Goodbye, and Thanks

1. In your final post discuss what you accomplished, whether you plan to continue your efforts or start over, and what you learned and maybe wish you had learned.

When I was first told over the summer that I needed to take a content writing class, I immediately thought: “What could I possibly learn from this class that I haven’t already learned in the many years of working as a reporter and editor?” (Plus, I was already blogging.)

Plenty, I would soon discover!

I begin with Twitter. Even though I finally opened a personal account under my real name a few months ago, I rarely tweeted. Admittedly, I didn’t feel comfortable using this platform, because I didn’t fully understand how it worked. I don’t profess to know it all today, but I am feeling far more at ease about tweeting and I am starting to understand Twitter’s potential power in promoting my voice. You can reach certain audiences by using the right hashtags — and get people to follow you, which was the case when I tweeted about the Ironman one day. Someone who competes in these races began to follow me! (If I could make that happen with just one random tweet, think of the followers I could amass by tweeting regularly; and that could translate into more attention being paid to my blog or book, etc.) Twitter teaches (forces!) you to be concise and to choose your words wisely to ensure maximum impact. It is a powerful form of social media, and I plan on using it more in the future. 

Now on to LinkedIn, where I have been fairly active and on which I do have many connections. I realized through this course that I have much work to do on this platform, too. Having to post my resume on my blog and knowing that it would be critiqued forced me to take a closer look at my professional profile. My original summary was far too verbose, as Bob pointed out. I have since rewritten and shortened it, and I plan on making additional changes to my LinkedIn profile as I bring my online persona into better focus.

As my voice becomes clearer and likely shifts, I could eventually create a Facebook fan page or establish a YouTube channel, particularly for my sports injury blog, which I really enjoy writing, though I’d like to make some changes to this site before doing so.   

What I liked best about this class was that it forced me to take a closer look at my overall future, in addition to my online presence. As I said in an earlier blog post, “There are pieces of me scattered all over the Internet.” Being scattered is not necessarily good. I need to connect all the dots and somehow use my connection with my newspaper to garner interest for my other enterprises. (Bob offered some good suggestions for doing this.)

I still love the idea of writing a fitness book — perhaps one on older athletes — and just the other day I sat down with a colleague who is about to begin a book leave. She provided some good suggestions and direction for getting literary agents interested in my ideas. “Start by publishing a feature story about the subject,” she said, “and then prepared to spend a lot of time on the proposal.”

Thanks again, to Bob and Drake and Amie!   

More Social Media Ideas

2. Part B: Discuss your social media ideas for your online voice. Will you concentrate on Twitter or YouTube or other social media apps? How and why will you execute your voice with these tools?

  

As I noted in a previous post, I already have a professional online presence, but I would like to expand my voice (maybe even shift it) to “blogger about sports injuries” and “blogger about hip impingement,” a condition from which I suffered. And if my book proposal, about older athletes, comes to fruition, maybe I could add “author of  health and fitness books” as well. (If it’s published, that’s a whole other strategy.)

Last summer I created from scratch a blog that focuses largely on my own personal journey to recover from a hip injury – and so I would like to start there. That site admittedly needs some work, but it could eventually evolve into a go-to resource/forum for athletic injuries, particularly among older age-group (amateur) athletes, like active baby boomers and Gen Xers whose aging bodies sustain plenty of injuries. I will need to add more information and pages, along with extra features like video interviews or exercise demonstrations. Those videos could be connected to a YouTube channel.

To promote my blogger persona and blog, I would want to concentrate on Facebook and Twitter. 


I would set up a separate Facebook fan page and Twitter account, both of which could include information from my blog posts. (Facebook fans would be directed to follow me on Twitter and Twitter followers would be asked to "like" my Facebook page.)


Of the two, I actually see Twitter as the more useful resource. If I use the right hash tags, post enough interesting tweets, and try to connect with my targeted audience -- age-group athletes who get injured -- I could increase traffic to my blog and promote myself as the expert I someday home to become. 

"Let's Move!" Campaign: Critique

2. Part A: Pick a current social media campaign and critique it with an eye on your niche goals. Examine how the growing conversation is affecting our world.

The “Let’s Move!” federal initiative, organized by the first lady Michelle Obama and backed by the White House, officially began last winter. Its objective: to help prevent childhood obesity by promoting physical activity and healthy eating among children. Seventeen percent of all children and adolescents in the United States are considered obese – triple the rate from just one generation ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Reducing those numbers can not only help children to grow up to be healthier adults but also reduce health care costs down the line. (Obese people in general spend about 40 percent more on health care than average-weight people, government data shows.)

In a statement on its Web site, Mrs. Obama, a mother of two young daughters, said she was “determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food, nutrition and physical activity." Last month, she appointed Dr. Judith S. Palfrey, the former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and director of the Children's Hospital of Boston's global health efforts, to oversee the initiative as its executive director.

To help get its messages across, Let’s Move uses social media extensively, with a blog connected to its very detailed Web site, a Facebook fan page, Twitter account and a YouTube channel. The target audience includes parents, educators, health care providers and the food industry.

The Let’s Move blog offers frequent posts from different writers, including Dr. Palfrey, on subjects ranging from healthy recipes to “success stories,” but it doesn’t allow comments from readers, which can be considered a flaw.

But reader interaction is permitted – and encouraged – on its Facebook page, which had 75,291 “likes” as of Oct. 6. You don’t have to “like” the page, either, to comment, which is a good idea to keep the conversation going.

Its Twitter account, with 14,130 followers, also encourages conversation through feedback. In fact, on Oct. 5, the group held its first “tweetup day,” which basically invited anyone to tweet questions or ideas about the campaign and/or improving lifestyle habits of youngsters. There was a moderate response.

The Let’s Move channel on YouTube – which has dozens of public service announcements, including several with Mrs. Obama featured – had 121,085 views and 458,312 upload views as of Oct. 6. That’s not enough to generate buzz, especially when you look at viral campaigns like the Old Spice man. The problem can lie with some of the videos, which are not terribly engaging.

The fact that Mrs. Obama initiated this campaign might prompt many individuals and groups to support it, but in this heavily bipartisan climate, it may be turning others off. Others, too, might be turned off by the fact that it's run by the federal government and feel less inclined to participate in the discussion. Still, the campaign, with a clever short name, does make an effort to focus on the big picture and a universal cause of obesity, which, hopefully, can garner more widespread support for this important cause.

We won't really know until another 20 years or so, when the kids are grown into adults, however, if this campaign actually helped to fight obesity. 

And here it is embedded

Book Proposal (Another Try)

Well, I FINALLY got my presentation to sync, though the audio isn't the best.

To view and hear my presentation please go to this site.

Screenplay Scene

Write a multimedia script. You can try anything from a screenplay scene to a short video script to an all audio script to a storyboard.

A scene adapted from “Big Man,” by Clarence Clemons

Chapter: “The Legend from Under the Boardwalk, Early ’70s”

FADE IN

EXT. UNDER A BOARDWALK AT THE JERSEY SHORE – DUSK

A warm summer evening minutes before nightfall. The light over the ocean is fading into a blue/gray hue. CRASHING waves are heard nearby.

The beach is nearly empty of the day’s visitors. CLARENCE and BRUCE are hidden away under the boardwalk, crouching on the lumps of cooling sand. Above them, through the weathered wooden planks, the  MUDDLED CONVERSATIONS and LAUGHTER from passersby. Tinny carnival music PLAYS in the background.

Both men are dressed in shorts, T-shirts and are barefoot, their flip-flops tossed off, allowing them to wiggle their toes in the sand. 

Beer cans are CRACKING.

BRUCE

(guzzling a beer)

Do you remember their names?

CLARENCE

Um, one of them’s Ann. And I think the blonde is Janie. Yeah, Ann and Janie.

BRUCE

What time did you tell them we’d meet them there?

CLARENCE

I didn’t. But I figured we’d head on over to the Pony around 9.

Bruce CRUMBLES a beer can with one hand, tosses it into the paper bag containing a six pack, pulls out another can, then CRACKS it open.

BRUCE

I think it hit 90 today. God I love this weather!

CLARENCE

Me too, man.

BRUCE

If you could have any car in the world, what would it be?

CLARENCE

Hmm, a Vette. Yeah, a yellow Corvette.

BRUCE

(sighing)

Ahhh someday… But make mine black. (laughing)

The sky has now darkened. The only visible light from across the ocean comes from the blinking offshore boats about a mile or so away.

BRUCE

I wonder who’s on those boats.

CLARENCE

That’s funny! I was just thinking the same thing!

BRUCE

Yeah, probably some fat-cat lawyer from the city out all day on his fancy cabin cruiser with his buxom blond secretary – except the engine blows and now he has to call the Coast Guard. But his wife’s brother is in the Coast Guard, and then she finds out and he loses the boat and everything else in the divorce. Then the secretary splits and his kids stop talking  …

Clarence breaks in.

CLARENCE

Man you’re a good storyteller!

BRUCE

Nah, I’m just a good bullshitter.

Clarence pulls out another beer from the bag and CRACKS it open.

CLARENCE

I really want to make a living with the horn, y’know. Couldn’t deal with another straight job.

BRUCE

Me too, man. Pulling up them weeds and mowing lawns took time away from practicing. Hey, maybe whoever’s at the Pony -- I think it's Billy and Vini -- will let us sit in for a little bit tonight again. That’ll impress Ann and what’s her name.

FADE OUT

The Gait Debate: My Recovery

Almost 12 weeks since my arthroscopic hip surgery, to repair a torn labrum caused by hip impingement syndrome, and there’s now so much that I can do physically.

I’m able to ride the stationary bike and elliptical machine for 40 brisk minutes at a time. I can use many of the weight-lifting machines at the gym (almost at presurgery levels) and perform numerous core-strengthening exercises with exercise balls, resistance bands and weights.

But I’m still not walking normally.

I barely feel any discomfort in the affected left hip joint (except sometimes when it’s about to rain) and I’ve had full range of motion there for some time – yet my gait remains slightly off.

Most people won’t notice that I’m still favoring my right leg over the left, but my physical therapist and I know, and the limp is even more discernable when I’m tired.

To help fix this problem, my therapist has incorporated walking on the treadmill for 5 to 10 minutes into my PT. The treadmill speed is set at 3.5 mph, which is equivalent to walking quickly.

Treadmill therapy is commonly used to improve gait patterns after orthopedic surgery as well as for people who have had strokes, only in those cases, harness support is also typically used, according to a recent study published in “Journal of the American Physical Therapy.” The Livestrong Web site also has more information about gait therapy here.

As for me, my therapist thinks I just need “a little jump-start.”

“The treadmill forces you to walk correctly,” he says.

And immediately off the treadmill, I do continue to walk correctly.

But it will also take a few more weeks of balancing exercises, combined with core strengthening – and of course, time – to do the trick.

Lecture Comment: Conversation

Good conversation requires listening. Next time you find yourself in conversation, pay attention to how often you listen to the other person. Much of the time we conversationalists are not listening; we are preparing for our turn to talk. We assume we know where the other person is going, stop listening and think of how we might respond long before they finish. We worry about what we just said or what they might say. Something they say reminds us of a story that we are suddenly dying to tell. You will be surprised at how often you cut the other person off, if not out loud, then in your head.

How very true! As a journalist, there’s probably nothing more enlightening — or humbling, for that matter — than having to listen to a recording of a conversation with an interview subject. I do this every week, actually, because one of my many duties at the news organization where I work is to produce a weekly interview column in question-and-answer format. (The material is edited and condensed by me.)

Besides loathing the sound of my own voice, I also cringe at the little faux pas I sometimes commit during these recorded conversations: cutting off someone in mid-sentence to inject a question I think is important; asking a question the interviewee might have already answered five minutes before; or not fully understanding the answer to a question and following up with a question that’s a bit off the mark.     

The problem is partly a listening one. Admittedly, I might be too concerned with the questions I want to ask or the direction where I want to take the interview that I sometimes lose sight of what was being said. I’m not fully hearing. But I don’t think I am the only person guilty of this, and, in my defense, I must deal with time constraints that preclude more leisurely conversations.

Still, by listening to these recordings, I find myself making a conscious effort to listen better — and not just during these interviews, but in normal conversations with friends or colleagues. I can always tell when people aren’t really listening to me: they don’t directly respond to what I have to say but immediately turn the conversation to themselves. It’s suddenly all about them, and it’s almost as if we’re engaging in separate, parallel conversations.

Another pet peeve is pomposity. Many years ago I attended a news conference given by the world’s central bankers. One of the journalists there asked a question filled with technical jargon and $10 words; it went on for several minutes. To which a more down-to-earth journalist sitting next to me whispered loudly: “Wouldn’t it be funny if they just answered, ‘yup’ or ‘nope!’ ” 

Book Proposal (without audio)

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Bookproposal

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My Book Proposal Presentation

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The copy:

Professional athletes typically reach peak performance in their mid- to late-20s, some into their 30s. Most are retired by the time they’re 40.  As for everybody else, most, people give up competitive sports after high school or college.  Some are content to just watch from the sidelines. They can grow older and more sedentary in the process. And then there are those who seem to defy the passages of time … They are sprinters, marathoners and ultramarathoners, ironmen and even iron nuns. They are in the water training to set new records, on the courts and the fields, and in the gyms. Bodies buffed, and flexed and pretty flexible. Some even get to live to be 105. This is a book about their inspiring journey – their physical struggles and amazing accomplishments. Some of these older athletes have always been active, while others waited until later in life. Each has a story to tell.  By staying active and competing in sports, they are keeping their bodies firm and fit, their minds sharp and lucid. And they’re collecting a few accolades along the way. All are waging a quiet revolution. And many more are expected to join in, as baby boomers – 76 million strong – challenge the concept of aging. We have so much to learn from them because they are staying in the game.

And here it is with syncing off:

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Executive Summary: Book Proposal

Take one of your elevator pitches and develop a first draft Executive Summary/opening paragraph for a proposal. Consider and approximate the steps you would have to take and finance to reach your goals. Do not write an entire proposal and budget, just a preliminary summation.

In professional sports, most athletes reach peak performance in their mid- to late-20s, some into their 30s, and even rarer are the pros who still actively compete in their 40s. As for the rest of the population, many give up competitive sports after high school, save for the occasional local running race. And then there are those who seem to defy the passages of time. They’re on the fields and courts, in pools and gyms – achieving startling physical feats in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. This is a book about them – profiles of their inspiring journeys, physical struggles and accomplishments. These are people like Sister Madonna Buder, a k a the Iron Nun, who at 81, still competes in Ironman triathlons, along with Robert McKeague, 82. There’s Gladys Burrill, who this spring finished the Honolulu Marathon at age 92. We can only expect to see this list grow as the aging baby boomers – 76 million strong – remain active and challenge the concept of aging.

I intend to interview a wide range of older athletes in different sports around the country, though the concentration will be on endurance sports. A few (the number will be determined later) will be profiled individually. I will start by producing an introductory chapter that provides a good overview of this quiet revolution, packed with data and interviews from experts in kinetics, sports medicine and coaching, followed by two or three of the profiles. I will have to finance this on my own, through my savings, but hope to eventually obtain an advance from a publisher that would help offset travel costs and other expenses incurred.

Lecture Comment: Presentation

Public speaking is famously our greatest fear, ahead of death and disease. As Jerry Seinfeld quipped, “The average person at a funeral would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Leave it to a stand up comic to present the information so well.

So many people can probably relate to this oft-quoted “joke” from the comedian, who, by the way, always seems to be in control and at ease in front of large audiences. In reality, even Jerry Seinfeld admits to getting nervous before his sets.

As the lecture notes, many other stand-up comedians grapple with the same uneasiness, but have also found ways to adapt: “They address the stage fright situation more directly than anyone else. Standing in front of a brick wall with no status or degree, no magic trick, soprano voice or instrument of any kind, the comic is on stage with little more than his or her insecurities to promote the very thing the rest of us are so terrified will occur – laughter. Maybe that is why the best of them are so good at expressing ideas.”

Which brings me to the person making the “elevator pitch.” Like the comedian, when you’re on, you’re on! No notes. No props. No sidekicks. Only your words. And hopefully no one here will be laughing at your ideas – unless, of course, they’re supposed to be funny.

Edward R. Tufte believes in the sentence above everything else in longer presentations, too. And he suggests that many people use software like Power Point as a crutch, “to make the presenter feel better about his or her material (or lack thereof) when facing stage fright.”

He may be right in some instances. But I’ve also watched plenty of Power Point presentations that provide good supplemental information that support the speaker. The presentations help the audience better understand the material, while also breaking up the monotony of the overall presentation. People like visuals and will remember graphs and charts, so long as they are pertinent and extraordinary.    

The trick, I suppose, is to find the right balance. 

Lecture Comment: The Pitch

Getting others to invest time and money in you and your ideas can be difficult under the best of circumstances. But during these tough economic times especially, with fierce competition and tight budgets, it can seem next to impossible.

Working for a newspaper you get pitched to all the time from public relations professionals or groups seeking not money, of course, but the next best currency: publicity that might generate public interest, and eventually, capital for the business, person or cause being promoted.

Because space/resources/interest is limited, few of the pitchers will get much of a response. But occasionally, you’ll see a story idea that catches your interest. (The best ones for me are those that are timely or part of a new trend, and exclusive.) Now it’s up to you to make the pitch – to the senior editors – explaining why a story should be pursued and the angle to be presented. You’ll have to do a bit of research yourself to back up any claims. Freelance and staff writers will often have to do the same thing when pitching story ideas.

But all these parties must be prepared to give up custody of their pitches, too. And by that I mean, once an idea or proposal is presented to another party, it might be interpreted differently than you originally had intended, or you might be asked to modify or revise. Sometimes, too, questions generated by the pitchees might cause you to change course.

So while it’s important to present your pitch in a knowledgeable, credible and dynamic way, you must also be flexible to succeed.   

Midterm Proposal: Online Presence

I also want to add to my online repertoire: “blogger about sports injuries,” “writer of sports features,” “expert on hip impingement,” or something along those lines. I’m thinking book ideas, too. (See elevator pitch.) My name needs to be better associated with a blog I created over the summer,  which is largely about my personal journey to recover from femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, a hard to diagnose but increasingly common condition.

There are several steps that I could take to advance my online presence and voice and to distinguish myself from the crowd of other bloggers and Web sites. These come to mind:

·       Re-examine My Blog. It does no good to increase traffic to a site that isn’t the highest of quality. How could it be better? What can I do to make the interface more attractive? What stories do I need to post that I haven’t already? And what type of posts will elicit the most traffic? What features should I be adding? Or pages? Am I posting enough?  I’d like to add a feature in the blog that acts as a forum for ideas and chatting, but I currently lack the technological know-how to do this.

·       Launch Personal Web Site. I’m wondering whether I should develop a professional Web site that could somehow tie in all my interests and activities, as well as experience. Could this improve my exposure, too?

·       Facebook. My blog and blogger persona could be promoted more on my personal FB account, using enticing summaries of posts and links. A separate blog fan page could also be set up. Existing friends, and friends of friends, would be asked to “like” this page. And my fan page would also “like” other pages, including those related to the blog’s focus like medical or athletic groups. The option to “like on Facebook” content from the blog pages could also be added. (It might say “share this page” next to the content, with links to share through Facebook, Twitter, or any combination of social media.)

·       Twitter Account. Provocative tweets, with good, informative hash tags, could be used to promote blog posts and my other thoughts and opinions. With Facebook Connect, I could connect Facebook to Twitter, and Twitter to Facebook, posts (i.e. when you post from Twitter, it shows up as a status update on Facebook, and when you post to Facebook, it also shows up as a tweet.)

·       LinkedIn Profile. My current LinkedIn profile needs to be revised and updated to include more information about my blog and my interest in blogging (and for that matter, my studies in the new media). A second profile could also be created focusing solely on that aspect of my work. Blog feeds already appear on my current LinkedIn account, and they would be included there, too. Also, I could ask to join sports or other related LinkedIn groups.

·       YouTube. The videos posted on the blog — and I should do more of them — would be uploaded to YouTube, and a branded channel linked to the blog could be created.

·       Linking. I could also make periodic posts on the sites or forums of other sports- or related sites with links back to my blog. And noteworthy blog posts and tweets could be reposted on sites like Digg and Delicious. The more traffic I get, and links to my posts, the mole exposure I’ll get.

Elevator Pitches

The idea: Book proposal.

The pitch:  Hi, I’m Sadie Andrews. I’m an editor and a writer for a major New York newspaper. I’m also a longtime age-group athlete who has a blog about sports injuries. I have a great idea for a book about how older people are continuing to compete in endurance sports like Ironman triathlons, marathons and ultra marathons well into their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. People like Sister Madonna Buder, who at 81 is still doing Ironman races. The crowd of older competitors will only get larger, especially with boomers and Gen-Xers refusing to grow up or give up, and finding ways to stay active with their aging bodies. This book could profile certain athletes and offer lessons for young and old.

The idea: Podcast

The pitch: Hi, I’m Sadie Andrews. I work as an editor and writer for a major New York newspaper, and I also have a blog about sports injuries. I have a great idea for a podcast that will appeal to older athletes, or just active adults in general, who want to stay fit but are dealing with injuries and physical limitations. Sore hips, throbbing knees, etc. Subscribers would get weekly podcasts that talk about common injuries, treatments for them, injury prevention, how to find the right diagnosis or specialist, along with inspirational messages. I don't believe there are podcasts like this out there!

Ideas

I have several ideas that could help advance and/or complement my online presence -- which I want to focus on sports injuries and staying active as you age -- none of which are fully developed. And I may think of others, or modify these, in the days ahead. But here are a few so far:

Write a book on one of these topics: my personal experience with hip arthroscopy; athletes overcoming injuries, with key people profiled or a historical perspective; baby boomers and Gen-Xers refusing to grow up and staying active; people competing well into their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even beyond despite injuries (I like this one!); a profile of the World Triathlon Corp., owner of the Ironman franchise, evolving from a small organization where the owner sent our personal Christmas cards to the participants to a huge money maker owned by a hedge fund.

Set up a podcast: This could be about sports injuries or FAI, my hip injury, or just about dealing with and accepting physical limitations, particularly for aging baby boomer and Gen-Xers.

Create an app: I immediately thought of one that would allow you to plug in symptoms and come up with injury possibilities, but it’s already been done by a group in Britain. Maybe I could do a U.S. version? I also thought about an app for core strengthening. Done. Then I thought of one, a bit off topic but not done: an app for colleges students living away from home that gives them access to all the medical information they might need but may not always have handy, like insurance card information, parents’ work information, allergies, etc. It would have to be safeguarded somewhere, but I think this would be useful, especially after receiving a call from my own daughter looking for this information. 

Set up an organization: It would be nice to have a group geared toward older athletes that could act as a clearing house of information on a wide range of subjects like training tips, injuries, medical data and support or activities.

Thankful for My Physical Therapy

Normally I don’t pay much attention to the random and often silly “holiday” designations formed by various special interest groups — like National Blueberry Popsicle Month or Fortune Cookie Day, both in September, in case you’re wondering.

But I am acknowledging this week’s National Rehabilitation Awareness Week (Sept. 18-24), which aims to draw attention to the benefits of physical rehabilitation, among other things, and those giving and receiving these services. Rehab Awareness Week has been observed on the third week of September since 1997 by health care institutions nationwide; it was organized by a foundation established by Allied Services, a nonprofit health care group based in Scranton, Pa.

Nearly 50 million people in this country suffer from some kind of disability, according to the Census Bureau. Many other Americans will likely require at least one rehab service at some point in their lives  — be it for an injury, a joint replacement or a debilitating disease.

As a recipient of physical therapy, after arthroscopic hip surgery this summer, I am  grateful to have these resources available to help me get back on my feet and tackle the everyday life activities once taken for granted, like walking up and down the stairs or getting in and out of a car. (The treatment is working.) Others I know who have had P.T. feel the same way, too.

So, I extend my thanks today — which, by strange coincidence, also happens to be World Gratitude Day! 

Lecture Comment: Rewriting

When I first started working at my current newspaper, one of my colleagues, observing a pained look on my face while I was editing something, once said: “Reading raw copy is like seeing people without any clothes on.”

I saw plenty of "naked" writing – some a little “flabby,” loaded up with too many little “darlings,” others in need of dressing up and styling – in the decade that followed. And I’ve  worked to cover them up. My own writing, too, has been through a few makeovers, each a much-appreciated improvement from the original.

But some of the best editing, I find, often comes from the writers themselves, through extensive rewriting. Sometimes it is at the direction of the editors, other times before a piece is even turned in. (Few writers get it right on the first try; practice makes perfect, or, at least turns the raw into the more refined.)

Louis Brandeis, a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1916 to 1939, known for drafting and redrafting arguments, famously said: “There is no great writing, only great rewriting.”

A good editor can certainly guide a writer, and help, for example, to pinpoint the angle of a piece through the “nut graph” – or as was said in the lecture, “a killer sentence at the start” that “brings everything together.” But there is only so much the editor can do. It is up to the writer to find his or her own voice, or style, and make the argument. (Or else the editor will be forced to make one up.)

As the lecture said, it is that voice that will draw an audience.  

Wikipedia Entry

Marc J. Philippon

 

Marc Joseph Philippon (born May 9, 1965) is a world-renowned orthopedic hip surgeon who is a managing partner of the Steadman Clinic (1) and a member of the board of directors of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute,(2) both in Vail, Colo.

Philippon specializes in sports medicine and is a pioneer in hip joint preservation techniques using arthroscopic surgery. He is best known for treating professional and elite athletes suffering from hip labral tears caused by femoracetabular impingement (FAI), or hip impingement, the result of too much friction between the ball and socket of the hip joint. 

Career

Philippon joined the Steadman Clinic in 2005 after four years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he was the director of sports-related hip disorders and the director of the golf medicine program. He was at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from 1996 to 2001, and served as its chief of orthopedic surgery in 2000-2001. (3)

He is a member with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He is also a Fellow with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a Master Instructor with the Arthroscopy Association of North America, Masters Experience Hip Course, and a Member of the Herodicus Society. (4)

During his career, Philippon has performed thousands of hip arthroscopies in several countries, and has trained numerous surgeons in the procedure, which involves using an arthroscope, or tubelike camera, that is inserted into the joint area, along with specialized tubelike instruments that make the repairs. Because it is less invasive and often performed on an outpatient basis, patients undergoing hip arthroscopy are able to return to previous activities quicker than conventional open surgery.

Philippon has treated hundreds of Olympic and professional athletes. The list of patients includes the baseball players Luis Castillo and Alex Rodriguez; the football players Kurt Warner, Jay Fiedler and Priest Holmes, the golfer Greg Norman, the hockey player Mario Lemieux and the Olympic figure skater Tara Lipinski.

He also serves as a consultant to the National Hockey League, the NHL Players' Association, National Football League and the National BasketballAssociation.(4)

Philippon earned his medical degree from McMaster University Medical School in Ontario, Canada, in 1990, and completed his residency at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital in 1995. (4)

Malpractice Suit

In 2007, Philippon lost a medical malpractice suit brought against him and Holy Cross Hospital by Katie Shreffler, a former ballet dancer from Coconut Creek, Fla., who claimed she was permanantly injured after undergoing hip arthrscopy performed at the hospital by Philippon in 1997. She was awarded $2.15 million.(5)

The ruling was upheld on March 2010 by the District Court of Appeal for the State of Florida Fourth District.(6)

In October 2010, the Florida Supreme Court refused to hear a malpractice case against Holy Cross Hospital and Philippon, letting stand a lower court appeal and the original Fort Lauderdale jury's 2007 $2.15 million verdict. With fees, costs and interest, the award now is $4.3 million. (7)

Personal

Marc Philippon was born in Canada. He lives with his wife, Senenne, and three children in Edwards, Colo.

References and External Links

1. Steadman Clinic Web site: http://thesteadmanclinic.com/Index.asp
2. Steadman Philippon Researcdh Institute: http://www.sprivail.org/
3. Dr. Philippon's CV: http://www.slideshare.net/hipdoctor/marc-philippon-arthroscopic-hip-surgeon-vail-co
4. Dr. Philippon personal Web site: http://drmarcphilipponmd.com/
5. The Miami Herald, June 14, 2007 (Broward edition), by Diana Moskovitz
6. PDF of appeal: http://www.4dca.org/opinions/Mar%202010/03-17-10/4D07-4104.op.pdf
7. Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Oct. 27, 2010 (Broward Metro section), by Bob LaMendola

How to Strengthen Your Core

I always thought that my abs and glutes were in decent shape, not to brag or anything. But after suffering a hip injury, and undergoing physical therapy, I would learn the truth: I might look O.K. on the outside, but runners like me are notoriously weak in the core midsection. So, really, is most of the population, for that matter. (Ever wonder why you pulled out your back?) 

The core includes the gluteus maximus, a k a butt; the abdominal muscles; hip flexors and abductors; and the illotibial band on the outside of the leg. Keeping them strong will not only improve stability and alignment, but make you less prone to injury (even if you’re biggest athletic endeavor is cleaning out the garage.)

Here are six easy core-strengthening exercises, which can be performed two or three times a week. You will need a comfortable mat and a resistance band; both can be bought inexpensively at a sporting goods store. Optional: leg weights (2 to 5 pounds each).

Pelvic tilts. Lie on your back with your arms to the side, knees bent and feet flat. Draw in your abdominal muscles as you tilt your pelvis back, keeping flat on the ground. It will almost feel like you’re trying to push your belly button into the mat. Hold that position for five seconds, then release. Repeat 15 to 30 times.

Bridges. Loop the resistance band around your legs, bringing it up just above the knees. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Lift up you butt and pelvis, then push your legs outward against the band. Hold for five seconds. Bring legs back in, then lower body. Repeat 15 to 30 times.

Clamshells. Loop the band around your legs, also bringing it just above the knees. Lie on one side with knees bent at a 45-degree angle, legs and ankles stacked together. Slowly move the knees, then the legs apart. Return to original position. It should look like a shell opening and closing. Repeat 15 times. Switch sides.

Bird dogs. Kneel on the floor with your hands firmly placed on the ground, shoulder-length apart. Your back must be straight and your head aligned with your neck and back. Point one arm out straight in front of you and extend the opposite leg to the rear. Hold the position for 10 seconds, then return hands and knees to original position. Repeat movement using the opposite side. Complete 15 sets. Leg weights optional.

Fire hydrants. Like the bird dog, you will also be getting down on the ground on all fours and have your back straight. Lift one leg up, keeping it bent. Move it out to your side until the inside of your thigh is parallel to the ground. It will look like a dog lifting its leg to ... Leg weights optional.  

Lateral walk. You’ll first need to find a long enough space, 6 to 8 yards. Loop the resistance band just above your ankles, separate your feet slightly and move your body into a semi-squat. Walk sideways in one direction leading with one leg, using the muscle on the outside of the leg to overcome the resistance of the band. Facing the same direction, repeat the movement using the other leg to lead. Complete five sets.

Joined at the Hip

What could I possibly have in common with Alex Rodriguez, Tara Lipinski and Mario Lemieux? Certainly not their athletic prowess or major league bucks. But you might say that we’re all joined at the hip.

Actually, we’ve all been sidelined at one time or another with hip labral tears, caused by what’s known as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), or hip impingement syndrome. All of us have had arthroscopic surgery to correct the problem; mine was in mid-July.

So what exactly is this hard-to-pronounce malady? In a nutshell: too much friction in the hip joint. This occurs when the ball of the joint rubs against the socket. The result: a tear in the surrounding thick tissue, or labrum, which often causes pain or stiffness in the area, especially after running or sitting for prolonged periods. (Boy can I attest to that!)

Some people are born with this deformity, while others may develop it from too much activity (or maybe even an accident). In my case, it was probably a bit of both, according to my surgeon, who says he’s seen a steady rise in hip impingement cases in both the pros and in amateurs like me.

My hip pain first surfaced during training for the New York City marathon in the summer of 2010. I had tried to cram in too many long runs in too short a period of time, and ultimately had to abandon plans to run that race. But who knows: if I hadn’t overtrained, this simmering problem may not have manifested itself. (At least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

In fact, FAI, though increasingly common, is often difficult to diagnose. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery, where I had my surgery, it takes, on average, 21 months and visits to at least three health care professionals before a diagnosis is finally made. Oftentimes, doctors think the patient merely has a bad case of tendonitis or bursitis, both inflammations.

For me, it was eight months in the dark — during which time I made visits to a sports-medicine specialist, massage therapist, exercise physiologist and two physical therapists. Tendonitis, they all thought. It was only after having a painful contrast-dye M.R.I., that I finally had a definitive diagnosis.

Even A-Rod’s doctors and trainers initially weren’t sure what was causing the Yankee third baseman’s chronic groin and back pain. (We know now it was FAI.) And I found similar stories when comparing notes with two colleagues at work and two friends from town, also FAI sufferers.

But there’s good news in all this. The prognosis after the less-invasive arthroscopic surgery is good. Seventy-eight percent of surgery patients get back in the game after  about nine months, on average, and 91 percent of them are able to compete at the pre-injury level (or maybe better), according to another study from doctors at Hospital for Special Surgery.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. And I'll be looking into other sports-related injuries, too.

Lecture Comment: Research

One of the worst things a writer could do is to jump to conclusions. Which is why, as the lecture says, it’s so important to do as much research as possible.  

Early in my journalism career I recall being told by my more experienced colleagues that you could never collect too much information. I found that to be true, though sometimes I questioned that logic, as I was forced to sift through countless hours of interviews (couldn’t always read my scribble, or fast typing) and piles of data amassed while working on a big feature.

“I can write a book with all this material!” I would complain.

I probably could have written a book in some instances – like the time I was researching a story about 10 years ago on how companies like IBM were phasing out traditional pension plans. (I’m proud to say I won an award for that one.) In my research, I spoke to numerous plan managers, benefits consultants, union and company officials and affected employees, and I read through the esoteric industry reports. 

Having all the material for that story and for others helps me to become more knowledgeable about the subject matter and, therefore, write with more authority.

What happens, too, is that as I continue my research, each person I speak with educates me on the subject, helping me formulate questions for the next source I plan to interview, and so on.

Sometimes, too, I get pointed in another direction. The story I thought I would be writing early on turns into something entirely different – usually something better.

Or I ended up with another good story. A few years ago when I was doing research for a real estate story about how certain floor plans made some properties more valuable than others, I stumbled on the start of what would be a lucrative trend: neighbors in Manhattan were selling contiguous apartments together, instead of individually, and making a killing on the price.

Tonight’s lecture talks metaphorically (or maybe not entirely) about how a “stiff breeze in a room full of index cards can remix the perfect restructuring of your ideas.”

That’s true, too. Want to know what else has worked for me? Losing what you’ve just written on a computer screen, perhaps because of a glitch. After angrily stomping off, you calm down, recollect your thoughts (maybe rethink certain points), and start writing again.

Oftentimes the second go-round is better than the first.

Playing Devil’s Advocate: Tennis Dress Codes

In team sports, uniforms are an essential part of competing – not only do they distinguish a group of players from the opposing side, but they also help foster teamwork and team spirit. Their message: “We’re all in this together!” And deviating from the dress code – perhaps by donning a wrong color sock – might place you on the sidelines.

It’s a different story when athletes compete individually. But even in nonteam sports there are often protocols and guidelines to be followed when it comes to proper attire, especially if there are sponsors to answer to.

Yet there are some athletes who simply don’t care. They seem more interested in shocking than winning. (Of course, a fair number of them have managed to accomplish both.)

Let’s take, for instance, tennis, that once-genteel sport steeped in tradition. The tennis whites have long prevailed as acceptable apparel. However, over the years a number of prominent players have appeared on the courts in a multitude of outlandish or  inappropriate costumes. Not only do they look unprofessional and even silly, but they create an unfair distraction for their opponents. And worse, they make a mockery of the sport, setting a bad example for the younger players and fans.

The Willams sisters are prime offenders. Last year at the French Open, Venus Williams wore an outfit that looked like it came straight out of a Victoria’s Secret catalog: a racy black-and-red-lace jumper paired with skintight flesh-colored shorts that left her (albeit taut) derriere nearly visible for all to see.

Said she: “Lace has never been done before in tennis, and I've been wanting to do it for a long time.” (There’s probably a very good reason why that’s so, Venus.)  Earlier this year, she treated the crowd at the Australian Open to a bright-yellow latticelike dress, also with visible skin-tone undies. 

Her sister, Serena, six years before chose a denim skirt and black boots to wear at the U.S. Open. Was she expecting rain?

And at the 2006 U.S. Open, Maria Sharapova, their rival, opted for a black-sequined cocktail dress. She must have had a big date immediately after the match.

The male players don’t fare much better. At the Australian Open in 2006, Dominik Hrbaty donned a pink and black polo shirt with two huge holes cut out in the back. I guess he was hot. That same year, Radek Stepanek, clad in a black-and-white striped shirt, looked more like a linesman than a player in the Zagreb Indoors ATP Tournament.

The first women to play at Wimbeldon, the world’s oldest tennis tournament, wore full-length white dresses; the men wore full-length white pants. Wimbeldon still requires its players to wear all white (though, admittedly, tournament organizers can’t control the style of the outfits). It also imposes a strict dress code on others involved in the championship tournament, like the chair umpires and the ball boys and girls. (Spectators are spared a dress policy, though they have their own rules to abide by.)

The United States Tennis Association, the governing body for tennis in this country, doesn’t have an all-white rule, though it says it requires "proper tennis attire" for all sanctioned USTA tournaments and matches. But the word "proper" is not clearly defined.

It’s time for the USTA, as well as the tennis associations in other countries, to crack down on inappropriate tennis attire and restore a little class to the sport by spelling out specific guidelines. Doing so would create a more level playing field for all of the players, and keep the attention where it should be, on the game. As for those badly dressed  folks, remember: not all your fans love-love.

My Comeback

Oh how I love waking up every morning.

As I continue to recover from this summer’s arthroscopic hip surgery – to repair a torn labrum, caused by too much friction in the joint – I’m finding that each new day brings a new movement, or a movement performed better than the previous day. Like going up and down stairs. Picking things up from the floor. Getting in and out of cars.

Even my walking gait is finally normalizing.

I also recently marked yet another small milestone: I’ve progressed to Phase 2 in my physical therapy. There are four phases in the protocol, and this one encompasses weeks 6 to 12.

What this means for me is that now I feel as though I’m actually exercising. No more barely discernable isometric movements. My physical therapist has introduced new exercises, like leg presses with weights, one-leg “step” balancing and the “monster walk.” (The latter is where you loop a band around your ankles and take wide steps to help build up your glutes.) I’ve even begun using the ellipitical machine again.

My surgeon says he is thrilled with my progress – I saw him this past week for my eight-week checkup.

“You’re a fast healer,” he said.

Thanks, but can I do yoga again? Take a spinning class? Run?

No, no, and definitely no!

It’s important at this stage of my rehabilitation, I was told, not to overdo things. I need to remember, too, that it was precisely that  – overtraining for a marathon, in the summer of 2010 – that got me into this mess, or at least caused my hip impingement problem to manifest itself.

Remembering 9/11

First came the tragedy, then the frenzied planning.

The terrorists attack a decade ago had a profound effect on all of us working at my newspaper in New York – after all, it happened right in our own backyard. (I, for one, wailed like a baby as I huddled with shocked neighbors watching the Twin Towers crumble to the ground on TV.)

I knew of colleagues living downtown temporarily displaced from their homes, and one who lost a brother at the Pentagon. One of my own cousins, working blocks from ground zero, was caught in the mayhem and had to have rescue workers hose off the black soot and ash that enveloped her before she could go home.

This wasn’t six degrees of separation – it was two degrees, at most.

The author Garrison Keillor contends that nothing bad ever happens to a writer – it’s all just material. He couldn’t be more wrong – or more right, for my newspaper and other publications went on to win Pulitzer prizes for their extensive 9/11 coverage.

Though deeply shaken and saddened, all of us as journalists had much work and preparation to do after that tragic day.

At the time, I was assigned to the newspaper’s Sunday business section, responsible for personal finance stories, and far removed from the daily coverage. I had planned to run a story about financing cosmetic surgery for the following weekend, and immediately scrapped it and scrambled to find something else.

“No way!” my boss agreed. “Nobody will want to read about that for awhile!”

What came in its place was a thoughtful piece about coping, and in the weeks ahead practical consumer-oriented stories related to the terror attacks.

The writer Norman Mailer talks about “the sliver of ice" that is in every writer’s soul that allows him or her "to look at catastrophe and know that it is great material.”

He’s right about that, too. But that doesn’t mean that a journalist must entirely detach from these dreadful events. The stories that stir emotions – be it in disaster zones halfway around the world or closer to home – will only serve to motivate a reporter, editor or photographer to dig a little deeper.

And we all benefit.

My Resume

SUMMARY:

I am an award-winning journalist with almost three decades of experience as a writer and editor for several news organizations, including New York Newspaper. I have covered everything from hijackings to high finance, though I specialize in real estate, business and personal investing.

I am comfortable with both the print and digital sides of news operations, and to hone my skills in new media, I am currently enrolled in a graduate program in interactive communications. 

I have been a guest lecturer, and a featured writer in Columbia University’s “News Reporting and Writing” text book (6th edition). I have also served as panel moderator and panelist for several organizations, including the Women’s Economic Roundtable, where I appeared with Suze Orman.

I love to run, hike, swim, cycle – and blog about all of the above on a Web site I built from scratch.

EXPERIENCE:

New York Newspaper, December 1999 – Present

Editor on the Real Estate section (print and digital), and previously worked on the Sunday and daily Business sections (assigning and copy-editing).

Author of  a weekly interview column profiling prominent people in real estate. Also wrote monthly columns about real estate investing and money matters related to real estate.

Frequent contributor of feature articles to several sections, including Business, National, Sports and special sections like Women’s Health, Retirement and Small Business.

Featured writer in "New York Newspaper’s Practical Guide to Practically Everything" (St. Martin's Press).

Sunday Newspaper Magazine, 2006 – 2007

Freelance writer of real estate and personal finance features for several issues.

International News Service, 1982 – 1999

Personal finance columnist, business feature editor and business writer in New York. Assigned and edited all business features and coordinated photos and graphics from bureaus worldwide. Covered several beats, including personal finance, banking, mergers and acquisitions and the financial markets. Also worked as a business writer, general assignment reporter/editor in Miami and Hartford, Conn.                                                                                                                                                    

Syndicated Washington Columnist, investigative reporter/intern

Reporter/Writer for various media outlets, The Hartford Newspaper, The Bristol (Conn.) Newspaper, The Norwich (Conn.) Newspaper and the Daily Newspaper of Parsippany, N.J. Municipal and police reporting. News Radio WOOPS, Hartford, Conn., weekend producer.

EDUCATION:

Quinnipiac University, candidate for M.S. Interactive Communications

Wharton Seminar for Business Writers, University of Pennsylvania

Rider University, B.A. Journalism, with a concentration in Marketing  

AWARDS AND NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• New York Newspaper Real Estate Conference, panel moderator, 2010, 2009
• Women’s Economic Round Table, panel participant with Suze Orman and other journalists, 2002
• Newswomen's Club of New York, panel participant, 2001
• Front Page Award, the Newswomen’s Club of New York, 1999
• Society of Business Writers and Editors Award, 1998
• National Headliners Award, 1994
• Guest lecturer, Rider University, 1994
• Business writers workshop leader for International News Service Minneapolis, 1994
• Contributor and featured journalist for “News Reporting and Writing,” 6th edition, Columbia University
• National Headliners Award, 1992
• Rider University Distinguished Alumna Award, 1992
• John Hancock Financial Writers Award, 1989, 1988, 1987
• International News Service Managing Editors Award, 1987