Hodsdon, Glasscoe, and Guignon (have I made them sound like the name of a law firm yet?) are the newest columnists for RDH.
Mark Hartley, Editor
I had a free moment the other day and thought I`d check out Amy Nieves` rdh@ egroups. Kristine Hodsdon, Dianne Glasscoe, and Anne Guignon all had postings there on the same day. All three are authors of columns appearing in RDH, and it was like walking into a nightclub and finding colleagues from branch offices around the globe carousing and having themselves a good time. The shrinking world is still sometimes a little unsettling to a 40-something editor. This particular nightclub, by the way, would only serve unsweetened, nonalcoholic beverages - so no harm done and no need for letters to the editor about the preceding analogy.
Honest Injun, I`m gonna start posting my deadlines on Internet bulletin boards! "Writers! It`s the 10th of the month. Where are your articles? If you don`t get them here pronto, I`m gonna ..."
I can`t finish the thought. You`re supposed to convey anger, belligerence, etc., with upper case letters in e-mails and in chat rooms. But I can`t do it. Even in my youthful days of pecking around on manual typewriters, I was reluctant to push down on the "caps lock" key. My momma told me to be polite to others and use capital letters for proper nouns and the first word of a sentence.
My favorite cartoon from years past depicted an editor - an owl-shaped character - looming over a cringing writer with one of the National Rifle Association`s favorite toys and whispering, "Take your time. No hurry." But then workplace violence became a topic on the evening news and then came, worse yet, schoolyard violence. So I guess that old cartoon must now be viewed as being politically incorrect. It certainly no longer hangs on my wall - so no harm done and no need for letters to the editor about my office decor.
I should probably pause here and clarify something. Hodsdon, Glasscoe, and Guignon haven`t missed a deadline yet. Not that I could do anything about it otherwise, but their diligence in providing solid information for RDH magazine in a timely manner entitles them to unwind by chatting with colleagues online. Guignon hasn`t missed a deadline because this month`s "Comfort Zone" is her first column in RDH. We were very nice to her: "Whenever you can get it us, Anne, that would be great. Just capitalize the first letter of each sentence and all proper nouns."
Hodsdon, Glasscoe, and Guignon (have I made them sound like the name of a law firm yet?) are the newest columnists for RDH. Nothing like teacher`s pets, huh? Eager to please and turning in their assignments on time. O`Hehir, Haring, Miller, and Biron may sound like the other law firm in town, but they`re actually the other columnists for RDH. They`re more prone to say, "Today`s the 10th? Ah well, how does the 12th sound to you? And get that silly NRA toy out of my face!"
Glasscoe`s column, "Staff Rx," has been published since early 1999. Dianne has tackled a variety of issues that have been perplexing to readers. Doctors who take their sweet time in showing up for the hygiene exam. New practice owners who could be poster boys for the NRA. Bossy, possessive office managers. That sort of thing.
Hodsdon`s column, "Esthetic Hygiene," started in the April issue. The goal of the column is to ensure the value of the hygiene department in contemporary restorative dentistry. "Esthetic Hygiene" provides information about maintaining these restorations through home care and during the hygiene appointment, as well as incorporating relevant information during the patient education segment of treatment.
Guignon`s column, "Comfort Zone," could have been titled "Ergonomics" or "Occupational Health." But Guignon`s objective is to explore a number of topics that will make you feel, well, more comfortable as you practice, more comfortable with your career choice, and more comfortable with your tools of the trade.
So, if you can`t get enough of them while cruising through the hygiene bulletin boards, check out their columns in RDH. We think they add a new dimension to the magazine, and we`re delighted that they write for us ... as long as everything`s in by the 10th!
Editor Mark Hartley can be contacted at [email protected]
