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Of Musings and Wonderings

{December 1, 2012}   Leaping From The Page: Resistance

Just over four years ago, I went on a little adventure. Well, it felt like an adventure at the time. It was the furthest I had travelled on my own. The build up to it was exciting, as I felt I’d more than earned the trip to Ty Newydd, having won my place in a local writing contest. (Which involved me reading a short story in front of a theatre full of people. One of the scariest things I had ever done.) Anyway, I jumped on the train at Cardiff, and stepped off hours later – having travelled out of Wales, into England, and back into Wales – in Bangor. There, I was picked up and driven to Ty Newydd Writer’s Centre itself. It was an experience I will never forget, and it cemented in me the idea that I had, without a doubt, picked the right course to do at University the following year.

(As a side note, if you ever get the chance, do go there. It’s a beautiful house, with a beautiful garden, and the writing course itself was brilliant. The two running the one I went to were more than encouraging, and they gave me the sort of push that still keeps me going.)

One of the things I really liked were the books. There were so many there; a small library has books you can read at will, and there’s a bookshelf dedicated to books you can buy. It’s on a stair case, so coming down it one day I spotted a cover that caught my eye. Glancing at the blurb, I decided to give it a shot, and brought it.

I completely fell in love with this book.

It tells the story of a small Welsh farming village, where the women wake up one day to find the men have disappeared. Struggling to come to terms with it, and struggling to keep the farms going, the women band together and push through. That is, until a small band of German soldiers turn up, looking for something. The main plot – focusing on Sarah – runs alongside the story of George, a young man recruited almost as a spy, for those willing to fight against the German invasion of the UK.

Oh, yeah, did I mention that the novel takes place during World War Two, in an alternative reality where the Nazis have invaded the UK? No? Well, now you know. As it turns out, the men have left the women to join a resistance group, dedicated to doing anything possible to make it difficult for the Germans to remain. They blow up bridges and railways, they move into caves stocked with weapons. And this part of the novel is based on real plans in place during WWII, made in case the German army did reach Britain’s shores.

The book brilliantly reflects the setting, the time-period and the emotions the women go through. Everything ties in together, and Owen Sheers has a brilliant skill of really being able to draw you in. In just a few pages, you really care for these characters. You want the men to come back because you want them to be happy. And, as the book goes on, Sarah’s confusion between wanting her husband back, wanting him safe (though it’s not clear if the safest place would be at home or away) and her feelings for one of the German soldiers, seeps in. I remember struggling to decide if I wanted Tom to walk back in or wanted Sarah to run off with the soldier.

And Sheers does something I, personally, have seen few male writers do; he writes brilliant female characters. They remain realistic, and strong. And that’s important. The women learn to cope on their own, remaining stubborn in the face of the soldiers but realising that, actually, neither group can survive without the other. It’s interesting to see how they react to the invaders and, indeed, to see the invader’s reactions to their own situation.

Each character is human, and in a novel dealing with Nazi soldiers in World War Two, that’s an amazing feat. They’re not evil, or cruel. None of the characters involved are. Each person is shown just as someone trying to cope in a difficult situation and, again, Sheers writes it brilliantly.

So, yes, I loved the book. Which meant when they announced it was being filmed (with Michael Sheen and Iwan Rheon) I was pretty excited. Beneath this excitement, there were reservations. It’s hard to see how much of the book could be translated to the big screen, as much of it focuses on the emotions of the characters. There’s little action, and part of me hoped they would actually show some of the scenes that are left out of the book; it would have been interesting if they could fit in some of the work carried out by the men in the resistance, rather than have most of it conveyed by second-hand news as it is in the book.

From Misfit super-hero to Nazi fighting post-boy

From Misfit super-hero to Nazi fighting post-boy

This does not happen. In fact, a lot of the tension that Sheers conveys so well in the book disappears. Much of the film drags, and a lot of what makes the characters so relatable, so realistic, and so easy to care about, seems to have been stripped away. Sarah’s writing to Tom quickly becomes boring and over-used, and whereas in the book we see the women taking care of the farms, there is little of that in the film. In the book, they struggle, then overcome this, before winter hits and makes things much more complicated. In the book, it’s at this point where the soldiers step in to help. Not because the women can’t handle the farms, but because the winter makes it harder to do the chores single-handedly. The film jumps from struggling to soldiers stepping in, meaning the female characters aren’t shown at their strongest.

This is especially true of Sarah. Andrea Riseborough plays the main character as a moody, moping woman, who does nothing but move from scene to scene and act hard done by. The book’s version is, of course, hard done by, but she rises above it with the knowledge that she and the other women are in the same position. In the film, there’s little interaction between the women, so the community aspect of it is lost.

Slightly more expressions than Kristen Stewart.

Slightly more expressions than Kristen Stewart.

The relationship between Sarah and Albrecht is built up slowly in the book, and it feels natural. It has all the complications you would expect of a woman in an occupied country and one of the occupying soldiers, but throughout it you can almost feel the same glimmer of hope the characters must be feeling. In the film, this disappears. Instead, it feels like in one scene Sarah is shutting Albrecht out, and in the next she’s wandering through the valley with him, looking mildly happy. It feels almost forced, rushed, and the inner emotions of the character struggling to come to terms with her feelings just isn’t conveyed well to screen.

The one thing I will say for the film is that the scenery is beautiful. It captures the changing landscape of the Welsh valley, even when it fails in doing the same for the characters.

Oh, yeah, and one other point – the best scenes were, by far, those with Iwan Rheon and/or Michael Sheen. They, out of the whole cast, not only had the best characters in the film but some of the best dialogue; Rheon, especially, played George so that, as a viewer, you really felt for him. Sheen’s portryal of Tommy Atkins showed a man willing to do anything for his country, and in both you could see men fighting – in different ways – for what they believed in.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone, well worth a read, but unless you’re a fan of lengthy, boring period-drama films with little happening, stay away from the film adaptation.

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Sunday, January 29, 2017

What can happen when you have a President that's reckless and irresponsible

Stuff like this.

Justin Elliott, Trump Ban Leaves 12-Year-Old Girl Facing Return to War-Torn Yemen ProPublica 01/29/2017:

Ahmed Ali spent Sunday at a hotel near Djibouti’s International Airport, anxiously checking CNN on his phone to see if the Trump Administration would allow him to fly to the United States with Eman, his 12-year-old daughter.

Ali, 39, is a U.S. citizen. But his daughter had been living with grandparents in Yemen while American authorities processed her visa application. After years of waiting, the U.S. embassy issued the precious piece of paper last Wednesday, and father and daughter were excitedly preparing Friday for the flight that would unite Eman with her mother and two sisters.

They got through security at the airport before an official informed them that people with a Yemeni passport, like Eman, were prohibited from traveling to the U.S. by the executive order President Donald Trump says is needed to keep the country safe from terrorism.

“I got shocked because I don’t know what I have to do,” Ali said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “I can’t take her back to Yemen. And I can’t leave her here by herself — she is only 12 years old.”
We're talking about the 12-year-old daughter of an American citizen here.

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Blog / Series / Get Real

Get Real

eating real butter and cheese

Cheese and Butter the Other Staples

On June 24, 2012 by Erin Fullam

What should you look for when you are purchasing real butter and real cheese? Check out these tips for finding the best of these dairy staples.

cultured dairy basics

Cultured Dairy Basics

On June 17, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Wardeh Harmon from GNOWFLINS comes and educates us on making our own cultured dairy!

the facts on real milk

Pouring out the facts on milk

On June 10, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Milk is a highly debated topic even among real foodies. Today we walk through your options available in stores, at markets, and through local farms.

how to buy eggs

The Incredible Edible Egg

On June 6, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Egg cartons can be confusing and consuming at the markets these days. Cage free, pasture raised, organic, what’s best? Here’s a post to help you navigate!

OAMM Get Real Series

May Recap

On May 31, 2012 by Erin Fullam

To get ready for summer grilling, our topics this month for get real have been purchasing quality beef and pork. Here’s a review.

how to purchase local grass-fed beef

How to Purchase Local Grass-Fed Beef

On May 29, 2012 by Kelly

As you set out to buy grass-fed beef, you may feel intimidated. Here are some simple steps and questions to ask as you begin the process.

Whole foods vegetarian meat substitutes

Whole Food Meat Alternatives

On May 20, 2012 by Kelly

Even though our focus is on beef and pork this month, we’re talking about meat-less substitutes today with our vegetarian writer Kristi!

making beef choices

Making the Right Beef Choices

On May 13, 2012 by Kelly

Today we welcome our blog partner this month Vanessa of Chefdruck Musing to give us the tips on beef and how to make the best choices!

how to purchase pork

Pressing Questions on Pork

On May 6, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Vanessa of Chefdruk walks us through some of the most commonly asked questions when purchasing real, wholesome pork and pork products.

get real - buying pork and beef

Welcome to May!

On May 4, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Beef and pork are hot topics for transitioning to a real foods lifestyle. This month we will discuss these staple proteins and how to choose the best quality.

eat a variety of produce

Eat the rainbow

On April 29, 2012 by Erin Fullam

How much color is on your plate? Is it from fruits and vegetables? If not what’s your excuse? START TODAY!

Don't Compost It Cook It Ebook

Don’t Compost It, Cook it eBook

On April 26, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Is it possible to create ZERO WASTE while cooking? YES! Come see how with a new eBook from An Apple A Day, Don’t Compost It, Cook It!

Get Real Shop Farmers Markets Like a Pro

Shop Farmer’s Markets Like A Pro

On April 22, 2012 by Kelly

The farmer’s market can be intimidating, but these seven simple tips will help you shop farmer’s markets like a pro and bring home lovely, local produce.

beginner container gardening

Beginning with Container Gardening {Giveaway}

On April 18, 2012 by Erin Fullam

Today we’re partnering up with to show you that even in the smallest space, leased or owned, you can embrace Spring with beginner container gardening.


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One-Minute Book Reviews

November 20, 2008

Why Were So Many More Nonfiction Books Than Novels Nominated for the 2008 National Book Awards? (Late Night With Jan Harayda)

It costs $125 to nominate a book for a National Book Award. Why were so many more publishers willing to pay it for nonfiction than for fiction or poetry?

Do recent nonfiction books outshine novels? Many critics think so. And publishers seem to agree, based on their willingness to pay the $125-per-book entry fee for the National Book Awards.

The prize sponsor reports that in 2008 publishers nominated the following numbers of books by category: 540, nonfiction; 274, young people’s literature; 271, fiction; and 175, poetry. Publishers may have submitted nearly twice as much nonfiction as fiction because more of it gets published. Yet that explanation begs the question, because publishers presumably buy books for the same reason they nominate them for awards: They think they’re good.

More evidence of the superiority of nonfiction might seem to come from Wednesday night’s fiction winner: Peter Matthiessen’s Shadow Country, a reworking of an earlier trilogy. If this year’s novels had been stronger, would the judges have considered a book that includes previously published material? Was Matthiessen’s shortlisting a sign of desperation in judges who wanted a strong book on the final list even if it meant exhuming some work published as long ago as 1990?

Probably not. It’s more likely the judges wanted to reward a distinguished author in his 80s for his fiction and didn’t know if they’d have another chance. (Matthiessen won the 1980 National Book Award for nonfiction for The Snow Leopard.) It’s also possible that the judges just didn’t like some of the novels that many critics ranked among the best of the year, such as Netherland.

Then why did publishers nominate so much more nonfiction? Two possible explanations. One is that nonfiction books have more opportunity to catch fire in the media or elsewhere: They don’t depend on reviews as much as novels do. And publishers know that momentum can affect judges. In paying those $125 entry fees, some may have invested in what they considered the safest bets.

A related explanation for all the nonfiction nominees is that fiction has two main genres: novels and short stories. Nonfiction has many — including history, memoirs, biography, essays and journalism — and more ways to make an impact. This year’s nonfiction shortlist reflected some of them: The Dark Side (exposé), Final Salute (feature writing), This Republic of Suffering (social history), The Suicide Index (memoir), and the winner, The Hemingses of Monticello (family history).

Yet nonfiction dates faster than nonfiction. This is why novels tend to define their eras better than works of nonfiction do. So the answer to “Were this year’s novels better than the nonfiction books?” rests with history. Decades from now, this year’s best nonfiction books may have yielded to others that have more recent reporting or more up-to-date research, while some of the novels may seem as fresh as ever, just as Jane Austen’s do nearly two hundred years after they appeared.

For a list of the National Book Awards entry fees and eligibility requirements, click here

Janice Harayda is a former judge of the National Book Critics Circle Awards for fiction, nonfiction, biograhy, poetry and criticism.

© 2008 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.

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September 6, 2008 | History

Edith Kahler

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Rand E. Rosenblatt

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Haig, Wolseley Sir

1865 - 1938

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Free Public Screening License in the State of OHIO (DVD)

$ 4.00

Only Ohio residents can purchase this DVD.

Public Screenings of Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic have been sponsored by Carrie Mock, The Crawford Crew, The James (The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center) and the Ohio Department of Health, therefore the $300 license fee to screen the film to the public has been waived for all Ohio residents.

A DVD for you to keep will be provided. This DVD can only be screened to the public in the state of Ohio.

For more information on how to sponsor your state please email

Includes 50% OFF digital copies of the film for every attendee so they can watch it at home and share it with their family after the screening! (a feedback form with a working email must be returned for each attendee to receive a 50% coupon code).

Share this Product


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Finding Oscar

'Oscar Wilde`s Homeland' by Lysenko Igor

John Cooper expands on comments he made as a member of a panel discussion at the Oscar Wilde Festival in Galway, Ireland, in 2014, in which he appraised Wilde’s legacy and his personal response to it.

Finding Oscar Wilde during his lecture tour of America in 1882 presented few difficulties. Throughout the year he made hundreds of appearances in public and thousands in the press. But his transatlantic sojourn was not merely prolific, it was a surprisingly formative time that saw Wildean firsts in all aspects of his career. Professionally, he nurtured the art of public speaking, began lecturing, and conducted his first press interviews. In his personal life he entered a new sphere of poets, writers, and statesmen; and he embarked upon a lifelong pattern of occasionally earning, but of always spending, large sums of money. Creatively, he became increasingly familiar with formulating his thought into thesis, while socially he was gathering material and honing epigrams for use in his early essays, short stories, and dramatic dialogues. Perhaps most surprisingly, it was in America that he staged the first ever production of a Wilde play.1 And lastingly, it was in New York City that the predominant image we have of him was formed with a series of photographs taken by Napoleon Sarony. After America, one might say, Oscar had become famous for more than just being famous.

Not surprisingly, given this degree of exposure and experience, contemporary opinion was that America had made a greater impression on Wilde than vice-versa. Supporting this view is the fact that his audiences, although they had attended his lectures, came to see rather than to hear him; and even though he was often personally liked, he was more often publicly ridiculed. Wilde’s maligned persona was so widespread that the ability to locate him in the abstract sense, even for those who had not seen him, also presented few difficulties. In sum: the breadth of his presence made Wilde familiar in person, and the stereotype of his character provided the measure of him as a personality.

We now see that Wilde cannot be so easily pigeon-holed.

Continue reading Finding Oscar


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Millen Coughtrey (1848-1908), the first professor of Otago's Medical School. Photograph courtesy of Hocken Collections, University of Otago, S06-092.

Millen Coughtrey (1848-1908), the first professor of Otago’s Medical School. Photograph courtesy of Hocken Collections, University of Otago, S06-092.

Otago’s first medical professor, Millen Coughtrey, was not short of an opinion or two. Lancashire-born and Edinburgh-educated, he was appointed to the chair of anatomy and physiology in 1874, but resigned two years later after a disagreement with the university over his right to continue in private medical practice. Coughtrey stayed on in Dunedin and was a respected physician and participant in numerous community activities; he opened a private hospital at St Clair in the 1890s.

Two major published speeches by Coughtrey suggest he was an entertaining presenter. “I love plain speaking, wherever it is desirable, and I shall, therefore, not hesitate to point out whatever may seem to me to be defects and errors in the present means and methods of conducting the practice of medicine, and of preparation for that practice.” So he declared early in his Introductory address in the Faculty of Medicine of Otago University, given in May 1875 at the gathering “to cut the first sod of medical education in this Colony”. Twelve years later, the university invited Coughtrey back to deliver the graduation address; William Christie was awarded Otago’s first medical degree at this historic event, and it was also the occasion when Frederick Fitchett was awarded New Zealand’s first LL.D.

As well as more general discussion of university education, in his 1887 speech Coughtrey reflected on the history of the Otago Medical School and made suggestions for improvement. These ranged from the division of the heavy workload of anatomy and physiology into two professorial chairs (that finally happened in 1905) to the fostering of original research. Some of his most intriguing comments related to clinical education. More needed to be done, he said, in the way of “systematic instruction by the bedside in the hospital”; he was concerned that the public did not really understand this. “The presence of medical students in the hospital does not necessarily involve that the patients should be tortured, that the unfortunate sufferers should be percussed out of one disease into another.” On the contrary, claimed Coughtrey, medical students made the hospital a better place: they provided a “wholesome check” on senior staff, who did not want to perform badly under their gaze; under careful supervision they contributed to medical care, promoting “the early recovery of every ailing inmate”; and they lessened the workload of the nursing staff “by doing the practical dressing of patients’ wounds.” Coughtrey’s opinion of nurses of this period was scathing: “With some exceptions the nursing in New Zealand hospitals is simply execrable”.

Arranging adequate clinical experience for medical students is a perennial challenge, but it was probably never more difficult at Otago than in the nineteenth century. Medical students may have been few, but hospitals were also small and training opportunities there limited. Public hospitals were yet to become centres of technology, open to all; instead they were the last resort of the ailing poor, with admission severely means tested. Most people paid to receive private healthcare – including surgery – in their own homes. Dunedin Hospital had particular problems, and an 1890 Royal Commission thoroughly condemned conditions there.

Thankfully things have moved on considerably since the 1890s, in part due to the advocacy of Otago Medical School staff like Coughtrey who campaigned for improved hospital services for the public and better clinical education opportunities for their students. If you are asked to consent to the involvement of a medical student in your care, remember you are not only helping with their education, but may also be contributing to the betterment of health services!


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• Topic > Life Struggles > Aging >

    How to Grow Old

    “How are you today, Mama?” I asked casually. My 84-year-old friend, pointing to aches and pains in her joints, whispered, “Old age is tough!” Then she added earnestly, “But God has been good to me.”

    “Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Billy Graham in his book Nearing Home. “I am an old man now, and believe me, it’s not easy.” However, Graham notes, “While the Bible doesn’t gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with…

    The Red Hackle

    Several years ago I stumbled across a bit of fishing lore in a second-century bc work by the Greek writer Aelian. “Between Boroca and Thessalonica runs a river called the Astracus, and in it there are fish with spotted skins [trout].” He then describes a “snare for the fish, by which they get the better of them. They fastened crimson red wool round a hook and attached two feathers. Then they would throw their snare, and the fish, attracted by the color, comes up, thinking to get a mouthful” (On the Nature of Animals).

                Fishermen still use this lure today. It…

    How did Paul overcome feelings of hurt and abandonment?

    Have you ever felt abandoned by someone you cared about? It can be difficult recovering from that type of pain and disappointment. Join us today for an encouraging conversation on “Discover the Word.”

    Resting and Waiting

    It was high noon. Jesus, foot-weary from His long journey, was resting beside Jacob’s well. His disciples had gone into the city of Sychar to buy bread. A woman came out of the city to draw water . . . and found her Messiah. The account tells us that she quickly went into the city and invited others to come hear “a man who told me everything I ever did” (John 4:29).

     The disciples came back bringing bread. When they urged Jesus to eat, He said to them, “My food . . . is to do the will of him who…

    Grey Power

    Dutch artist Yoni Lefevre created a project called “Grey Power” to show the vitality of the aging generation in the Netherlands. She asked local schoolchildren to sketch their grandparents. Lefevre wanted to show an “honest and pure view” of older people, and she believed children could help supply this. The youngsters’ drawings reflected a fresh and lively perspective of their elders—grandmas and grandpas were shown playing tennis, gardening, painting, and more!

    Caleb, of ancient Israel, was vital into his senior years. As a young man, he infiltrated the Promised Land before the Israelites conquered it. Caleb believed God would help his…

    The Best Season Yet

    Life is a lot like the weather . . . it’s seasonal. It has a way of pushing us into the next season whether we like it or not. And when pushed into the next season, we are often uncertain and even fearful of what it might hold for us.

    Paul, The Aged

    Celebrating my 60th birthday really changed my perspective on life— I used to think people in their sixties were “old.” Then I started counting the number of productive years I might have left and set the number at 10. I went along with this dead-end kind of thinking until I remembered a very productive co-worker who was 85. So I sought him out to ask what life after 60 was like. He told me of some of the wonderful ministry opportunities the Lord had given him over the last 25 years.

    Fresh Fruit

    I love the old photographs that are often printed on the obituary page of our local newspaper. A grinning young man in a military uniform and words such as: 92 years old, fought for his country in WWII. Or the young woman with sparkling eyes: 89 years young, grew up on a farm in Kansas during the Depression. The unspoken message is: “I wasn’t always old, you know.”

    We Shall Be Changed

    Being afflicted with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Thomas DeBaggio chronicled his gradual memory loss in the book Losing My Mind. This book records the disturbing process by which—little by little—tasks, places, and

    Older Or Better?

    We know we’re getting older when we say things like, “Can you believe how young those professional baseball players are?” And it’s a sure sign of aging when we no longer ask, “How are you?” but say, “Hey, you look terrific”—as if we’re surprised.

    Aging is inevitable. Unfortunately, society has taught us to fear advancing age and to disguise its reality as much as possible. But aging can actually be a wonderful thing. Followers of Jesus have the capacity to get significantly better with age. As Paul put it: “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

    Don’t Just Retire

    The first people to climb Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain, were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Hillary was just 33 years old. His feat afforded him fame, wealth, and the realization that he had already lived a remarkable life.

    So, what did Hillary do for the next 55 years? Did he retire and rest on his laurels? Absolutely not.

    Although Hillary had no higher mountains to climb, that didn’t stop him. He achieved other notable goals, including a concerted effort to improve the welfare of the Nepalese people living near Mt. Everest—a task he carried on until his death in 2008.

    A Man My Age

    On a recent flight, I got ready to do some work. Spread out on my tray were my laptop computer, backup hard drive, iPod, and other gadgets that are part of being a 21st-century “road warrior.” As I worked, a young man seated beside me asked if he could make a comment. He told me how inspirational it was for him, a young man, to see someone my age so enthusiastically embracing modern technology. In spite of his intention to compliment me, I suddenly felt about 120 years old. What did he mean by “someone my age”? I wondered. After all, I was “only” 57.

    The Brevity Of Life

    On October 19, 2008, I heard the news that Levi Stubbs, lead singer for Motown’s vocal group The Four Tops, had died at age 72. As a boy, I enjoyed the Four Tops, especially Stubbs’ emotion-filled, passionate voice. I had never met him or heard the group in concert, yet his passing affected me at an unexpected level.

    The Country Of Old Age

    In the book Another Country, author Mary Pipher met with people in their seventies, eighties, and nineties who were confronting many different life situations.

    “I wanted . . . to understand the country of old age,” Pipher writes. “We are not organized in a way that makes aging easy.” The root problem, she observed, is that young and old have become segregated, to the detriment of both groups.

    Like A Tree

    In the quietness of my final years I plan to watch a tree grow—a birch tree I planted as a tiny sapling over 30 years ago. It stands now in mature splendor, just outside our picture window—beautiful in every season of the year.

    So it is with our spiritual endeavors: We may have planted, watered, and fussed over our “saplings” (those we’ve mentored) for a time, but only God can make a “tree.”


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Social Media Advertising

Staying Ahead of the Pack With Social Advertising

Few could predict the rise of Social Media and its subsequent evolution of the entire advertising industry.  One simple Facebook ad, almost two years after the company was created, started a trend that is now worth billions of dollars in revenue across the world. Now social sites have become an integral part of all advertising strategies.

Maybe your business is just seeking exposure for a certain product or service. This is where a site such as Instagram can be useful for you by tapping into its 400-million-a-month user base. Or maybe you thrive off B2B sales where a social network such as LinkedIn, would be ideal thanks to nearly a 50% user base of upper management employees. It takes an in-depth knowledge of how each platform works in order to pick the right one to match your target market.

Most businesses fail to take advantage of the amount of free advertising available via personal social media management. Knowing how to take advantage of hashtags and other social media tactics can lead to huge impressions and views for little-to-no-cost. Leveraging these with paid ad-buying is the key to getting the most out of social networks.

Social sites encourage businesses to create content that advertises why they sell instead of what they’re selling. Marketers are being forced to develop paid content that tells a brand story and improves the quality of the lives of their audience. Avoid being a struggling business that fails to connect to their audience group when attempting to drive leads. Businesses with low social network visibility often run the risk of lacking legitimacy based on social perceptions. Running just a paid print campaign fails to achieve the sharing and conversations between your audience targeting that occurs with new social media.

“I wish I knew how to quit you, Tumblr.” - John Green

Social Media Advertising continued

For new and existing businesses, social ads can be a daunting tasks considering the number of different social networks where advertising is available.  Every platform has a different combination of user bases and interfaces presenting a plethora of options in creative ad sets, times, and social media content. Below are a few things we take into consideration when tailoring your paid social advertising segments:

Improving Quality Scores

Similar to web PPC campaigns, different social networks have calculated metrics for judging the effectiveness of your paid ad segments. Facebook uses a relevancy score to determine which ads resonate with users most when choosing ads to send out. Twitter imposes its own algorithm that can cost you money if you haven’t perfected choosing ads with high engagements.

Conversion Tracking

The best practices in social advertising involve using data from campaigns in order to see which strategies are actively converting leads into successful sales. We can you help keep track of your engagement rates for each digital ad campaign and integrate this data into your sales software or web analytics.

Effective Targeting

When operating a paid social campaign, every social network provides detailed targeting abilities based on a variety of categories based on demographics, interest types, and user types. Custom targeting also involves effective time management for scheduled posts and prime targeting hours. Getting the attention of a large portion of your niche client pool is better than a small percentage of every single user.

Your Social Media Advertising partner

To Summarize:

A fully-developed social media advertising strategy for your business is the perfect way to efficiently drive up leads, retain your consumer base, and stay within a strict monetary budget. Are you searching for the perfect viral content and social ad placement for your business? Contact Outsmart Labs today to get the highest ROI on your social media advertising.

“99% [of my Twitter feed] is links, but 1% is me responding and 1% of a big number is a big number.” – Guy Kawasaki

Let's get to work

Ready to move your brand fordward?

Convert your users to customers. Outsmart Labs bridges the gaps to make this a very real possibility.

Contact us


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Rhodes University

South Africa, Africa

Founded in 1904, Rhodes University is a well-established University located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is a small research intensive university which enjoys the distinction of having amongst the best undergraduate pass and graduation rates in South Africa, outstanding postgraduate success rates, and the best research output per academic staff member. The University takes pride in its motto, Where Leaders Learn, and in producing graduates who are knowledgeable intellectuals, skilled professionals, and critical, caring and compassionate citizens who can contribute to economic and social development and an equitable, just and democratic society.


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New San Francisco billboard warns workers they'll be replaced by iPads if they demand a fair wage

By Paul Bradley Carr , written on July 17, 2014

From The News Desk

Walking home from Pando's office a few nights ago, I noticed this giant new billboard...

Its message -- that minimum wage increases will lead to service workers being replaced by apps -- is continued on an accompanying website -- BadIdeaCA -- which claims to be "holding activists accountable for minimum wage consequences."

So who the hell pays for billboards threatening waitstaff with redundancy if they demand a living wage? A bit of digging and clicking reveals that the campaign is backed by Employment Policies Institute, the conservative lobbying group which regularly campaigns on behalf of the restaurant industry.

Followers of Pando's Techtopus coverage might remember the Institute for one of its key advisers, Kevin Murphy, aka "the man Silicon Valley’s CEOs turn to when they want to justify screwing workers". As Mark Ames explained back in February...

[W]hen the heads of companies like Apple, Adobe, Google, Intel, Intuit, Microsoft and others, are called upon to explain why it’s okay to screw over employees—or their consumers—they know exactly who to call...

...Murphy has a long history of trying to convince courts that workers are not being screwed and that dominant monopoly corporations are good citizens, despite evidence to the contrary. It's somehow grossly fitting that a group which argues for screwing service staff -- and which is advised by a guy who tells companies like Apple that it's ok to screw their workers -- is now posting ads in San Francisco saying that service staff deserve to be replaced by iPads if they demand a fair wage.

UPDATE: Meet the asshole behind San Francisco’s most assholeish billboard

Also popular on Pando right now:

Apparently it’s okay to post naked photos to Facebook, as long as you’re not a woman

Memo to my daughter: “Keep your eye on the ball and hit hard”

“Chatroulette for stoners” is a rare social network that fosters empathy

Homophobia, racism and the Kochs: San Francisco’s tech-libertarian “Reboot” conference is a cesspool