Silverpen Productions Blog Reminder

Just a reminder that the Silverpen Productions blog is now primarily located (and updated) at www.silverpenproductions.com/blog.   Please be sure to follow us there as this site is no longer regularly updated.

If you are currently subscribed to our blog directly through WordPress, you will no longer receive the SP updates in your email. You will need to re-subscribe through the new site.

Once you are on the new SP Blog site, enter your email in the right sidebar to subscribe to the current SP blog. Each blog post will then be sent to your email once it is published.

If you are interested in everything that SP is up to, you can also subscribe to the newsletter. (The Silverpen newsletter is different than our blog posts.) You can subscribe to the general SP newsletter at the very bottom of the page.

Thank you for your continued support of Silverpen Productions and we’re looking forward to interacting with you on the new site!

 

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The Right to Ditch?

SP welcomes our new contributor, Adam Berg!
Adam is a writer from the Millennial age, and brings a fresh perspective to some of SP’s activities.

TinderTechnology, over the past two years, has vastly changed the way people meet each other and form relationships. As of 2014, Tinder, a dating app, where users “like” or “dislike” pictures anonymously of possible matches, announced that over fifty million people use the app every month, and every day twelve million people are matched. What makes this app unique is its utter shallowness. A user sees up to six pictures of their prospective match; if they like someone’s photos, and that someone in turn likes their photos, they get a match and can then chat with the hopes of possibly meeting. Some people use the app for one-night stands, while others are looking for quality relationships. Since Tinder, many other apps, such as JSwipe and Coffee Meets Bagels, which have similar features, have been successfully created.

This technology has had insurmountable effects on current forms of communication. For starters, people have an easier path to find a romantic partner; however, that ease comes with the price of only meeting those others who use the same service. Dating sites are not a new thing, but as technology evolves, such services have gained a much faster pace. Unlike Match.com and its competitors, who take the time to pose questions to its customers that will help them find someone who matches their personality and interests, Tinder and its competitors have a near total focus on appearance. The effects of this shallowness on the fifty million, the majority of whom are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-two, are quite obvious, the worst of which being self-esteem issues from not acquiring matches, as well as lacking the proper knowledge necessary before meeting a new person.

One of my friends met someone on Tinder. He drove half an hour to meet his “match” at a restaurant. Midway through his entrée, he realized they were not working out at all, probably because…   KEEP READING

Just a Thought: Let Love Be…

The world feels topsy turvy to me lately. It’s like someone turned things around and started shaking – like a snow globe. Everything is upside down and backward. Everything – even the weather.

Everywhere I turn, I see hate. The media thrives on it. Fuels it. Creates it. Whether if it is politics, religion, diets, Hollywood, fashion, human rights, football, food – Everyone has something to complain about. Looking at my newsfeed lately has left me feeling drained and weary.

Why?

Why is there so much more hate in the world lately? Is it just that social media allows an easier and larger platform? Does it give people a feeling of empowerment to voice these rather loud opinions in a way they would have never considered a decade ago? Or is it more than that?

I don’t know if the reason is really important or not – that certainly is a subject for another day. Regardless of the reason, the fact still remains that there is unabashed HATE everywhere.

Yes, there is a lot going on in the world today. Yes, there is also a lot of change. And change can be scary. But let’s take a step back for a moment. Let’s put our opinions on these issues aside and take an unbiased look at them –

Continue Reading

New Blog Address

Silverpen Productions has always been so appreciative of our followers and the support we have received over the years – both through our blogs and in business!

We are happy to announce that this main blog can now be found at a new address: http://www.silverpenproductions.com/blog/

Please be sure to subscribe to us there to get all of our blog updates via email. You can also subscribe to the SP newsletter at the bottom of the page to receive periodic updates about the company and special discount offers for our followers. The newsletter is not sent out very often, so you do not have to worry about adding more to your inbox!

And as always, “Like” us on Facebook to be eligible for some of our Facebook only discounts as well as to enjoy tips, updates, and pictures from all of our various divisions.

Thank you again for your support over the years, and we look forward to interacting with you on the new site!

Bailey’s Corner: Find the Hidden Treasures

I love early spring. Know why?

Because regardless of the temperature, there’s still piles of snow around. And each new day I find new treasures. As the snow begins to melt, a different layer is revealed. They may complain that it’s just different layers of my poop that have accumulated over the winter. But I know better. The poop is just guarding all the hidden treasures!

I find something new each day – perfect chewing sticks that fell from the storm a month ago, the kid’s toy she thought she lost, scents from a whole bunch of animals that wandered through our yard over the winter, the Christmas tree that disappeared in the blizzard, large amounts of tennis balls that fell in a snow bank and never found their way out. The other day I even found a flower trying to push its way up! The list could go on and on.

Every day they let me out has a fresh adventure waiting for me. New growing scents fill the air each day. An old toy becomes new again. New life and a new start emerge from the piles. It might appear ugly outside until nature finishes cleaning itself, but if you actually take a look around, you’ll find all kinds of hidden treasures. Take a minute to really notice your surroundings. What do you see? Dig a little – what can you find? Even within yourself – what kind of treasure is waiting to be found?

It doesn’t matter how the day starts, or what it may initially appear to be. It doesn’t matter if it is cold, dark, sunny, stressful, too long, too short, etc. – Each day holds a “hidden treasure.” We just need to open our eyes, stretch our paws, and search. It’s there somewhere. And when we find it, we are as rich as a king – even if only for a day.

The McDreamy Dilemma

SPOILER ALERT – If by some miracle you have not seen Grey’s Anatomy this week, or have not already heard what happened, STOP READING.

 

The internet was buzzin’ after Thursday night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy. People were outraged that Shonda Rhimes not only decided to kill off yet another character from the show, but the beloved McDreamy himself!

Yes, I am a fan of the show and have watched it from the beginning, so certainly I am attached to these characters.

But let’s take a look at this just from a writing perspective. Was it smart to kill off one of the most popular characters of the show and one of the few remaining original characters at that?

While the episode was well written (although, not the best episode they ever had), and while it certainly created a buzz, in my humble opinion, I think it was a dumb move.

The show has been losing viewers over the last couple of years. We all know that it is drawing to an end – It has already been stated that they are planning on ending it after 2 more seasons. Wouldn’t you want to keep as many viewers as possible over your last 2 seasons?

Derek Shepherd earned the nickname “McDreamy” for a reason. He is written to appeal to women as the perfect guy. And women across the world love him for it. Many people have continued to watch the show mainly because of him. Now he’s gone.

Perhaps his storyline was done. Perhaps he just wanted out. It doesn’t matter the reason. Killing such a beloved character at this point in the series is not a smart move. There are plenty of other ways you could write him out that would leave it open for him to be back for the finale, or to still be part of the storyline without actually being on the show. Keeping it a little more open ended – whether if he ever appeared on the show again or not – would keep viewers watching. It would keep viewers happy.

Now, if Shonda didn’t already have the habit of killing off almost every character she wanted off the show, would my opinion on this be different?

I think it would. It would make Derek’s death much more shocking and traumatic. It would hit the viewer’s core even more. We wouldn’t be ready for it, and it would send us reeling. We would want to keep watching to see how Meredith would survive.

But since there have already been a ridiculous amount of deaths on this show, quite frankly, this wasn’t much of a surprise. Of course she would kill him off – she killed everyone else off (except Christina). Of course Meredith is going to survive and move on – she did with everyone else.

Was I upset Derek died? Sure, I love that character like everyone else. But did I have the ugly tears while watching it like I would have expected in other circumstances? Nope. I was fully expecting it, and I was quite annoyed. This show has proven that it has some fantastic writers. Some of the opening/ending narrations have been darn near genius in the past. So I KNOW they have good writers. So I KNOW they could have created a better storyline. So I was annoyed that they took the easy way and killed him just everyone else. Derek deserved better. The show deserved better.

Was the episode itself well written? Yes. Was it the best written episode I’ve seen from them? No.

It was a fitting way for McDreamy to die – a hero. I would expect nothing less. It was an interesting choice to have the great neurosurgeon’s brain being what ended up killing him. Nice move. It is within Meredith’s character to be strong and stoic like her mother. However, that said, I felt it was weird, especially considering the final song that was playing, that Meredith didn’t lay down next to him one last time. To hold him, as he always held her and supported her, while he passed away. That last part of the ending left me unsatisfied, and it seemed like there should have been a bit more than just hearing the great McDreamy’s last breath.

But that is just this one writer’s humble opinion. What did you think? Was it a fitting ending? Was it a smart or stupid move in the overall arch of the show’s story? Do you think viewers will still watch till the end of the show?

It certainly will be interesting to see how it ends up panning out….

 

Photo Credit: Patrick Dempsey via photopin (license)

Recipe Corner: Roasted Asparagus Salad with an Over Easy Egg

What’s in season right now? Asparagus!

Take advantage of what’s in season with this super easy salad! I love asparagus and this is one of my favorite salads that is simple, quick, and delicious. Any salad is easily taken to the next level with an egg and this recipe also has a delicious mustard onion vinaigrette.

 

Serves 2

Dressing:
-1 tbl of olive oil
-1 1/2 tbl of white balsamic
-1 tbl of mustard
-2 tsp of soy sauce
-2 tsp of honey
-Sriracha or hot sauce to taste (optional)
-1 medium garlic clove, minced
-1 medium scallion or spring onion, finely chopped

Salad:
-2 eggs
-A small bundle of asparagus
-Lettuce (I used a baby spinach blend)
-1 tsp of olive oil
-1/4 tsp of salt
-Pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the asparagus and then toss in the 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Roast the asparagus until it starts to become tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, white balsamic, mustard, soy sauce, honey and hot sauce. Then add in garlic and scallions.

Cook both eggs in a non-stick pan on medium heat. To get them over easy it should take about 3 minutes.

To assemble the salad, chop the roasted asparagus into bit-sized pieces and combine with the lettuce. Toss with the vinaigrette and separate into two portions. Top each with the over easy egg, some fresh pepper, and enjoy!

-Emilie Nadler

Photo Credit: Emilie Nadler
Photo Copyright (c) 2015 Emilie Nadler. All rights reserved.

Photos are not to be used without prior permission & license.

Are You Ready for Google’s New Settings?

Did you hear the news?

Google is making major updates to its search results. And if your company’s website is not super mobile friendly, you could be losing some major hits!

Not sure how your website ranks? Try using Google’s Webmaster Tool to see how your site adds up. You can also use their Mobile-Friendly Test Tool to see just how “friendly” your site is. If Google says it’s not so friendly, they will give you a list of options on how to proceed to the next step.

Time is short to make these updates. Google is already beginning to implement these changes, with the major impacts starting on April 21st.

While you’re updating your site’s coding, take a look at your content. How effective is it? Have you been getting the results you need off of your website? When is the last time you changed your content? If it’s pretty much the same content you started with, you should think about making some updates. Fresh content impacts your Google ratings as well, and a stagnant site will not get as much attention as one that has recently been updated.

Also take a look at how professional your content is. Does it portray your business in the best possible manner? Or are there grammar issues? Typos? Elementary sentence styling? Can you tell that an amateur wrote it, or does it sound like you paid a lot of money for a true professional to write it? Does it relate to your audience, in their “language”?

The answers to these questions are all important considerations. You don’t just want a web presence. You want a web presence that will reach your target audience. You want a presence that will get you and your business true results!

Your website is a reflection of your business and you want to appear as professional as possible. You want people to have confidence in your products and services. Believe it or not, if people are searching Google for a service, the “tone” of the site will determine whether if you get a call or not. If the site looks too amateurish, they will move on to the next one on the list. If all other considerations are the same between two businesses, people will pick the one with the better site, every time.

If you’re not sure if your content is at the standard it should be, contact us. Silverpen Productions does free consultations and estimates. Let us help you make your site the best it can possibly be and be sure that you stay at the top of Google’s rankings, regardless of the upcoming changes!

 

Photo Credit: Google Main Search via photopin (license)

A Winter Thought

The Snow Man*
By Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

For most of my life I have had a love hate relationship with winter. Every year I fall into the same trap – eagerly awaiting the first snowfall only to scorn snow that comes in the deeper months of winter. However, as someone who has lived in the Northeast their whole life, harsh winters are an inevitable part of the year. You have to make the most of it with winter sports, time spent with family around the fire, and appreciating the beauty that comes with the snow and cold.

This poem by Wallace Stevens has always been one of my favorites and I think sums the life of a Northeasterner during the winter. It is easy to focus on the negative aspects of winter – it’s freezing, you spend less time outdoors, snow can be hazardous and cause many transportation issues, and many other annoying things. However, I think to be a true Northeasterner, you have to bravely face the weather and find the beauty in the “nothing that is.” To be truly one with winter, as Stevens asserts, is to appreciate the beauty that is in winter, in the trees that are “shagged with ice” and in the “distant glitter” of the white snow. Though winter can be seen as nothingness, as barren, there is a life to winter, a beauty and simplicity to its silence. Cold can often be the most beautiful.

-Emilie Nadler

*Copyright (c) 1923 Wallace Stevens

Photo Credit: Emilie Nadler
Photo Copyright (c) 2015 Emilie Nadler. All rights reserved.

Photos are not to be used without prior permission & license.

Recipe Corner: Orange Glazed Chicken Salad

Make the last of orange season with this fresh salad! I had a few oranges that I needed to use up and I decided to try to make an orange vinaigrette for a salad. This recipe is very simple and healthy; it only took me about 20 minutes from start to finish and tasted delicious! Cooking the chicken breast in orange juice really made the meat flavorful and moist. The orange glazed chicken in this recipe could also be a meal on its own served with stir-fried vegetables and rice.

Serves 2

Chicken
-2 chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2 inch
-1 tsp of olive oil
-Juice of half a medium sized orange (any variety should work, but I used navel)
-Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp of each)

Dressing
-Juice of half a medium sized orange
-1 tbl of olive oil
-2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
-2 tsp of low sodium soy sauce
-1/2 tsp of mustard
-1 medium clove of garlic finely chopped
– Sriracha or hot sauce to taste (optional)

Salad
-Lettuce (I used a Spring mix, but any greens will work)
-1 medium sized orange
-1/4 cup of slivered almonds
-1/2 tsp of sesame seeds
-Cilantro (If you don’t like cilantro, try replacing with basil)

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and put them into the skillet. After you first flip over each piece of chicken, pour orange juice over the breasts. Allow the chicken to cook thoroughly as the orange juice begins to thicken (about 4 minutes on each side). Once chicken is done, put aside and let cool.

Roast the almonds and sesame seeds under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until they begin to brown. Watch carefully, this can happen quickly! Put aside to cool.

To assemble the dressing, combine olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard. Whisk together ingredients and then add the garlic. Put aside.

For the garnish, segment the orange and finely chop the cilantro. Put aside.

Slice the chicken breasts. Then toss the lettuce with the toasted almonds and sesame seeds, orange segments, and most of the dressing, reserving some for the top. Put chicken on top of the salad, drizzle on the extra dressing and top with cilantro. Enjoy!

-Emilie Nadler

Photo Credit: Emilie Nadler
Photo Copyright (c) 2015 Emilie Nadler. All rights reserved.

Photos are not to be used without prior permission & license.