Monday, January 24, 2005

Canada NewsWire has new name and logo

Canada Newswire has announced a new name and logo with its press release. It is now known as "CNW Group". The logo is an orange underlined "c" in a circle. They say it is a variation on the copyright symbol. I'm not sure why that would be desirable in a logo. Didn't I say something earlier about orange becoming fashionable during difficult times since it is the colour of optimism? Hmmm.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Books for Business has new site

Our favourite work-related bookstore, Books for Business, has revamped their website. Now it is more than just tombstone details, including photos of the friendly faces who serve us, plus they are adding a "shop online" feature. The shop online doesn't seem to be fully functioning just yet, since I couldn't find a book online so called them and of course they had it, so I expect this is just being set up. Overall the redesigned site looks fresh, cheerful and helpful.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Say Cheese, Google!

Article talking about enhancements to Picasa, Google's electronic photo service that I have used to add photos to this site: Fool.com: Say Cheese, Google! [Motley Fool Take] January 18, 2005. I want to come back to this article to see what enhancements have been made. I have been contemplating switching to another service I found the other day.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

What Do Your Clients Really Think of You?

I finally--FINALLY!--have time to do a little extracurricular (or, perhaps more accurately, extra curricular) reading. Found this excellent article on the Canadian Bar Association website:
What Do Your Clients Really Think of You? by Ann Macaulay.

It goes into detail about what clients really think of their lawyers, mostly negative things clients experience but are too shy to mention directly to their lawyers, and then gives recommendations for specific things to work on to improve in those areas.

An excellent article to pass along to the lawyers in your life, but also excellent for those of us in other service areas as many of the lessons can be related. For example, when a client calls for help, never talk about how busy you are with other work, since it gives the impression his/her work is going to get a low priority. Macaulay gives some specific ways to handle this situation when you really ARE too busy to handle the client's work immediately. Good stuff.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Sound Bytes/Sound Rights: Canada at the Crossroads of Copyright Law

One-day conference being held at University of Toronto on February 11, 2005 called: Sound Bytes/Sound Rights: Canada at the Crossroads of Copyright Law. They will be looking at the future of copyright law in Canada, especially regarding music and entertainment.

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Update - Tsunami Relief Info

I'm glad my posting last week was of help to others. I sent it out before contact info was readily available in the media. Getting onto all those websites was difficult since, happily, so many people were making donations.

For an updated list of organizations taking donations from Canadians, I refer you to CBC's webpage. Don't forget bank branches will also take monetary donations and, for those in Toronto, police stations as well.

Canadian Government announcements regarding tsunami relief and foreign aid. Excerpt from that page:

>>>
Until the UN donor conference in mid-January [January 11, 2005], when needs will be reassessed, the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency is matching dollar for dollar contributions that individuals make to recognized Canadian non-government organizations already involved in responding to the disaster in South and Southeast Asia. Some of these organizations include:

Canadian Red Cross
World Vision Canada
Doctors Without Borders
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam Quebec
CARE Canada
UNICEF Canada
Development and Peace
Save the Children
>>>

As well, the date Canadians can claim donations on our 2004 income tax has been extended to January 11, 2005. See the announcement from the Dept. of Finance.

Let's do our best to make 2005 a happy new year for everyone!

Why So Generous?

The question is being asked in the media: why have individual Canadians been so generous with monetary donations for tsunami relief?

I believe there are three major reasons:

- we have seen the devastation immediately in the media. We see film footage (including horrifying amateur videos) continuously on television, and whole sections of our newspapers devoted to personal stories and developments on the emergency relief and foreign aid front;

- the continual images of destruction, death and people in need sharply contrast with the bounty many of us have experienced in this holiday season. Getting luxury items, clothing, a handful of gift cards and Christmas money suddenly seems horribly out of whack with the reality experienced by the rest of the world; and

- the ability to easily make donations to major relief organizations by credit card over the Internet. It is easy to get carried away with one's emotions and donate significantly more than usual. In this case, this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I've also heard it said that people are feeling more generous because of the "holiday spirit". Perhaps this is so, but I expect most people feel generous at least to their immediate circle of friends and family most of the time. To give generously to people in need on the other side of the world, we have had to feel something extraordinary.

I believe many people's eyes were opened with the tragedy of September 11, 2001. This greater loss may have solidified the Western World's general understanding of how we are all needed to support each other on this little blue marble called "Earth". I only hope we don't forget this generosity of spirit.