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Dark Side No More

I remember being young in my 20s and disregarding the entire profession of marketing and PR work as unnecessary. Those of us who considered ourselves true journalists considered this the “dark side.” Anyone who moved on from a journalism role, particularly print newspapers, were deemed as going to the dark side. We were so young then. Only after I grew up, into my 30s, did I realize that marketing and PR work was necessary. Even in journalism. You can’t have one without the other. Journalism needs branding, marketing, PR to sell itself. You can’t have one without the other. But even then, good journalism - even the best, whether it’s hyper-local, national, or global - isn’t guaranteed to succeed or survive. Only in the most recent years, did it dawn on me that the line between marketing and journalism really doesn’t matter as much as I thought - particularly in the context of existing in this world. People need the ability to afford to live, pay their bills, pay their taxes, pay mortga...
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Recent posts

Crashing Change and Cracks in the Glass

A loud crash rang out in the middle of the night, shattering the nighttime silence and jolting me from my nighttime slumber. The dog suddenly began barking, growling, leaping up from his pillow bed to sprint toward the front of the house and any potential danger. The clock said 4 am. As it happened, I was partially awake because my pump had run out of insulin and started beeping at me shortly before this mystery noise. So while I was dozing in and out, I wasn’t fully asleep. Unsure of what the noise might be, I arose to investigate. Walked to each room to look for the possible culprit. Turned on lights. Inspected the rooms carefully. No broken dishes. No clear signs anything had fallen off the walls. No shelves collapsing. Nothing had appeared to fall off a table. Looking out the windows, nothing appeared to be clearly wrong. And so, I soothed the dog, calming him down and we went back to sleep. Only the next morning when entering my home office to begin the day, with coffee cup in han...
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Cover Letter to ADA

Dear American Diabetes Association Leadership (those who remain): I am writing to formally apply for a communications and marketing leadership role at the American Diabetes Association (ADA). With a clear understanding that you hadn’t specifically posted about this particular opening, it’s clear you need to create and fill this role immediately. My understanding of the position’s title:  Marketing & Communications Leader (with Backbone Included). Given the ADA’s masterclass in brand self-destruction that recently unfolded at your 2026 Scientific Sessions in NOLA, it’s obvious that your PR department is either unqualified, hiding under a desk, or still drunk from all the hours spent on Bourbon Street instead of managing the conference communications. As a veteran journalist, editor, and media leader with more than 25 years of experience, I’m a perfect fit for what you need. Honestly, you can’t afford to wait. My CV offers what the ADA is clearly lacking right now: a backbon...
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Employment Anxiety Abound

Count this one as a personal journal entry. Complete with ranting and raving about the job market, health insurance needs, and the state of political and economic affairs. It’s my blog and all write what I want to. I came across a work assignment, not too long ago that instantly brought anxiety and fear, followed by lingering mental health concern about my own employment. The assignment name: “How to manage depression after a job loss.” Well, fuuuuuuuuck. Thankfully, then and since then and now and for as much as I can predict any day into the future, my job security appears to be intact. That’s not saying much these days, and it’s about as predictable and guaranteeable as the Michigan weather in March or November. (See also: not at all.) For context, my career position is a mid-level edger and writer for a health information site. By and large, I’ve been doing much of the same thing in a similar way since 2012, with team and focus shifts on a semi-periodic basis since 2022. ...
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Jeepers Peepers: An Eve Harvesting Conspiracy

An eye specialist recruits people with diabetes who have retinopathy & glaucoma into his practice to evaluate. His name is Dr Fruit. He tells concerned patients not to worry, that despite all their preexisting eye condition issues they’ve had, their eyes are fine and “perfect,” as much as they can be given everything else. As it turns out, it’s a ruse. A ploy to lull people into complacency, so their eyes will eventually expire and need to be plucked out. So he can then harvest them and grow alongside fresh apples in his garden. And eventually sell on the black eye market. 👀 🍎 😉 Wow. Just imagine that. Meeting Dr Eye Fruit I step back from the tale being crafted in my brain, reflecting on the eye doctor appointment. The spacious medical office had an open layout, almost designed to be a production line of eye patients moving in and out. Moving from each point on the production line, before eventually meeting with Dr. Fruit. He’s older, more distinguished than his young, clean-sh...
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Why Treating a Low Blood Sugar Is Dangerous During the Holidays

May this post explain why treating a low blood sugar during the holiday season is such a dangerous feat — especially when you work remotely from home. Bottom line: Holiday cookies and treats, Yes, these are double-edged dough swords. They are glorious but also quite troublesome for those who may not have the strongest willpower. And yes, that applies even more during Low blood sugars when you're not thinking clearly and can't focus on resisting those baked temptations of awesomeness. My wife has a long-held tradition of "cookie weekend" with an old childhood friend. This means she disappears for much of the first December weekend to bake. Upon returning, dozens upon dozens of cookies appear. Once the new workweek begins, she scampers off to her office. As do I — my office just happens to be in a nearby room in the house. Every time I go to refill my coffee cup, get food, monitor the dog's activities in the rest of the house, or just walk by the kitchen counters, I...
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