John Comerford Homepage

A Few InterstingThings about Me....

My adoptive mother's hometown was allegedly the site of a U.F.O. crash, and as I am both adopted and eccentric my friends have made obvious jokes.

I once talked a man out of killing me and into buying me breakfast. In honor of this event, Cherokee, Pottawatomie and Lakota friends "village-named" me Smiling Pig.

I can include among my many acquaintances a Nigerian revolutionary, an Argentinian dissident, a former Phoenix operative and a man arrested for espionage in Spain. In spite of knowing all these very James Bond characters though, I prefer to spend my evenings in.

One of my closest four-legged friends is a wolf....

The first money I ever made as a writer was a single cent earned for getting over 10,000 clicks at a political site I ran between my days at Yahoo and Discuss America. The price of that penny may have been rather high, though. One e-mail I received from the middle east threatened, sincerely if ineffectively, to put a fatwah on my head.

Cheryl-lee

Cheryl-lee, Cheryl-lee,

Set to sail and sailed the sea,

Sought she, sought she,

Deep sleep on surserant sea,

Cheryl-lee, Cheryl-lee,

Stayed from shore, sailed sea to sea,

Silent in silence, alone and alee,

So sailed and sailed,

Cheryl-lee, Cheryl-lee,

Cheryl-lee, Cheryl-Lee,

Sought and sought a roiling sea,

A sea seeking and seeking only just she,

She, oh she

Set to stay in distant sea,

Slept she, Slept she,

Deep sleep, asleep, asea,

So sailed and sailed,

So stayed and stayed,

...So sat, astill

Cheryl-lee, Cheryl-lee

Work History

Freelance writer

Jul 2009 to present
Write on law and science for E-How and on politics for Yahoo's "Third Party and Independents" page and under the same editor for "Discuss America."
- 1st place, Writeon's 2010 travel article contest.
Walmart
Laborer, then promoted to Maintenance, then promoted to Customer Service · Oct 2006 to Oct 2009
Unloaded trucks, stocked shelves, cleaned and repaired assigned areas, assisted customers English- and Spanish-speaking customers
- Promoted to Maintenance
- Promoted to Customer Relations
International Profit Associates
Business Coordinator · Mar 1996 to Feb 2006
Explained business consultancy services to prospective clients and finalized agreements.
- Consistently in top 20% of Business Coordinators
- Promoted to Head of Training
Americall
Sales Representative · Mar 2004 to Jun 2005 · South Bend, Indiana
Sold expanded services to existing customers of client companies, assorted data entry and clerical
- Promoted to Insurance Sales
- Promoted to Inbound Team

Direct Response Corp
Night Manager · Jul 1999 to Jan 2004 · Glenview, Illinois
Recorded incoming English- and Spanish-Language calls for client companies, persuaded callers to purchase or improve services, dealt with their complaints, exec...See More
Strategic Media Research
Interviewer · Apr 1995 to Jul 1999
Interviewed radio listeners as to their taste in music and programing.
- Consistently in top 25% for productivity
Robert E. Miller Homes
Direct Care Worker · Jul 1993 to Aug 1994
Cared for the needs of cognitively delayed residents of special residence
Psi-Chi, The Honors Society in Psychology
Head of Fund-Raising (unpaid) · Nov 1991 to Feb 1994
Developed, initiated and supervised all fund-raising activities for the organization.
- Tripled organizational budget.
- Negotiated with Cleveland Browns, Playhouse Square, American Airlines
Reach Out
Volunteer · Nov 1991 to Jul 1993
Answered crisis calls and processed incoming persons at out-patient psychological facility
- Succesfully handled all crisis calls

Cellular One
Telemarketer · May 1987 to Nov 1991
Explained company's services to prospective clients and set appointments for salesperson to finalize sale, some clerical and data-entry.
- Consistently top telemarketer in company
- promoted to customer service!!
- Headed realtor's program
American Automobile Association
Sales Representative · Mar 1988 to Jun 1989
Sold AAA memberships to prospective clients, some clerical and data-entry.
- Founded Hispanic membership drive
Bob Evans Restaurant
Busboy · May 1985 to May 1987
Cleared and cleaned assigned areas, operated dish-washing machine.
Kent State University Work-Study Program
Film Repair Technician · Aug 1980 to Aug 1985
Inspected, cleaned, repaired and organized films in the university's film library, assorted clerical and record-keeping.
Walsher Farm
Laborer · Oct 1975 to Aug 1980