all in a hurry to fill the day with the most productive activities to generate business.  We need to remember to take the extra few minutes to thank those whom we asked them to drop everything and quote on a project for their time and efforts.  Their time is as valuable as yours.  It just takes a few minutes and will have a positive ripple effect. 

Use the BCC option, it's there to keep you from ticking people off.

I admit it, I do it - I find some terribly funny item that must be shared.  But, I clean it up first.  PLEASE if you forward emails - remember to remove all of the other lists of those who it was sent to in the thread.  It's an issue of privacy and respect for those in your lists.

Golden Rule applies here:  Do unto others....

Would you want your email forwarded, and forwarded around and around to strangers?  Remove it.

When you send your humor, prose, advice and weekly updates, use the BCC field in your email client.  If you don't know what that is - FIND OUT. If you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Thunderbird, various SmarterMail and webmail programs, do a search in the help area to find how to have it ALWAYS visible when you compose a new message, forward or reply.

6 Tips For Creating a Memorable Landing Page

Many times we get so caught up in features, exact font sizes, how it matches to the mock up, we forget to focus on how the visitor will experience your site and how much of over-thinking of one pixel here and there can prevent you from truly having a memorable home page that is worthy of being forwarded.

It's just wrong to knock-off the Girl Scouts!

Mom Accuses Walmart of Going After Girl Scouts
Says Retailer Rolls Out Private-Label 'Fake' Thin Mints, Tagalongs

By Jack Neff

"The exclusivity of Girl Scout cookies is what makes the cookies really sell," Ms. Harquail writes. "But now, Walmart is shoving itself in front of these little girls, and knocking on your door to sell you their almost-as-good fake Thin Mints and fake Tagalongs, whenever you want them."

This is a case of a good story getting passed around. Sure, we aren't very fond of Wal-Mart's practices in so many areas AND Wal-Mart gives back, offers lower priced items of varying qualities to those that are most price-conscious.  

As many people do - we react to headlines - the sound bite, the one photo with caption without taking the time for the full story, both sides or to check the facts.  We are too rushed or not interested in the truth, just the initial sensationalism of the story.  I have to admit, I fall into that category from time-to-time.  I was sucked into reading this story AND all comments following it because of the headline that arrived in my inbox. It made me click.  You are reading this because the my own headline made you click. It worked.