Holly, first impressions would suggest, is your average student. She is nineteen years old, pretty, and casually dressed. I interviewed her in the cluttered, messy central room of her small flat, which she shares with three friends. Holly seems every inch the ordinary young woman, and yet there is a side to her which her appearance and lifestyle would never suggest. Holly is a member of what is supposedly one of the most high-profile militant animal rights groups in Britain. She agreed to talk to me for this article because, she says, she wants to set right some of the common misconceptions about this much-maligned movement.

Animal welfare has always been a traditional youth issue. Countless charities are devoted to protecting the habitats of wildlife and ensuring pets are treated with care; each has a considerable membership. Yet it seems little is known about the more extreme end of the spectrum; the animal liberationists, activists who have become associated with hardliner views and violent action. Their organizations are shrouded in mystery, a hindrance made to seem all the more sinister by the fact that they continue to attract increasing media attention.

At the forefront of the movement is the enigmatic Animal Liberation Front, which baffles its detractors due to its apparent lack of structure, centre or hierarchy. Activists work in ‘cells’, which can consist of anything from one person up to a considerable number. These remain anonymous and autonomous from each other, and therefore the decisions and actions of each cell are totally independent of any other. Essentially, the ALF is more of an entity than an organization.

Holly is involved with Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, a group formed with the aim of closing down the experimentation laboratories of the medical research company Huntingdon Life Sciences. In recent months, SHAC has become far more well-known, and its forms of protest notorious. Activists claiming to be supporters of SHAC have terrorized HLS employees, physically attacking their property or the employees themselves. Holly says that no “true” SHAC members endorse this behavior. “Actually, we hate those people that call themselves members and use it as an excuse to beat people up. If you do that you’re stooping to the level of the vivisections.”

This is typical of the view of protestors like Holly. Quick to condemn the ‘beating up’ of HLS employees, she wavers on the topic of violence against property. “I’d never hurt another person or animal, but smashing up the labs is another matter,” she tells me. “If nobody gets hurt, I think it’s justified.” Economic damage is considered a valid form of direct action for the liberationists – particularly if animals are freed in the process.

The fact that SHAC has posted a list of the laboratory’s workers, shareholders and customers on its website does suggest that it is inviting animal-lovers to inflict physical attacks on those associated with HLS. Despite this, it has made extensive efforts to distance itself from such violence, instead choosing to focus on endlessly optimistic peaceful protest alongside the active liberation of animals. In the past year, SHAC members have broken into HLS laboratories and the premises of companies which breed animals for experimentation in order to set them free. Their main success, however, has been in raising the media profile of the HLS issue, causing British banks to withdraw their funding in fear of experiencing protests – and, therefore, bad publicity – themselves.

Contrary to popular belief, groups like the ALF and SHAC are – largely – opposed
to violence. As Holly’s comment about “stooping to the level of the vivisections” suggests, it would be hypocritical of any animal rights activist to criticise human cruelty to animals and go on to harm other humans in order to end this cruelty. However, Holly herself echoes a popular sentiment – that protestors are unfairly treated, even demonized, by the media. Even for those sympathetic to the cause, the image that often springs to mind is that of a masked activist wielding a petrol bomb. “The ALF, and SHAC, have become synonymous with violence now… it’s partly down to certain so-called members, but it’s the press too. Most of them just don’t want to hear our side of the story.”

This opinion has been illustrated several times in past months by the treatment of SHAC by the media. In February this year, Brian Cass, the managing director of HLS, was attacked with baseball bats by three masked figures outside his home. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many blamed SHAC, with newspapers labeling its supporters ‘violent’ and accusing the organization of ‘intimidation and harassment’. In spite of SHAC’s preference for either freeing animals or targeting the financial institutions that support HLS, the media has consistently blamed it for any seemingly animal rights-related action – even nail bombs sent to farms and fish and chip shops, acts which are clearly unrelated to any of SHAC’s aims. It has responded with statements and press releases condemning all acts of violence against humans or animals, but insisting that protests will continue until HLS is closed. The resilience of SHAC and similar groups in the face of such adversity is a clear indicator of the determination and persistence their supporters possess.

Thousands of activists are ordinary men and women who feel strongly about issues like vivisection, and have simply chosen to go one step further than donating to the local RSPCA. Talking to someone like Holly, I find it unfair, not to mention difficult, to assign any generalizations to animal rights ‘extremists’. It’s important to remember that in their eyes, animal and human rights are inseparably intertwined; cruelty to animals is akin to human exploitation; achieving complete liberation will take us a step nearer to peace and freedom. In Holly’s words, “I can’t see why so many think what we do is so wrong. All we’re doing is fighting for what we believe in, and at the end of the day, what we believe in is equality.

Podcasting not only allows you to produce your own content, but you can also reach out to an audience that is increasingly “on-the-go.” Two months ago the mayor of St. Louis started podcasting.

Thankfully, he is not podcasting his stump speech, but instead he records conversations that he has with locals. A very interesting way to reach out to the city and show them exactly what he is doing for the city.

Also, don’t get rid of your TIVO yet, but some networks are starting to syndicate their content in the form of podcasts. For example, on MSNBC some of the programs are podcasted in their entirety.

Interactive FactPack:
* My Space is now the second most trafficked blogging destination with 11.3 million unique visitors in February 2006. Blogger is at the top with 15.6 million.
* At-home broadband users are far more likely to create a blog and/or read a blog compared to at-home dial-up users. Four percent of broadband users say they have created a blog versus one percent of dial-up users. Thirty-five percent of broadband users have read someone else’s blog versus 20 percent.
* Thirty-five percent of attendee at the ad:tech conference this last January indicated that they will spend money on in-house blogs this year. Thirty percent said they would buy ads on third party blogs or blog networks.

Earlier this week, we reported on David Sifry’s latest “State of the Blogosphere.” According to Sifry, Technorati now tracks a whooping 35 millions blogs. Four million of those blogggers are updating their site at least once a week.

While email remains a very important component of any online campaign, blogging is definitely emerging as a key activity on the Internet. Do you have a blogosphere strategy in place? If not, it’s time to put one in place.

In addition to the tremedous growth as noted by Ad Age and Sifry’s report, the blogging community is a desireable audience. According to a Blog Ad survey:

* 46% describe themselves as opinion makers.
* 50% have spent more than $50 online on books in the last six months.
* 47% have spent more than $500 online for plane tickets in the last six months.
* 50% have contributed more than $50 to a cause or candidate in the last six months.

Wooden tongue language is the antithesis of the true sprit of blogs. Many corporate blogs duplicate press releases into blog entries, maintaining the officialdom and standard dry tone which gives the reader a illegitimate inclination.

How to Spot a Wooden Tongue Blog:
* The blog claims to be written by someone high in the food chain, someone who most likely does not have a lot of free time.
* The topics covered are never contentious. Everything is warm, fuzzy, and perfect.
* The blog reads like a dictionary. Vernacular language is rarely used, and if it is, it seems strangely out of place due to the nature and context of the rest of the entries.
* The blog appears out of touch with the current world.
* The blog does not allow readers to comment.

Simply creating a blog does not harness the power blogs encompass. Entries of successful blogs are written in a tone the reader can relate to, cover topics of substance without selling anything, and truly connect with the audience. Company’s need to give their blogs a chance to truly show off their establishment’s personality by being genuine and candid with the readers.

On more than several occasions, I chose to Bzz on behalf of Atkins Advantage Bars by sharing the product with others.

I gave a bar to the computer technician who was kind enough to make a house call when my laptop almost crashed.

I shared two – the Caramel Fudge Brownie and Chocolate Chip Granola bars – with my 17-year-old step-daughter, Sophie (who liked the latter flavor better).

I gave bars to a couple of my running buddies from the Greater Framingham Running Club (just prior to the start of our longest training run of the year, a 21-mile sojourn from the Hopkinton Common to the top of Heartbreak Hill in Newton).

And I brought a few bars to a conference planning committee meeting I had with two of my friends from NEDMA, an activity that I documented and submitted to BzzAgent in the form of the following BzzReport…

My BzzReport on Atkins Advantage Bars

I had an informal business meeting at the restaurant, T.G.I. Friday’s, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to share my Atkins Advantage Bars with others. The setting was right, a place where food and drinks were being served amidst a relaxing, enjoyable atmosphere. And given that my dinner companions were two fellow marketing professionals, I had a hunch that my Bzz would go over well. And indeed it did, as my colleagues, Ben and Craig, were as much excited about the concept of word-of-mouth marketing as the free samples I was about to distribute.

I gave each of them a bar to take home with them that evening (and the next day I sent them a brochure explaining the nutritional advantages of Atkins Advantage Bars and a coupon worth a dollar off any two Advantage bars). I also offered one of my bars to our waitress, who scoffed it down in the kitchen and came back to our table with a rave review. I couldn’t help but find it more than a little ironic that I had my entire table talking about such healthy, nutritious snacks as the Atkins Chocolate Chip Granola Bar, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar and Caramel Fudge Brownie Bar when all around us people were being served plates piled ridiculously high with French fries, onion rings, potato skins, cheeseburgers, chicken wings and spare ribs. Nothing against the restaurant (because I really do like the food there), but maybe T.G.I. Friday’s should consider adding Atkins Advantage Bars to its menu.

We are our own worst enemy when it comes to seeing things about us in the way they truly are. In fact, without some outside perspective, I would say it’s impossible. We scratch and claw for our own way, staying on a path to limited potential, and in the quiet we wonder if we matter.

Andy Andrews, in a remarkable way, tells a modern day parable about people. People like you and me. Broken, bruised, prone to giving up, occasionally questioning what life’s all about, and then seeing glimmers of hope. In The Noticer, you’ll find at least one of the characters is you. There were several well representing me. You’ll also find yourself wishing you had a Jones to show you who you are. To live out who you were made to be. But I don’t want to give it away…

The writing style flows well and weaves well-developed characters into believable storylines. My wife picked it up as soon as I put it down. I can always tell a great story when I find myself sharing the concepts I learned with others immediately after reading it. This was one of those books. A classic that will be shortlived on your nightstand, but will find its way back there soon enough as you find the need to read it again. Because, after all… Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.

This time around was no different.

I first spoke about running the Boston Marathon for charity and the five different fundraising campaigns I’ve conducted – on behalf of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (’96), The Home for Little Wanderers (‘02 and ’03) and Children’s Hospital Boston (’05 and ’06) – as part of the Boston Athletic Association’s Charity Program.

I then showed the class a wall calendar we used as a self-promotional, lead-generation piece when I worked as a creative director at Boston’s Yellowfin Direct Marketing. It was a great example of using both creativity (each month included a tip on how to “take your organization’s direct marketing initiatives to the next highest level”) and printing technology (each individual calendar was highly personalized, featuring the recipient’s name in big, bold letters) to capture your audience’s attention.

But what seemed to interest the students most was when I talked about blogs and suggested that blogging is a skill that just may help them land that first job out of college. In fact, one student, Daniel P. Viens, seemed especially enamored with the topic. So much so, apparently, that he launched his own blog just two days later, in which he wrote…

I recently had a speaker in a marketing course I am taking who spent a portion of his time discussing the value of blogging in business and the growing importance of blogs in the professional community. Mr. Bob Cargill’s enthusiasm about this form of online expression was exiting and definitely the catalyst that finally led me to take on the endeavor of creating/maintaining my own website/blog.

The fact that my remarks resonated so much with Daniel is why I’ve never hesitated to say yes when asked to speak before a group of students. It’s not everyday you get to have such influence over the next generation.

Of course, the fact that blogging is so appealing to Daniel and so many other young people is another takeway from this story altogether. If you’re still not taking blogs – and other new media – seriously, take a look at how college students are using technology to communicate today. Then ask yourself how fast things are going to change in just a few years once they’ve fully matriculated into the workforce — and society at large — and the communications habits, preferences and skills they’ve brought with them have reached critical mass.

While there are plenty of conservative activists roaming the blogosphere as well, what I think sets the Progressive movement apart is that they are working together – liberal bloggers from all across the country – to extend more voices to more people in more places; a seemingly inhibiting step to a Democratic Party who has been plagued by too many voices and not enough consensus over the last three election cycles. However, through its outreach potential, the Progressive movement is actually hoping the blogosphere will cut-down on constituent disparity. They believe that their “people powered politics” platform gives them a message that will resonate with the American people and through increasing its frequency and exposure, they can give a party largely filled with single-issue personalities, a more unified front.

This potentially sets the stage for two very interesting developments in November: 1) Will the Democrats take back the House and/or Senate and/or Governorships, and 2) If so, WHICH Democrats do so? Will it be those who have embraced the blogosphere (Lamont in Connecticut, Tester in Montana, Webb in Virginia, et al), or those who have shied away from it? Will the blogosphere have allowed particular candidates to raise more money, push more coherent agendas, and connect with more Americans, or, as some Democrats fear, will it merely isolate them to the far left of mainstream citizens? The November election will be an interesting test to determine whether the Progressive movement has found both the message – “people powered politics” – and the means – the blogosphere – to return to power.

What I also think is intriguing about this Progressive movement is their effort to gain influence by spreading democracy instead of limiting it. They’re forming their foundation in the “netroots” of society, where membership requires only two things: a desire to change America and the ability to access the internet. In a time when party unity and message cohesion often trump varying opinions and single-issue activism; these liberal bloggers are looking to expand the public forum and embrace new, progressive ideas, and package them under a single banner. They’re hoping that by utilizing the blogosphere, they will not only reach out to Americans who were never before able to join the conversation, but in doing so, increase their political capital come November.

While the real influence the Progressive movement has on American voters won’t truly be determined until after the upcoming mid-term elections, one thing is becoming increasingly clear to me: Through utilizing new communication technology, they have created a new front on the American political battlefield; and if proven successful, the blogosphere may not only reveal the future of the Democratic Party, but possibly, that of all political campaigning as well… Just some food for thought.

Patty Griffin’s Children Running Through is stellar. This isn’t a record that I will workout with at the gym by no means, but as for any other time, this CD is great from beginning to end.

Patty ’s musical art is like an amazing wine….better with age. Every release that she has put out over the last 5 years just keep getting better as she grows older. What a writer!

If you fail to identify yourself while annoying another on the Internet, you could face criminal penalties; including stiff fines and two years in prison.

Please consult the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act, Section 113, which amends Title 47 – Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs with any further questions you may have.