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Paul Wright began his journalism career behind bars. When he was 21, Wright killed a man in Federal Way, WA, during a botched hold-up; the cocaine dealer he went to rob reached for a gun, and Wright fired first. He claimed self-defense, but was convicted of first-degree felony murder in 1987. Rather than languish, Wright began studying the law, and spent most of his time in Washington State's prison system writing, reporting, and litigating for Prison Legal News, a magazine he co-founded with fellow inmate Ed Mead in 1990. (He served 17 years of a 25-year sentence, and was released in 2003.) Some Washington prisons tried to ban PLN, but Wright became an experienced jailhouse lawyer and convinced the courts to overturn those decisions—something he's since done in nine other states, with three cases pending. What started as a 10-page newsletter is now a 56-page monthly magazine with subscribers in all 50 states and several other countries. PLN has a staff of five, and is the centerpiece of a growing nonprofit—recently renamed the Human Rights Defense Center—with a litigation arm focused on prisoners' rights, a book-publishing operation, and a budding Web presence. Wright has written three books (two while in prison). CJR's Alysia Santo spoke with him in PLN's office in West Brattleboro, VT.
From killer to crusader
The worst phone call I ever made was when I was sitting in jail and called my parents to tell them that I'd been arrested on murder charges. I grew up in Lake Worth, FL. My dad worked for the post office and my mom was a housewife. I liked to read and stay up on what's happening, but my career goals were always in the law-enforcement arena, not journalism. I graduated high school when I was 16, and then went to Mexico to teach English. I came back to the US when I was 18 and joined the Army. I was stationed in Hanau, Germany, as a military policeman. When I came back to US, I went through a military police investigator course, and I was working as a military police officer in Washington when I was arrested.
In retrospect, it was really pathetic. I was making $400 a month, and they had just cut our per diem. I was looking for a way to make fast money. I chose to rob a drug dealer. Cops ripping off drug dealers isn't uncommon; I wasn't the first or last guy to have that idea. I was arrested about a week before I was due to get out of the Army. I don't really think that what I did, or my time in prison, defines me as a person, but for a lot of people it does. I can't do anything about that.
I thought I was pretty well informed about most things, but the treatment of prisoners surprised me. If you don't know any better, you think, Wow, they've got the guns, so they can do whatever they want. But over time I started to feel that regardless of what I'd been convicted of, I deserved to be treated better than I was. After I'd been inside about two years, the guards came into my cell one day and dumped out my Cap'n Crunch cereal on the floor. I'm making 42 cents an hour and a box of Cap'n Crunch is $3—I thought that was quite the outrage. I started looking into what legal remedies I had, and that's what got me interested in the law and prisoners' rights advocacy.
I met Ed Mead in '88. He had been doing litigation for a couple of decades. He was publishing a newsletter at that time that he called The Abolitionist, which eventually folded, and we decided to start a prison publication. We had $300, and we figured we could do a 10-page newsletter at $50 a month for six months. In 1990, we did our first issue. We sent out 75 copies, mostly to prisoners and activists we knew would be interested. That was over 250 issues ago.
In 1993, Ed got out of prison. Since he was on parole, he wasn't allowed to correspond with any convicted felons. We sued the Washington review board to challenge that order, but lost. Once Ed was out, he kind of moved on. I haven't talked to him in over a decade.
Muting the messenger


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The Linda Meyers Family Home Page
Updated September 5, 2000 |
Linda Meyers |
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text:
San Francisco 2013 Full Agenda
Monday, April 15, 2013 |
8:00-8:45am • Room: Foyer
Registration & Networking Breakfast
8:45-9:10am • Room: Golden Gate C2
Conference Chair Welcome Remarks
Speaker: Shawn Elledge, Conference Chair, DemandCon
9:15-10:00am • Room: Golden Gate C2
Behind Every Successful Marketer is Strategy
Mike Couch, CEO of Couch & Associates, Toronto, Canada has invited a panel of clients to share the strategies behind each of their demand generation objectives and goals. This program will help you develop your own strategy for success in 2013 and beyond. After all, Tactics without Strategy is the noise you hear before defeat – Sun Tzu.
Speakers: Mike Couch, CEO, Couch & Associates
Kim Mai, Sr. Manager of Marketing Automation, NetApp
Scott Fingerhut, Vice President, Lead Generation, Box
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
10:00-10:30am • Room: Exhibit Hall
Exhibits & Morning Coffee Break
10:30-11:15am • Room: Golden Gate C2
Strategic Issues of World-Class Sales Organizations
In 2012, the Miller Heiman Sales Best Practice Study revealed the top 12 strategic initiatives of World-Class Sales Organizations from respondents globally. As we start into 2013, Joe Galvin, Chief Research Officer of the Miller Heiman Research Institute, will revisit the highlights of 2013 Sales Best Practices Study in the presentation Strategic Issues of World Class Sales Organizations. This session will provide sales leaders with insights on best practices leveraged by World-Class Sales Organizations that result in improved performance, highlighting strategies to consider for throughout this year.
Speaker: Joe Galvin, Miller Heiman
10:30-11:15am • Room: Golden Gate C1
Win with Digital Content Marketing
This presentation shares insights into how Tellabs uses content marketing to drive demand generation. When you compete with companies 10, 20 or 30 times your size, it's a David and Goliath battle. Content is your slingshot.
You find good content in customer conversations, as customers talk about problems, worries and needs. The best content is thought–provoking — challenging the customer's sense of the status quo, and inspiring a change in his or her thinking.
Good content cuts through the clutter with consistent, compelling messages. It's sized to fit into your customers' attention windows. It speaks your customers' language. It sparks a conversation that leads to revenue.
Speaker: George Stenitzer, Tellabs
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
11:30am-12:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
Better Lead Conversion Through Enrichment
The amount of data that is available both to your prospects and about your prospects is unprecedented. Having a unified data strategy is key to succeeding within this new Big Data frontier. Learn how leading B2B marketers have increased conversion and win rates by unifying their lead scoring and sales enablement programs using InsideView. See how they enable their prospects and customers to have a consistent brand experience that is relevant to their location in the funnel.
Speaker: Umberto Milletti, CEO and Founder, InsideView
11:30am-12:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
Who Is More Important For Your Revenue Objectives – Influencers or Brand Advocates?
In this lively discussion, Mark Fidelman and a panel of speakers will argue their points of view for which group has the most meaningful revenue impact. How are the best businesses designing influencer and advocate initiatives that influence the perception and decisions of prospective customers? Explore the undercurrent of influence, specifically social capital and social currency. With services such as Klout and Kred defining an influence score, our online stature is being perceived rightly or wrongly.
Discover how to best engage and motivate your brands advocates. There's a strategy that brands are using that the rest of us don't know about. We discuss what they are and how to deploy them at our organization.
You will learn:
- The difference between advocates and influencers
- Influencer identification and engagement strategy
- Advocate identification and engagement strategy
- What has worked and what hasn't
Speaker: Mark Fidelman, Author
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
12:15-1:30pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
Marketing Performance Management Unveiled: How To Keep Score Of Your Success
Moderator: Dave Lewis, DemandGen International
Do you know why sales gets "the big bucks"? Because their impact on businesses can be directly measured and attributed from their efforts. Can marketing's impact also be measured and attributed? Finally, the answer is yes!
Yet, while every modern marketer has been asked to measure and report on marketing's impact on revenue, very few companies have changed their perception of marketing from being a cost center to revenue driver because the approach and solution for marketing performance management has remained a mystery to most. Join Author and lead management expert David Lewis, as he leads a panel of marketing pros, who will share their secrets for creating effective marketing dashboards that communicate marketing's contribution to the business. This panel of experts will dissect several real-life dashboards so you'll understand how they're used as a vehicle for linking marketing activities to demand generation, pipeline, and revenue.
The session will start with an overview of which vital metrics should be integrated into your Marketing Performance Measurement Dashboard and then delve deep into how to collect and present the information. Your big takeaway from this session will be a thorough understanding of the techniques for communicating marketing impact over marketing activities.
Session Highlights
- Which vital marketing metrics should serve as your key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Techniques for explaining your KPIs to fellow executives using an approach they'll understand
- See how your peers are creating effective marketing impact dashboards
- How you'll need to enhance your website, campaign tracking, marketing automation system and CRM systems to ensure for proper tracking of data for reporting
- What types of resources you'll need to enable you to collect, analyze, and report on marketing's impact
Speakers: Greg Forrest, Sr. Manager, Marketing Operations & Demand Center, Concur
Doug Sechrist, Vice President, Demand Marketing, Five9
Nicolas Draca, Director, Demand Generation, LinkedIn
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
1:30-2:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
How to Shorten Sales Cycles
50% of all opportunities fail to close as originally forecasted. Forecasting accuracy remains one of the top concerns for the CSO in today's business environment. CSO Insight's Sales Performance Optimization Survey Results tell us that 49.3% of all deals fail to close as originally forecasted. In addition, nearly 20% of all deals result in a "no decision". The buyer simply did nothing.
The survey goes on to say that the number of calls needed to close a deal is rising, not because we have to make more calls on the same people, we now need to make more calls on more people. Sales reps are finding that bigger deals may need more levels of sign-off, requiring them to call on multiple stakeholders for support. This can have a major impact on the length of a sales cycle. Additionally, poor qualification continues to be a problem for many companies leading to record numbers of deals ending in "no decision". Proper qualification throughout the entire sales process can help to minimize the risk of a deal ending in "no decision". This module will provide you with a simple formula to better qualify opportunities and an approach for staying in alignment with multiple buyers as you move through the buying process.
During this session you will learn:
- How to identify compelling business reasons to take action
- How to overcome a lack of authority or influence of buyers to make a buying decision
- How to address multiple decision makers
- How to articulate a clear understanding of how your capabilities will help
- How to help buyers visualize how to transition from their current to future desired state
- How value justification helps to make a purchase decision
Speaker: Tim Sullivan, Director of Development, Sales Performance International
1:30-2:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
Lead Nurturing Case Study
Learn how DocuSign created a sophisticated automated nurture system that maps the buyer's journey to the sales cycle. The company runs over 35 nurture programs with a well-orchestrated hierarchy to enable a "market to one" experience for their prospects and customers. The results: Revenue jumped, pipeline doubled within a quarter and tripled the following, and churn was reduced significantly. Walk away with an applicable example or two to implement at your company.
Speaker: Meagen Eisenberg, VP of Demand Generation, Docusign
2:30-3:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
How to Stop Wasting Leads
When it comes to effective lead qualification and prospecting, a one-size-fits-all communication strategy can leave you out in the cold. Steve Richard of Vorsight & Michael Herbst of ConnectLeader will give you the tools techniques necessary to help your teams be more efficient and effective at lead qualification. In this 45-minute session, expect to gain the best strategies to engage your leads and best ways to use the latest technologies to improve lead to opportunity conversion rates. You will walk away knowing how to:
- Create a better process for lead follow up that is 10x more efficient and effective
- Use 3×3 Research: learn what it is and how to use it
- Fine-tune your Professional Persistence
- Use technology to get more people on the phone
Speakers: Steve Richard, Co-Founder, Vorsight
Mr. Michael Herbst, Senior Account Manager, ConnectLeader
2:30-3:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
7 Marketing Habits of Today's Highly Successful Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
The current economic forecast is murky, making it hard for companies to know what to prepare for – growth or contraction. As a result, companies focus increasingly on streamlining operations, fine-tuning programs, and striving for the best possible return on every dollar spent. Many small and medium-sized businesses in particular continue to struggle and exercise caution, searching for ways to effectively grow business while minimizing costs.
We'll use results from a recent Forrester report "Driving SMB Revenue in a Tough Economy" to paint an interesting and informative picture of the business activities and perceptions of 'top performing' companies, and call out the seven key factors that demonstrate why some businesses are growing beyond expectations while others are under-performing.
This presentation will not only identify the key marketing habits employed by the "top performing" [those that reported they exceeded their revenue plan in the previous year] companies, but will also explain why those marketing activities are catapulting their business forward. Oliver Deighton, VP of Marketing at Viglink will share specific examples they implemented to illustrate the practical application of each habit in the real world.
Speakers: Atri Chatterjee, Chief Marketing Officer, Act-On Software
Oliver Deighton, Vice President, Marketing, Viglink
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
3:15-3:45pm • Room: Exhibit Hall
Exhibits & Afternoon Break
Channel Enablement
Selling through indirect channels is an economic strategy aimed at generating greater returns from the available market opportunity at an overall lower cost of sales. Generating a return requires on-going investment, but much of the money vendors spend has little impact on partner behavior and focus, and little impact on channel revenue growth.
Global multi-channel training and consulting leader Channel Enablers will explain which indirect channel investments by vendors and manufacturers produce the best returns through greater differentiation, faster time to revenue, higher rates of partner contribution and higher channel revenue growth. A case study example of a brand-leading software vendor will show how they fast tracked a channel development program that contributed strongly to their outstanding growth in channel revenue and market share.
Speaker: Rich Blakeman, Senior Vice President, Channel Enablers
3:45-4:30pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
Demand Process Transformation – It's Not What You Think
Marketing is always in a state of flux. However, one thing remains the same…the buyer is the central focal point for successful marketing and sales. There are many tools, applications, creative concepts to help you do this, blogs to read and new things to learn, but if you don't fundamentally understand and incorporate Demand Process Transformation℠ into your core strategy, you will not deliver maximum revenue. Demand Process Transformation makes it all about the buyer.
Key take-aways:
- Defining Your Demand Process approach
- Basic steps to start Demand Process Transformation (DPT)
- What to expect with DPT
- How to measure success
Speaker: Carlos Hidalgo, CEO, ANNUITAS
How To Get a Better Job in Demand Generation
Moderated by: Steve Gershik, Co-Founder, DemandCon
It's 2013 and the career outlook for demand generation professionals in both marketing and sales couldn't be brighter. In this informative panel, find out how your career prospects stack up against those of your peers and learn what skills companies are looking for. Bring your questions about job finding and career development to our panel of experts.
Speakers: Jill Rowley, Social Selling Evangelism & Enablement, Oracle
Shelly Kramer, Founder and CEO, V3 Integrated Marketing
Christine Crandell, President, New Business Strategies
5:30-7:00pm • Room: Exhibit Hall
Local BMA, DMA and Social Media Club
7:00-9:00pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
BMA & Social Media Club Programs:
People, Processes and Technologies in B2B – a NorCal BMA Round Table
It has been said that people and process are the most important factors to consider when making a B2B technology purchase. With more and more people on your typical B2B buying committee, a focus on process and business goals to drive justification for investment is becoming a hurdle that must be cleared before a purchase can be made.
NorCal BMA chairwoman Nancy Chou moderates a panel exploring the balance necessary to maximize your b2b marketing investments and make them as immediately impactful as possible. The panel with discuss the power of key marketing technologies like marketing automation platforms, targeting and personalization platforms, and advanced web analytics solutions and evaluate the necessary steps behind making investments in these technologies fruitful. Our panelists will also discuss how buying behavior has changed, and how the modern buyer and buying committee makes their decisions.
Please join us for this engaging evening where DemandCon attendees and NorCal BMA members will have the opportunity to interact with one another and our thought-provoking panelists.
There is No Fee to attend if you are a Demandcon attendee or current NorCal BMA member. Otherwise please go here to register for the NorCal BMA Program.
BMA Members: BMAmemDC (free ticket)
The General Admission ticket is $35
Students: BMAstudentDC ($10 ticket)
Speakers: George Stenitzer, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Tellabs
Steve Jones, Vice President of Demand Marketing, CallidusCloud
Jennifer Pockell-Wilson, Vice President of Integrated Marketing & Demand Operations, Demandbase
7:00-9:00pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
Can Social Media ROI Equal Sales?
Many of the success metrics associated with a company's social media activity are often aligned to brand visibility, awareness and basic engagement with fans and followers. But what about those that take things a step further? The opportunities are endless to track the impact, effectiveness and measurable business results of social media activity by a company.
Using social media tools to build supplemental information about customers and prospects that can make the difference between a closed deal and a closed door. So what are those creative ways to leverage social media tools to actively listen, prospect, deepen prospect and customer relationships and close deals?
Our panel will discuss:
- Their view of the modern day sales funnel, and key points in the sales cycle where social media has replaced traditional strategies
- Using social media tools to more effectively communicate with prospects and customers where, how and when they want (and need) it
- Active listening tools, tips and tricks
- Setting up campaigns to track the impact of social selling activities, and follow leads through to sales deals
- Share examples that will give you the insight and data to act quickly upon your own efforts!
Speakers: Adam Metz, Principal, The Social Concept
Jason Miller, Social Media Strategist, Marketo
Koka Sexton, Senior Social Marketing Manager, LinkedIn
7:00-9:00pm • Room: Salon 5 & 6
Stump the Experts: Salesforce.com Edition
The San Francisco Salesforce.com user group will be hosting a panel discussion featuring experts in applying Salesforce.com to Sales, Marketing, Support and Development. Panelists will be discussing the latest developments and releases, tips, tricks and predictions about their respective areas of expertise. Panelists include Kirk Crenshaw (CMO of Tylr Mobile, former VP of Demand Gen for Appirio), Richard Cunningham (Product Manager, Acteva RSVP) and Sophie Curtis (Business Systems Manager at Thismoment, Inc.).
"No charge to attend this program".
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 |
8:00-8:45am • Room: Foyer
Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:00-9:15am • Room: Golden Gate C2
Conference Chair Welcome Remarks
Shawn Elledge, Conference Chair, DemandCon
9:15-10:00am • Room: Golden Gate C2
Powered by Buyer Insights – A Real-Time Approach to Strategic Marketing
If strategic marketing conjures up images of lengthy plans that are rarely read and never come to fruition, this session will be a game changer. Adele Revella, President and Founder of Buyer Persona Institute, will reveal how marketers are focusing on buyer expertise to create real-time strategies for every aspect of marketing, from messaging and segmentation to sales enablement.
Revella will explain why interviewing recent buyers is the most effective way for marketers to transition from tactical to strategic marketing. Attendees will learn about an achievable plan to become the buyer experts that executives and sales people trust to drive revenue and results.
- How marketers can develop buyer intelligence as a core competency
- Steps to position marketing as a source of competitive advantage
- Best practices for buyer insights that guide just–in–time strategic planning
Speaker: Adele Revella, Founder, Buyer Persona Insitute
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
10:00-10:15am • Room: Golden Gate C2
Lightning Round of 2-Minute Sponsor Presentations
10:15-10:45am • Room: Exhibit Hall
Exhibits & Morning Coffee Break
10:45-11:30am • Room: Golden Gate C2
The Social Enterprise
Social really is here when it comes to the enterprise. Many see the role of social in consumer-focused businesses but have not absorbed what it means for the enterprise. Social is having a direct impact in 5 areas:
- DIY prospecting: Customers conduct research on products and services well ahead of the official start to the sales cycle
- Peer influence: Customers "pulse" their peers at every step of the journey
- Trial before purchase: User testing requires grassroot support. It's no longer a single decision instance rather smaller purchase bundles
- Buyer & user are the same: The phenomenon changes decision and influence points in enterprise purchasing
- Click to compare: Pricing transparency is foundational; consumer expectations are shaping enterprise behavior
Speaker: Lareina Yee, Principal, McKinsey & Company
10:45-11:30am • Room: Golden Gate C1
Effective Nurturing through Alignment of Sales & Marketing
In this presentation Maurice Parisien, principal and co-owner of Digital Intersection along with Jim Ruszala, Senior Director of Marketing, Maritz Travel will co-present the strategy, process, tactical elements and KPIs that have lead to the successful ongoing management of Maritz Travel's prospect-nurturing program. The presentation will provide the details of how Maritz Travel and its marketing partner, Digital Intersection have been communicating with key decision-makers and influencers within Fortune 1000 companies to maintain a top-of-mind awareness of the group meetings, events and incentive travel services of Maritz Travel, such that when the need arises, Maritz Travel would be top-of-mind to address needs for group meetings, events and incentive travel services.
Speakers: Maurice Parisien, Principal, Digital IntersectionJim Ruszala, Senior Director of Marketing, Maritz Travel
11:45am-12:30pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
GAME ON – Branded Games = Serious Business
Gamification is a red-hot topic these days. But far too many B2B marketers fail to recognize that business people are consumers, too – and you've got to engage them through highly-interactive, consumer-style experiences before they hit "Game Over" on your brand. And if you think gamification is strictly B2C, you're about to learn otherwise.
In this exclusive session featuring Rick Mathieson, author of THE ON-DEMAND BRAND and BRANDING UNBOUND, you'll see how B2B brands are boosting brand awareness and achieving astonishing business results through some serious fun and games.
You'll discover how branded games can:
- Supercharge integrated communications programs aimed at B2B audiences
- Boost interaction times and act as viral engines for your brand
- Amplify social & mobile initiatives by moving beyond more "presence" to
"engagement" like never before possible
Mathieson will be joined by Rick Wootten, former director of e-business for Dell/SonicWALL and current senior director of online marketing for Seagate Technologies, for a behind-the-scenes look at how one branded game started out as a test – and resulted in over 1,000 leads worth tens of millions of dollars in revenue.
Speakers: Rick Mathieson, Author, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND and BRANDING UNBOUND
Rick Wootten, Senior Director of Online Marketing, Seagate Technologies
11:45am-12:30pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
Agile Marketing Panel
Moderator: Jim Ewel, Author, Agile Marketing Manifesto
Marketers today are challenged by the speed of change, the impact of technology, the pressure to demonstrate positive contribution to the bottom line, the disruption and multiplication of channels of communication, and limited resources to get everything done. Agile marketing is an approach to marketing that helps you to get more done, adapt to change and see measurable results in days and weeks rather than months and years.
This panel will focus on the five core values to Agile Marketing:
- Responding to change over following a plan
- Rapid iterations over big-bang campaigns
- Testing and data over opinions
- Individuals and interactions over one-size-fits-all
- Collaboration over silos and hierarchy
- What is Agile Marketing and how can I apply it to my business
- Who is using Agile Marketing and what has been their experience
- How do I sell the idea of Agile Marketing to my boss/client
- How do I get started
Speakers: Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, CMO, Mindjet
Kirstin Falk, President, RedBricks Media Agency
Justin Brocato, Manager, Marketing Operations, Cisco
Nick Muldoon, Agile Evangelist, Atlassian
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
12:30-1:30pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
You Have A Content Marketing Plan, Now What? How to Build a Content Marketing Machine
Modern marketers understand that content is critical to driving site visitors, leads and new business. But the challenge remains: how can marketers organize their content marketing efforts into a structured business process?
Join Keith Burrows of Kapost, Jason Stewart of Demandbase, and Marina Antestenis of inContact as they share the secrets of a successful content strategy and the critical components of a content marketing process, with a particular focus on top-of-funnel marketing. This session will lay the framework for how to build a content marketing machine and enable you to take actionable suggestions to impact the performance of your organization.
Session Highlights:
- Strategy: What are the key components of an effective content strategy?
- Ideation: How can I ensure a steady stream of relevant content ideas?
- Planning: How can my team efficiently produce large volumes of content?
- Production: How do I ensure the on-time publication of my content?
- Top-of-Funnel Distribution: What are the best ways to use content at the top of the funnel?
- Analysis: What metrics show how my content is performing?
- Case Study: How are leading content marketing organizations using content to help drive more web traffic, leads and revenue?
Speakers: Keith Burrows, Kapost
Jason Stewart, Demandbase
Marina Antestenis, inContact
1:30-2:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
Content Prospecting – Enabling Direct Sales Reps with Lead Nurture Best Practices
In this session, you'll learn hands-on techniques and tools for more efficiently developing your own highly-qualified opportunities, through leveraging best practices for nurturing leads down the sales funnel with meaningful and relevant content. Led by Bret Smith, Managing Principal of High-Impact-Prospecting, LLC, Audience Recruitment Thought Leader and Sales Prospecting Expert, your key takeaways will be:
- Differentiate yourself from the rest of the sales pack by becoming your prospect's trusted expert
- Learn how to easily source content and deliver to your prospect meaningfully
- Easily repeatable content messaging techniques to move your sales cycle along without trying your prospect's patience
- Step-by-step system with full examples of both email and voice content, and more.
Speaker: Bret Smith, Managing Principal, High-Impact Prospecting
1:30-2:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
The Changing Dynamics of Today's Marketing Organization
The simple days of marketing are long gone. The silos of advertising, public relations and promotions have blurred together in an unrecognizable hodgepodge of cross-departmental initiatives. Add that to the growing fields of content strategy, social media, SEO/SEM, brand management, operations and roles like "company evangelist", and you've got an alphabet soup of marketing initiatives, all boiled down under a single discipline. It is nearly impossible to draw an organizational structure chart in 2013, with so many departments collaborating with one another, and questions such as "which department should own this?" are ever-present.
Hear from an experienced marketing professional who has dealt with this problem head on, Megan Lueders, and what she has learned from her years of experience with this very issue. Additionally, Lueders will address how to manage and allocate budgets across diverse departmental needs, calculate ROI, sustain operational programs and make the pitch for more marketing funding from the executive staff.
Key Takeaways:
- Best practices of managing a cross-departmental team
- Calculating ROI across disciplines
- Budget tactics
- Selecting and sustaining operational programs (such as Eloqua, Spredfast, Google Analytics and others)
Speaker: Megan Lueders, Vice President of Global Marketing, LifeSize
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
2:30-3:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C2
Sales Operations' Leaders to Watch in 2013: 3 Live Case Studies of Top Sales Ops Leaders
In this presentation, you will hear directly from 3 of the world's top sales ops leaders. Hear how they have solved some of sales ops biggest challenges, such as:
- Getting the VP of Sales projects done yesterday
- Doing the work of 20 with a staff of 2
- Producing the output of a $10 million budget, without a budget
Speakers: Dan Perry, Principal, Sales Benchmark Index
Steve Rutledge, VP, Global Sales Operations, Genesys
Patrick O'Leary, Director, Sales Strategy & Operations, Yahoo North America
Matt Cox, Enterprise Group, Sales Strategy & Operations, HP
2:30-3:15pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
How to Focus on Inbound Marketing Using Content Marketing + Social Media
Content marketing and social media are the cornerstones of any inbound marketing (and integrated marketing) strategy. As brands and agencies rush to create branded content, they are often realizing that great content alone isn't enough.
76% of marketers who have strategic SEO campaigns in place also invest in the development of branded content as part of an inbound marketing strategy. Inbound marketing has been predicted to eclipse any other kind of marketing efforts by 2015 (and we think that sooner is probably a safe bet). So if you want to know more about using content marketing and a solid content strategy paired with the power of social media channels to get eyeballs to your content, this is the session for you.
We'll cover:
The Power of Data: How to use analytics to drive your content and social strategies
Strategies for Writing Effective Content. 8 in 10 will see your headline. 2 in 10 will click through.
Great Content. Now What? Great content is only great if it works for you. Learn how to more effectively distribute your content across the web and drive traffic (and leads) to your blog + website that you can convert to sales.
Tracking and Measurement. Data is a critical component of the social and content marketing efforts. Learn how to create monthly reports that will help you monitor and track the effectiveness of your efforts and use this data to guide your strategy moving forward.
Speaker: Shelley Kramer, President, V3 Integrated Marketing
[ Top of this page ] [ Agenda overview ]
3:15-3:45pm • Room: Exhibit Hall
Exhibits & Afternoon Break
Where Modern Marketing Meets Modern Selling
Attend this session to learn how one of Eloqua's top sales performers – and undisputed social media fanatics – Jill Rowley uses social media tools and techniques to rise above the rest. Learn how she artfully blends outstanding old-world relationship skills with new-world tools and good timing to build and maintain win-win client relationships and long-lasting advocates.
Speaker: Jill Rowley, Social Selling Evangelism & Enablement, Oracle
3:45-4:30pm • Room: Golden Gate C1
Combining Search and Social to Drive More High Quality Leads
While search marketing is key to any effective demand generation campaign, search marketing alone can't always provide the insights marketers need to completely target specific audiences with correlating specific messages. Some keywords, for instance, cannot concretely indicate the intentions of the searcher.
Social media advertising, on the other hand, provides deep demographic targeting capabilities, allowing marketers to pinpoint messages to specific audiences. However social media advertising doesn't always catch prospects at the prime moment when they are searching for a solution.
How can search and social work together to identify and capture key, targeted prospects?
- How to develop basic buyer personas and their demographics
- Targeting prospects through social media advertising on LinkedIn
- Using retargeting to bucket and continually market to and nurture prospects
- Driving the highest conversion rates through specific messaging to personas
Speakers: Janet Driscoll Miller, President and CEO, Search Mojo
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Discussing: Medical questions and terminology
Medical questions and terminology
Message: 1385
12 Dec 02 5:44 AM
Original Post
General Audience
Message: 1385
12 Dec 02 5:44 AM
Original Post
General Audience
Shameless Plug:
For those unfamiliar with the research articles, there are several already posted on medical topics, as well as many fine ones on other topics, such as horses and plants. The site hopes to add many more. Anyone with expertise is invited to contribute. Anyone who doesn't think they have expertise is invited to contribute by researching a topic, such as a character from Tolkien.
So bring on those questions and/or answers.
Re: Medical questions and terminology
Re: Medical questions and terminology
Would they have had ginger in Middle-earth? it has so many great medicinal uses! I would like to use it in a minor plot point but wasn't sure if it was too off the wall
My herbal knowledge is unfortunately limited. I will answer to the best of my ability, but I am also starting a new topic and transferring this over so those with more botanical knowedge can participate.
Ginger is not one of the plants in Forodwaith's research article dealing with those which were known to be in Middle-earth. Exploring whether it could grow in Middle-earth, I got out my trusty 'Atlas of Middle-earth' and looked at climates. Ginger grows in tropical or subtropical climates. While Harad or Rhun might be hot enough, I suspect they'd be too dry. Anyone with more information?
I was sure I saw a research article on pneumonia in ME but now I cannot find one. Looked in this forum, too, but don't see one. Do you have info on pneumonia in Middle Earth?
What kinds of herbs would have been used in treatment?
slippery elm for cough? (or is that more for sore throat?)
willow bark tea for fever, I assume
I realize that things would have been pretty bleak without antibiotics. What was the survival rate? (pretty dismal, but some percentage did survive)
What other treatments would have been used? Mustard plaster? Hot onion poultice?
When did laudanum (an opiate, right?) start being used for lung cases (in my understanding, it eased the pain of constant violent coughing and allowed the patient to rest, but I could be mis-remembering here)?
Would it be plausible for opiates to start being available once the King took over and opened up the lands of the east to trade, and the roads to safer travel?
I must turn the internet over to teen for homework or I'd be researching some of this myself.
Many thanks for your help!
Re: Pneumonia
Sorry, the only disease article so far was on plague.
What kinds of herbs would have been used in treatment?
slippery elm for cough? (or is that more for sore throat?)
willow bark tea for fever, I assume
My herbal knowledge is very limited, and much of what I found is integrated into Forodwaiths plant article 'Olvar of Middle-Earth'. One site lists comfrey, echinacea, mullein. You can find it target=" blank"> here
Of course you could start a topic in Research questions for 'Herbs' and see if you can flush out some experts...
I realize that things would have been pretty bleak without antibiotics. What was the survival rate? (pretty dismal, but some percentage did survive)
Many do indeed survive untreated pneumonia, although some survivors will have permanent lung problems. Overall mortality rate is about 30%, so about 70% survive. The very old and very young, and those with other serious health problems are least likely to survive.
What other treatments would have been used? Mustard plaster? Hot onion poultice?
Sorry, maybe someone else can answer this one.
When did laudanum (an opiate, right?) start being used for lung cases (in my understanding, it eased the pain of constant violent coughing and allowed the patient to rest, but I could be mis-remembering here)?
This is a double edged sword. The opiate will suppress the cough and make the patient comfortable. Surpressing the cough reflex in pneumonia, especially in a world without antibiotics, is not always a good thing. Large doses of opiates can decrease breathing.
Would it be plausible for opiates to start being available once the King took over and opened up the lands of the east to trade, and the roads to safer travel?
You'll have to post this question as a separate topic and get the trade experts in on this one.
Re: Pneumonia
Agreed. And suppressing a cough is not always a good thing, as coughing is the means by which the body rids the lungs of phlegm. Now if it were a dry cough...That's why in modern times we see so many different cough formulas for sale. I had to learn a little bit on this subject since my oldest has chronic asthma, and the younger one and I get bronchial asthma if the allergies flare up or we get a cold or the flu. Now if you could find an herb that acts as an expectorant...
Re: Pneumonia
It's not just opiates, if memory does not fail. If I'm recalling my pharmacology lectures correctly, several compounds that act as pain-killers have the unfortunate side-effect of being respiratory depressants (is this the correct term in English?). Of course, I doubt that codeine-based medicines would be a problem in Middle-Earth, but there may be herbal etc. compounds with the same effect (I'm afraid my herbal knowledge is minuscule).
Oh, and as Nessime says, letting phlegm and mucus to accumulate in the lungs is not advisable. Unless, of course, you believe that letting one patient die rather than cough the disease around is justifiable. Umm... I wonder what sort of epidemiology knowledge was available in Middle Earth...
Re: Pneumonia
Here's a link to the story:
Jewels, main page
Thanks so much for your help!
I had pneumonia once, but thankfully it is the age of antibiotics...
Pneumonia relapse
Thanks! As you can tell, I have no personal experience with relapse...
except maybe mononucleosis, but that was a long time ago... and I am not planning to write that into a story soon...
Midwifery question
Would a healer ever be called in on a difficult delivery, or would it only be handled by midwife/female relations?
How would a breech presentation have been handled? I know it's an automatic C section nowadays (had one who came out foot first).
Now, James Herriot (the vet) was always sticking his arm up a laboring cow or sheep to turn a baby animal that was coming the wrong way; did that happen in "people" deliveries?
How premature could a baby be, and still survive under Middle Earth conditions? What kinds of measures would they have taken?
Thanks so much for the help! My next chapter depends upon it!
Re: Midwifery question
but need to know a few facts about Middle Earth medicine (specifically the Shire)
Would a healer ever be called in on a difficult delivery, or would it only be handled by midwife/female relations?
I don't know of any materials detailing midwifery practices in the Shire. The Shire is somewhat based on 19th century rural England. As far as I can tell, babies were delivered by physicians or midwives, so you have the option. Fashion, finance and/or the desire to have anesthesia probably were factors in the choice.
How would a breech presentation have been handled? I know it's an automatic C section nowadays (had one who came out foot first).
Even today this is somewhat controversial. There are advocates for vaginal delivery of selected breech births, and there are both midwives and physicians who do those deliveries.
James Herriot (the vet) was always sticking his arm up a laboring cow or sheep to turn a baby animal that was coming the wrong way; did that happen in "people" deliveries?
Turning a baby during labor is not done. However, there is technique that is considered very safe, where the practitioner attempts to turn the baby between the 37th week and delivery. It is called External cepahlic version, and you can find material about it here:
target="_blank">External Cephalic Version
How premature could a baby be, and still survive under Middle Earth conditions? What kinds of measures would they have taken?
In a corresponding RL era there weren't good measures. Without ultrasound, you can't measure size or estimate birth weight. You count back, and you can be right or wrong. Anything below 37 weeks gestation (pregnancy) is considered preterm. 34-36 weeks is considered mild preterm. 32-33 weeks is moderate preterm. Incubators and tube feedings wouldn't exist, neither would ventilators and surfactant.
So, assessment based on limited knowledge (any obstetricians, pediatricians, neonatologists or NICU nurses out there?):
Under 32 weeks - forget it.
32-33, high mortality rate, some will survive.
34-36 good chance.
Your healer or midwife should:
Keep the risks of infection to a minimum. Everything clean or sterilized, limit visitors to parents or caretakers.
Keep the child warm; premature babies can't regulate their temperature as well as term babies.
Start feeding the child immediately if at all possible. Mom likely isn't producing breast milk initally, use a wet nurse. Feed with a dropper, tiny spoon, syringe, whatever if the baby can't suck.
Hope this helps.
Re: Midwifery question
The midwife would no doubt try to turn it by external version (as Lyllyn said) or various other folk remedies - making the pregnant woman lie on a board with her feet elevated for a few minutes every day, directing light or sound near the bottom of the womb to attract the baby, etc.
If nothing happened... obviously there's no alternative to vaginal delivery. Fortunately most breech presentations are complete (baby is ass first, with ankles up by ears) which isn't *too* bad. Footling (feet first) breeches are worst.
As a rule of thumb, complications are most likely in either a first birth, or a later one (say, after 5 or more pregnancies).
Re: Midwifery question
If you have time, check out Chapter 35 ("New Beginnings") of the story called "Jewels" in the beta section and let me know how it flows... I think baby Rose was probably about 34-35 weeks; I had written her as "about a month" early.
Read lots of birth stories and cribbed from one which had an 8-month with footling presentation (one foot) that came out making noise... also read on one medical website quite detailed instructions for reaching up to get the other foot if only one foot came out... which is kind of what James Herriot did in lambing--if the legs were back he would reach in to get them, since lambs are supposed to come out feet first!
question about broken legs
I'm writing a story about a Rider who breaks his leg when his horse falls on him. How long might a multiple fracture (say 2 or 3 places) take to heal? I'm guessing almost a year before he could walk again - there's no orthopedic surgery in Rohan, after all.
I'm also assuming that his leg would be be "withered" afterwards (i.e. atrophied) and probably a bit shorter. Does this sound about right?
Re: question about broken legs
I'm also assuming that his leg would be be "withered" afterwards (i.e. atrophied) and probably a bit shorter. Does this sound about right?
Definitely withered after the prolonged immobilization the fracture would need for healing. Some of that atrophy could be reversed as the Rider builds the muscle back up again. Might be shorter depending on the fracture, and it could look misshapen, and someone feeling the bone could feel something lumpy and strange.
If the bone fragments cut up the muscle, or there was muscle damage from the original injury (which is very possible with this kind of injury) the muscle might be permanently damaged as well, and the atrophy would be permanent.
In terms of the fracture you had in mind, I'm assuming you mean the bone(s) in the lower leg, the tibia and/or fibula as opposed to the femur in the thigh.
The tibia heals slowly, and for what is known as a 'high energy fracture' 3-5 months is a good estimate. If it is an open fracture, add another month or two. With complications, it could be even longer, and some never really heal, with the fragments staying separate.
If you needed to inflict more on the poor Rider, a bad crush injury, even with a closed fracture, would put him at risk for infection. In Rohan, amputation would be the main treatment. If the initial crush was bad enough, amputation would be considered immediately.
Even if he heals relatively well, he is likely to have some permanent limp.
If you are considering the femur instead these are more likely to result in shortening of the involved leg. These take about 6 months to heal, but any complications could prolong this.
Re: Medical questions and terminology
What would they be called in a Shire era setting? Tremors? Fits? Something more gastly?
Would they be an automatic sign of a serious mental incapacity? or could they be a temporary condition that would resolve over time?
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Re: Medical questions and terminology
What would they be called in a Shire era setting? Tremors? Fits? Something more gastly?
I have no way of knowing what they would call seizures, but as the Shire is somewhat modelled after 18th century Britain, fits might be reasonable, or convulsions. Tremors are something else, and seizures sound too modern, at least to me.
Would they be an automatic sign of a serious mental incapacity? or could they be a temporary condition that would resolve over time?
They don't have to indicate any mental incapacity. Most people with seizures are of completely normal mental capacity between seizures.
Seizures that occur within the first week after injury indicate a higher likelihood of recurrence. About half of those with seizures within the first week will have recurrence within 12 months, and about 75% will have recurrence within 2 years.
Some additional information that may be useful:
20% of mild brain injury patients have some deficit
90-100% of moderate to severe will have deficit
* related to:
- duration of coma (longer is worse)
- focal injuries are worse
- secondary brain injuries (diffuse swelling has high incidence of deficits)
- epidurals evacuated early have good recovery
- insidious subdurals that are not recognized early have high incidence of deficits
Unless you've changed things a lot since the last time I read it, Frodo has a relatively long duration of coma, and falls into the moderate to severe category by the time he is treated.
So what all this adds up to, the more seizures he has in the beginnin, the more likely he will continue to have them. If he has only one seizure, there is a good possibility he can remain seizure free in the future.
Re: Midwifery question
Re: Midwifery question
Breech presentation where the posterior is presented is better for the infant because the size of the body that is being pushed through first is large enough to open up the birth canal for the following head. Infants are normally presented head first because if the head can be pushed through, the rest will be easy. In footling breech presentations, the smallest part is trying to come through first and the possibility of neck injury and serious impairment is very high (I was quoted 17% (cannot recall if this was mortality or morbidity rate) for my first child) because the bottom of the head, not the crown, is what is being used to force the birth canal open – and it is not designed to do that.
These days, most breech presentations in the US are delivered via C-section, but there are techniques that can be used to deliver even footling breech babies (I wrote of one in a story I am posting), however the risk and chances of complication are still much higher with these infants.
Re: Medical questions and terminology
As for the length of Frodo's coma - I have changed the story a little to have him show more response initially, and will be having him at least beginning to come around (walking him through the various waking stages of coma that I found on a website on the subject) within the same day as the surgery. I can't have him too impaired or he wouldn't be fit for the quest, now, would he? I am hoping that would not be considered too long a coma for his recovery to be unbelievable.
The seizure idea was just a thought - I may not use it - but, as always, I prefer to research my work prior to writing it. These were questions I was not easily able to find answers to on my searches through the aether.
Re: Midwifery question
Specifically what would have been done to slow or stop a preterm labor. Would there have been any herbal remedies to slow or stop contractions? Any info would be helpful as all the sites I find online deal with modern medicine only.
Re: Midwifery question
Specifically what would have been done to slow or stop a preterm labor. Would there have been any herbal remedies to slow or stop contractions? Any info would be helpful as all the sites I find online deal with modern medicine only.
This is not something I know a lot about, but I was able to find some information for you. Caution: I have found no scientific backing for any of this!
The herbs I have found that were used or are reported to be currently used are:
Chamomile, raspberry leaf, and wild yam root.
A few sources list black cohosh, but according to the Herbalists Desk Reference this can actually cause premature labor.
I hope this is helpful.
Re: Midwifery question
The herbs I have found that were used or are reported to be currently used are:
Chamomile, raspberry leaf, and wild yam root.
A few sources list black cohosh, but according to the Herbalists Desk Reference this can actually cause premature labor.
Thank-you, this is quite helpful. It's not so much the success rate of such treatments that I'm looking for as the fact that they would be attempted at all for this purpose, so this list is just what I'm looking for.
Re: Midwifery question
Raspberry leaves contain fragarine which tones and strengthens the uterine and pelvic muscles for an easy birth.
Nettle strengthens pregnant women and can increase the milk supply for nursing mothers. Boil it for 10 minutes to lose the sting.
Rose hips nourish the blood and reproductive system and are good for post-partum healing.
A number for the recepies I have suggest oatstraw, presumably for the calming and stamina-increasing energy levels
Re: Midwifery question
Re: Midwifery question
Ditto for black cohosh, only more so.
Nettle does not have any tendency to bring on contractions, and it is a good strengthener (BTW, it tastes awful - imagine drinking tea made of grass clippings and you'll not be far off).
In the past, bedrest was really the only treatment for preterm labour - and even today, there are few effective drugs to stop early contractions. Most women experiencing them will be admitted to hospital as much for bedrest as for the drug treatment.
Re: Midwifery question
What about motherwort or crampbark? I've only a sentance each on their uses "traditionally given to mothers in the final stages of labour" for Motherwort and Crampbark "eases cramping during menses" so i assume they also bring on contractions rather than halt them.
I love nettle tea. Not on it's own, it's like drinking hot water as it's got little to no taste. But with blackcurrant or something similar, it's quite nice. I drink it in place of taking iron tablets. Nettle soup is nice too. But possibly i'm just wierd.
Re: Midwifery question
What about motherwort or crampbark?
For traditional (i.e. not necessarily backed up by clinical data or recent experience) herbal lore, this online text is good:
A Modern Herbal [Despite the title, it was originally published in 1931.]
According to this, motherwort is "especially valuable in female weakness and disorders (hence the name), allaying nervous irritability and inducing quiet and passivity of the whole nervous system." Sounds like a tranquilizer!
I love nettle tea. Not on it's own, it's like drinking hot water as it's got little to no taste.
I must have been making it far too strong, then!
Re: Midwifery question
Ditto for black cohosh, only more so.
This is really good to know, as the situation I have in mind occurs during the second trimester.
Nettle does not have any tendency to bring on contractions, and it is a good strengthener (BTW, it tastes awful - imagine drinking tea made of grass clippings and you'll not be far off).
I wondered what some of these might taste like. The site I've been looking at just has a generic note that the herbal teas can be sweetened with honey, etc. Knowing what they taste like would be useful in writng the patient's reaction to having to drink it!
In the past, bedrest was really the only treatment for preterm labour - and even today, there are few effective drugs to stop early contractions. Most women experiencing them will be admitted to hospital as much for bedrest as for the drug treatment.
I suspected as much. This has all been very helpful.
Re: Midwifery question
Nettle soup? How would one go about making it? This could be very interesting!
I like the idea of flavoring the nettle tea with something like blackcurrent.
I used to know a little about herbal but haven't kept up with most of it , so this information is wonderful. Many thanks!
Re: Midwifery question
For traditional (i.e. not necessarily backed up by clinical data or recent experience) herbal lore, this online text is good:
A Modern Herbal [Despite the title, it was originally published in 1931.]
Great! Thanks for the link. I'm off to do some more reading on the subject.
Stab wounds
How would the appearance of a wound caused by a hard, fast sword stab (as in a typical battle situation) compare with one in which the sword is slowly and "gently" introduced? More ragged tearing in the first instance? Any difference in a blood spatter pattern (on the victim; the killer is in absentia)?
I'm thinking abdomen here, if that makes a difference.
Re: Stab wounds
How would the appearance of a wound caused by a hard, fast sword stab (as in a typical battle situation) compare with one in which the sword is slowly and "gently" introduced? More ragged tearing in the first instance? Any difference in a blood spatter pattern (on the victim; the killer is in absentia)?
I'm thinking abdomen here, if that makes a difference.
Interesting question! I'd like more details on the 'gently introduced' part, but some preliminary information:
A wound in a battle could be a straight thrust, force going in a straight line foward, or given while the the blade is moving - more of a cutting action. I found some interesting stuff on the physics of it (I won't inflict details on you), and the most important part is the sharpness of the tip and velocity of the blade. I'll assume we're talking about the same blade and a straight path in each case.
The quick straight thrust with a sharp blade would penetrate smoothly and deeply unless it hit bone. The slow one wouldn't be any more ragged, but wouldn't penetrate nearly as far unless the assailant kept up steady force. The skin is the most resistant to the blade except for bone. Once you go through skin it just slides through everything else. If you need something to distinguish the two postmortem, you can use bruise marks on the skin from the hilt. A hard thrust up to the hilt should leave those, a slow one should not, unless pressure was kept up for a long time.
Abdomen makes a difference only in that there is no bone for a sword to encounter until you reach the spine. I don't know if this would matter to you, but unless the sword hits one of the big blood vessels, the victim will not die immediately. I can elaborate on this if you like, and there is also some information in the Research article section of Resources under Medicine - wounds.
Do satisfy my curiosity. Why is someone 'gently' introducing a sword? Is he or she shy?
Re: Stab wounds
See Runaway Star/Sercemaitë for the "gently introduced" sword. I'm thinking of expanding on that episode yet again...anything to break out of this cursed writer's block...
Re: Midwifery question
I don't know if this reply is too late, but my midwife told me about how alcohol can be used (late term) to slow or stop labor. Can't remember any of the details... but she did say that sometimes alcohol is administerd by IV drip in the hospital to stop preterm labor. She had a client who was drinking and keeping herself from going into labor when it was time, too... that's all I remember.
What would some of the causes of fever be? Would they have worried about it being contagious? How long would a normal course run? (guess that depends on if you're dealing with strep, not a minor condition; or a virus of some sort)
Re: Fever
1. Alcohol by IV drip used to be standard treatment for preterm labor, until it was supplanted by better drugs. Interestingly, women who had that treatment for the most part hated it. Drinking a lot might work, as long the person doesn't get too sick and start vomiting uncontrollably.
Now on to fever.
How would they have handled it in Middle Earth--let it run its course, figuring it would burn out the "baddies"? or would they have used herbs? soaks in a cool tub? ...I know that cool wet cloths on the forehead are very popular in stories...
Willow bark tea would have been a good treatment, it's essentially the same as aspirin. Cool wet cloths are more comfort measures than fever reducing measures. Letting the fever run it's course was commonly done, and there is some research around that argues for it currently. Once you get over about 102 (less in some people, more in others) the person feels so miserable that reducing the fever can be a powerful comfort measure.
What would some of the causes of fever be? Would they have worried about it being contagious? How long would a normal course run? (guess that depends on if you're dealing with strep, not a minor condition; or a virus of some sort)
The usual cause of fever is an infection, the others are far less common. Depending on the sophistication of their medical knowledge, they may have worried about contagion. The Shire (assuming your story is in your current arc) is based on 19th century England, and at that time it was known that some diseases were communicable. The Shire knew about the Great Plague, they would understand that sickness can be passed from person to person.
A normal course depends on the infection. If you want a nice high fever that incapacitates someone for 2 to 7 days and doesn't leave lasting damage, consider a flu. A real flu can leave you feeling like you can't get out of bed and can give you a fever of 104 F, or 40 C.
Tell me what the outcome should be, and I'll scratch up a few diseases for you.
Re: Midwifery question
Sword cuts
Re: Sword cuts
You are right that first and most important is cleaning. Have the character or someone pour clean water on it several times.
I am thinking about setting the bone, if that is possible at all
Clavicles typically are not set. Instead, you want to stabilize the area so it doesn't move much. This could be complicated by the type of wound (see below). For the circumstances you describe, I'd recommend a simple sling of the arm on the affected side, being careful to pad the area of the wound well so the sling doesn't put pressure on it.
What are the consequences if such a wound is not treated properly, especially for the muscles.
This depends on the wound somewhat. I'll give a quick answer first, then go into detail - might be a lot more information than you ever wanted so I'll put it at the end.
If the wound is kept clean and does not get infected, that is the first and most important part; untreated, infection is more likely, but not inevitable. The muscle can be repaired later, althought the success rate declines. There have been cases of successful muscle repair 13 years after the initial injury, although which muscle does make some difference. Bottom line: With luck and the right initial injury, it is believable that the most skillful healer in M-e could fix it, leaving your character with a nasty scar and a long rehabilitation to build up strength.
It sounds as if you have thought out the initial injury carefully. I don't know everything you plan, so I'll mention some things to consider.
The injury you describe can certainly break bone. I would suggest you stop it at that, and not have the blade go through the bone. A cut through the clavicle could damage the subclavian artery underneath, and this is a large artery. Death would be very likely without sophisticated intervention.
It matters where on the clavicle the injury is - for medical assessment the clavicle is divided into the third closest to the neck (medial third), the middle third, and the third closest to the shoulder (lateral third). I recommend the sword cut at the lateral third or second best the middle third; otherwise it is a lot more likely to cause severe or fatal injury.
Assuming the wound is lateral third, it is most likely to cut 3 muscles - names supplied on request. At least two of them would not be cut completely through, and probably all three would retain some function, especially if you pick your spot.
This would leave the character with weakness of these muscles once everything healed. The actions that would be difficult or impossible:
Raising the arm sideways on the affected side.
Carrying a weight with the arm at the side (like carrying a suitcase)
The character's shoulder could droop on that side even when not carrying anything.
If the injury is the middle third instead of lateral third, the character would have trouble bending the head toward the cut side, or turning the head toward the opposite side.
If a certain nerve was cut - and the injury doesn't have to do this - the shoulder blade on that side would 'wing' or appear in an abnormal position.
Re: Sword cuts
Re: Sword cuts
I think I had read the first two chapters months ago - but somehow missed the others. It's now on the list, along with several other stories that look enticing - I'll have some time next week... (crosses fingers).
But other than a description of the event that led to the injury, I have not yet gone into detail about the resulting wound itself.
What you have in the first two chapters leaves you lots of leeway and choices.
I would be interested in the names of the affected muscles.
The deltoid, which goes from the outside of the upper arm to the clavicle; the trapezius which covers the back of the neck and the upper back and comes forward to the clavicle, and the supraspinatus which goes from the shoulder blade to the upper arm.
Unfortunately, immobilizing the afflicted arm in a sling is out of question, since my unfortunate main character is unfortunate enough to be a captive of Uruk-Hai, so immobilization by hands tied behind his back will have to do (did I mention that he's unfortunate?),
Actually, aside from the discomfort of the position, it should work fairly well. One commercial brace puts the patient into a position that is similar (but without tying the hands!)
...but one of his fellow prisoners will be allowed to tend to him and I'll have to figure out what he'll be able to do. Which seems to be not much, other than to apply some of that vile Orc-medicine that Tolkien invented, but that seems to at least stave off infection (or so I guess).
Since Tolkien indicates that, I'd take it as a good guess. Would Pippin be able to get any water to wash the wound out? If at any point he could, that would be a plus. If they ever get free Pippin and Merry could do more, even while traveling.
Re: Sword cuts
I still have to figure out whether water will be available for treatment. I haven't decided that one yet. So you still have plently of time to catch up reading as an update is not likely to appear within the next three weeks
Thanks again, fliewatuet
Re: Sword cuts
I'm afraid I have to say 'that depends'. The good news is that you can have it either way.
Warning: moderately graphic...
It depends both on how heavy and how sharp the sword is, on the angle, and on the velocity of the blade swing. If the sword is very sharp, it can cut through bone. I don't know if an orc would meticulously sharpen a blade, but a scimitar is a good cutting sword because of the curve. Blades can even get stuck in bone, or get bent from contact with bone. If the blade is blunt and heavy, and the swing gives a high velocity, it would function somewhat as a club as well as an edge and the bone could shatter. This gives you lots of choices - anything from a fairly clean cut to a mass of fragments. How badly hurt do you want him to be?
Re: Sword cuts
So... what's the name of the story? Sounds interesting. Pardon me if you mentioned it already and I missed the mention. Am skimming through in haste, about to have to turn the computer over to the next family member standing in line for the computer.
Oops. Never mind. I just glanced back thru the thread and found it. Will look into it later when there is not someone breathing down my neck.
Re: Sword cuts
Not bad enough to be crippled for the rest of his life, but as I consider Aragorn a very tough guy, it takes quite a bit to knock him off his feet (which is essential for the rest of the story). So I want him hurt quite badly, at least bad enough for the wound not to completely heal on its own but to require later surgery to heal (safe a scar, don't know how fit Elrond is when it comes to plastic surgery ).
Lindelea: I am always happy when people want to read my story. And as Real Life slowly releases its clutches, I can now go so far as to promise another update before the end of the next months
Re: Sword cuts
Hurt quite badly...Ok. I'm trying to clarify as there are many shades of badly.
If it the clavicle is broken, even with some fragments, it has a good chance to heal. If it is completely shattered, it may not heal. If the broken peices are in a bad position, it may heal, but strangely, and even put pressure on the big nerves nearby.
The combination of the muscle injury and the broken clavicle would make the arm pretty useless for a while, although he could still use the hand and forearm.
If you want more injury than that, you can have enough blood loss from the injury, either immediate or gradual from continued bleeding, to weaken him. Since I doubt the orcs would feed him well, he wouldn't be able to replenish the lost blood.
This could work well, depending on what you have in mind, because he can be weak for quite a while, and even near fainting - especially when he stands up suddenly - yet is reversible within a few weeks with plenty of iron-rich food.
BTW - I don't recall you saying which side was affected, but since he fights the orc afterwards, I'm assuming it wasn't his sword arm.
And I agree, I don't think they'd worry much about the cosmetic aspect in M-e, too busy trying to maintain function.
Re: Sword cuts
Hmm, too much blood loss won't work as he must remain strong enough to keep pace with the Orcs, but I will definitely keep that in mind for later chapters (I hope that I don't give away too much of the plot to come by saying that Aragorn has not reached the end of his ordeal yet ).
BTW - I don't recall you saying which side was affected, but since he fights the orc afterwards, I'm assuming it wasn't his sword arm.
It is the sword arm (he continues fighting with his left hand -- I assumed he would be not too bad at wielding a sword with his left hand), and in order to keep him worried about whether he will regain the use of his sword arm at all, I need the injury severe enough to take sufficient time and treatment to heal completely. But as this won't be his only injury before the end ...
Anyway, thank you so much Lyllyn, you have given me plenty of food for thought.
Addendum: BTW, Lyllyn, I have figured out (or I think I have) what muscles would be afflicted (thanks to some webpage on bodybuilding , I would have never thought of browsing through stuff like that ...). That would be the lateral deltoid and upper trapezius, the other one seems too sheltered to be afflicted (safe some minor injuries due to splinters) unless the bone were cut, not shattered.
Poisons and drugs
Preferably something that could be slipped into a bottle of wine.
I'm thinking of something the hill men might have dumped in a water hole to stun the animals and make them easy targets, and an unscrupulous man might have picked up from them to use on travellers passing through in order to take advantage of them.
Got any ideas?
Re: Poisons and drugs
Re: Poisons and drugs
Possibly. I remember Shadow 975 saying she hoped no one was keeping track when she was researching guns for 'An End to Innocence.'
This is actually a difficult question you've asked, Lindelea, at least for me - perhaps someone else has more information. I'll do some research, but it's not a straightforward problem. Most poisons that accumulate aren't going to be reversed very easily. And prior to modern medicine, antidotes were often more of a hope than a reality. Even modern medicine doesn't have that many good ones, especially before very recent monoclonal antibody technology.
edit I just realized we may be thinking very different things for 'gradually'. What time course did you have in mind? And does the poison have to stun or sedate the person, or could it doother bad things instead?
Re: Poisons and drugs
In this story, I have some badly chilled hobbits coming in out of a blizzard, so they could be a little "logy" (I don't know if that's the word I'm trying to think of) already. They start a fire and start to thaw out and the (mad)Man who owns the hut comes in, offers them wine spiked with something that makes them uncoordinated and unable to resist when he later ties them up and starts making dastardly threats and even begins to carry out those threats. Okay, so they arrive in early evening, five or sixish? and are drugged by eight or so, perhaps. (nasty ruffians, they keep popping up just when you thought you were rid of them)
I was imagining this stuff as something the Man learned about from the wild men in the hills, something they might put into bait to kill wolves, or sprinkled over grain left out to lure and then to stun the animals that ate the grain, and as long as they caught (not difficult, with animals disoriented and staggering) and butchered the animals fairly quickly after ingestion of the drugged grain, when the stuff was just starting to affect them but had not yet spread throughout their systems, the meat would still be safe to eat. Perhaps this is unrealistic and I will have to rethink the situation. Dunno.
Another hobbit who was in the "back room" and not seen by the Man, creeps out and hits the Man while he's crouching over the hobbits he's gloating over, over the head with a wine bottle, (my that's a lot of "overs") knocking him out. This hobbit tries to tend to drugged and injured hobbits. Because one of the injured has been so traumatised by the fire on the hearth, the others decide to put the fire out, even though it's freezing outside. They huddle together for warmth.
When the King and rescue party arrive in the morning (looking for hobbits, not really hoping to find them, how "lucky"! ha.), all the hobbits are suffering hypothermia. The injured hobbits are also suffering effects of the drug. I was thinking the drug/poison might affect them for several days afterwards, even though it doesn't kill them.
Perhaps there isn't an antidote, or maybe good-ol' athelas keeps them from dying but cannot reverse the effects completely, and only time can wash the poison from their bodies. I might have to make something up, but was looking for something "real" to base it on.
They continue uncoordinated and unfocused. It is difficult for others to get their attention, until they are forced to rouse by a shocking situation (the wrong Man has been accused of assaulting them and is about to be punished for the crime he didn't do; at least one of the injured hobbits is roused or rouses himself to full involvement in the situation in order to intervene).
Come to think of it, I think adrenalin has a nullifying effect on this drug, probably only temporary, as the drug remains in their systems for some days after their ordeal, and the ordeal certainly would have generated adrenaline.
There, did I cloud matters entirely, or give you something to work with? At the very least, now you know more than you ever wanted to know, and don't even need to read the story when it gets posted...
Re: Poisons and drugs
The problem is actually in the proposed background explanation - men giving the poison to animals and then expecting to eat the meat. One of the historical examples you may be thinking of is curare - but the difference is that curare is used on animals as a dart. It would paralyze only if it pierced the skin and got into the blood, but was not harmful if the poison was eaten.
I hope that helps, and if you need information on specific poisons I can give you some sites to look at.
(I'm away from home for the next 3 days so I have a net connection but not all my bookmarks, but I can still give you a reference or two. When I get home I'll have several.)
Re: Poisons and drugs
Isn't belladonna used medicinally? (must be in tiny doses)
What kind of treatments are you alluding to? Is there some sort of treatment that would work, the morning following ingestion, or am I poisoning the poor hobbits to death? (cannot do that, they are main characters) Vomiting as soon as they realise they've ingested the stuff may not be an option, especially since the hobbits would not be thinking clearly, and would be tied up by the madman in the bargain, remaining that way for an hour or more before the hidden hobbit is able to knock the ruffian out and untie them. Or would the hidden hobbit then try to make the incapacitated hobbits vomit?
What would the King do, next morning, to treat them?
Re: Poisons and drugs
He could do this only if he waited for the effects to wear off beforehand, using the poison so they could be captured then waiting until they recovered somewhat.
Isn't belladonna used medicinally? (must be in tiny doses)
Yes, the active ingredient Atropine is used, but the dose is carefully controlled.
What kind of treatments are you alluding to? Is there some sort of treatment that would work, the morning following ingestion, or am I poisoning the poor hobbits to death? (cannot do that, they are main characters) Vomiting as soon as they realise they've ingested the stuff may not be an option, especially since the hobbits would not be thinking clearly, and would be tied up by the madman in the bargain, remaining that way for an hour or more before the hidden hobbit is able to knock the ruffian out and untie them. Or would the hidden hobbit then try to make the incapacitated hobbits vomit?
Vomiting is the only worthwhile treatment available to them. Even in modern times there aren't good antidotes to poisons like Monkshood or Belladonna, and what's available for Belladonna is only used when the situation is grave because it has its own problems.
What would the King do, next morning, to treat them?
Nothing, really. Depending on how long it had been, it would probably be wearing off by then. You could use Athelas to make them feel better, of course.
I'm afraid real life poisons don't cooperate well with dramatic necessity.
There is an interesting article on Medieval poisons at Stefan's Florilegium
Re: Poisons and drugs
I must admit I'm leaning in that direction now, rather than completely making something up--or altering the plot to fit reality! LOL
Of course, ingestion might have different results than injection, but OTOH, since I'm not using a real-life compound, I suppose I can make up my own rules (within reason). I just don't want it to sound contrived.
I appreciate your help, even if the plot I'm trying to spin does not fit the constraints of real-life poisons. Drat. Good thing I'm not writing RL type murder mysteries. (And didn't Agatha Christie get in trouble when she was researching obscure poisons? *g*)
Fascinating article at the link you posted. Hey, Aragorn bore an emerald, didn't he? Did you notice this line? (Emerald, when waved over suspicious food or drink, was believed to render it safe likewise from poison.) Food for thought. I laughed out loud when he recounted the anecdote of the man attempting to procure a toadstone, resulting in him being groggy and the toad being grumpy.
I am rambling and must seek a cup of morning tea. thanks again!
Re: Poisons and drugs
For stopping preterm labor, in addition to what's been posted, one thing that can help is drinking lots of water. Dehydration can bring on premature labor, so if that is the problem, getting rehydrated by drinking plenty of water or tea, or taking a long soak in a lukewarm bath, can stop it.
Another thing that can bring on labor prematurely is an infection, particularly urinary tract infections, so antibiotic herbs like garlic or goldenseal could be helpful. Also craberries or blueberries are good for UTI's.
Alcohol is also good for stopping contractions. A common midwife's suggestion as a first approach for preterm labor is to drink a glass of wine and take a tepid bath.
If the labor can't be stopped and the baby is born prematurely, a method called "kangaroo care" requires no technology and is very effective. The baby is placed naked on the mother's bare chest and both are wrapped warmly in blankets. The baby has to expend very little energy to move to the breast and nurse as often as it wants to. Babies born at 34 weeks or so, or later, will usually do well this way. If you google on "kangaroo care" you can get lots more detail on exactly how it works and how effective it is.
Re: Poisons and drugs
Re: Premature Labour
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Re: Unconsciousness
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text:
Guide London
Guide London, famous for shirts, tailoring and polos, was established in 1988 in London's East End, but the story begins a little bit earlier than that. In 1973, Isaac Benson, like many people at the time was struggling to find a job. His uncle had a shop on Toynbee Street, London, close to Pettic... Read more


text:
In just three short weeks I traveled upwards of 8000 miles of rail, circulating around an
antiquated network of industrial savagery, from Oakland CA to Oakland CA, trading stories and
cigarettes with other wayward travelers while waiting for more important trains of cattle and
produce to take the tracks. Along the way, this intersection of many lives washed through an
experience connected loosely, romantically, to a miss-wound pocket watch chained symbolically
to the conductor clicking tickets. Yet, within the staggered timetable pulling me into Seattle
nineteen hours behind schedule, and then dragging me all over the rest of the country with no
particular decency to punctuality, the ability to flow, to allow opportunities to unfurl, became
quickly embraced and time was eventually erased. The opportunity to fully respect time, if only
by letting it go completely, is available to the passenger on a train once all considerations for
reliability are accepted as lost.
The train is a romantic vision, running deeply through the veins of history, the steam
engine actualized and the world connected into a slightly smaller geography. And yet, with the
advent of planes and automobiles, the necessity of social transport quickly shifted in its tracks.
Today, most passenger trains, particularly those in the West, do not own the rails. They rent time
from industrial interests, and once a passenger train falls behind schedule it moves to the back of
the line. Delayed trains slow even slower, rolling along with the dashing jackrabbits bounding
about the prairies they call home.
In America, we live untimely by the clock. Moments and seconds are quite valuable.
Time is a commodity, quantified as a quality. Availability of self represents respect and interest.
As a species, the American is typically time sensitive, quick to experience and expire even
before the "eventual" has come and gone. However, on the train, Americans travel off the
clock. There can be no dependency to a timetable, or schedule. As a passenger on the train, an
American is powerless to an on-time arrival. For the average citizen of the United Stresses of
America, this offers an opportunity to relax, or it may generate tragedy for the same person.
The loss of time challenges an American traveler and becomes just as much a journey into new
territory. Gazing lazily is allowed, productivity belongs to the engine and the passenger just rolls
along, turning this hometown hero into a stranger to his own time, or within its lack thereof.
Arrival is the only thing that matters simply because departure is so haphazard. As I
finally boarded the 3:00 pm train in Jack London Square, I was already in no hurry. I had just
perished to a round of layoffs at work and was so exhausted by my partner of 2-years that I
secretly hoped to never return home. Finally embarking as the sun set under the earliest touch of
summer, I arrived 3 weeks later at Jack London Square. By the time I approached Portland the
next evening, the train had fallen sixteen hours behind schedule, an early lesson to the consistent
inconsistency of riding Amtrak from Oakland to Oakland… I noticed the gravity first.
In tow was the precedent of my journey, Dharma Bums, the magical little coincidence
that held no personal value until experience and reflection embedded it with worth. As the
train shifted me north on the first leg of my journey, so traveled Kerouac's narrator Ray Smith.
We both left friends behind on Milvia Street in Berkeley and eventually found our ways up to
Washington. At every station stop along the way, we stepped from the train to chain smoke
until "all aboard" sent me back to the book. Rolling through Oregon a day behind schedule,
finally arriving in Seattle, Ray had just found transcendence in the mountains of Washington; the
spiritual foundation of my trip took root. While I did not generate this same level of awakening, I
did spend the next 2 days in thought, crossing every inch of Seattle on foot until my departure for
Oakland, sweeping via Chicago, North Carolina and New Orleans, and then Texas, approaching
Texas into Texas across Texas, a bit more Texas until out of Texas and away from Texas, and
finally up the central valley of California towards home.
It would have been a bad dream had I been asleep. A jaunt with minimal awareness
of location, fleeting images disconnected passing by outside, jarring slowdowns hidden in the
softest of deceleration, rumbling pulses at just above motionless churning like an upset stomach,
trapped little travelers in the madness of the smoking car. Seattle to Chicago proved the liveliest.
Chris had just been released from prison. Elizabeth, barely 17, was off to spend the
start of summer with her father. Andy was from Reed College, the most non-religious school
in America. Cheffy was winding her way back to the closet in Indiana. Bryan and his shadow
claimed Keith Haring's NYC studio as home. My dot.com had knocked me out in the third
round of layoffs. Michelle was a total stray that Chris picked up and disappeared with into the
bathroom every hour, like clockwork. Some other young guy made out of hair gel and currents
of baby fat bloated about like an Abercrombie toss-off and another man kept Cheffy on alert
with his dirty agenda for Elizabeth. There wasn't much for us to do but smoke, buy booze, drink
booze, babble on and stumble about within the moving corridors. It wasn't like we were going
anywhere. We were on the train.
On the train the place where you are is not the place that you see. Passing silently outside
the window blurs the countryside or the darkness. The subtle lurching of churning gears, moving
along. Take a nap and any frame of reference to the map and your destination is lost. Of course,
spend an hour suffocating in the smokers' car, lost in banter, and place loses all value, sucked
into this tunnel of transport where countryside is filtered through a filler of movement. Images
move lost like the dreams of a lazy afternoon nap, thundering and pulsing forward in a horizontal
gravity toward the destination. Outside past the tracks, an abandoned house drifts by far too
briskly to awaken many curiosities or stories of wonder. It is a space simply equated to time
paused, time passed. The whole vanquish of landscape a backdrop to emptiness, the façade of
When traveling outside the standard practices of American society, truth becomes more
available. Towns aren't built to be pretty for the tracks. It is an America without makeup, or at
least without the intent to misrepresent. In the world of the automobile, freeways, interstates and
downtown promenades are designed to be beautiful from the vantage point of the car. However,
because the train existed before the particulars of suburban awareness, this journey exposes the
backdrop of the country. Architecture is not designed to invite a visit, or compel a stay. Coming
into a town or city, the passenger has already discovered the "wrong side of the tracks." Many
of the surrounding neighborhoods seem destitute, vacant industry centers long lost to the service
industrial economy shaping the society of today. Trains no longer fit the model. The station
drops off into the wash of the city and fails to deliver the passenger to any particular address.
Upon arrival, a traveler must navigate elsewhere, essentially naked yet centralized, from this new
starting place onto the next portion of the journey, to wherever their final destination might be.
The journey is never done when you arrive at the station.
And you cannot escape the train. There is no exit. Once settled on the trip, a passenger
has given oneself over to the experience. Time to focus, time to breathe, and time to sleep. There
is progress, for the will to advance has been offered to the train; however, in this process of
losing a schedule, the traveler should not tend toward tension. He is wholly lost to the resolve of
the track.
Far off in the distance lay a destination you can't quite grasp, like a night of terrible
drinking trying to remember what you can't seem to forget. Scattering about the landscape of
dreams through a tumultuous journey towards a tumultuous place where the journey only takes
a nightmarish turn before starting again. Of course, you're wide-awake and the rhythm of the
track lulls you to the pulsing sway of the engine's forward motion. The power of the track owns
you, time trails off to the distance, the diminished horizon ever present but intangible still. The
place where you are is not the place that you see. And it works both ways. The train is traveling
through some abandoned prairie within the backdrop of America, a geography you might touch
but leave to distant memory even before the journey begins.
Upon leaving Oakland, Seattle settled in my sights. Upon leaving Seattle, the two days
between Chicago and me were just a vacuum. I was already at my destination. I simply had
to fritter the time to finally arrive. And so the passenger wanders, pretends to rest, gazes out
at somewhere and wonders how to pretend that the place is knowable, but back to a book or
down to a sandwich before back to the observations of made up conclusions. As life moves
forward on the train, gravity comes horizontal, pushing/pulling you into an inevitable fall to your