Cortland Coleman's Blog

Don't Dismiss Internal Communications

2009-05-27T17:42:19Z

How your organization talks to itself about itself will impact how the organization talks about itself to the outside world. Yes, internal communications directly impact external communications, stakeholder buy-in and, ultimately, business development and survival. So, how are you communicating to your people within your organization?

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T18:37:20Z

I hope you're having a happy Easter and a wonderful weekend. Spring is in the air and it's time to be excited about the possibilities, opportunities and challenges ahead of us.

Sent via BlackBerry

A Reasonable Stance on Affordable Housing

2009-03-09T12:15:52Z

This weekend's Asbury Park Press featured an editorial with a very practical, workable long-term approach to affordable housing in New Jersey. Political stunts to kill the Council, in the end, are meaningless and useless to the disussion, the challenges that lie ahead or how New Jersey ultimately resolves this very important issue.

Mark DiIonno is Dead Wrong About Social Media

2009-03-01T01:34:50Z

Star Ledger columnist Mark DiIonno doesn't get social media. That's not terribly surprising. Many dead-tree media industry insiders still can't grasp the tectonic shift happening beneath their feet. But what's dissapointing is DiIonno's misguided attempt to criticize social networking web sites and knock 'em down a few pegs. DiIonno doesn't understand the function, value and point of social networking sites so he atttempts to belittle them and their users. However, the truth is that sites like twitter and Facebook are providing huge value to users, investors and media members willing to take the time to understand them and embrace their usage, like the folks below.

A college student found himself locked in an Egyptian jail until his word twitter post, or tweet, "Arrested," sparked a movement to secure his freedom. To DiIonno, such tweets are "dumb" and a "diversion" from a spending time with our own thoughts. One can only imagine how much time the student, James Karl Buck, would've had with his own thoughts if he didn't use twitter to broadcast what had happened to him.

Another person who's happy he won't have more time to spend with his private thoughts is David Murray. David used twitter to land himself a job late last year. Yes, a job late last year. While the economy was in free fall, David was tweeting his way to gainful employment. As the recession deapens and tougher times hit people and communities across the country, more people are looking to twitter and other social media sites for job leads, references and carrer-related help.

The top priority in the lives of the American people are their homes. So when wildfires threatened southern California communities, the TV news, local fire station and neighbors started tweeting fire updates so their neighbors could keep up with the latest news about the fires, including whether or not they had a home to come back to.

Sites like twitter are developing and deploying cutting edge technologies with large, private investments from venture capitalists. Entrepreneurs driving technological innovation via private invesment in smart management teams, 21st centurty technology and the future of communications? Sounds like just the thing our country needs right now.

Mark, you owe your readers an apology. Staying connected and sharing thoughts, links, information and news is increasingly how people across all age groups are communicating today. To deny that truth and call the sites "dumb" and make fun of their names is to completely miss the point, underestimate their value and cheapen the discourse. You're better than that, I hope.

Uncork New Jersey Legislation Gaining Ground in Trenton

2009-02-26T23:29:20Z

Uncork New Jersey Press Release - Committee Hearing

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Press Releases Business & Legal news wine

Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine

2009-02-21T20:43:55Z

I love this song from the latest Ra Ra Riot album. I hope you enjoy "Dying is Fine."

President Obama's Weekly Address - 2/21/09

2009-02-21T20:08:13Z

My Interview About Updating Wine Laws in New Jersey

2009-02-21T20:00:15Z

I was interviewed for an internet radio show hosted by InnovativeMediaPR regarding the work CPA is doing to update wine laws in New Jersey. Enjoy the show, and if you're a wine lover in New Jersey, we need your help!

Give Him a Real Chance

2009-02-18T23:27:09Z

We're not even 30 days into the Obama adminstration and already the local newspaper is publishing letters calling President Obama everything from traitor to socialist and predicting the end of the American dream and, essentially, the complete breakdown of our society if he continues governing. The letter writers are ridiculous, ignorant and sad. The President has been in office for less than a month and they are already predicting the end of this country as we know it?!?!?! It's pathetic and desperate, and it needs to stop. Remember what your mother taught you: if you don't have anything nice to say...hopefully, you know the rest.

Half Marathon Training

2009-02-16T18:34:52Z

Pat's Run 2007 - Tempe, AZI'm seriously considering signing up for the Asbury Park Half Marathon. I've been running on and off for a few years and have run primarily 5K and 10K races, mostly in Arizona. Now that we've settled into our new house, I've been hitting the pavement more frequently (when weather permits) and while I have a long way to go, I think I can do the half marathon coming up in just over 60 days. There are plenty of Web-based training programs available, but with my schedule and sporadic running history, none are tailored very well to me. I've calculated that if I add about a mile per week to my regimen, then I should be able to run the 13.1 miles which comprise a half marathon in two months. I'm not signed-up yet, but with my runs feeling better and better and an increasing number of public declarations like these, I feel myself inching closer. Stay tuned for an announcement soon...or maybe not.