Gripevine

A writer is not a minstrel or a street artist whom you can throw a few coins at for their skills or service. Don't get me wrong though, I'm in no way denigrating street performers here, many of them have great talent. But that is how it works, they strum some lovely tune, and the onlooker fishes out some spare change to show their appreciation. Ah but it does not work that way in the world of publishing! Though some people/organisations seem to think so. After 12 years in the industry, it amazes me how stingy people can be when it comes to paying writers and allocating an editorial budget. Many companies seem to be rather tight fisted when it comes to editorial expenses. They think they can run an editorial department on a shoestring budget and still produce a top notch publication. Don't believe me? Open any magazine, whether it's those sold at newsstands or circulated to a limited audience - the editorial staff working on the issue (not including the sales and

If you aspire to be a flight attendant with MAS or SIA, you must be young, svelte and pretty - or at the very least pleasing to the eye, coz it er.... soothes the nerves of travellers? Well I never quite understood the emphasis on looks in terms of being an air hostess. OK fine, perhaps it's because you have to walk up and down a narrow aisle in a tight kebaya, so you gotta be young, lithe and fit. But is one ever too old to be a writer and write good copy? Especially if a person is still in their 30s? The last time I checked, being in your 30s means being in your prime. So naturally I was surprised bordering aghast when I came across this job advertisement from JobStreet in my inbox sometime ago. In a nutshell Avon Cosmetics is looking for a copywriter between 23 to 35 years old. This is the first time I am seeing a job advertisement with an age limit. I'm 34 years old, should I apply? Even if the job was the right fit for my talents, I would give it a miss. Why?

Have you ever been disgruntled over an unfair regulation or practise in your community or country? Felt that there was nothing much you could do about it? Don't have the time or the resources to pursue your grievances? Well there's now an easier way of being heard, garnering support for your cause and initiating the change that you want. Welcome to the era of internet petitions! It's been around for sometime now, and many folks in America and Europe have made good use of it. I'm not sure how well known this form of petitioning is in this part of the world. We could sure use more of this sort of advocacy to get our complacent third world bureaucrats off their cushy seats! How it Works A petition is posted on a website. Visitors to the website who read your petition and want to support it can add their email addresses and names. After enough signatures have been collected, the petition is then delivered to the subject of the petition via e-mail. There are several