As we break into a brand new week it is Monday or as I like to say Monday because Friday gets all the fun and Monday gets all the sadness where it's like we have to go back to work but like why don't we have the same spirit and energy when we start the week as we end a week so today I am excited to have my dear friend on although I haven't seen and connected with you in quite some time but I feel like we have that connection so and Macaulay Lopez content writer with black blogging badass I was just so excited to say the badass that I mispronounced the blogging. So I mean that tells you a lot about and already and is known as the blogging badass so today's episode we are talking with her about blogging in particular for your organization so hang tight let us get there a couple of these other introductions and we will hear more from you soon. We start every episode as you know by saying thank you thank you thank you to all of our presenting sponsors. You can see their logos right in front of you on the screen and of course you can find all of them on the interwebs. Just do find them give them a like some love thumbs up. They are here with the sole purpose to help and support you to do more good in your community and for those that you serve so thank you to our presenting sponsors that continue this conversation. Thank you of course to Julia Patrick CEO of the American nonprofit Academy, and thanks to Julia for allowing me to continue to stay on air with you. It's been such a fun ride. I'm Jared ransom, also known as the nonprofit nerd CEO of the Raven group. And again, and I'm so excited to have you on as we talked to you today, and I'll just learn from you so welcome. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure and an honor to be here today. You know, it's really an amazing thing to talk to you and get your professional opinion. We talk about the storytelling aspect of the nonprofit sector. We got to tell a story, we got to tell a story. But how do we administrate that. I feel like we know that we have to tell stories and we know that we have so many things. And I want to talk to you about this value of blogging and, and how we can really communicate those things that we might tell somebody, we might share it in a tour, we're doing fundraising. But we just seem to fall down when it comes to really, really going forward with that. So we're delighted to have you here to talk to us and get us encouraged. The first thing I want to ask you about is audience and understanding what that even means. Yes, so when we talk to businesses, right in the for profits sector, we talk about a target clients. And I think for nonprofits, it may be more of a, what kind of a donor do we want, who do we want to be serving, who do we want to tell those stories to. And it's really kind of the same formula. It's about creating value for the audience. So when we talk about telling the stories for me as a person who supports nonprofits, for example, I want to hear stories about the people that we've helped. Who are we helping where those successes. So if we're, we're building a house for family for an organization tell us about the family what's what's their story. The beauty of creating that written content for the blog is that we can really use it in a number of different ways. We can use it for a for blog we can move that blog to a newsletter. We can do a podcast on the topic like we're doing today we could do a video and really use that same story in a number of different ways. So it's really, I think from nonprofits, it's who, who are we trying to reach with a particular piece of content or on a particular strategy. I love this and this is in particular, you know something that I can also see and I know we're going to talk about this later is how you might repurpose content, but just as you stated and there are so many ways to use the elements of the blog to help tell the story right and also to the different, you know donor segmentations be it volunteers be it financial supporters. You know, I want to say like recipient families or those that are impacted by the benefit of the organization, and I think that's really important. I wrote an article about an individual that made a planned gift to an organization because I find that talking about plan giving is often quite difficult right I mean we're talking about what happens after your life here. You know it's really not easy and that is where I find it's it's such a beautiful story to tell about the impact and the success of someone choosing X, Y and Z organization right now, so that the organization is left still as one of their top priorities so that is a way in which I personally have used you know blogging as an opportunity because to be honest I didn't really know what other like best way and vehicle to tell that story. Yes, I think that makes a huge, makes a huge impact because you're right people don't want to talk about what happens after right where does all the stuff go where does my money go. There's a story behind why you choose what you choose and which organization you might choose to leave that ongoing legacy. My husband and I for example there's a scholarship program at ASU that we are highly involved into this day. And so part of our plan was really to sit down and talk and say how do we continue this legacy and telling those types of stories and saying hey we did it so can you. I think from, you know, kind of a Google love kind of perspective of being conscious of SEO search engine optimization, just a little bit on the more technical side, but it's how people find your website. So from that perspective, maybe there's opportunity on key words that have to do with that planned giving and so there's real opportunity get your website ahead of the others, or in on a first page or second page where people will notice. People who are looking for those ideas and say oh gosh this is a great organization and we're just thinking about maybe doing some planned giving. One piece of it as well as as you're looking at the strategy what where their opportunities on the more technical side to. So are you saying that you as a content developer, you know, you and writer you bring in some of these SEO elements into the article and into the blog itself. Yes. Yeah, we can do some keyword research. We can there's some great tools out there that are either free or almost free where we can really see how does that website rank and where do we have opportunity. It may be and for nonprofits. You know sometimes there maybe isn't a budget for a new website every year or two. You don't necessarily need that we can play with some of the content that's already on there, and add some of those keyword elements. Yeah, that's one of my favorite projects to do because you see you guys just it up and you make it prettier than it already is. I love that word, just it up. Those different opportunities for key words so not only are you telling the stories but there's this other kind of behind the scenes aspect to it of this is how our website is being found. You know, I appreciate you saying that because I think that's one of the things that with this vast opportunity to connect with people. You have to start with the word vast and you have to understand, there's just so much out there and so what is it that we're going to do that we can actually make sure that people are seeing. Not just responding, but seeing the work that we do and it's really a huge, huge challenge that I think that you need to address, and you talk about consistent content and then repurposed content and I'd love for you to kind of share that what that means like, you know, I'm guilty of going to the website and looking and saying, well they haven't posted anything for so long, whether or not that's good information. I tend to make a value judgment of whether or not it's good, and I automatically say oh it's old. It's not going to be any good. And that's not great. No, and there are some things like turning off the dates that can make it, you know, maybe it's a little more current than maybe it is. I think about consistent content and as I talked to my clients and we say what does that mean for you I say okay well we could post twice a week we could write two articles a week one article a week. The consistency of how often is good for you and your organization. How often, you know, if you're hiring someone, what can you afford to pay them maybe I don't know. How easy it is, is it to get in touch with their clients and get all of the sign offs to use maybe their name and their, their picture and their tell their story. There's different elements to it. So maybe consistent is once a month and you write one article for the blog that goes in the newsletter that we talk about on a podcast or on a YouTube channel maybe we get a tour of that house to built for that family whatever it is. We're really using the same thing over and over and over. And that's repurposing what we're doing. If there's, as we look at the impact then of those particular stories and we look at okay there's a fundraising season for our organization. We're not to talk about, you know, some other, you know, ways to give type of host or, you know, things like that that are consistent with whatever the season is. So the plan might be a quarterly plan of topics, or a monthly plan of topics. It's really about what can your organization do. And as a member of a board now. There's a lot going on at nonprofits, a lot behind the scenes that we don't know there's, you know, the wish list of things you'd always want to have and how do we create content around that how do we say we want folks in the East Valley to volunteer in addition to our West Valley team and we want to celebrate the West Valley, while building the East Valley well that takes a lot of people. We need people so how do we create content around that idea maybe and use that content on social media and in all the different places that we've talked about today. And actually as and I know in particular more so during COVID, you know, our depth and breadth has really expanded so as we cast our net it just goes so, so far beyond our local community and we've heard from so many of our national viewers and people talk about how they have attracted donors supporters, board members, even volunteers from other regions of the nation and just you know even international. So I can imagine bringing that element of a complete geographic scope right it's like it's all in there plus the kitchen sink when it comes to opportunities of engagement. And as you're saying, you know, in your particular community we're talking of, you know, one side of the town from the other but now we're working with organizations that are literally become global. When it comes to their reach and their scope and that I'm assuming and has a much, you know, I don't know more more creative way to really bring that into blogs and writing and and how you repurpose that information. Have you seen that trend as well. Yes, yes, there's, you know, on the for profit side they're networking groups that have been hybrid or on video for so long that we're now have like I have friends around the globe now, which we have before coven to your point. So, in terms of nonprofits I would imagine, as you're saying it's, it's similar so how do we create content when we can't say the local area we want to create more kind of worldly content really. There's some different things that we can do and I think it goes back to the technical you know how good is the content and how optimized is it for that Google love that I call it just where do you fall and that was Google results and getting creative with it and so I could, we could write about, you know, generic nonprofit terms or we could write more specifically about what is your nonprofit doing and who, who are you needing or who are you serving, we're serving the underserved and seven different countries or whatever it is you know across the United States. So yeah it's a little bit more of a challenge but it's possible to do for sure. Go ahead, Julia. I got a question about this in terms of you've got your, you know your content and your understanding the process that you need to follow your keywords. What about imagery how important is that to have some sort of video file or still photography with all of those posts. I think the more important for getting found is to make sure those videos are SEO optimized search engine optimized with keywords as well as the pictures, like the idea of, you know, your, your nonprofit has a brand, right, like business. So why not have photos that are all similar in terms of their aesthetic because it makes it more pleasant for folks to come to you and if you're searching for those, you know, and who isn't right a higher end type of donor. We want to make sure that when they visit your website it's, it looks good, in addition to being found by Google and everything so it's very very important. Interesting because you know, we talk about blogging and to me, it just seems that it's all verbal, and that we are, we're kind of omit the visual aspect of it. You know, which is not good. Jared, I interrupted you. No, I mean I wanted to ask that when I think of a blog and I, I always think of it like housed on our website, you know it is housed on our dot org for an organization website or calm or dot whatever these days right there's so after what comes after the dot really you know it is up in the air. How might you bring blogging in and I know this isn't really a point of conversation but I feel like you already know where I'm going into like LinkedIn and some of these other social media platforms because to Julius point my personal website my business website rather. I've kind of stopped blogging there and I publish articles on LinkedIn. How does that work for nonprofits. That will, we call that backlinks. What that means is we're, we're writing, not on our own blog and linking it back to our own website. Google loves that it shows them that there's value to what's being written. If you link it to a few articles on your website, say, or within you know on your own blog linking it within there. That's super valuable as well. I think to it shows it reflects authority. You know hey I'm writing here I'm writing on LinkedIn I'm writing on Grant station I'm linking back to my own website and I have some authority that they've invited me or allowed me to publish elsewhere. It's super it's super important. And I think to as, as the nonprofit grows and as you know becomes more well known that becomes even more important right like we want to have the that whether it's PR in a newspaper or on a grant station or on LinkedIn. The beauty of it is, you know, you could write an article and a number of different ways and change the words but the idea is the same so if you're like oh my gosh I really need to write about this. Let's write about it on a number of different websites and that's your, your authority that's your expertise there. So it's super important. So is there an equation and I want to say that you might have told me it was like 20%, 20% of the original content needs to be changed for it to be. I don't know, seen as a new article, reeducate me on that. It's about 30% of the article changing about 30% of the article so if you're, they get 500 words, it's what a paragraph, you know, change your intro and outro that kind of a thing would work. The other thing that I've learned because I've been studying up on all of this because it's always changing right like you know the rules today I didn't know that the rules changed last week and so I sat in on a webinar about SEO and getting found. There's a website called medium and I don't know if you've explored this at all, but there's a way to import a link like from your own website to medium. And it will say originally published but because it's a link it doesn't affect it's called a duplicate content on Google. It doesn't affect your duplicate content because medium then knows because you imported the link. It knows that the original contents on your website so you don't get dinged for it. It's super simple right you don't even have to rewrite anything just import the link and figure it out on medium. So I got that was really interesting and I just learned that and I'm, you know, I do this all the time so I think there's opportunity there for sure. Well it's constantly changing but like you said so 30% so I'm going to fess up I have absolutely used and our paths have crossed probably a decade now ago, gosh, maybe close to a decade. And, and so I've pulled an in for some of my own business needs, she referenced Grand Station and we yes together we were on like their top. I want to say seven or 10 list on couple of years in a row so and did just that where I was like you know what I have so much content from 20, you know years of being in the sector 10 years of being a business owner. How can I use what I have to my better good and and repurpose this so yes you definitely helped me with that and it's been so phenomenal. And so I would love for you now if you would and share a little bit about how we as you know nonprofit bloggers might engage with a blogger or content writer, because oftentimes I feel like we're, we add it to our list will will do it, our way to that right but we engage other people to help us in our blogging world. Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head, my best clients are the ones that are that are busy and understand the value of content for profit nonprofit, whatever. I remember sitting with you Jared you're like I have all these ideas. And what happens right everybody's got a list I have a client, and she will bring up in the middle of the night and say here's what I came up with I was up in the middle of the night make it pretty, and that's I signal to you know go and do my thing. And I think that's it for nonprofits connect with a writer and say here's what we have in mind or we don't know where to begin. I had a client come to me she goes I have all the words but I don't know where to put them. Wow. So in essence, if you like have, let's say you're a food bank and you want to talk about what are the foods that you need for particular time of year. Are you saying like write it and you'll clean it up or are you saying the best way to go is to outline like what are some steps that somebody can take to move themselves towards a finished product. And I think it's if you're hiring somebody connect with someone who can, who has a process in place so I do, I did a couple of different ways. I can take those emails, I could interview you if you're like listen I just like to talk. Now that we've all been on video that that's pretty common these days we could talk about what we do and where we want to project to go. So that might be the easiest way is hey let's get on let's have a conversation and typically from there, there are keywords that you're saying that you don't know you're saying. It's really like for your food pantry it it maybe it's quarterly that they have different needs quarterly or monthly, or it's back time so we need pencils and pens but we don't need them all year or whatever. To understand that and then come up with a schedule. I think you could do it yourself as well. There's a little bit of organization I typically just keep a spreadsheet. There's other tools out there there's air table and. Oh gosh one with the cards Trello, which not my jam at all, but that's nice. Hey, I haven't tried it but I've heard good things about it so it's it's important to know your jam. Yeah, yeah I agree I agree so there's different tools for different learning styles out there where you can organize and not only that but share it with your team and say what are you talking about over in donors or fundraising or marketing like where are we all going with this and really organize it. One of the other things that I do, and it really seems like it's like the 2021 thing is to take a podcast or video transcripts and make those Google friendly. And that is, I've been doing a ton of that I wrote some scripts last summer out of my comfort zone, you know I hate it out there Jared but I did it.  And I wrote those scripts exactly what they wanted delivered them and they were like oh my gosh this is great thank you so much, I know I do what I'm doing. And it's an interesting thing is like one of the words I keep your keywords I keep hearing you say and we don't have a lot of time left, but I keep hearing you slide in the word plan. And I find this is a really interesting thing. Talk to us a little bit about that because so often in our sector we are a reactionary, you know, structure I mean we deal often. To fall to fall, we are wired to like oh my gosh this is a problem okay let's go this is a crisis. But I love that you've kind of slipped in this concept that you can forecast what it is you should be doing. Well, since yes, I think, if you have your list your plan of what you want to publish you say okay we're going to publish once a month and then one of those opportunities comes up. Let's do a second article this month let's do another podcast or another video and allow for that don't be rigid in in that plan or in those keywords we know where we want to target but we also recognize because it's it's a moving target the industry is moving the nonprofit sector moves fast that we have to allow for that space so maybe we say hey and we're going to do one a month. Sometimes we'll do to I had a client who they were they placed traveled nurses and other medical professionals. And so we allowed space for that she's like listen, we're flying by the seat of our pants I might just throw you an idea and let you run with it. It might be more it might be less and I check in with her and we just ran with it we knew we had our to a month. And then some months we did three or four we wrote three or four articles because people wanted the information what do you do when you're on the road as a nurse during that period. I didn't get these contracts if you want to get out of it what do you have to do. And so we, we operated like that. So I think, I think my word this year is grace give yourself grace. I think as an organization right we can all give ourselves grace and you can plan, but also plan for those times when something happens and you want to get the word out. Right. That sounds familiar Julia. I know.  And then you know the environmental crisis that we're all really enduring or maybe enduring at this time. So just so much but you're right like and so what I heard you say and is as much as we can create a plan, realize that sometimes we are a fly by the seat. It doesn't happen right we all have to course correct at some point in our life, either personally professionally. I have used and on a couple several occasions actually, and sometimes I'm like look, my brain does not have like a conscious stream of thoughts it is like there are squirrels and shiny objects, all in my brain. It's really good at you know, creating this really single file parade that it makes sense and it's like, here's a I got it. Here's a squirrel here's a shiny object here's three more squirrels like and is really good at that, which is why she's the blogging badass. And so yes if you're interested in talking to and she is phenomenal. I've read so many of your works and from financial articles to nonprofit articles to you name it the housing market a little bit of everything so you are very versed and I think you're phenomenal and if those of you that want to reach out to Ann, want to see how it might you know look and work for your organization to create a blogging plan and how that can give you some Google love and you can also repurpose some of that content for the betterment of you and your community. Please do reach out to Ann. Absolutely. Yes, it was phenomenal. Everyone should be on the show. You know, and I wrote a couple down I was like, oh, here's an article and here's an article so I had squirrels flying from my brain just during this, you know, quick 30 minute episode so I will certainly be in touch but I love the idea of blogs and how we can integrate them into a higher marketing communication strategy, as we continue to tell the good works that we do out in the world so thanks for sharing this this information with us it was very rich. Amazing. You know, I, I love so many things what you said it kind of puts together a lot of pieces. And so I think that you might be my new best friend, I'm definitely going to think about some of these things you said and chat with you a little bit more in depth. Again, I'm Julia Patrick CEO of the American nonprofit Academy been joined today by the nonprofit nerd herself Jared Ransom CEO of the Raven group. We want to make sure that we do thank all of our sponsors that you we would not be here, having this amazing discussion like we have with Ann. It is remarkable that every day, we get to share with you the great minds of this sector, and that happens because of these sponsors so we want to make sure that we express our gratitude. Ann's TV is a new program that we're doing check us out a lot of fun, talking about how you can maximize events for your nonprofit. Our host is Jason champion and he's a lot of fun. Hey, Jared, love the way we kicked off this week. Thank you to I told you it was going to be a money a because Friday gets all the fun. And so this was a great week. We've got so many amazing guests lined up this week as well we have one Kingsbury Mary Gleason. So many amazing conversations to talk about for the organizations in which you serve so thanks for joining us I hope you'll join us again tomorrow until then as we end every episode, please stay well so you can do well. I'll see you back here tomorrow.


What is going on guys? It's your boy DPJ here today with another Destiny video and in today's Destiny video I'm going to be opening 10 post master packages and I believe I've got eight Legendary Ngrams to go with it. Now if you guys are watching this on Tuesday the 25th at this current moment in time I am in Seattle playing the Taken King. So make sure you are following me on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news and information I find out about the Taken King. My Twitter is at DPJSC08 and is linked in the video description. We'll get straight into the video. Let's open these packages and Ngrams and see what I get. Okay I've got one new monarchy, I've got three vanguards, I've got a future warclaw and five Criptarks. Let's start with a Criptark. Here we go. Two blues, a Legendary, a blue and the Thunder Devil shader. Not bad. Another Legendary, so that's 10 Legendaries. Another Legendary, that's 11 Legendaries, not bad whatsoever. And another blue. Okay did I get anything? Oh another Legendary there, not bad at all. So I think that's 12. Okay, we'll open them all anyway. Let's start with a vanguard. What are we gonna get? Hawthorn's Host Mark and two Moats of Light.   I must have run and took my vanguard then What's going on here? What's going on here? What did I rank up? I must have ranked up my Criptark. I don't even know. I don't even know. Okay so I look back at the end of the video. Two Moats of Light out of the package.  I got an imminent war gone. That's pretty sexy but they ain't gonna look like that good of my mama Titan.  Okay let's go with this one here. The Chosen Sniper Rifle. Two strange coins. Let's go with this vanguard one. Two Moats of Light and I also got the sword tough. I'll get it later. Okay give me a ship, give me a shader. I'll be super happy.  That is the, the, the, the D's plus thing. What I'm gonna do guys is I'm just gonna open it and grab a watch. I might have to put something in my vault and get a few things out. I'll catch you guys back in a sec. Okay so I've got the legendos out of my vault. Let's see what I get from these bad boys. Come on Mr. Cooktart.  Let's start with the blues. Why not? Fackle, fuckle. Nothing out you would know that. What sort of, okay.   Where should we start? Let's start with a heavy. Exidus Plant RS1. Dead orbit launcher.  Okay the chosen again.  What else we're gonna get? Judgment 6. Oh I'm not too bad. Gonna get any exotics from these. I never get exotics. I never get exotics from legendos. It just does not happen for me. Let's go here. Let's go there. One more. Oh two more.   Fackle that man. Fackle that man. Leg arms have I got. Oh there we go. There we go. I also got another package as well. Let's open that package and then check out what I got. Armor wise. Let's see what I get. I've got a legendary class item.  Don't need that. Grab that. May as well open it. See what we're gonna get. See what we're gonna get. I'm actually ridiculously tired here. It's almost 4 a.m. in the morning and recording this one late because I need videos for while I'm away while I'm in Seattle playing the Taken King. It's super late here so I apologise if I sound really tired.  I really am. I had a nice dead orbit class item there but let's see what we got overall. No threat moves whatsoever. I've got two chosen. What did I get in this bad boy? Okay so we've got Outlaw and Performance Bonus and we also got Reinforced Barrel. Got snipers like that all day long. Let's get rid of that. What do we got on this one here? Okay. I'm gonna keep that. I'm gonna keep that. I'm gonna keep it. I'll give it a chance. See how it works. What we've got on this fucker. Now I've got a judgement already. Don't even need to look at that.  Let's get rid of that blue. Okay. What's on this exodus plan? Absolute dog shite. Absolute dog shite. Got rocket launchers all day long. Do not need that. Let's have a look at this dead orbit mark. Dead orbit shader. Oh, sexiest. Fuck. Look at that. Okay. I've got plenty of leg armors. I noticed that. Okay. I've got this one here. Intellect and Strength. Cameo ammo for auto rifles. No thank you. Discipline of Strength. Cameo ammo for hand cannons. No thank you. Discipline of Strength. Hand cannons. No thank you. Intellect and Discipline and Scout rifles. That may be one I want to keep. I've got any intellect and disciplines on any armors. We've got two now. Two the same thing. One offers more than the other. Yeah, which one looks better though?  Actually, like, look at that.  Oh, then again. Then again.  Electric roofs.  Let's keep them. Let's keep these ones and get rid of them.  We've got three chest armors. Let's have a close look at these bad boys. Deadlight plate. Discipline and Strength. We've got Intellect and Discipline here. Oh, that may be one I want to keep. I've got Intellect and Strength there. No, I want to keep. Because I haven't got many things that have got discipline and intellect.  Intellect and Strength. Discipline and Strength. Yeah, I'll keep that actually. I'll get rid of that. Order by minute. Order by minute. Let's have another look. 75, 81, 84, 75. Shotgun sco. Same. Ah, take. No, just get rid of it. Don't need it. Get rid of it. Get rid of it. Okay, I've got two gauntlets. I've got one Discipline and Strength and I also got another one with Discipline and Strength. One's 56, 53. The other one's 50, 52. Which one looks better though? Wow. Future walkout gone. I'm good with that.   That is, I think, all I got. Yeah, guys, that is it. That is what I got from. I don't know how many engrams. I don't know how many packages, but quite a few. Hope you guys enjoyed the video. Do drop a like. I do appreciate the support. I apologise. I sound really tired.  But thanks for stopping by as always. I do appreciate the support and peace out until next time. Peace!


Let me introduce the stage Chiara Brookman from the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science. The title of Chiara's talk tonight is, This Is Your Brain on Drugs.  I suppose you might. But what if I told you that all of your brains were on drugs too? In fact, to coordinate activities all throughout your body, your cells produce drugs that act as signals to other cells. These signaling drugs give instructions for building new tissue, and they can also be used as medicine to help repair damaged tissue. I'm interested in repairing damaged brain tissue, and my research is all about getting these drugs into the brain. Normally, when you take drugs, they get into your bloodstream and from there target particular organs or injury sites. But that doesn't work for the brain.  We can bypass this barrier with a direct injection, but these signaling drugs are short-term and they degrade quickly. So to keep the drugs working, you need a new injection every hour, and as cool as that looks, 10 out of 10 doctors agree that the fewer times you stab yourself in the brain, the better. Every injection causes a bit more damage and interferes with the healing process. But, as Mom always said, there's more to life than drugs. And in this case, healing brain cells also require structural support. They need to interpret their environment as a brain, so that structural support needs to be in the form of nanofibers. Just like those, you'd find between cells in healthy brain tissue. Now, there's simply no way of getting these nanofibers into the brain without surgery or an injection. But that's great for me, because it means I can use those nanofibers to carry in the drugs. Now, I've only got that one injection, so to make the most of it, I'm using nanofibers made of small pieces of proteins. The signaling drugs are also proteins, and on a molecular level, similar structures stick together. So the drugs stick to the nanofibers, keeping them in place so they don't degrade. And using this method, I've extended that one hour all the way to six weeks, enough time to build replacement brain tissue and connect it up with the rest of the brain.  I've found that attaching long chains of sugar molecules to the drugs provides a nice, steady dose of the drug. Without the sugar, the drugs can detach from those nanofibers at random, but the sugar chains wrap around the nanofibers to really hold the drugs in place and reduce those random fluctuations by 60%. So the next time you're looking for a smooth stream of drugs into your brain, remember that this is for medicinal purposes only.


Proudly, we hail. New York City, where the American stage begins. Here is another program with a cast of outstanding players. Public service time has been made available by this station for your Army and your Air Force to bring you this story. As proudly we hail, the United States Army. Our story is entitled, Operation Beethoven. This is the heartwarming story about the hearts of three soldiers of the United States Army and how they lost them completely to a young and talented musician. Our first act curtain will rise in just a moment. But first, today your rapidly expanding United States Army needs intelligent young men with ability and ambition. Men intelligent enough to recognize the vital need for a strong army. Men with ability to be trained in a necessary job. Men with ambition enough to secure the future for themselves and their loved ones. Does that description fit you? Can you qualify? For full information on how you can fit in with the finest, check with your nearest United States Army Recruiting Station now. Remember, the United States Army, the senior service of our armed forces, needs you. And now your Army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production, Operation Beethoven. I think it was old Will Shakespeare who said something about music soothing the savage breast. While it's true that Corporal Paul Adams, infantryman United States Army, didn't have any savage instincts, music nevertheless did play a big part in his off-duty activities. Stationed a few miles outside of Vienna, he could go into the city on any night and find the type of music he sought. Four to the Viennese, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms are as dear as life itself. Of course, to Corporals Joseph Xavier Sully and Andrew Francis Tinker, this kind of thinking was strictly for the birds. Anyone who didn't like their jive in the groove should be observed for crackage of the mind, and almost nightly. They would discuss this situation with their stricken buddy, Corporal Adams. Look, Adam, will you just look at him? Corporal Sully, I can't. He hurts my eyes. He's our friend, our pal, our buddy.  Oh, dear friends and noble hearts at ease. At ease, he says, at ease. Oh, how is it possible? Paul, you're coming apart at the seams. I hate to see a nice, bright guy like you going to see... You know, I hear strange noises. Yeah, what did I tell you? He's hearing things. Look at his eyes. Look at the way his mouth hangs open. Dr. Sully, I say the lad is suffering from an advanced stage of Beethovenitis. Paul, now take your time and tell us slowly. Who are you escorting to this thing tonight? You won't tell us all? It's not generally known, but Queen Zigg Wilger of Alpenstock and I are going steady. He makes fun of us. The truth is, he ain't taken no one. That's the serious part, Dr. Tinker. I know, I know. Dr. Sully, no man should be allowed to attend one of these affairs without a companion. A female companion, of course. Of course. Maestro, just where are your female companions? Oh, gosh, fellas, I don't know. I must have lost them someplace. Try looking under that bunk. Now step aside, son. I'm in a hurry. Look, he's putting his tie on backwards. Shall we try a little shot treatment? Try it by all means, but I fear the case is hopeless. It's indoctrination.  Corporal Adams, I have here an indoctrination machine and I want you to listen closely. Well, I play you something, something solid, real and sincere. Mm-hmm. You'll excuse me while I ignore you. Oh, shall we dance? A givot or a minuet? Oh, I'm at your mercy. Hey, hey, what's your idea? Gentlemen, my ears are sensitive. The harsh noises are for boars, bounders and bumpkins. Aside from that, I bid you good night. Don't wait up. Dr. Sully, the boy is strictly for the birds. But strictly? Oh, no, you're both wrong. I am strictly for Beethoven. And so, nothing loathed. Our hero took himself away from the diagnosis of his friends and went to hear some Beethoven. Arriving late, his eyes unaccustomed to the darkness of the hall, he made his way to his seat. And, as you might imagine, his course was somewhat difficult. Uh, I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon. Excuse me, please. I beg your pardon.  Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Excuse me. Oh, where did my foot? Oh, young man, I'm sorry.  Sit down and be quiet. I'm awfully sorry, Folline. I didn't mean to step on your foot. Please, I would like to listen to the music. Oh, did I hurt your foot? Don't keep your foot. Don't keep your foot. Don't keep your foot. I want to listen to the music. Madam, we all do. Quiet! Without further incident, and with the lights up, our hero wished that, like the turtle, he could crawl into his shell. Well, that is, until he observed the girl whose foot he'd stepped on sitting next to him. And then, as Corporal Sully had pointed out, our hero's mouth hung open. And, looking like he'd just been struck by a bolt of lightning, he sat staring at her when the music began again. Sir, is there something that mattered with you? Huh? Are you sick? Oh, no, no, I don't think so. Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I didn't mean to step on your foot. Well, let's not go into it again. Oh, well, did I hurt you? I think I would live. Oh, music's very good, isn't it? Yes, when it is not being interrupted. Oh, I, uh, should have waited until the peace was over. I think we can all agree on that. Shh! Can I get you something to drink? No, thank you. I'm not thirsty. Oh, I'm not thirsty either. My, uh, my name is Paul Adams. That's nice. Mm, do you like Beethoven? Yes.  You're very inquisitive, aren't you? I'm into pride.  That soldier's dying to be frightened. Shh! Mind your own business. If you were my daughter, I'd take you over my knee. Now, wait a minute. That's no way to talk to a lady. But I'm only dying to be of help. But when I want any help, I'll ask for it. Would you both be quiet? I came here to listen to some music. That's all I want to do. I ask you, is romance dead in him? Shh! And when the concert came to an end, our hero inspired and filled with manly courage by the works of the great composer decided that it was time to attack boldly and in full armor. Oh, romance was not dead in old Vienna. This, he would prove. For a good soldier knows how to deploy his forces and move forward despite the odds. Uh, Frawline, my name is Paul Adams. So you have already informed me. And now, if you will excuse me, I would like to go. Well, uh, Frawline, what's your name? Sir, you are impertinent. Oh, no, no. Determine, not impertinent, Frawline. Mama, you hear that? That is good. Determined. A man must be determined. I wish you would go home. Frawline, you have no manners. Will you please go home? Come, Mama, we go home. And now, I would like to go home, too. Well, uh, may I take you there? Oh, you have a nerve, sir. I'm just determined. Why? Beethoven makes me determined. What are you, Paul Adams? A general? No, Frawline. Only a corporal. Corporal? Mm-hmm. Just like Napoleon. May I see you home? It's quite a long walk. Oh, good. If it's too far, I'll carry you. I think Beethoven has made you mad. Well, that's what my friends say. Will you promise not to step on my feet? I promise. Shall we go? All right. You win. Oh, one thing, I, uh, I never walk people home whose names I don't know. Lisa. Lisa Renick. Lisa. Lisa Renick. Like music. Oh, and to think of all the concerts I've been to that you've been to, and we never once met. All that good music wasted. You just never managed to step on my foot before. How wonderful it is to be clumsy. Oh, isn't it a grand night? Yes, I love the autumn. Smell and feel of it, you know? The stars have a sharper look.  Oh, just think of it. Mozart walked these streets. And Beethoven and so many others. And now, Corporal Adams. That's right. It was pretty darn good when you think of it. A guy like me getting a chance to be here. Are all American soldiers so interested in classical music? I've got a couple of buddies you should meet. They think I'm slightly crazy. Oh, here we are. Oh, this is where you live. I thought you said it was a long way. It didn't seem like such a long way. Well, maybe it's only a long way when you walk alone. I've been doing that for a long time. Look, next Thursday night, how about going with me to the Vienna plots? All Brahms. I know. Will you? I shouldn't. Give me seven good reasons why. I guess I can. All right, I'll meet you here at eight. Is it a date? It's a date. And now I've got to go in. Good night, Lisa Renwick. I'm awfully sorry if I hurt your foot, but... I'm awfully glad I stepped on it. Hey, Corporal Tinker, it's back. So I observe, Corporal Sully. Looks kind of glassy-eyed. What'd you expect? Shall I question it? At your own risk. Boy, oh boy, you there. Are you able to communicate?  Hey, will you look what the square Beethoven has done to the boy? Here, help him off with his coat. The most wonderful, the most beautiful. Oh, you guys have no idea. A dame, he met a dame! You mean they allow women to go to those things? Did you really meet a dame, boy? What's your name? Brunhilde? Her name, meet heads, is Lisa. And when you speak it, bow. Uh-huh. And how did you meet her in the middle of a cadenza? I stepped on her. Well, I always say it takes all kinds. Oh, live and let live, that's my motto. Yeah, I stepped on her foot by accident. What's she look like? What does she look like? Oh, what does a princess look like? It's part Beethoven, part Schubert, a touch of Brahms, a Mendelssohn concerto, brother, she's the works. You know, I've heard a lot of guys speak about a lot of dames, but this absolutely is the most disgusting description I ever heard. What is she, a phonograph record?  To sleep. Perchance to dream. I thought he was done for before. Now I know he's finished.  Oh, good night, sweet prince. The flights of angels guide thee to thy rest. Well, you listen to it rattle. Let's get him transferred. Oh, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. You are listening to the proudly we hail production, Operation Beethoven. We will return in just a moment for the second act. The man who measures up will succeed anywhere. For a life of excitement and adventure, join the United States Army. You know, the Army is the proving ground, the place where the men and the boys part company, where you learn more about how to take care of yourself and how to lead others in a few short months than you could in a lifetime of civilian activity. In the Army, your opportunities for advancement and leadership are unlimited, but you've got to have what it takes. The man who measures up here will succeed anywhere. Can you measure up? If you think you can, then here's an opportunity for you to serve your country and build a man-sized career for yourself. Visit your local United States Army recruiting station and get complete details today. You are listening to Proudly We Hail, and now we present the second act of Operation Beethoven. And so Night of Beethoven held hands through bronze, stared at each other through an evening of Mozart, and were positively struck dumb while being serenaded by the romantic words of Mendelssohn. Ah, youth, ah, love, ah, Vienna and Wienerschnitzel. Well, here we are. That's right. Paul, I... Yes? Nothing. Oh, Lisa. Yes?  I don't mind, Paul. Hey. Who's that? I'm afraid it's Jan, my brother. He shouldn't be playing now. He'll be waking everyone up. Your brother? Well, he should be waking everyone up with music like that. I'll have to go in and stop him, Paul.  Can I meet him? Maybe some other time. No better time than now, Lisa. Are you going to be impertinent again? Just determined. All right, come on. Is it so late already? I thought it would not hurt to play a little. There's someone with you? Yes. Paul, this is my brother Jan. Jan, this is Corporal Paul Adams. Oh, it is a pleasure, sir. Hi. Already I have heard so much about you. Jan! Oh, she does his talk about you. She must really like you.  Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Jan. You're quite a pianist. I'm not so good, especially on this poor old wreck. It is, uh, how you say, uh, a mess. You make it sound fine. And now I think it is time you said good night, young man. Yeah, I can sleep now. It was very nice to meet you, sir. Well, I hope next time I come, Jan, you really sit down and play for me. I would be honored to try. Good night, Libbyn. Good night, Lisa. How old is he? Twelve. Twelve, and he can play that way. On that piano. He has a very great talent. Lisa, he's blind, isn't he? Yes, poor. He's blind. A twelve-year-old boy with a very great talent who sits at that wreck of a piano and makes music poor out of it. A twelve-year-old boy, sightless, whose fingers glide over the battered keys with a sure, proud touch.  Blind, huh? Yeah. Completely blind. Tough. Just a little toe-haired kid. Guts, sir. Oh, man, but plenty. I don't know how he played that thing. It was so beat up, it looked like one solid chord, and the whole thing looked as if it had collapsed. Well, that's the way it goes, Doc. Oh, he ought to have something better than that to play on. Can't she go out and pick something up for him? Well, if she could, don't think she wouldn't. She doesn't make much teaching school. You know, there are a couple of pianos over in the service club.  Now, wait a minute. Maybe you've got something there. Maybe I could get permission to bring the kid out once or twice a week. Hey, maybe you better go lay it on the line to the CO. Sully, that is the most sensible thing you've said since you've been in the Army. Look at me, I'm improving. So I went to the CO and told him about Jan, and he sent me to the captain in charge of the service club, and now it's all set. Every Saturday afternoon, I'll pick Jan up and take him out to the post, and... Well, Lisa, what's the matter? You shouldn't have done it. Oh, you give me seven good reasons. Why not? You're impertinent. Determined. Oh, Paul, you're wonderful. And so are you. Jan will be filled.  You're sure it will be all right. There will be no trouble.  I could kiss you all. Well, how about settling for me? I'm the jealous type. All right, Napoleon. Now, come on. Let's go tell Jan all about it. You awake? No, go to sleep. Hey, Jay, who's coming through here on a USO tour? Who, your brother, Mo? Oh, why, Scott? No, a pal of yours, sir. What's his name? Richardson. Richardson, yeah, John Richardson. Oh, I don't know any John Richardson. What does he do, juggle? No, he just... John Richardson? You mean John Richardson, the famous concert artist? Yeah, that's the guy I'm talking about. Hello, Lisa. Oh, how are you? No, no, no, nothing's wrong. Listen, John Richardson, the great pianist, is out here. Yeah, that's right, on a USO tour. I hope you don't mind, but I had a talk with him about Jan. No, no, don't get excited. He wants to hear Jan play. Yes, you bring him out on the bus after supper, and I'll meet you at the gate. You can tell Jan the boys want to play for them or something. What? Well, what's the matter? Oh, this is nothing to cry about.  You know where to get the bus? Good. What? Likewise, I'm sure. In any language. Miss Wrennick, I'm sure there's no need to tell you you have an extremely talented brother. The fact that he's blind makes his ability even more startling. Has he a teacher? For a time he had one, but soon the teacher said there was nothing more he could show him, and... Well, it... I know, I know. Cost a lot of money for a good teacher. Yes, and we have not that kind of money. Tell me, have you heard of Papa Henrik Muller? Oh, yes, but... Well, Papa's an old friend of mine. I think he'd do me the favor of taking Jan as a pupil. Fact after he hears him play, I'm sure he will. Day? Yeah, fine day. It makes snow. Oh, yes, yes, yes, it made that... Yes, there's something I can show you, boys. Well, uh, are you here, Obermeyer? Yeah, yeah, that is me, all right, all of me. Well, uh, we're looking for a piano for a Christmas present. A good piano. Which won't cost much. Gentlemen soldiers, there is no such things. Well, no such thing as what? A good piano that does not cost much. That's no way to look at it. It's bound to snow. There's no other way to look at it. Pianos are very dear. What about a nice fit up? Well, uh, how much is that piano there? Um, that one there? I don't see any other one there. Gentlemen, I would be afraid to tell you the price. Well, I will show it. There. That isn't the price. That's the national debt. This piano is to be a gift for a very talented boy. The most talented in all Vienna. Papa Müller is handling him exclusively. Oh, Papa Müller, so. Uh, and who is this boy? Jan Renek. Jan Renek, Jan Renek. Never heard of him. Well, maybe you'd like to. What do you mean? I brought a record. I'll just put it on here and let you listen. Gentlemen, it makes no difference who you have on that record, but they'll go ahead, play it anyway. You know, some people just don't know an opportunity when they hear it. Imagine being able to say that it was your piano on which little Jan Renek, the blind pianist, did his practicing. If Papa Müller is to have the credit for teaching, why shouldn't you have the honor of supplying the instrument? I can see we'd better go down the street to that other fellow's shop. What's his name? Never. Well, I don't think Herr Obermeier has the ear to understand great music. A 12-year-old boy, you say? Blind. A blind boy. Maybe another Mozart. Or Brahms. Or even Beethoven. You don't fool me. This is no joke. Well, if you like, call Papa Müller. Oh, come on, Herr Obermeier. Where's your Christmas spirit? A blind boy. Makes me cry. Such playing. Where does this boy live? Oh, my wife, she will cut my throat, but I do not care. I... And so on Christmas Eve, Corporals Adams, Sully and Tinker presented themselves front and center at the apartment of Lisa Renek. And there, laden with all sorts of goodies, they sat down to partake of each other's company. Is it not the most wonderful Christmas Eve, Lisa? Oh, it's the most wonderful I can remember. And never was a finer crowd gathered. And not a glass, Alphonse? By all means, Gaston. Lisa? Oh, no, no, no, no. Thank you. I'm full right up to the top. And will you look at the love-light burning in that boy's eyes? I won't pay no attention to them. Tell me, Paul, do you kiss her very often? Yeah. Well, as a matter of fact, Jan, whenever I can. If you don't stop, I will leave the room. Is it almost Christmas? No, it won't be long, Jan. I hope not. I'll get that. Gentlemen, I have come and a merry Christmas to you all. Well, Santa Claus Obermeier himself. I don't understand. Lisa, this is Herr Obermeier and he's brought something for Jan. Bring it up. Bring it up carefully, carefully. What is it? A piano for me. Compliments of Herr Obermeier, Jan. Nonsense, nonsense. All of these brave soldier boys. Is it their hands, hands? You must not spoil it. Oh, Paul. Paul, what have you three wonderful fools done? I can't believe it. A piano for me. My furry own. Hey, hey, hey, no, folks. Let's not all break down and have a good cry. That's strictly bird music. All of you, come in, come in, please. We will have a celebration. Yeah, no better time or place. Yeah, and Peter Heinrich. Come inside, come inside. May I play something? Young fellow, if you do not play on it a great many times and become very, very famous, my wife... Oh, my wife. She will cut my throat. Play something for us, Jan. Play something for Herr Obermeier and... and for Paul and Joseph and Andrew. The three wonderful soldiers. All I can say is I wish I'd been a guy that stepped on a foot. Young men, join the Army and start drawing dividends right away. Food, clothing, quarters, training in a technical job, life insurance, retirement benefits, and a monthly check to your dependents. Of course, that security in an Army career goes double. It helps to make America strong. The Army Sergeant in your nearest recruiting station downtown can tell you all about it. Go see him today. This has been another program on Proudly We Hail, presented transcribed in cooperation with this station. Proudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center for the United States Army and United States Air Force Recruiting Service. This is Mark Hamilton speaking, inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.