I don't know, either.

I think the Wal-Mart near my house meant to spell out prescription on the marquis out front, not perscription. I hope the pharmacists there are more careful with their work... ...<< MORE >>

Follow me at www.twitter.com/LisaMunniksma.

Read my tweets as managing editor for Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home magazines. ...<< MORE >>

I was amused on a recent shopping trip when I found the following sign throughout the aisles of a national-chain shoe store. It's not funny, for sure, because of the chain of people who looked at this sign and then decided to hang it anyway: the slogan writer, sign designer, printer, national marketing manager, store manager, and each and every employee in that store.

The errant apostrophe was too good—not to mention obvious—to not share here.


...<< MORE >>

My horse got hurt a few weeks ago, and I realized of all of the first-aid items I had with his belongings, I hadn't grabbed extra leg wraps. (They were in another state with another horse.) I had one set of leg wraps, so he was good to go in his small paddock for the night, but with a forecast of steady rain, I knew he'd need a clean, dry set in the morning.

On the way home from the barn, I called Information and was put in touch with three farm- and horse-supply stores in the area. I knew they'd be closed when I called, but I wanted to know how early I could get there in the morning. Of the three stores I called, none had their retail hours on their answering machines. One didn't have an answering machine at all.

I've never done a formal poll, so I can't say this is the truth for sure, but if someone is calling your business after it's closed, they probably would like to know when you're open so they can, say, do business with you. Don't you think? Normal office hours of a service business are 8 - 5, so people would just know to call between those hours. But not every retail operation has similar business hours.

Putting your hours of operation on your website and your answering machine makes sense to me as a consumer. It probably makes sense to your other customers, too.

        

Unwanted horses is one of  the biggest—if not the biggest overall—issues facing the horse industry today. If you care about the welfare of horses, please take a minute to take this survey. You can read more about it below.


Unwanted Horse Coalition Survey

You are likely aware of the problem of thousands of unwanted and abandoned horses in the United States. Some say the problem is an epidemic, however, much remains unknown. The first step toward a solution is to gather and examine the facts.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is launching a nationwide survey of the problem and we're asking for participation from horse owners, equine associations, veterinarians, breeders, state and local law enforcement, and rescue groups. Our goal is to hear from everyone interested in the welfare of horses, which is why I'm asking for the support of every AHC chapter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO PERSONALLY. Please take the UHC national online survey by going online at http://survey.ictgroup.com/uhcsurvey/. Your answers will be confidential.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SPREAD THE WORD. Please inform your members and constituencies about the UHC survey and encourage them to take the survey. To make it easy, we've developed templates you can customize and use in newsletters, publications and Web sites.

CAN WE COUNT ON YOU? If you can promote the survey to your members and constituencies, please let us know by checking in online today. You'll be asked to answer a few quick questions to help us keep the project running smoothly. This Web site also provides quick access to all of the marketing templates. If you have any problems opening or downloading these files, please call Cathy McCormick at Stephens & Associates at 913-661-0910, Ext. 115 for technical assistance.

Thank you in advance for your help. With feedback from every corner of the horse industry, we believe this is a first and crucial step in finding the solution for this devastating problem.

As the national association representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington, D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent equine interests and opportunities. Organized in 1969, the AHC promotes and protects the industry by communicating with Congress, federal agencies, the media and the industry on behalf of all horse related interests each and every day.                       

The AHC is member supported by individuals and organizations representing virtually every facet of the horse world from owners, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, breed registries and horsemen's associations to horse shows, race tracks, rodeos, commercial suppliers and state horse councils.

        

I spell-checked that last post before I made it live (a good policy, and one I might suggest for some other blogs I've read...), and I had to laugh at this:

"Blogging" isn't recognized by the spell check function on my blogging software. Really. Irony. ...<< MORE >>

I'm big on change. I love it. Too much of the same-old makes me sleepy. I wrote earlier about taking a three-month blogging hiatus for a cross-country move (big change)—and I just finished another!

Back in Kentucky now, I've signed on with Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home magazines as managing editor. I just wrapped up my first month, and I can say I'm hooked. I'm still freelancing my writing, editing and media relations, just less frequently now, as I do still need to sleep on occasion.

I hope to continue blogging on this sporadically occasional basis I've managed to establish. ...<< MORE >>

Garage sale shopping is not my thing. I love a bargain, but getting a quality item from a garage sale can take a good deal of effort. Likewise, holding a successful garage sale takes effort and, believe it or not, marketing.

I was asked to go to some garage sales yesterday and reluctantly agreed. A whole community was offering garage sales at homes throughout the winding streets and seemingly countless cul-de-sacs. I wondered how in the world residents manage to find their ways in and out of the development, let alone one-time visitors to their sales.

Upon entering the community, ...<< MORE >>

The English language is funny. Not ha-ha funny but weird funny. Why do so many words have similar spelling but really mean very different things? I was reminded of one recently when I saw misuse of the word "premiere."

Premiere is the first public showing. As in: The movie's Paris premiere was a flop.

Premier is the best. Such as: She is the premier chef in Lincoln.

Expect to hear about more of these from me. It's like my public service announcement for the communicating masses. ...<< MORE >>

A brochure I wrote last year was reprinted in Japanese for a trade mission to Japan. That was pretty cool! Of course, I don't speak, read or write a lick of Japanese, so when my client asked to have this project printed, I went to someone who could translate the materials for us.

I received a letter in the mail this week inviting me to an event in Germany. I have to wonder if the event organizers paid someone to translate their letter or if they used one of those free online translators. If they paid someone, I hope they didn't pay very ...<< MORE >>