Empty Voices

It’s not necessary to live in the past, but in Chicago, it’s an interesting place for sure. While one is distracted by all the pleasant attractions of the present, the past is still very much here. The old neighborhoods have roots to other places and earlier times, and it sometimes makes for interesting juxtapositions.

The theatre in town these days is as remarkable as the live music, and all the art forms have had a pretty lively history in the city. It doesn’t take very long, however, before any discussion of history in Chicago turns toward a very infamous cow. The cow in question was named either Madeline or Gwendolyn, or maybe even Daisy, depending on the version of the story that one hears. This is the cow that kicked over the lantern, that in turn sparked the hay that had been recently stored for winter, on October 8, 1871.

In the ensuing tragedy that engulfed the city of Chicago in flames, 300 people perished, and 100,000 lost their homes. It’s a story so large, and so common in the North American vernacular, that there’s even a children’s song about it.

The connecting thread in all of the stories is one particular figure, a certain Mrs. O’Leary , who was milking the cow when it all went so terribly wrong. At least, that’s how the story goes. But visitors to Chicago these days, from the four star hotels Chicago offers, to the pubs where people gather and discuss the gossip of the day, might discover that the truth might be more complex than it seems.

It’s entirely possible that she was not, in fact, guilty at all, and possibly not even partially responsible. According to her own testimony, she was in bed when the fire broke out. There has also been a lurking suspicion about her neighbor, Daniel “Pegleg” Sullivan , whose testimony has lots of inconsistencies.

He claims that he was at her house, walked across the street, past his own house, turned and saw the fire, then ran back and saved a lot of the animals. The actions he describes are not only a little illogical, but also impossible. He simply didn’t have time. The firemen, likewise, have a complicated story that reveals a lot of dropped balls, and a number of opportunities not taken. This all suggests that she really might be just a scapegoat, a name that’s become a source for bad luck, in order to explain the things that are beyond everyone’s control.

The follow up might be one of the most important steps that you are missing in your sales. For most people it is not that they don’t know to do the follow up, it is that they don’t know what to do with the follow up. Some of them would say that they don’t even know where to begin. This is because a lot of people talk about sales techniques and don’t talk about what to do later except as a footnote. If there is one thing you learn at an internship in sales like those at Southwestern Company it is that the type of sales doesn’t matter. Follow up is always a great touch and way to get repeat business.

Some people when they are going in for the follow up find themselves wondering if they are being a bother, contacting the person unnecessarily. There is a very easy way to get around this worry however. You know you are going to do the follow up, so don’t leave the conversation without finding out when will be good for them. Ask them when in the next week or so you can get a hold of them to talk about this further. Make an appointment not just with yourself, but with them as well. This way they know you plan on talking to them again. If they are in a place where they don’t know what their schedule is for the next week, tell them that you will be calling them back to check in the next week. That way you aren’t bothering them as much because they know you are going to do it.

If you are very busy and you are working hard all the time, schedule time to take out and use your social media to make some follow ups. Most people these days have some sort of social media and if you are in the habit of collecting their information, this is one way you can do that. It is also less intrusive as it fits into the course of their normal day and will give them a little reminder that you are there. Of course this might not work as well for door to door sales like those of a Southwestern Company intern, but even they can use social media to push their products.

Visitors to the city of Fort Collins are usually struck silent by the incredible life that seems to be taken almost for granted here. It’s a very high standard of living, aside from the apparent wealth of some of the local residents. There is some of the best views, and cleanest air, in the country. The very happening college scene also brings in a great selection in entertainment, and young kids having fun does have a tendency to lively up a place.

But for those first-time guests seeing the city from the vantage point of a local hotel, Fort Collins ‘s past is not always visible. If someone’s coming to town with the intentions of disguising themselves as a local, one way to build certain street cred is to mention how much the Bullhorn is missed.

This was a local, alternative and award-winning weekly that brought news to the people, the way they wanted their local stories to be told. As these ventures usually go, it was started by a group of 20-somethings with their fingers on the pulse of the scene. It was a humble beginning, but one that would prove to be very successful. From 2000 to 2003, it ran as a monthly , and as the readership grew, so did demand for more current information. Pulses do tend to fluctuate rapidly, especially when it’s concerning the rhythms of youth. There is also the musician factor, where bands might produce the mightiest sound on both sides of the rockies, but are not entirely reliable when it comes to organizations.

Bookings come in at the last possible moment, so it became a weekly until it closed in 2006. Apparently it closed after a possible merger fell through, and since then, the editorial staff has moved on in new directions. Some go into politics, and some go to other cities to report on new music and culture in different environments, but the scene in Fort Collins is unique. It’s hard not to imagine that they miss the city as much as the city misses them.

Women’s professional tennis is something that has gained enormous attention and continued interest around the world due to the extent of talent, determination and skill of the players. Currently at the top of the game are sisters Venus and Serena Williams who dominate the court, while some of the past greats continue to remain icons of the sport. Players like Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graff remain archetypes of the game and are permanently embedded in the collective tennis greats consciousness. Too bad these greats won’t be in the Wimbledon 2010 championship.

Billie Jean King is a retired American player who was one of the first great women players to gain popular recognition in the 1970s. After an extensive and extremely successful career she retired in 1983. During her professional career she won 12 Majors singles titles, 16 doubles titles and 11 mixed doubles. She was an early advocate for equality in the sport and fought against sexist views. In addition to her great career achievements she has started the Women’s Tennis Association, Women’s Sports Foundation, and together with her former husband Lawrence King founded the World Team Tennis.

Martina Navratilova , a Czech American, is frequently regarded as the best women’s tennis player of all time. Billie Jean King regarded her as the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player that ever lived. She has won an impressive 18 Grand Slam singles titles and record 31 doubles titles. She won the singles at Wimbledon tennis a record total of nine times. Steffi Graff is a retired German player who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a former World No. 1 player and holds the record for most consecutive weeks on the list, at 377 total weeks. She also holds the distinction of being the only player to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in a single year.